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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,583 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Toyota Corolla engine problems

engine problem

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2005 Toyota Corolla Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

May 232010

Corolla

  • 144,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owned a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The contact was driving 35 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who ran a diagnostic test and could not find the failure for the stalling. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 10V384000 ( engine and engine cooling). The dealer stated they replaced the ECM but the stalling failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and informed her to take the vehicle back to the dealer for further inspection. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 144,000.

- Cleburne, TX, USA

problem #21

May 232009

Corolla

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla xrs. The contact stated that when making a complete turn, the vehicle would stall and the wheels would lock abnormally without warning. The engine would have to be turned off and then restarted to allow the vehicle to reset itself. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who ran a diagnostic test but could not duplicate or locate the failure. The manufacturer was contacted who stated that the diagnostic test did not revealing any failure codes therefore, they could not assist. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 83,000.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #20

Mar 022011

Corolla

  • 19,600 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign id number: 10V384000 (engine and engine cooling). After repairs, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the computer had not yet adjusted. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where she was advised that the fuel tank top was not secured. The contact was not satisfied with the diagnosis because he never had a problem with the vehicle and was sure that the fuel top was secured correctly. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 19,600.

- San Lorenzo, PR, USA

problem #19

Nov 092010

Corolla

  • 72,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On 11/9/2010 at 5:30 P.M., my 2005 Toyota Corolla ce stalled on I-87 (NY state thruway--major deegan) in the bronx as it was being driven at 55 miles per hour. The car was operating normally when I left work in the bronx 20 min before. All of a sudden the check engine light came on and the car lost all power. The oil and battery lights also came on. I put on my hazards and managed to get from left lane to shoulder. The car stopped completely before I could get it off the highway and the back end of car was slightly on the road. I called aaa and they called the official company who has to tow cars off the thruway. No truck arrived for a long time--two passers by stopped and helped me push car onto shoulder. The car lights dimmed and eventually went out. The car had plenty of fuel when it was being driven. After the car stopped, the car seemed electrically dead and would not turn over at all. There was no sound at all or any cranking or sputtering. It seemed that the car lost all power and I was only able to get it off the road due to its momentum from being in motion. When no truck arrived after 45 minutes, I called 311 for assistance (nyc help line) and they contacted police who came and called another truck and sat with me with their lights on until tow truck arrived around 6:50 pm. It was towed to official towing station in bronx. The repair people told me the next day it might be due to an electrical problem. My car is under recall for the engine control module (ECM). The Toyota dealers in bronx said cars don't stall because of this problem and I would have to pay to have my car towed there to have it checked. I wanted them to look at it to see if ECM was the problem. On 11/11, when I called the official towing station to have car towed out, they said it was fuel pump and wanted 1100-1200$ to fix it. As of today, I am having the car towed to a local repair station where I leave to see if they can diagnose the problem and let me know what caused the stall.

- Sleepy Hollow, NY, USA

problem #18

Nov 032010

Corolla

  • 52,500 miles
My engine stopped this morning while I was driving my car, a 2005 Toyota Corolla, part of a 1.3 million car 2010 recall. Luckily, I was at a stoplight, my car restarted, and I was able to drive to a nearby Toyota dealership, where it is being fixed free of charge (although it's taking 24-36 hours for the part to be restocked). Toyota's known about his potential problem since 2005 - I'm furious that it took them 5 years to issue a recall. I could have been killed.

- Berkley, CA, USA

problem #17

Oct 102010

Corolla

  • 56,398 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that she received a recall notice; NHTSA campaign id number: 10V384000, engine and engine cooling for her vehicle. The dealer was informed about the recall notice and stated that they do not have the part in stock and will not know when they will have it. The manufacturer was also contacted and confirmed what the dealer stated. The failure and current mileages were 56398.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #16

Sep 242010

Corolla

  • 140,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The contact was driving 20 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after ten minutes and it was towed to a local mechanic facility for diagnostic testing. The mechanic was only able to diagnose a failure connected to the check engine warning light. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who advised the contact that the ECM circuit board would need to be replaced at the contact's expense. The manufacturer was contacted and a claim was file. No other assistance offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 140,000.

- San Pedro, CA, USA

problem #15

Mar 112010

Corolla

  • 40,000 miles
On 3/11/2010, I drove 2005 Toyota Corolla on the exit of high way at about 35 mile per hr. The car suddenly speed U and hit concert barrier. My car was total loss. I am a good drive and never had a ticket during past 20 years. I am sure it is car problem.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #14

Jul 282010

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 29,167 miles
Letter from senator schumer on behalf of constituent re problems with her 2005 Toyota Corolla the consumer stated while on her way to work, the vehicle stalled and the engine light immediately illuminated. The vehicle had no power. The vehicle was towed to the repair shop. It was determined, the vehicle had a defective ECM. Updated 10/01/10

- Bronxville, NY, USA

problem #13

Feb 262010

Corolla

  • 57,000 miles
The engine stalled lots of time when I used brake to stop at a stop sign, or when I drove at low speed in traffic, such as 1 to 5 mile per hour. I had to press gas at a stop sign while I put the car in parking position to keep the engine alive. It took the dealer more than one month to fix it. The first time the dealer returned it to me and told me the problem had been fixed, the car stalled within 200 ft after I left the dealer. I walked back and told the dealer. The dealer told me to drive it back to home and "let the computer learn by itself". I did as the dealer told me but the car stalled as before. I had to bring it back to the dealer. Dealer changed the computer for me. The engine-stall problem is solved. Right now, the car (most probably the engine) still vibrates/shakes strongly when I stop the car at the stop sign, at the red light, and drive the car at very low speed (such as 1 to 5 mile per hour).

- Herndon, VA, USA

problem #12

Aug 012010

Corolla

  • 86,700 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Bought a used Toyota Corolla in Texas at a Toyota dealer, on the way home to NY, after a few hundred miles, it died on the interstate and myself and my son spent the night in it, like the key was turned off. Loaded on a roll-back, and taken to a Toyota dealer, they said that they didn't know why, but they reprogrammed the computer. Now, $60 dollars poorer, down the road I go, another couple hundred miles, again it dies on the interstate, spent another night in it, onto another roll-back to another Toyota dealer. These folks tell me that I have bad computer sensors in the throttle body, they install a new one, charge me $1,300 dollars, and off I go, until a hundred miles down the road, it quits again on the interstate, this time on a dangerous spot on a blind curve. A police officer provided protection from on coming traffic until the tow arrived. Another rollback ride to the Toyota dealer. They do something more to it, down the road I go, finally making it home. Now I know that its not just my car. I think the Toyota company should have repaired the computer sensors in the throttle body at no charge. All three times that the Corolla quit, we were in a heavy traffic situation in the middle lane of a multi-lane interstate, and moving at the speed limit. We were extremely lucky that no one was hurt.

- Caledonia, NY, USA

problem #11

Aug 042010

Corolla

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall when decelerating. The vehicle would restart almost immediately. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility yet the mechanic was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 85,000.

- Berea, KY, USA

problem #10

May 042010

Corolla

  • 35,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. While driving 5 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to an authorized dealer. The dealer stated that the electronic control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired when the complaint was filed. The current and failure mileages were 35,000.

- Hayward, CA, USA

problem #9

Apr 172010

Corolla

  • 79,000 miles
The heater in our car was malfunctioning, it would take 15-20 minutes before it would get warm, we took it to the Toyota dealership( roughly 03/31/2010 ) where we purchased it ( and they have done all the maintenance, oil changes, transmission flush, etc. ) they looked at the car and just said that it needed some coolant and that was it. The heater worked for just a couple days and then the heater began doing the same thing again. On the night of 04/17/2010 while driving home the engine got very hot all of the sudden, we pulled over and purchased some more coolant and put it in the car, drove the car home and then on Monday 04/19/2010 we took it back in to have them look at it again and they said that there is a crack right down the middle of the engine block and that is why the coolant keeps draining. They told us we need to have the engine replaced. It is a 2005 Corolla with only 79,000 miles on it. We were 4,000 miles past our extended warranty. They said since they haven't seen this before that they would give us brand new engine but we would have to pay $ $2274 for labor and a thermostat. It is currently at tony divino Toyota in riverdale, Utah being repaired.

- North Salt Lake, UT, USA

problem #8

Mar 112010

Corolla

  • 80,200 miles
This complaint is concerning my 2005 Toyota Corolla on the 11th of March 2010 while driving down the highway at approximately 60 miles an hour I went to accelerate to change lanes. As I pressed on the accelerator my car did not respond, and began to slow down. I turned the wheel to pull over to the shoulder and realized that I did not have power steering, thus confirming the overall stall. I managed to get to the shoulder and after about a minute I tried to turn the key and the car came back on. I was able to drive to don davis certified Toyota parts and repair. After running a three hour diagnostic was reported to me that "nothing was wrong" with the car. The computer showed no signs of any type of glitch or malfunction. I returned home, only to find a report several days later about Corollas suddenly stalling.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #7

Feb 092010

Corolla

  • 99,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. She stated that while driving at 5 mph the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that ECM unit completely shut off and had a faulty chip in it. No repairs were made to the vehicle since there was no warranty. The was at the dealership when the complaint was filed. The failure and current mileages were 99000.

- Patchogue, NY, USA

problem #6

Jun 012007

Corolla

  • miles
I have encountered what I believe to be a major manufacturing error. My vehicle's engine produces a very large and instantaneous increase in horsepower (a 'surge') at 6800 RPM (due to a 'cam switchover'). I have observed dynamometer readouts which place this jump at around 40hp. Because of this strange and instantaneous jump in horsepower, during slippery conditions, or on roads with debris such as sand or gravel, the car would, without prior warning, lose traction when it hit this power surge 'point'. I am well aware the xrs is a performance type vehicle, and enjoy it when road conditions are perfect, yet it causes me great discomfort to know that merging onto the highway during rain or snow (or with sand or gravel on the road surface) may mean an abrupt loss in traction leading to a crash, injury, or worse. I have personally experienced some very unnerving near-accidents due to the engine's bizarre power delivery. Strangely enough, my research indicates that previous iterations of the same engine produced by Toyota have the 'cam switchover point' placed much lower in the RPM range, leading to a much smoother power delivery (which I believe is safer and more predictable). I have contacted Toyota a total of three times, once through mail and twice by phone, about this problem. The representatives I talked with could/would not answer my questions about this problem, as well as refusing to admit to a problem with this particular special edition car. With winter approaching, I'm not waiting to have an accident to report this manufacturer error, especially so since Toyota has refused to acknowledge the problem.

- Coralville, IA, USA

problem #5

Aug 102008

Corolla

  • 42,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact sporadically heard a loud squealing noise coming from the engine. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the accessory drive belt/ belt tensioner assembly failed. The contact would be responsible for the $500 repair costs. The technician also stated that the manufacturer issued tsb number 02107 (engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys) pertaining to this failure. The manufacturer stated that because the vehicle exceeded 36,000 miles, they would not assume any liability. The failure and current mileages were 42,000. Updated 10/14/08. Updated 10/16/08.

- Akron, OH, USA

problem #4

Feb 152006

Corolla 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100 miles
: the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently stalled. The vehicle restarted after 5 minutes following every stalling incident. Additionally, the engine sometimes required several attempts before starting after the vehicle has been sitting for an extended period of time. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for inspection. The dealer replaced the fuel pump, although that did not remedy the problem.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #3

Feb 012006

Corolla 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 26,045 miles
Driving southbound on 405 freeway just North of springdale exit in heavy traffic at about 45 mph in slow lane (lane furthest away from center divider). Car suddenly starts to slow down and noticed that check-engine light has come on and tachometer reads 0 (zero) RPM. Switch on emergency blinkers and transition to emergency lane to the right. Come to complete stop, glance at tachometer and now it is reading about 900 RPM (normal idle). Try to accelerate to resume trip but car is extremely sluggish. Brake and come to complete stop again. Place transmission in park, stop engine, and re-start engine. Place transmission in drive, now accelerates normally and merge with traffic. Check-engine light still on. Mileage around 26045 miles. Time about 4:. started trip about 1 hour 15 minutes beforehand. Traveled about 35 miles. Fuel tank about 2/3 (two-thirds) full with 87 octane gasoline. Last purchase from union 76. Have followed all recommended manufacturers maintenance according to owner's manual. No non-manufacturer installed accessories added. External ambient temperature about 60-65 degrees F. have made appointment with South coast Toyota (regular service dealer used) to bring car in first thing 2/2/2006 for inspection, etc.

- Huntington Beach, CA, USA

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