2022 Toyota Corolla Problems and Complaints

The Toyota Corolla has successfully retained Toyota’s formidable reputation of reliability over the years. With more than five decades in the market, the Corolla is still a highly preferable option in its segment. The car had several face-offs with problems in the recent past but the numbers have gone down significantly with its latest generation model. Some unacceptable issues did trouble the Corolla in the previous model years such as the problems with its powertrain and cruise control. However, Toyota seems to have fixed it in the latest model. Presently in its twelfth-generation model, the Toyota Corolla faces fierce competition from the likes of the Honda Civic, the Hyundai Elantra, and the Mazda 3. The major issues faced by the car over several years in the past are listed in detail below.

Toyota Corolla user complaints and problems

The problems with the Toyota Corolla are somewhat considerable since it gets an impressive set of modern features at an affordable price. Among the recent model years, the common Toyota Corolla issues were the cruise control malfunction, issues with the CVT transmission, and the fuel delivery system issues. Another repetitive complaint includes the airbags not deploying scenario but its number fell sharply from the 2020 model year onwards.

Engine problems

• Engine revving up automatically with cruise control failure: This problem with the Toyota Corolla goes back even to the 2017 model year and the recent 2021 model year also faced a few complaints regarding this as well. The reports mentioned that with a specific speed set on the cruise control, the engine would start spinning at high rpm while going down a slope. The reports further mentioned that when the cruise control system was deactivated, the problems did not occur.
• Engine stalling with/without warning: A faulty fuel pump was the prime reason behind this issue that occurred to several Corolla models from the 2018 model year onwards. The reports state that while driving, the engine would stall suddenly and in some cases, it would shake before stalling. The issue has not occurred from the 2020 model year onwards.

Safety problems

• Airbags failing to deploy: Several Toyota Corolla models faced complaints that mentioned a complete failure of airbags. The reports further stated that despite some of the vehicles being involved in head-on collisions the front passenger and driver’s side airbags failed to deploy. However, the number of complaints fell sharply from the Corolla’s twelfth-generation model onwards.
• Brake failure: Several Corolla models faced issues with their braking systems. Numerous cars from the eleventh generation model of the Corolla faced the issues in high numbers but with the introduction of the twelfth-generation model, the issue has been addressed. All the major complaints stated that under panic situations or normal driving scenarios, the brakes failed.
• Misaligned headlights: A few complaints were registered against the 2019 Toyota Corolla regarding this issue. The owners mentioned that a probable design flaw doesn’t let the headlamps provide enough lighting while driving at night. Several attempts to realign the headlights at dealerships also failed to solve the issues.
• Random windshield cracks: A few owners reported this issue where the windshield would crack randomly without any external force. The vehicles were parked overnight when the incidents occurred according to the reports.

Electrical problems

• Complete electrical failure: A few reports were recorded regarding the complete electrical system failure issue. The main problem was that in some instances, the whole electronics of the affected models failed resulting in an engine stall. 

2022 Toyota Corolla recalls

The Toyota Corolla has been recalled in several instances based on the multiple issues it encountered. The list of recalls issued for Corolla shows that a majority of the issues reported were addressed while a few of them were not. The issues with the cruise control system were a prime and recurring problem ignored by the brand only to be fixed on the latest twelfth-gen model.

What model year of the Toyota Corolla to avoid?

The Toyota Corolla is a trusted name that one can vouch for in its segment. With a production run spanning over five decades, the car has never disappointed ever. It did run into several problems with some of its eleventh-generation models while its twelfth-gen iteration came out stronger than ever. Hence, avoiding the Corolla from the 2017 and 2018 model years would be a safe option.

Should you buy a used Toyota Corolla?

If you’re looking for an inexpensive vehicle with solid reliability and fuel economy, a used Toyota Corolla is unbeatable. The car’s encounters with some problems such as the CVT issue and the cruise control issue can be overshadowed by the fact that the affected models are quite less as compared to the huge selling number of the car. To conclude, we can say that a used 2020 Corolla would be a superb choice given its negligible number of complaints and that attractive design.