2026 Toyota Corolla problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I also wanted to add the mold.. from the hour test was performed on this car. Ac in high flow. Within 12 hrs growth appears

NHTSA complaint #11751132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My brand-new 2026 Toyota Corolla LE is venting toxic chemical, burning plastic, and acetone-like fumes directly through the dashboard HVAC vents and interior materials. Exposure to the cabin air causes immediate, severe systemic injury, including acute respiratory distress, throat and vocal cord inflammation resulting in a lost voice, uncontrollable sweating, and severe neurological muscle weakness. I have a critical pre-existing medical condition consisting of two lung nodules, making this chemical inhalation an immediate, life-threatening hazard to my health. This exposure has previously left me physically incapacitated for five days. The manufacturer (Toyota Motor North America) has been formally notified of the defect and my documented medical injuries. However, the manufacturer is refusing to provide emergency alternative transportation or safe loaner transport and is delaying the vehicle safety inspection for a full week (until June 29). The vehicle is currently parked and completely undriveable due to the active chemical or thermal hazard it presents to vehicle occupants.

NHTSA complaint #11745779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

This was a rental car. In the rain, the lane assistance would try to correct the vehicle even when the vehicle was in its lane. It was like it didn’t see the lane markings in the rain. The car was wrecked in the rain but had other incidents previously while driving in the rain. The adaptive cruise control also seemed to malfunction when I set it, it started going faster than what I had set it.

NHTSA complaint #11745459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

This was a rental car. In the rain, the lane assistance would try to correct the vehicle even when the vehicle was in its lane. It was like it didn’t see the lane markings in the rain. The car was wrecked in the rain but had other incidents previously while driving in the rain. The adaptive cruise control also seemed to malfunction when I set it, it started going faster than what I had set it.

NHTSA complaint #11745459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

This was a rental car. In the rain, the lane assistance would try to correct the vehicle even when the vehicle was in its lane. It was like it didn’t see the lane markings in the rain. The car was wrecked in the rain but had other incidents previously while driving in the rain. The adaptive cruise control also seemed to malfunction when I set it, it started going faster than what I had set it.

NHTSA complaint #11745459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

#### The ABS Defect 12. Within seven (7) days of purchase, and with fewer than [NUMBER] miles driven, the subject vehicle experienced a catastrophic failure of the ABS pump containing the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) [citation:1 from previous analysis]. 13. This failure caused the ABS warning light to illuminate and completely disabled the ABS functionality, reducing the braking system to non-power-assisted, pre-ABS technology. 14. The failure occurred with no warning and despite the vehicle being operated under normal driving conditions. 15. Upon information and belief, the ABS pump/ECU unit contained manufacturing and/or design defects that existed at the time the vehicle left Defendants' control. #### The Airbag System Defect 16. On or about [DATE OF CRASH], Plaintiffs were involved in a motor vehicle collision while operating the subject 2026 Toyota Corolla. 17. Upon information and belief, the crash forces were of sufficient magnitude that the vehicle's Airbag Control Unit (ACU) should have deployed the front airbags. 18. The airbags failed to deploy, causing Plaintiffs to sustain enhanced injuries that would have been prevented or mitigated had the airbags functioned properly. 19. Upon information and belief, the Airbag Control Unit in the subject vehicle is of the same type or design as those implicated in prior class action litigation against Toyota involving defective ACUs manufactured by ZF-TRW Automotive . 20. Defendants have previously settled claims regarding ACUs that were vulnerable to "electrical overstress," which could disable the airbag system entirely during a crash, for $78.5 million . 21. Defendants failed to warn Plaintiffs that the 2026 Toyota Corolla might contain an ACU with these same vulnerabilities.

NHTSA complaint #11728132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

#### The ABS Defect 12. Within seven (7) days of purchase, and with fewer than [NUMBER] miles driven, the subject vehicle experienced a catastrophic failure of the ABS pump containing the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) [citation:1 from previous analysis]. 13. This failure caused the ABS warning light to illuminate and completely disabled the ABS functionality, reducing the braking system to non-power-assisted, pre-ABS technology. 14. The failure occurred with no warning and despite the vehicle being operated under normal driving conditions. 15. Upon information and belief, the ABS pump/ECU unit contained manufacturing and/or design defects that existed at the time the vehicle left Defendants' control. #### The Airbag System Defect 16. On or about [DATE OF CRASH], Plaintiffs were involved in a motor vehicle collision while operating the subject 2026 Toyota Corolla. 17. Upon information and belief, the crash forces were of sufficient magnitude that the vehicle's Airbag Control Unit (ACU) should have deployed the front airbags. 18. The airbags failed to deploy, causing Plaintiffs to sustain enhanced injuries that would have been prevented or mitigated had the airbags functioned properly. 19. Upon information and belief, the Airbag Control Unit in the subject vehicle is of the same type or design as those implicated in prior class action litigation against Toyota involving defective ACUs manufactured by ZF-TRW Automotive . 20. Defendants have previously settled claims regarding ACUs that were vulnerable to "electrical overstress," which could disable the airbag system entirely during a crash, for $78.5 million . 21. Defendants failed to warn Plaintiffs that the 2026 Toyota Corolla might contain an ACU with these same vulnerabilities.

NHTSA complaint #11728132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

#### The ABS Defect 12. Within seven (7) days of purchase, and with fewer than [NUMBER] miles driven, the subject vehicle experienced a catastrophic failure of the ABS pump containing the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) [citation:1 from previous analysis]. 13. This failure caused the ABS warning light to illuminate and completely disabled the ABS functionality, reducing the braking system to non-power-assisted, pre-ABS technology. 14. The failure occurred with no warning and despite the vehicle being operated under normal driving conditions. 15. Upon information and belief, the ABS pump/ECU unit contained manufacturing and/or design defects that existed at the time the vehicle left Defendants' control. #### The Airbag System Defect 16. On or about [DATE OF CRASH], Plaintiffs were involved in a motor vehicle collision while operating the subject 2026 Toyota Corolla. 17. Upon information and belief, the crash forces were of sufficient magnitude that the vehicle's Airbag Control Unit (ACU) should have deployed the front airbags. 18. The airbags failed to deploy, causing Plaintiffs to sustain enhanced injuries that would have been prevented or mitigated had the airbags functioned properly. 19. Upon information and belief, the Airbag Control Unit in the subject vehicle is of the same type or design as those implicated in prior class action litigation against Toyota involving defective ACUs manufactured by ZF-TRW Automotive . 20. Defendants have previously settled claims regarding ACUs that were vulnerable to "electrical overstress," which could disable the airbag system entirely during a crash, for $78.5 million . 21. Defendants failed to warn Plaintiffs that the 2026 Toyota Corolla might contain an ACU with these same vulnerabilities.

NHTSA complaint #11728132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The contact rented a 2026 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, she heard a loud pop and the vehicle forcibly swerved to the right. The vehicle crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact stated that the front driver's side tire was 90 degrees outward. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. The police were called, but they did not arrive on the scene. A police report was submitted online. The vehicle rental company towed the vehicle to a tow yard. The contact was unaware whether the vehicle had been deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact related the failure to the suspension. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 766. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11723319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

On February 19, 2026, at only 80 driven miles in this new 2026 Toyota Corolla hatchback, while moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement with no throttle input, no sharp steering and no misuse of the brake the vehicle spun out of control 4-5 times in the parking lot finally causing a collision with a parked vehicle which then it stopped. This collision nearly caused serious injury to the driver. Since its a brand new vehicle bugs and recalls are hard to tell, but we cannot drive this vehicle any longer due to safety issues.

NHTSA complaint #11719536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Make: Toyota Model: Corolla (likely hatchback/sedan) Year: 2026 VIN: [XXX] Mileage at Incident: 80 Date of Purchase: February 17, 2026 Date of Incident: February 19, 2026 Description of Defect: While moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement (no throttle, no sharp steering, no brake misuse), the vehicle suddenly spun out of control—yaw/skid like rear wheels lost grip or stability control malfunctioned and steering wheel locked. No prior warning. The spin caused a collision with another vehicle and nearly resulted in serious injury/death to the driver/owner (myself, [XXX] ). Suspected Causes (based on symptoms and similar reports): •  Possible ESC (electronic stability control) or yaw sensor failure. •  ABS/traction control pulsing/locking wheels unexpectedly in reverse. •  Electronic power steering (EPS) glitch—wheel felt “fighting” or unresponsive during the event. •  No fault codes pulled by dealer yet, but similar low-speed reverse spin-outs reported in 2025-2026 Corollas (e.g., NHTSA complaints on “ABS ghosting” or “rear-end slide”). Additional Info: •  Dealer (Toyota of Hollywood, 6920 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA) has the vehicle awaiting inspector. •  Demand letter sent/hand-delivered today (February 21, 2026) under Song-Beverly Act—safety defect, one occurrence. •  No insurance claim filed—this is manufacturer liability, not driver error. •  Photos of skid marks/collision available if requested. What I Want NHTSA to Do: Investigate for potential recall—safety risk is high (uncontrolled spin in reverse at low speed). This is the second such incident in recent Corollas I’ve seen reported; could affect others. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11719598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Make: Toyota Model: Corolla (likely hatchback/sedan) Year: 2026 VIN: [XXX] Mileage at Incident: 80 Date of Purchase: February 17, 2026 Date of Incident: February 19, 2026 Description of Defect: While moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement (no throttle, no sharp steering, no brake misuse), the vehicle suddenly spun out of control—yaw/skid like rear wheels lost grip or stability control malfunctioned and steering wheel locked. No prior warning. The spin caused a collision with another vehicle and nearly resulted in serious injury/death to the driver/owner (myself, [XXX] ). Suspected Causes (based on symptoms and similar reports): •  Possible ESC (electronic stability control) or yaw sensor failure. •  ABS/traction control pulsing/locking wheels unexpectedly in reverse. •  Electronic power steering (EPS) glitch—wheel felt “fighting” or unresponsive during the event. •  No fault codes pulled by dealer yet, but similar low-speed reverse spin-outs reported in 2025-2026 Corollas (e.g., NHTSA complaints on “ABS ghosting” or “rear-end slide”). Additional Info: •  Dealer (Toyota of Hollywood, 6920 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA) has the vehicle awaiting inspector. •  Demand letter sent/hand-delivered today (February 21, 2026) under Song-Beverly Act—safety defect, one occurrence. •  No insurance claim filed—this is manufacturer liability, not driver error. •  Photos of skid marks/collision available if requested. What I Want NHTSA to Do: Investigate for potential recall—safety risk is high (uncontrolled spin in reverse at low speed). This is the second such incident in recent Corollas I’ve seen reported; could affect others. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11719598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On February 19, 2026, at only 80 driven miles in this new 2026 Toyota Corolla hatchback, while moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement with no throttle input, no sharp steering and no misuse of the brake the vehicle spun out of control 4-5 times in the parking lot finally causing a collision with a parked vehicle which then it stopped. This collision nearly caused serious injury to the driver. Since its a brand new vehicle bugs and recalls are hard to tell, but we cannot drive this vehicle any longer due to safety issues.

NHTSA complaint #11719536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

On February 19, 2026, at only 80 driven miles in this new 2026 Toyota Corolla hatchback, while moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement with no throttle input, no sharp steering and no misuse of the brake the vehicle spun out of control 4-5 times in the parking lot finally causing a collision with a parked vehicle which then it stopped. This collision nearly caused serious injury to the driver. Since its a brand new vehicle bugs and recalls are hard to tell, but we cannot drive this vehicle any longer due to safety issues.

NHTSA complaint #11719536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.