2021 Toyota Corolla Problems

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 3 MPH, they were rear-ended by a BMW X5 and pushed forward, crashing into a Ford Explorer. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that his son sustained injuries consisting of lacerations to his face and was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where medical attention was provided. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed, which indicated that the air bags deployed. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

On December 12, 2025, I was in a head on car accident in my 2021 Toyota Corolla nightshade. I was slammed into the steering wheel which caused injury. My car has over $14,000 worth of damage to the front yet my airbags did not deploy. I have taken my car to Toyota several times over the past few years and every time I’ve asked about a remedy for this recall I’ve been told there is no remedy as early as June or July 2025 I had to bring my car in for a manufacturer defect with the engine that Toyota fixed for free. I asked them about the recall on the airbags. They again told me there was no remedy.

Notification spontaneously received as Engine Maintenance Required; Visit Your Dealer. Service appointment immediately scheduled for Toyota of Plano for the following day. My service advisor recommended replacing the coolant bypass valve, which amounted to a total bill of $745. My agent informed me of CSP 24TE04, however my service advisor didn’t acknowledge any eligibility of VIN pertaining to it. Toyota Brand Engagement Center also did not report any eligibility of my VIN number for secondary coverage reimbursement despite it meeting the criteria exactly.

This Toyota Corolla hatchback is experiencing an issue where it is constantly giving an “ENGINE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED” light and when scanned, it says “coolant bypass valve malfunction”. There is already a recall for many Toyota Corolla Sedans experiencing this issue of this bypass valve being defective, but because this is a hatchback, it is not part of the recall when it should be. There is already a recall for vehicles affected with this issue: T-SB-0112-24

This Toyota Corolla hatchback is experiencing an issue where it is constantly giving an “ENGINE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED” light and when scanned, it says “coolant bypass valve malfunction”. There is already a recall for many Toyota Corolla Sedans experiencing this issue of this bypass valve being defective, but because this is a hatchback, it is not part of the recall when it should be. There is already a recall for vehicles affected with this issue: T-SB-0112-24

The vehicle displays an “Engine Maintenance Required” warning message shortly after the air conditioning is turned on. The warning does not usually appear immediately at startup but consistently appears when the A/C system is activated. The vehicle currently remains drivable, but the issue appears related to the engine cooling system and may involve the coolant bypass valve/flow control valve, which has been widely reported by other owners of similar model vehicles. The problem raises safety concerns because a cooling system malfunction could potentially lead to overheating while driving. The issue has been reproduced multiple times. A generic code scan at an auto parts store did not show stored engine codes. The vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership and Toyota customer service was contacted regarding known coverage programs related to this issue, but the VIN was reportedly not included. Warning symptoms first appeared during normal driving and continue intermittently whenever the air conditioning system is used.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and remained in first gear. The contact shifted into Neutral, manually pulled the clutch, and attempted to reverse, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the slave cylinder and the clutch cylinder assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000

Clutch pedal kept sticking to floor. Eventually the pedal did not return at all. Concentric slave cylinder failed and brake fluid leaking in bell housing. Dealer stated: found slave cylinder inside the bell housing failed which caused brake fluid to contaminate bell housing components. recommend replace slave cylinder assembly, clutch kit with flywheel, and throw out bearing assembly.

During the lower interval settings, wipers will not work in proper order. Sometimes you may get three quick wipes and them the wipers will stop in middle of windshield for about 5-8 seconds. Sometimes the wipers are inconsistent with proper timing and will not properly work all the time.

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.

The car accelerated on its own when I was attempting to park it. I had no control over the car and it ended up crashing into multiple vehicles.

I was sitting idle in my car. The two cars crashing icon came on even though I was in the parking lot doing nothing. There was also issues with the other indications where I would use the back arrow on my steering wheel to clear the issue and it would not clear. Seems unsafe and scary.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact discovered brake fluid on the clutch pedal, and the brake pedal was mushy while depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,900.

Electronic brake actuator failed on vehicle after slightly after warranty expired resulting in a $2100 repair. This is a known Toyota issue across different models. A recall should be issued and repair costs refunded.

Within a week of buying my vehicle in May of 2021 I went to Clearwater Toyota where I bought the vehicle from and complaining about the three seat belts in the back malfunctioning. When nobody is sitting in the backseat they sound off as if somebody is sitting there. I know that there is a recall on the front seat belt sensor doing this same issue for the Toyota Corollas but everyone I have spoken to that owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla complains about the back seats doing it as well the sensors misfire or sound off every hour as I'm driving at least once an hour. As an Uber Lyft driver I am concerned about my passengers in the backseat wearing the seat belts and the seat belt malfunctioning due to the sensors malfunctioning since I bought the vehicle in May of 2021. Any of the above questions I would have to stay unknown.

The rear seatbelt sensor doesn't work well, sometimes the rear seatbelt are buckled what it says they're not and sometimes they're not buckled and it says they are.

Front Windshields of the vehicle has more tinting to be within compliance. The same vehicle has tendency to follow certain vehicles all the time as per what I have experienced or see.

My car shows that the vehicle needed to be serviced, in checking the Toyota app I saw there was a warning for the adaptive lighting system/electrical concern. The warning light had been on for some time, thinking I was due for regular maintenance like an oil change I had ignored it for a bit. Everytime I would start the car this warning would appear. I too the car in for service, they also did a 20k maintenance service and kept the car overnight overnight as they were unable to locate the issue same day. The following day I was advised they couldn't determine the issue and they cleared the code.

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.

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.

Over the past year and a half I’ve had to deal with unknown reasons for at least 13 tire problems. And one of those problems was a complete blow out on the highway. When I went to get my spare tire and change it there wasn’t anything in the trunks spare compartment. I called the dealership and they said they don’t do that (meaning they don’t provide the car with a spare). I was very confused and stressed. I felt played and wasn’t made to feel confident in this purchase. That not the only thing. The electric system does pretty much whatever it wants. Changes my music, gives advice for things we didn’t ask and the volume is always highering itself and lowering just whenever it chooses. The airbag light has been on most of the time letting me know the passenger airbag isn’t on or working properly. The engine light has been on for at least four months now. I understand Warranty for regular checkups and maintenance but this feels a bit more serious than me making sure I’ve secured my warranty. I have called and taken the vehicle into both Toyota of Visalia and Toyota of Selma where I got financing for the vehicle. Toyota of Visalia wasn’t very much help at all and preceded to talk down to me. Toyota of Selma keeps giving me the run around and telling me different things about my warranty. This car isn’t worth the trouble my credit score goes through to secure it each month just to have something else fail me in it. At this point I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to replace the DC to DC because the car died a week ago and hasn’t turned back on since. And yes I’ve tried jumping the battery already. I’ve only had this car a year and a half. I wasn’t made aware of any issues with it when I drove it home that day. It was a nice ride home but less than a couple months I was already having questions about its performance. I really wish this complaint would even help but I’m just writing to probably waste my own time.

Dunlop SP Sport 5000 - 225/40R18 - DOT EUT74DDR5220 3 of the 4 tires are splitting on the side walls

The car accelerated on its own when I was attempting to park it. I had no control over the car and it ended up crashing into multiple vehicles.

When attempting to replace the rear glass at Safelite on 4/29/2026, the worker noticed rust on the headliner. Now the rear glass can't be replaced until a body shop replaces the rusted headliner. I began leasing this car in December 2020, and now I own it. Now I am driving with a plastic covering over the rear window, which poses a safety hazard.

While attempting to change a flat tire on a 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, two wheel studs sheared off completely, leaving the wheel unsafe to drive. My wife was stranded alone in the mountains with no cell service. She managed to loosen three lug nuts, but the final two were seized. When a passerby assisted, both seized studs snapped. The spare could barely be mounted. The vehicle has been serviced exclusively by Toyota dealers since new. Lancaster Toyota later replaced the broken studs free of charge, yet simultaneously claimed that another dealer, Frontier Toyota, had “switched the tyres.” so Lancaster are not responsible. That claim is false — Frontier’s invoice (Sept 25 2025) clearly shows only an oil change and inspection, no tire or wheel service of any kind. Replacing the studs at no charge while denying responsibility suggests an attempt to quietly resolve what may be a dealer-induced over-torque or defective-stud failure. The broken studs were not returned to us despite multiple requests — effectively withheld by the dealer, which constitutes unauthorized retention of customer property and prevents independent verification of failure cause. Toyota Corporate (case #251103002581) was notified but refused to investigate, referring the issue back to the same dealer. This complaint is being filed so NHTSA can document a potential wheel-stud safety defect or service-related failure and dealer mishandling of critical evidence that could conceal a wider safety problem.

I am making a complaint about my 2021 corolla SE because I am constantly running into issues that cost and are not my fault as to why these issues have come about. I bought my car in March 2021, in May 2021 my car hit a bump in the highway and cracked my rim and bust my tire. Luckily I have alloy and tire coverage so I did not have to come out of my pocket. Next, my two front tires are constantly wearing down on the inside of the tread making the wires be exposed and causing me to have a blow out or needing to replace my tires at least 4 to 5 times since I have had my car. My car only has 71,000 on it to need that many tires replaced. I go and get my car serviced where I purchased my car at the toyota dealer so If I needed and alignment or tires rotated they would have let me know that and the only time I was informed I needed an alignment was when I got all new tires. Then, in November of 2022 my front lighting sytem when completely out ( signals lights, blinkers, brake lights, etc. I went to get it checked on and the dealer made me feel as if I had an entire electrical issue going on with my car and I would have to pay $160 x2 in order for them to just figure out what was wrong with my practically new vehicle. They came back and explained it was only a fuse and the fuse is $5 but still attempted to charge me for diagnostics. After this encounter I had to be ugly just to not come out of pocket for a large sum. At that visit there was an "engine malfunction" light on as well that they did not mend and continues to blink to this date. Prior to my last servicing appointment last week my entire radio system went out ( backup camera, radio, gps system, bluetooth). I was told at the dealer that I would have to pay $160 for them to diagnose my issue and and then pay for the repair. I asked my service manager if there were any recalls on my car for these issues and he stated no but as for the 2022-2023 models there are recalls. I need help with this.

On December 12, 2025, I was in a head on car accident in my 2021 Toyota Corolla nightshade. I was slammed into the steering wheel which caused injury. My car has over $14,000 worth of damage to the front yet my airbags did not deploy. I have taken my car to Toyota several times over the past few years and every time I’ve asked about a remedy for this recall I’ve been told there is no remedy as early as June or July 2025 I had to bring my car in for a manufacturer defect with the engine that Toyota fixed for free. I asked them about the recall on the airbags. They again told me there was no remedy.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that they were unable to unscrew the rear screws on the seat to remove the seat because the seat failed to move forward to access the rear screws. The dealer stated that the seat bracket had to be fractured and then replaced to be able to complete the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was informed the contact that the dealer would charge more for the additional damage. The manufacturer opened a case. The failure mileage was 94,576. Parts distribution disconnect.

I have been taking my Toyota to Sun Toyota for routine maintenance and inspections. Upon today’s inspections they are claiming the battery looks like it leaked on the axial, some of the undercarriage components look broken and rusty. Possibly needing replacement. The overall car is less than 60k in mileage so that seems odd to me. I also brought the car in at 45k and they made no mention of these issues during that vehicle inspection. I asked about my brakes and braking issues. I do not slam on my brakes and the technician said I should stop braking too hard. There is noticeable wear now on them. I asked them to change them at the previous visit and they refused saying it did not need it. I am concerned for my safety and lack of care at this sun Toyota.

While driving approx. 35-40 mph driver impacted front left side with a stop sign post . Causing very little body damage but completely ripped the control arm out of the sub frame which caused an unreasonable amount of other significant damages . The axle broke off at the transmission . These 3 parts alone costing almost 2500$ plus labor to repair. It ripped part of my bumper cover which had to be replaced and dented the fender which is being repaired . Had the cars subframe held up in what should have been a minor incident none of the other parts would have been affected the way the were. I had the car inspected and aligned at the Toyota dealership and was directed by two employees to file this complaint. They too felt the sub frame shouldn't have ripped apart like it did. Had I been involved in a collision with another car my car would have crumbled . Trading it in as soon as its repairs are complete . Scares me to think what would've happened if my child were with me.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving in third gear, the vehicle failed to shift into a lower gear and became stuck in Neutral. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a defective slave cylinder, which was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,023.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot, the clutch pedal failed to function as intended. The clutch pedal was depressed and failed to return after being released. The contact used his foot to raise the clutch pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the slave cylinder had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the six-speed manual transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and assisted with the labor cost. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

I smell gas whenever I drive my car. My car has less than 33,000 miles on it.

Coolant bypass value sensor failure