1,193 of the
14,546 complaints filed about the Toyota Corolla
are about the steering —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2009.
While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle suffered a sudden, simultaneous failure of multiple electrical and safety systems. Without warning, the Check Engine light, VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) light, Traction Control light, and SRS Airbag light all illuminated simultaneously on the dashboard. Immediately upon illumination of these fault lights, the vehicle lost computer-assisted stability control, began swerving violently, spun out of control, and collided with another vehicle, suffering severe front and rear impact damage. The vehicle was declared a total loss. Despite severe impact forces to both the front and rear structure, the SRS airbags completely failed to deploy. Both occupants sustained injuries due to the impact and lack of airbag protection. The simultaneous illumination of the airbag and VSC lights prior to impact strongly points to a sudden failure of the steering column spiral cable (clock spring) assembly—a known safety defect under NHTSA Recall Campaign 14V-168 (Recall E0M). The illumination of the airbag fault light appears to have deactivated the SRS system prior to impact, leaving occupants unprotected during a major collision. The vehicle is currently held at IAA San Diego and contains unread Event Data Recorder (EDR) crash data proving the pre-impact system shutdown. I request that NHTSA review this safety system failure and airbag non-deployment. CHP Crash Report #[9645-2026-02967] and Insurance Total Loss Evaluation are available upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11752255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
On February 14th, my 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (approx. 17,000 miles) experienced a catastrophic failure. Without warning, the steering wheel completely locked, preventing any control. Simultaneously, the automatic emergency collision braking system malfunctioned, locked the brakes, and would not disengage. This total loss of control forced the vehicle to crash into a median. Toyota Corporate has ignored my case for 30 days. This is a severe, life-threatening manufacturing defect that caused a crash and destroyed my sole source of income.
NHTSA complaint #11724571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I turned my car on and every light on the dashboard is practically on. It’s saying my (EPS) has failed and now it’s become hard to steer the vehicle. And none of my electrics as far as cruise control work and my speedometer isn’t working nor is it presenting me digital numbers on my dash.
NHTSA complaint #11722667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DEFECT: Steering wheel fails to fully return to center after turns, consistently stopping 1/2-1 inch off-center. Minor steering adjustments stick and don't self-correct. Pronounced binding zone near center prevents smooth return. SYMPTOMS: After curves, wheel returns 80% but stops visibly off-center requiring manual correction. Minor lane adjustments stick and require counter-correction. Constant manual steering correction causes driver fatigue. Progressive worsening since purchase. SAFETY: Incomplete return at highway speeds causes drift. Sticking divides attention from hazards. Emergency maneuvers require manual straightening during critical response time. SERVICE: February 2026 - McGovern Toyota technician documented "VEHICLE DID NOT RETURN OR SELF CENTER" but Toyota corporate refused repair claiming "normal characteristic." Had 6+ alignments with no improvement. Recent alignment caused binding to flip sides, proving internal mechanical binding not alignment issue. RELATED: Toyota issued CSP 22TE02/TSB T-SB-0028-22 (2022) for 2018 Camry with identical "reduced return to center" caused by intermediate shaft binding. My 2024 Corolla has same defect Toyota acknowledged in 2018 models but refuses to repair. INDUSTRY PATTERN: Honda HR-V TSB 24-094 (2024), Mazda CX-90 Recall 24V-022 (26+ failed fix complaints, 2 crashes), GM Bolt TSB 17-NA-148, Ford Explorer ST owner reports - all for steering not returning to center. REQUEST: Investigate if Toyota intermediate shaft defect extends to 2024 Corolla and whether industry-wide EPS binding represents systemic safety issue. Toyota confirmed defect in writing but denies repair.
NHTSA complaint #11720550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
While reversing out of a parking spot, I noticed my break and steering wheel felt extremely stiff. I lost control of the vehicle for a second until I instinctively pushed HARD on the break. I realized it was unsafe to continue reversing, so I switched from R (reverse) to D (drive), I let go of the break pedal slowly, but the car continued to reverse. I pushed hard on the stiff break again, and switched from D (drive), to P (park), I let go of the break pedal again, and the car continued to roll back in reverse still. I realized my cars breaks, steering wheel, and gears were being unresponsive. I kept my foot on the break pedal, used the parking stick and set the car into P (parking) again, and turned it off. The car did not roll back as before, and was completely off. I turned the car back on again, and it went back to normal. The steering wheel and break pedal were not stiff, and the gears were all working and being responsive. I searched up the problem, and from what I have read, it is currently unsafe to drive my vehicle. I have kept up with proper and regular maintenance on my vehicle. But from what I have researched, the corolla has had a massive recall on this exact problem. However, my vin number indicates my vehicle is not eligible for a recall. I would like to receive proper help for this problem, as it is a dangerous and widely known problem with the 2013-2019 corollas.
NHTSA complaint #11717408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The hazard, power steering, and LDA warning lights were illuminated. The message "Lane Departure Alert Malfunction - Visit your Dealer" was displayed. The contact stated that when the LDA was deactivated, a red power steering warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where a battery replacement was performed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic, where it remained for further investigation. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,488.
NHTSA complaint #11714135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
while I am driving on a highway the steering tries to turn right while i am driving. there a ditches on the right on the highway my car is not safe to drive it is putting me and my family in danger. I took my car to the dealership twice they said my car is fine.
NHTSA complaint #11702498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving normally to work and the vehicle stalled without warning and became difficult to steer. The dashboard displayed “engine stopped, steering power low”. The vehicle was stalled in the middle of the roadway and could not be restarted for 10 minutes. This was a very dangerous way to stop and then not be able to restart. People had to get out of their vehicles and help me push it out of the roadway. After 10 minutes the vehicle started and drove normally without any issues. The battery and alternator tested good. The mechanic can not find anything wrong. I am scared to drive the vehicle now and have an accident due to this incident.
NHTSA complaint #11695131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The problem of windshield wipers going off either once, or at varying speeds has not been able to be reproduced by my Toyota dealership. It goes off right when I turn the car on 50% of the time and is very inconsistent. Wipers typically go off after using the turn signal, making long turns (such as into a parking spot), and driving on long curved roadways. It has been inspected and nothing has been found. There are no warning lights or messages.
NHTSA complaint #11695133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had several issues with the car. As issues have not been address problems become more unsafe. Most recently i have had intermittent issues with steering. The wheel will randomly be hard to turn leaving the car to drift uncontrollably. I have gone to the dealership but because they cannot replicate the issue nothing has been done. I have gone 3 different times to get them to address the concern but they cannot replicate it so they have not examined anything. They turned off the safety setting instead of checking the ADAS and since turning off the systems the issues are less frequent, but still a concern. I have contacted corporate who has not helped come to a resolution to ensure the vehicle is safe to operate.
NHTSA complaint #11689787 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car wouldn’t start and the dashboard says “Engine Stopped / Power steering low” car will stop driving completely randomly. No codes are popping up when I test the car.
NHTSA complaint #11689005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I hit a deer going roughly 65mph on my way to work. The hit crushed the radiator into the engine, destroyed the airbox, folded the hood, and practically vaporized the headlight. The airbag, however, did not deploy- not in the wheel or in the side curtain. I wasn't injured but thought it was strange the because the crash totalled the car (~$16k of damage) and was at a high speed. The car had one accident prior, hitting a concrete pillar at a low speed (less than 10mph) and had been repaired two years earlier. I kept every maintainence record for the car and never had any airbag lights on or service done. Because the airbags didn't deploy, the car didn't initiate the Safety Connect call to 911 or anyone else. I recently saw Toyota settled with many owners of 2019 Corolla sedans but the hatch wasn't included, but I have (anecdotally) heard of similar stories from other hatch owners. I now own a 2023 Corolla hatch and feel a bit concerned the same issue could present.
NHTSA complaint #11687461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased a used 2024 Toyota Corolla from Chapman Chrysler Jeep on 8/9/25 at 31,890 miles. When exiting the freeway 3 miles later, the vehicle suddenly swerved uncontrollably without any steering input from me. This was an extremely dangerous incident that could have caused a serious accident injuring myself and others.
NHTSA complaint #11679608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car has broke down a total of 4 times since I have gotten it from Toyota back in December of 2023. I have a dash-cam now that has footage of the car breaking down. Toyota fails to acknowledge my concerns and comes up with excuses and tells me to wait until it happens more frequently. I would love to have this car inspected, but as Toyota has stated they cannot get the issue to repeat. My safety for others and myself feel uneasy with the whole ordeal as it happens at the most random times. The first few times my car has broke down, the steering wheel locked up and forced itself all the way to the left on its own causing me to hit a curb and median. Manual control over the steering wheel was not possible. Luckily with this occurring both times I was going a slow speed. The other two times I had full control of the wheel but my engine would stop and the engine stopped message would appear on my dash screen. Vehicle has been inspected by the dealership 4 times with no luck on repeating the issue. Breaking down presented a dash message of engine stopped, abs system stopped, power steering stopped and would quickly cycle through warnings and shutdown.
NHTSA complaint #11672164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle Information: * Make: Toyota * Model: Corolla Hybrid AWD * Model Year: 2024 * Current Mileage: [14,000] * Mileage When Problem Noticed: ~8,000-9,000 miles Incident Description: My 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD has a severe steering defect. After a right turn, the steering wheel consistently fails to return to center, remaining 5-15 degrees (up to 20 for sharp turns) off-center to the right. It does not self-correct. Occasionally, this also occurs after left turns, but less frequently. The vehicle requires constant, active manual correction to stay straight. If I release the wheel, the car can drift right, posing a significant collision risk. The steering feels "floaty" and lacks the expected resistance to return to center. This issue began abruptly around 8,000-9,000 miles. Multiple dealership visits and alignment checks have not resolved it. No prior accidents or modifications. The Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) system functions smoothly, keeping the car centered. However, immediately after disengaging LTA, the manual steering defect reappears, indicating an underlying mechanical problem, not an electronic one. Safety Concern: This defect creates a serious safety hazard. It demands constant driver attention and effort, leading to distraction and fatigue. This compromises directional stability and significantly increases accident risk, as the car will veer off course if not continuously corrected. I urge NHTSA to investigate this defect. Similar "sticky steering" or "poor return to center" issues are reported in other modern vehicles, and Toyota itself issued CSP 22TE02 for a related "slower to return to center" issue in 2018 Camry models, proving this is a known type of defect, not normal operation.
NHTSA complaint #11668361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My [XXX] daughter's 2024 Toyota Corolla stopped in the middle of the road and would not move. She received a message that said, "engine stopped steering power low". She called me in a panic and could not move the car out of traffic. I asked her to turn the car off and back on and it resolved the issue. This could cause a traffic fatality with loss of control of a car in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11657628 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
after shortly pumping gas, I received a alert on my car that I needed to check my fuel cap, after checking fuel cap I proceeded to drive on the highway during this time a multitude of sensors started to go off on my car, and it started to drive weird there were light such as my interlock, being deactivated, parking, brake, deactivated, malfunction of VSC, collision deactivated. Then suddenly while driving at an accelerated speed, and trying to slow down, my engine turned itself off, and I was not able to re-crank my car. There is an active recall with Toyota for the fuel pump, which I was told by Toyota was the issue, but due to my VIN not being associated they would not repair as a recall
NHTSA complaint #11657355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.