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.
My mother was in a bad accident with a 2009 Toyota Corolla. She was making a right turn from a set position and as she accelerated the car continued to steer right causing her along with her two grand children to go over a curb/cliff and into a ditch bank. She has been in extreme pain since the accident. The grand kids appear to have suffered mild injuries. This is a real issue and I hope someone pays attention to this issue. Toyota really needs to address this issue before someone is fatally injured. The car was totaled.
2009 Corolla steering at highway speeds requires continues adjustment to keep it from wandering and after only a few miles my arms hurt from the forces required to keep the car in the lane. I can't drive it more than an hour at a time without getting severe pain in the wrists.
2009 Corolla electronic power steering is really difficult to control and I have to continuously fight to keep the car in the lane of travel.. I am very concerned that a simple sneeze will cause me to have a head-on collision.
My daughter lost control of her 2009 Toyota Corolla while traveling on a wet road at a low speed. She stated that the car pulled to the right and then spun around in 3 tight long circles before spinning out. Had noticed what seemed like a looseness in the steering about 2 weeks before, but because I do not drive it on a regular basis was concerned if it was normal or not. I was concerned that the steering may have played a role in the accident and when researched online if any known issues, I was surprised to learn of a # of individual experiences and concerns similar to mine...all within a few months of the start of 2009. There were many postings regarding the steering in the Toyota 2009 Corolla. I was equally concerned to learn that there is a new power steering system in the 2009 model that is different than that of prior years. My daughter ended up going behind a guardrail and down an embankment and I feel obligated to file a complaint over my concern relating to the steering in the 2009 Corolla. The postings include that Toyota could not find a problem, but not being able to find the problem does not mean it doesn't exist. Recent news events include that Toyota also denied having a turn-over problem with another of their vehicles. When we purchased the vehicle it had approx. 10,000 miles on it and at the time of the accident it had 13,876.
- Hillsborough, NC, USA
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There is a steering problem with my 2009 Toyota Corolla with electronic power steering that I believe is extremely dangerous. I purchased the car new in 8/08. The straight line stability of this car is terrible at speeds greater than 50mph. This problem has continued since the car was new. It drifts and wanders at highway speeds as if it is being buffeted by high winds when no such condition exists. It requires deliberate and distracting Focus to keep car in its lane. The car goes off course with the slightest movement of the steering wheel. It does not seem to have any neutral steering position, you have to constantly correct the steering to keep the car in lane.. if you take your eye off the road for a second the car will drift into another lane. Certain road conditions, such as worn or troughed, (gullied?) pavement as well as increased windy conditions make the car almost impossible to drive. Then you have to grip the steering wheel with both hands in an attempt to keep the vehicle traveling straight. According to Toyota my car is in perfect shape. All steering tolerances are correct. The tire pressure has been monitored and maintained at 30lbs as is recommended by Toyota since the car was new.
2009 Toyota Corolla drifts and wanders at highway speeds. Requires deliberate and distracting Focus to keep car in its lane. Alignment was checked and found to be correct. Dealer indicated many owners have brought their cars in for this issue but there is nothing that can be done, that it is the design of the electric power steering. Contacted Toyota customer assistance center at 1-800-331-4331. Case manager indicated that this was the design and that if a safety issue was found, a recall would be issued, but at this time there is nothing that can be done. Believe there is a safety concern due to car's highway behavior and due to driver distraction; a car drifting around the road will be more likely to be in an accident, and a driver focused on keeping the car in its lane will be less focused on hazards that may develop in their path.
2009 Toyota Corolla has a problem with the steering that caused the consumer to have an accident. The consumer stated after she made a right turn, the vehicle continued to veer on its own to the right. The consumer tried to steer the vehicle, but it seemed as though the steering wheel was locked. She attempted to apply the brakes, but to no avail. The consumer was traveling approximately 15-20 mph when the vehicle went down a cliff approximately 25-20 feet deep, hitting a tree and a fence before the vehicle came to a complete stop. The consumer and her 2 passengers were injured. The consumer stated there was a recall regarding the brake system, however she was told nothing abnormal was found with the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. She ordered a 2009 Toyota Corolla xle and it arrived in August 2008. She returned to the dealer on numerous occasions since the vehicle began pulling to the left and right. The vehicle does not stay centered in its lane at higher speeds ranging from 50 to 65 mph. She has to grip the steering wheel with both hands in an attempt to keep the vehicle straight. The failure intermittently veers in either direction and required nearly constant over corrections. She owned another Toyota for twelve years and has never experienced this kind of failure. The contact stated that she feels unsafe while driving. She was also advised that the vehicle is operating as it is designed. The VIN was not availale. The current mileage was 10,000 and the failure mileage was less than 100.
Off-tracked driver seat. Occurs when brake apply, the seat shift forward. Periodically, the seat twist to one side, and body cannot seat straight. Dealership replaced a seat-track, but the problem still occurring. Steering wheel wanders in speed higher then 50mph.
Steering problem with my new Toyota Corolla. The car has about 6,000 miles on it. When driving on a straight road, the car goes off to the right and left. You must constantly keep adjusting the steering to keep the car in the lane. This also happens in a curve. This is a constant problem. This is dangerous and aggravating. I took the car to the Toyota dealer and explained the problem. The technician rode with me and I showed him how the car goes off course. The technician drove the car and let go of the steering wheel. The car went off course. The technician said there wasn't anything wrong with the steering, but they would check the wheel alignment. (the wheel alignment did not correct the problem.) I don't know how he could say there wasn't a problem when the car wanted to go off the road. I complained to the dealer a number of times. They said there is nothing they could do about it. I asked them to check and or replace the electronic power steering unit. (eps) they would not even check it. I sent email and talked to a representative at Toyota headquarters. I explained the problem. They said there isn't anything they can do about it. They will not even admit there is a problem. My concern is... if there is a problem with the electronic power steering (eps) that lets the car go off course, this could keep getting worse and I would loose control of the car. Thank you for looking into this problem.
2009 Toyota Corolla, the electric steering is way too sensitive. At highway speeds you have to constantly correct the steering. It does not have any neutral steering at highway speeds, you have to constantly correct it.
I recently purchased a 2009 Toyota Corolla that has a defect in the design of the vehicles steering. When driving at highway speeds (50mph or greater) the vehicle wanders all over the road. The straight line stability of this car is terrible! and I believe it presents a dangerous problem for 2009 Toyota Corolla owners. I have read other complaints about this problem on your web-site from other drivers and I think this issue needs to be addressed by Toyota immediately. Thank you for consideration in this matter.
I purchased a 2009 Corolla xle because I commute to work and needed something with better gas mileage. The plan was to give the car to my daughter in two years when she goes away to college. The car is very dangerous. I constantly have to correct the steering. It scares me. The dealership claims that there is nothing wrong with the car. I know that there is something wrong. What can I do. I am scared to death driving it, and I would never let my daughter drive it.
The steering on my 09 Corolla wanders continuously at freeway speeds. It has since new, though I did not notice while on the test drive. The more worn and grooved highways and windy conditions produce a more dangerous feeling, especially in poor weather conditions. I have complained to my dealer, lithia Toyota in medford several times, yet they say there is nothing wrong. There are multiple complaints on the internet yet they say nothing is wrong. Toyota is selling a faulty and unsafe vehicle and is doing nothing to resolve the issue.
Car pulls to the right or left (variable) at expressway speeds. It's a 2009 Toyota Corolla. Took it in to the dealer who said everything was fine but there are multiple complaints about this. Has done this ever since I bought it.
We have taken in our Corolla (purchased in January 09) to the dealer twice for the electronic power steering (eps) problem. The car is very difficult to drive on the highways. It refused to keep a straight line and we constantly have to over correct to keep a straight line on a flat road (driving on ice or in high winds comes to mind). We have noticed that even at slow speeds in parking lots that if the wheels are turned and the steering wheel moves back to center the wheels will not straighten up and you have the turn the wheel in the opposite direct to correct the wheels. The dealership has performed an alignment and they replace the steering rack. The issue has not gone away and they found that testing three other Corollas on the lot all have the same eps problem and they are stumped. They have filed a tech case with Toyota about the eps issue. I have also opened a complaint ticket with Toyota tms in California 1-800-331-4331. They have been in contact with us and a Toyota representative is going to inspect the car next week. If they are unable/unwilling to give us a resolution we are going to contact a nc lemon law lawyer. We just want the car to function correctly and free it is an accident waiting to happen. My wife is sick of driving it and has moved back to our older 2004 Corolla. It makes me sick knowing how much we paid for this 2009 xle!
The new 2009 Toyota Corolla has a steering problem. On a highway going faster than 60 mph, it is very difficult to keep the vehicle within the lane. If it deviates (which is normal) and a correction is made, the car over-reacts and the vehicle veers to the other side of the lane. Another correction puts the vehicle back to the other side. So the vehicle moves side to side. Straight line travel can be accomplished only with both hand firmly on the wheel and fixing you eyes on the road. The danger is when you are distracted, such as looking in the rear view mirror, adjusting the rear view mirror, changing a radio station, reaching for sun glassed, etc. Then the car heads out of the lane as a result of a continued steering adjustment. The dealers and manufacturer claim that this is normal because of the new feature, electronic power steering. However, the 2010 Corolla has another standard feature (which is optional for the 2009): Electronic stability control. My 2009 does not have this feature and I was never told of its possible benefit to the steering.
Purchased a new 2009 Corolla S about 3 months ago from the local dealer in ardmore, ok. There is a steering problem with the new electronic power steering system on their models now. The driver has to make a constant adjustment in steering the auto to prevent it from constantly veering left or right as you drive on city streets or major highways. I met with the factory rep from Toyota and he states that this problem is created by the new design of their steering system with 0% variance for error. A master Toyota mechanic checked out the auto and attempted to make adjustment to correct, a case has been assigned by their service department stating that the steering is very oversensative. A case has also been filed with Toyota customer service. My problem still exists I have a new Corolla S parked in my garage with less than 400 miles on it due to the safety issue of driving this auto.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Bronx, NY, USA