1,165 of the
14,546 complaints filed about the Toyota Corolla
are about the throttle and cruise control —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2010.
1,165
Complaints
8%
Share of all complaints
436
Crashes
5
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle kept rolling forward, and the contact was forced to use the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V017000 (Vehicle Speed Control); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was contacted, but the contact was unsure whether the dealer had diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,457.
NHTSA complaint #11756518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that, while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle suddenly accelerated despite the brakes being applied, causing the driver to crash into a parked vehicle. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployments, or police reports filed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
NHTSA complaint #11748588 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned? Seatbelt sensor system and cruise control system. The seatbelt sensor prevents cruise control activation unless the belt is fastened. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A driver who cannot wear a seatbelt for a valid medical reason (recognized by state law) is forced to drive without cruise control. Manually maintaining speed over long distances increases driver fatigue and distraction, raising the risk of error. The dealer also disabled the factory seatbelt chime without consent, removing an audible safety warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Peppers Toyota ([XXX]) confirmed on March 17, 2026 that cruise control will not activate without a fastened seatbelt. They attempted no fix for cruise control. Instead, they disabled the seatbelt chime without my request or consent. I asked them to restore the chime. They refused. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. Peppers Toyota inspected the vehicle on March 17, 2026. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. The factory seatbelt chime operated normally until March 17, 2026. On that date, Peppers Toyota intentionally disabled the chime without my consent. The chime no longer functions. The vehicle will not activate cruise control without a fastened seatbelt. If you are uncertain, simply state UNKNOWN and provide your best assessment of the incident and cause in your description. UNKNOWN why Peppers Toyota disabled the seatbelt chime without my consent or authorization. UNKNOWN why they refuse to restore it to factory settings. UNKNOWN why the cruise control cannot be modified to work independently of the seatbelt sensor, given that service staff stated this modification had been done on older Toyota models. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
NHTSA complaint #11742883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2025 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The front end of the vehicle lowered down while the rear-end rose and made an abnormal squealing sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband assisted the contact in driving, and the vehicle was able to respond after several attempts; however, the contact's husband stated that the vehicle felt like the parking brake was engaged unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, an unknown part was replaced. The contact stated that while driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle in front of the contact's vehicle slammed on the brakes. The contact then depressed the brake pedal, but the pedal travelled down and rested on the floorboard. Additionally, the front end of the vehicle lowered while the rear end of the vehicle rose, and the vehicle crashed underneath the rear-end of the truck. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. Toyoya Safety Connect system automatically connected the contact to a representative. The contact was transported to the hospital by emergency units. The contact sustained a fractured sternum, three fractures on the back, and the contact was hospitalized for 3 days. The contact's husband later arrived at the hospital and received medical assistance. The contact's husband sustained headaches, neck pain, bruised stomach as the seat belt fractured. The other driver did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
NHTSA complaint #11731330 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
My 2018 Toyota Corolla has problems with acceleration and a very large noise in the front bar that guides the wheels. It also accelerates by itself, which is why I have had to change the brakes many times. It also shakes a lot at the bottom
NHTSA complaint #11717239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On [XXX] at [XXX]. in Cupey, Puerto Rico I was moving from west to east in the[XXX] parish underground parking. While parking my car in reverse, I needed to drive forward to accommodate the car in the parking space. As I shifted to drive, the vehicle accelerated on its own, the breaks were not working and hit a concrete wall. All the airbags exploded, and I was stuck inside the car. The car doors did not open from inside. The acceleration and break systems failed to work at the moment of the car crash. My safety was affected by the car crash impact. I was pressed against the seat by the airbags and the doors were not opening from the inside. I have panic attacks after this incident. The problem has not been confirmed by a car dealer nor independent service center. The vehicle has been inspected by an insurance representative. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior the the failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11711536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
"I am reporting a fatal crash involving a 2024 Toyota Corolla (VIN [XXX] I do not know the exact mechanical cause, but the following symptoms occurred: 1) The driver reported dashboard lights (red and blue) flickering on and off, windows and locks going on or off. 2) There was hesitation in acceleration after taking off, 3) The vehicle failed to stop and went airborne causing a FATAL accident. Insurance Co. failed to investigate porperly and sold the car To Co-part without waiting for Probate forms to be complete for this vehicle and the Estate. We have discovered this car was an Avis fleet vehicle sold as 'new' at Beaver Toyota. I am requesting a federal investigation to determine if a mechanical or electronic defect caused this loss of control." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11708708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2024 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped on a curb with another vehicle approximately 8 -10 feet ahead, the brake pedal was depressed to shift into park; however, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated that because of the failure, the contact's vehicle rear-ended the Honda CR-V vehicle that was parked in front of the contact's vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle's speed was only 3–4 MPH. No air bags deployed. The other vehicle sustained damage to the rear bumper. The contact's vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The contact's vehicle was condemned as a total loss by the insurance adjuster. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
NHTSA complaint #11705914 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2012 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while parking in a post office parking lot and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle experienced sudden and unintended acceleration, crashed into a tree, and shut off. There was no warning light illuminated before or after the crash. There was no property damage. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained a hematoma and pain in the right arm. The contact's friend transported the contact to Urgent Care, where the contact received medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was totaled by the insurance company. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact stated that she had reported a similar incident to NHTSA via mail in 2012. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
NHTSA complaint #11703904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Today while merging into the high way the car suddenly slowed down to 40 miles per hour and would not accelerate . We took the car to Toyota however they said they could not find any thing or replicate the problem
NHTSA complaint #11691305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Uncontrolled maximum acceleration after shifting into gear. Occurred after shifting gears such as parking. It represents a definite safety issue. There is no warning of occurrence. It has happened about 6 times in the past 4 years. I do not drive often. I contacted Toyota who referred me to the dealer. I had it checked by the Toyota dealer, who denied there is a problem. I would welcome a independent inspection. I have notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in April but have heard nothing from them since.
NHTSA complaint #11667454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an intermittent unintended acceleration without the accelerator pedal being depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle was able to be stopped. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, but no cause for the failure was found. The dealer replaced the floor mats. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
NHTSA complaint #11652063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My mother got in the car and as soon as the car was put on drive, the car accelerated to its max potential, but when she attempted to hit the brakes they did not respond. So max acceleration, on its own, and brakes did not work. She ended up in the hospital for 9 days suffering a broken rib, front teeth missing, they had to sew her tongue back together, both cheeks shattered, broken clavicle and she has a hole right under the back of her skull. Miraculously, after she flipped to the side and took out two trees, the third tree flipped her back to right side up, and stopped the vehicle completely.
NHTSA complaint #11647797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am not sure exactly what happened but their was indeed an internal systems failure of some sort that definitely needs to be resolved and the public needs to be made aware of. I lost control of my vehicle do to some circumstance beyond my control and I was nearly killed an a father and son as well. I hope the government gets to the bottom of this and makes all humans aware of this threat to our way of life and human's lifes in general. Regardless I was driving and minding my own business and causing no harm to anyone when I lost control of my vehicle and it swerved to the right in an intersection causing an accident. Please utilize our tax money properly and make sure the people responsible for this are held accountable in accordance with the law and make the public aware of who they are. I thank you for your assistance in making sure humans and businesses are held accountable under the law of the laws of the country in relations to vehicle safety.
NHTSA complaint #11627614 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
At around 36,500 miles, my Toyota Corolla began experiencing issues with the coolant bypass valve, leading to engine overheating. This malfunction has significantly impacted my ability to drive safely, as the vehicle displays a notification every five seconds, obstructing my view of the digital speedometer and making it difficult to accurately monitor my speed. The issue was not indicated by a check engine light but a persistent "Engine Maintenance Required" message. This defect poses a serious safety risk, and there's a potential class-action lawsuit in progress regarding this very issue, suggesting Toyota might have known about the defect but failed to disclose it. The faulty component is not available for inspection upon request. As more people began to experience similar circumstances, it could lead to fatalities. Other participants to the forums says the issues start when their covered warranty expires. Within these forums there's a inconstancy of service centers honoring fixes, with no cost, knowing that there is an issue. I took the car to both a third-party mechanic and an authorized dealership, and both confirmed the problem. I was quoted $732.85 for the parts and labor within my area. I also called Toyota Global which I was told "a low mileage car shouldn't be having this issue", however, there are countless of forums saying otherwise. **Toyota Models Affected** 2019 Toyota RAV4 2020 Toyota RAV4 2021 Toyota RAV4 2022 Toyota RAV4 2023 Toyota RAV4 2019 Toyota Corolla 2020 Toyota Corolla 2021 Toyota Corolla 2022 Toyota Corolla 2023 Toyota Corolla [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11611677 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We own a 2016 Toyota Corolla Sport model. 4 door sedan. We first started to notice a loud sound that was seemingly coming from the front of the car. It was a whining, rattling sound. The car's mileage is 87k. We took it into the shop, we were first told that it sounded like a bearing going out in the wheel. Then we took it to a licensed Toyota dealership. The dealership then tells us that it is actually due to the transmission chain, and our transmission will need to be replaced for $8900!! So I begin to dig online, and find that our model is the same years of other Toyota models that Toyota has a KNOWN problem with. This is a major issue, and puts our safety at risk if the transmission just suddenly goes out. The Toyota dealership has confirmed that we have an issue, and are saying that the transmission MUST be replaced, effectively decommissioning our work commuter vehicle until we can get this sorted. It was diagnosed by a licensed Toyota technician, but it can be inspected by a insurance rep/mechanic upon request. There were no warnings, no lamps, no codes. We just heard the noise, which is seemingly getting worse and louder. Which appeared about 7/15/24. The car has had it's routine maintenance done per the manufacturers specifications. The fluids are routinely checked, and it is taken in to a Toyota dealership for it's servicing, with certified maintenance records. It was never noted on oil changes that this was an issue, or that the transmission fluid was ever an issue. We do not drive this car hard, we do not abuse it. It is our commuter. And now we are looking at having to replace the transmission for essentially the same cost as the car itself.
NHTSA complaint #11608325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.