2017 Toyota Corolla Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2017 Toyota Corolla, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags5422.4%
- Driver assistance4317.8%
- Brakes2610.8%
- Electrical218.7%
- Powertrain (other)145.8%
- Steering135.4%
- Seat belts114.6%
- Engine104.1%
- Fuel system93.7%
- Body & structure93.7%
- Other / unspecified83.3%
- Visibility62.5%
- Exterior lighting62.5%
- Suspension62.5%
- Interior & seats41.7%
- Tires & wheels10.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2017 Toyota Corolla is Involved in Illegal Airbags that Are A Horrible CRASH RATING F - by .Toyota of Spartanburg South Carolina in 3 Recall To the Owner of 2017 Toyota Certified Pre Owned USA Automobile The NTSA Has Multiple Auto Manufacturing Companies that Are CHINESE AIRBAGS That ARE UNSAFE AND CAN DEPLOY and HURT PASSENGERS and ALLSTATE AUTO INSURANCE WILL TEST SAFE USA AIRBAGS for My TOYOTA USA SEDAN To INSURE CAR AUTO SAFETY
My2017 Toyota Corolla was Purchased at Dave Edward’s Certified Pre Owned Car Dealer in Spartanburg South Carolina in 2018 It has Multiple Recall Notices by Toyota USA on ILLEGAL FACTORY INSTALLED CHINESE AIR BAGS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN TOYOTA USA AUTOMOBILES BY INFERIOR DESIGN AND POOR QUALITY ALARM FAILURE THIS SPARTANBURG TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IS INVOLVED IN A NATIONAL CRISIS OF AIR BAG ILLEGAL RECALL SAFETY ASSAULT ON CONSUMER CONFIDENCE KEITH C CUTLER OWNER OF 2017 TOYOTA COROLLA CAYENNE RED AUTOMOBILE
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving in the middle of active traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of motive power. The first indication of a problem was the A/C abruptly blowing hot air. Immediately following this, the vehicle began violently shaking before the engine stalled completely. The low oil pressure warning light was triggered on the dashboard. Losing all acceleration in the middle of active traffic created an immediate, severe crash hazard. The engine failure occurred after a franchised dealer service department failed. They had said at the dealership that my oil was fine. They didn’t even check it.
My 2017 Toyota Corolla is Involved in Illegal Airbags that Are A Horrible CRASH RATING F - by .Toyota of Spartanburg South Carolina in 3 Recall To the Owner of 2017 Toyota Certified Pre Owned USA Automobile The NTSA Has Multiple Auto Manufacturing Companies that Are CHINESE AIRBAGS That ARE UNSAFE AND CAN DEPLOY and HURT PASSENGERS and ALLSTATE AUTO INSURANCE WILL TEST SAFE USA AIRBAGS for My TOYOTA USA SEDAN To INSURE CAR AUTO SAFETY
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
I am contacting you on a problem I cannot fully describe. However, I believe there is a mechanical problem with the right side of my vehicle with handling and braking. I have downloaded the form with the information as reported to me and explained via the North American Corolla Facebook group. Please look at the attached documentation.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota Corolla. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was an independent dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 100,534. It was later discovered upon checking the Carfax Report, that the mileage was 112,085.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
My college son was driving down from Orlando, and when he got here I took his/my car to my mechanic because the AC was not cold. I felt a hard shift when I put it in reverse, and when I started to drive the car to the mechanic, it didn’t feel right. They fixed my AC and I asked him to check the car as I was worried it did not feel safe to drive. They changed all the filters and did a complete transmission flush even though it was not due for 60,000 miles and there is less than 54,000 miles on this vehicle. They changed all the filters and upon doing the transmission flush my mechanic of 15 years found chunks of metal and shavings in the transmission pan. He took pics & told me my transmission was bad but it was an internal defect and I needed to take it to Toyota as there was no damage on the outside of my transmission, it’s pan, gasket or filter and there were no signs of any leak. He told me these CVT transmissions were a problem and there were a lot of ones not recalled, but there was a Special Service Campaign JSD for 1.3 million of these transmissions from Toyota. Toyota said my Vin number was not part of this Special Service Campaign JSD but I found there were also 3400 recalls on the CVT transmissions from the Toyota hatchback. Toyota told me because my car was already out of warranty, even if it was a manufacturing defect, they were not responsible. I take very good care of my cars. I have two Toyota Corollas, both 2017 and now I am very concerned about the other one. I’ve been on a lot of Toyota forums and it seems there are so many other Toyota Corollas that don’t have many miles on them and all of a sudden their transmission has an internal defect. I brought it to the dealership and they simply said it needed to be replaced, that it was hard shifting when going into reverse and banging gears intermediately. They told me if I wanted to know what the defect was I would have to pay at least 15 hrs of labor to start. My son could have been killed driving it
I HAD TO DRIVE AROUND 600 MILES TO AND FROM FAMILY FUNERAL. AS OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE CRUISE CONTROL ON A DOWN HILL SLOPE GOES OUT OF CONTROL. AS I REACHED THE TOP OF A HILL AND STARTED DOWN THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD ACCELERATE TO 4000 RPM ( IT IS REALLY LOUD) THE SPEED WOULD START INCREASING AND GO 15-20 MPH OVER WHAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SPEED WAS SET AT. I HAD TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL TO REGAIN CONTROL OVER THE SPEED. I WAS AFRAID THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN IF I DID NOT. WHERE IT SEEMED MY CAR SHOULD DOWN SHIFT IT WAS NOT. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE PROGRAMMING OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A DECLINE. ALSO, AT ONE POINT WHEN I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND A CAR PASSED ME ON THE RIGHT, MY CAR SLOWED DOWN REALLY QUICKLY. IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN BEHIND ME IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS IS MY FOURTH TOYOTA AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
While turning left out of a drive through my the steering locked up and shot to the left causing a run up on the curb. However after a second or two it cleared. Upon shutting the car off and restarting driving in a parking lot same problem occured steering wheel shot to left causing me to almost loose control then all electrical power was lost in the vehicle. The steering wheel fault came up on the dash and would not let me control the wheel.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bags and seat belt warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bags and the passenger's side seat belt warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat was not occupied. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the contact declined to pay a diagnostic fee because the failure was a safety issue. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the front passenger's side air bag and the dashboard were replaced in 2022, and the front driver's side seat belt was replaced in 2023. In addition, the wiring harness was replaced due to water intrusion in March 2022. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty, and the 12 months warranty had expired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,369.
This vehicle when it's impacted there's really no help or assistance to get the vehicle removed off your property on the vehicle is a hazard it really needs to be retested and there needs to be someone to know that it's not safe for children and being this vehicle a lot of times it's kids slides and it doesn't have the front part of the vehicle is impacted bad and it's hard to get the car replaced by the manufacturer in thewayenough restraint so that you can take your kids a little faster in the car without answering them it's also a hazard because only certain drivers know how to operate it and it's not always safe to have this car out and about without issues or malfunction
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving in the middle of active traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of motive power. The first indication of a problem was the A/C abruptly blowing hot air. Immediately following this, the vehicle began violently shaking before the engine stalled completely. The low oil pressure warning light was triggered on the dashboard. Losing all acceleration in the middle of active traffic created an immediate, severe crash hazard. The engine failure occurred after a franchised dealer service department failed. They had said at the dealership that my oil was fine. They didn’t even check it.
When the cruise control is set and I go down hill my car increases the speed by 8 mph faster than the set speed. My car also makes a loud grinding noise when it does this. I spoke with different Toyota auto employees and some say that the increase in speed and noise are normal and others say the opposite. I have been in many cars driving with cruise control on and never experienced this.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
On the morning of July 21st the vehicle was parked in the garage the night before when all of the sudden our neighbors were yelling at my wife and I to exit the house because they saw fire flames and black smoke coming out of the garage. Everything in that garage and part of the house was destroyed. After it was safe to enter the house we noticed the damage was concentrated where the Toyota was parked, the explosion from the engine caused the hood to almost touch the windshield. Half the engine was gone.
Car is turned off and parked in driveway. Few hours later went to start the car. Noise coming from gas tank. Fuel pump running by itself, loud and noticeable.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
To whom it may concern, I would like to report that my vehicle's paint has been peeling off since June 2018. The vehicle was purchased on 8/11/17, and I have continuously reported the paint problem to no avail from the dealership or manufacturer. As a matter of fact, in February 2019, the vehicle was serviced to due bubbles developing around the windshield, and I again reported the paint issues and received no resolution to my problem. Hence, I would like to know whether my case is an isolated one or just like the white paint settlement, Toyota has deceived some of its customers that chose blue paint in this model (Corolla).
Currently have paid off my WHITE TOYOTA COROLLA 2017, and is been a while since i notice the paint was pealing off and take it to the body shop, they told me to check my car for a recall since toyota has extended warranty for this matter (which i found here that does not have a recall), and that it was too soon for the car paint to be this bad, the top is also star to roasted and i just paid it off and think is not fair for me to be paying for something so early, also i take good care of it, washed two or more times at month and also handwax once or twice every month, hope this can do something about me and many more out there having the same issue.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
Air tire pressure light not working passager tire stays low and I do not get notified
The clips on the front bumper above the wheel broke while driving and the bumper keeps falling off and never been in a wreck. Trying to start a class action suit because I talked to four others at the Toyota dealership who had the same problem
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2017 COROLLA AND I AGREE WITH 2 OTHERS THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAS A DESIGN FLAW. IT IS EXTREMELY ANGLED IN TOWARD THE CAR AND REFLECTS THE DASHBOARD IN THE WINDOW. THE DASHBOARD IS LIKE A MIRROR AND THE VENTILATION LEVERS THAT RUN ALONG THE DASH REFLECT IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE WINDOW AND THUS CUT OFF VISIBILITY. I HAVE TO WEAR SUNGLASSES WHENEVER I DRIVE IT AND EVEN SO, NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO HIT A PEDESTRIAN ETC. I CALLED TOYOTA NATIONAL BUT TINA C. (CASE #1910213249) DENIED HAVING ANY KNOWLEDGE OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. VERY DANGEROUS FEATURE AND AFTER BEING A LIFE-LONG TOYOTA OWNER, I AM READY TO SWITCH.
WHILE COMING OUT OF A REVERED POSITION, I WAS DRIVING FORWARD AND MY BRAKES VIBRATED. THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO STALL WHILE IN THE DRIVING POSITION.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEADLIGHTS ARE INADEQUATE, EVEN DANGEROUS. YOU CAN SEE A DISTINCT "HORIZON LINE" IN FRONT OF THE CAR WHICH HAS A SHARP CUTOFF ABOVE WHICH THERE IS NO ILLUMINATION. IN SPITE OF THEIR EXTREME INTENSITY, THESE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATE EVERYTHING BUT THE ROAD AHEAD. MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I AM DRIVING WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS. I THOUGHT THEY WERE NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY BUT DEALER SAYS THEY LOOK OK. I HAVE SINCE OBSERVED MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES FOR THE COROLLA OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. HERE IS ONE OF MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE WEB: "THE MAIN FRONT LED LOW BEAM IS A PROBLEM ON ALL TRIMS OF THIS CURRENT GENERATION. IT IS TOO BRIGHT AND BLINDS ONCOMING DRIVERS, THERE IS ALSO A HARD CUTOFF LINE IN WHICH YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOVE IT. THEY ALSO POORLY LIGHT THE ROAD. THE BEAM GOES EVERYWHERE BUT THE ROAD. IT SEEMS THEY ARE INCORRECTLY AIMED." "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?" ONLY ALLOWS FOR A SINGLE DATE. THIS IS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. WHICH OCCURS ANYTIME YOU TRY TO DRIVE AT NIGHT.
HELP
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
I am contacting you on a problem I cannot fully describe. However, I believe there is a mechanical problem with the right side of my vehicle with handling and braking. I have downloaded the form with the information as reported to me and explained via the North American Corolla Facebook group. Please look at the attached documentation.
When it's wet on the road or raining my car deploys and I lose control I've been telling the dealer ship since the first day I had this car they told me it's nothing yesterday when it was raining my car did it again also u I called to have my recall fixed and they said there was not any in my car??? This car is a risk I'm going to kill myself driving this car or get hurt I had 3 rental cars because I am scared to drive this car [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Corolla. The contact was unable to exit the vehicle after pulling on the driver’s side door handle. The contact made several attempts to exit the vehicle, but the door was jammed. Due to the failure, the contact was forced to exit the vehicle through front passenger’s side door. The contact was able to open the front driver’s side from outside only. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, and both informed the contact that no assistance would be provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 51,654.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SEAT FAILED TO LATCH CORRECTLY TO THE FLOORBOARD AND BECAME LOOSE. IN ADDITION, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT ADJUSTMENT LATCH FRACTURED. HENDRICK TOYOTA SCION WILMINGTON (5640 MARKET ST, WILMINGTON, NC) WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE FAILURES COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. FURTHERMORE, THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE BATTERY SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. KENDALL TOYOTA (10943 S DIXIE HWY, MIAMI, FL) WAS ALSO MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA COROLLA EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE FR74 TIRES, SIZE: P215/45R/17 (NA). WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FRANTIER TOYOTA (23621 CREEKSIDE RD, VALENCIA, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRES WERE LEAKING AIR; HOWEVER, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE FAULTY. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .