2019 Toyota Corolla transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

Premature slave cylinder failure at ~70k miles. Suddenly started leaking brake fluid profusely. Inspected and confirmed by Toyota dealership. No symptoms prior to failure. Clutch stopped functioning, unable to shift while driving. Pulled over to inspect and all of the brake fluid had leaked out. Refilled brake fluid and bled system, reservoir leaked to minimum fill line within 24 hours.

NHTSA complaint #11730580 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

DESCRIPTION OF SAFETY ISSUE: The Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) on my 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback 6-speed manual failed during normal driving at around 60mph, creating an immediate and uncontrolled safety hazard. The clutch pedal depressed fully to the floor while I was shifting from 5th gear to 6th gear and the vehicle became unable to be shifted out of gear, leaving me unable to properly control vehicle speed or movement. The only way to release the transmission was to physically reach down and lift the clutch pedal up with my foot while attempting to drive. CRITICAL SAFETY CONCERN - SHARED BRAKE AND CLUTCH FLUID RESERVOIR: On this vehicle, the brake fluid reservoir and clutch hydraulic system share a single reservoir. When the CSC fails and leaks fluid, brake fluid is consumed directly from the same reservoir that supplies the braking system. A CSC failure does not only result in loss of clutch function — it results in loss of brake fluid, and with sufficient fluid loss, partial or complete brake failure. This is not a theoretical risk. This vehicle can fail in a way that simultaneously removes the driver's ability to control vehicle speed via the transmission AND reduces or eliminates braking capability — both at the same time, without warning I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this as a safety defect and consider whether a recall or service campaign is warranted given the risk of simultaneous clutch and brake failure on these vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11729790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

6 speed manual transmission. 79K miles. Vehicle was checked at a dealer due to a sluggish clutch. Dealer found low brake fluid, but no problems with the clutch. The next day the clutch failed completely and car had to be towed off the highway. Slave cylinder for the clutch is a design flaw on these vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11728777 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Clutch release bearing/slave cylinder failed at 29,900 miles. Without warning or unusual symptoms, clutch pedal stuck to floor and was unable to shift gears without manually pulling clutch pedal up.

NHTSA complaint #11727668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The clutch slave cylinder in my 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback failed, causing brake fluid to leak out. The leaking fluid contaminated the clutch assembly, resulting in both the slave cylinder and clutch needing replacement. The failed components should be available for inspection from the repair facility upon request. The failure led to a loss of proper clutch operation, which made it difficult to shift gears and control the vehicle. This created a risk of stalling in traffic or being unable to accelerate when needed, increasing the potential for a collision, especially in busy or high-speed driving conditions. Yes, the issue was diagnosed and confirmed by the dealership. They identified the failed slave cylinder and verified that brake fluid leakage caused contamination of the clutch, requiring replacement of both components. The vehicle has been inspected by a service technician/mechanic at the Toyota dealership. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lights or dashboard messages indicating a problem. The issue appeared suddenly when the clutch began to malfunction due to the fluid leak causing me to not be able to shift gears and the clutch pedal not returning.

NHTSA complaint #11727599 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback. Complete transmission failure.

NHTSA complaint #11722973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Clutch stopped working while driving. Car has 61,000 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11707251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2019 hatchback clutch failed Clutch Release Bearing and Slave Cylinder Assembly is leaking. Toyota part # 31400-19027

NHTSA complaint #11701613 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

rattle in transmission. Car hesitates to accelerate randomly leading to unpredictable acceleration sometimes. Transmission is failing.

NHTSA complaint #11700673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

All 2019-2022 Toyota Corolla 6 Speed Manual Transmission cars are affected. The slave cylinder is a defective part that fails prematurely anywhere between the 20,000-70,000 mile range. The slave cylinder on this car is made out of plastic and is located inside of the transmission, when the slave cylinder fails, it leaks brake fluid all over causing the car to lock into gear and not be able to shift which is a major safety risk when there is no signs of failure. My car locked up in the middle of a busy highway and had to be pushed off the side of the road. Not only is this a safety risk, but since the part is located inside of the transmission, which is not normal, it leaks brake fluid all over the clutch and flywheel, which will all need replacement. The dealership quotes between 4-5 thousand dollars to repair, and is not covered under warranty. Toyota knows that this part is a defective part because the new models received an updated slave cylinder made out of metal, rather than plastic, but no cars have been recalled. The car was towed to my local dealership and it is currently being worked on. The incident was reported to Toyota Corporate and a case was opened to investigate this issue. Every single model made between those years are effected and has caused thousands of people to be left with an expensive repair that is unavoidable.

NHTSA complaint #11698600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Manual transmission intermittent failure to/rough to engage first gear and reverse. Clutch slave cylinder high rate of failure/total failure of manual transmission. Transmission incidents happen at least once per day.

NHTSA complaint #11698384 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My clutch slave cylinder broke. This is a known problem for 6mt toyota corolla hatchbacks yet there hasn't been a recall. Some go bad as soon as 40,000 miles which is very premature.

NHTSA complaint #11689699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I have a 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. The problems started on July 21st, 2025. While driving my 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, I noted white exhaust smoke, even after the engine was warm. One week prior, I had filled the coolant reservoir, but when I checked it, the coolant was almost gone again. There were no visible leaks or puddles under the car. I refilled the coolant, but within days the car began shaking severely upon startup and emitted a coolant-burning smell. 5 minutes after, multiple warning lights illuminated on the dashboard simultaneously. I replaced the car battery, and the warnings disappeared. However, while merging onto the freeway, the same warning lights came back, the car lost power, and I could not accelerate above ~25 mph. If this occurred in heavy traffic, it could lead to a serious collision. I exited the freeway and had the car towed. DTCs from the independent mechanic and the Toyota dealer included: P11ED00 P030085 P030027 P030200 (Cylinder 2 misfire) C142571 (Stop light relay actuator stuck) U1117 B2284 B15AD The Toyota dealer identified a “Port Injector #2 malfunction” and recommended replacing all four injectors (~$2,000) but could not confirm this would fix it. They noted a coolant-burning smell but advised addressing the misfire first before further diagnosis. There is an active class action lawsuit alleging that 2019–2023 Toyota Corolla and RAV4 models have defective coolant bypass valves that may cause engine issues, overheating, or coolant loss without visible leaks. This matches the coolant loss, white exhaust smoke, and eventual power loss while driving. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue in connection to the reported coolant bypass valve defects affecting 2019–2023 Toyota Corolla models.

NHTSA complaint #11681200 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Slave cylinder failure. 90,000 miles. Multiple complaints about the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11676113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

premature failure of clutch components: throwout bearing, clutch slave cylinder (which doubles as master brake cylinder). This type of failure, particularly when vehicle is in motion, will prevent the ability to change gears, as well as potential for brake failure if loss of fluid is great enough. This is a clear and obvious road hazard and the failure occurs within or just outside of factory warranty period and Toyota corp has been unwilling to pay for repairs on this particular failure. This system will fail without warning and there's no indication as to when this part will fail

NHTSA complaint #11632022 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Clutch throwout bearing went out at 69,000. Clutch pedal began getting stuck half way through pedal travel, then got stuck to floor. Lost all clutch operation.

NHTSA complaint #11629931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

As I was driving my check engine light turned and also another message saying “Drive-Start control malfunction”. A few second after another light came one showing “Engine coolant Temp high. On 11/24/24 I experienced this mechanical failure as I was driving. I was driving behind another car, where my car suddenly lost power and randomly accelerated almost causing me to crash behind the car in front of me. Thankfully I had time to press on the brakes to prevent me from crashing. I also did some research to see if other drivers also experienced this fault and seems that a lot of people with these Toyota Corolla and RAV4 models. I also found that an active lawsuit is ongoing against Toyota regarding this same issue. This definitely should be something that needs to be recalled as it puts our lives at risks to either crash or even catch on fire due to overheating. My vehicle gets serviced regularly.

NHTSA complaint #11627104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The transmission slave cylinder on this vehicle leaks and causes multiple issues with the transmission. it is a known issue among all manual transmission owners and resulting on average 4000 dollar repair.

NHTSA complaint #11626662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

No warning lamps, and no accident yet; however, I believe if I continue driving it without repair, it is a safety risk. The sound I can hear coming from CVT torque converter, impeller blades is getting louder the more I drive them vehicle. This was confirmed by a transmission service center (see photo) who identified a toyota recall J17/J07 (NHTSA recall campaign 18V901000), which lists the 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback with the same CVT as my vehicle. When I contacted Toyota (see screenshot), I was told I would be responsible for the repair because there's no recall associated with my vehicle VIN pertaining to CVT torque converter.

NHTSA complaint #11625066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Engine coolant bypass valve

NHTSA complaint #11612464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Transmission is in sport mode stopped at red light loud snapping sound and car lunged forward. Revs up with the transmission slipping with out forward movement acceleration after switching to drive mode it runs normally. Drove home didn't want to push my luck out on the road 38,683 miles on the vehicle

NHTSA complaint #11605041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Transmission failed at 106000 miles

NHTSA complaint #11604885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The bypass coolant valve has failed. Car displays message stating engine maintenance required but no other warning signs. Diagnostic test proved that it’s the bypass coolant valves. Upon further research this seems to be a frequent problem on the 2019 to 2022 Toyotas.

NHTSA complaint #11591231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The clutch slave cylinder started leaking fluid. Luckily I noticed this issue before the level was too low. This is especially dangerous as this fluid is shared with the brake system so a loss of too much fluid could cause both a loss of clutch control and a loss of brakes. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and the issue was found. This issue is also very commonly reported on forums about the 2019 corolla hatchback with a manual transmission.

NHTSA complaint #11588148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Clutch/transmission going out. Would not go into gear while driving ! Turned car off then started it up again and regained function. Replaced entire clutch components back in July of 2022. Been driving manual transmission vehicles for over 20 years and never had an issue with clutch or transmission. Plenty of documentation of this issue on Toyota forum sites .

NHTSA complaint #11583940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Driving up a slight grade, vehicle shuddered and then felt like it popped out of gear. Would not engage in any gear and now I am unable the shift into park or any other gear

NHTSA complaint #11571994 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I purchased my 2019 corolla hatch manual new. Before even 9000 miles I started having transmission issues. I could not shift into first when the car was cold. It was like hitting a wall. I had to cycle through all the other gears before it would go back into first. I took it to Toyota. They were unable to replicate the issue. It happened so sporadically I asked the technician what would happen if I had transmission issues in the future since they were unable to witness the problem. He assured me that the issues were documented, and it would not be a problem at all. Now at 30000 I am having serious issues. The clutch is engaging late, it is chattering in first and second and there are metallic fragments in my transmission fluid. The entire transmission and clutch assembly is going to have to be replaced. Toyota is stating that it will probably not be covered by my warranty because the clutch is a wear item. I've driven a manual for decades. I've put over 100000 miles on a Toyota clutch I previously owned that still worked perfectly when I sold it. This issue is not a driver caused issue. The 2019 is notorious for transmission and clutch issues if you search any kind of forums. The automatic transmission was recalled; however, the manual owners are just up creek without a paddle because Toyota can claim it's all a wear issue caused by the driver. I have not received a decision from the warranty department yet, but I am pretty sure it is not going to be covered by the warranty. A car should not have transmission/clutch issues prior to 9000 miles and be at the owner's expense especially if it is documented.

NHTSA complaint #11559132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Bought this vehicle with 30k one week after the transmission went off and the dealer have to replace completely the transmission, almost two years later the transmission went bad again, now I don’t have any guarantee but two transmission in two year?

NHTSA complaint #11548873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I was at a red light. When the light turned green and I pressed the accelerator the car wouldn’t move. The check engine, charging system malfunction and electronic power steering system warning light appeared on dash. Car locked up. I moved car into neutral and then drive and car was able to move. Took it to dealer next day. Cars almost ran into the back of me! I had just turned on the street from I-85! So far it hasn’t been reproduced at dealer.

NHTSA complaint #11529855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My car went into Limp mode at high way speeds. the transmission is faulty. it feels like a misfire. the transmission does not shit out of 1st.

NHTSA complaint #11520849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.