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CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware of the NHTSA complaint data for the 2008 Corolla. It is almost certainly misleading.

The problem with NHTSA data for the 2008 Corolla is that for months on end, the news media repeatedly told the public that several Toyota models have an unintended acceleration defect, & to go to safercar.gov (the NHTSA's website) to file a complaint.

So, the NHTSA received a disproportionate number of complaints about Toyota unintended acceleration issues because of the national news media attention, to the point where now the NHTSA data is unreliable taken in context with any other vehicle that did not receive national news attention.

CarComplaints.com typically receives more complaints per day about vehicles than the NHTSA does, but the news media did not repeatedly say "go to CarComplaints.com to report your Toyota acceleration problems" like they did about the NHTSA -- so although we have less complaint data than the NHTSA for the 2008 Corolla, our data for the Corolla is a far more statistically accurate representation of the Corolla's reliability than what the NHTSA data shows.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
28 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
23 / 0
Average Mileage:
26,830 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.

2008 Toyota Corolla seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2008 Toyota Corolla Owner Comments (Page 6 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #28

May 232016

Corolla

  • miles

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

Takata recall. NHTSA recall no. 15V-285 and 16V-127. This involves what appears to me to be slow walking of the installation of the recalled passenger side airbag for my vehicle. In response to the recall letter I received from Toyota (which is undated, but which I received on April 15, 2016), I called and requested that the replacement part be ordered on April 18, 2016 and I was advised by my local dealer (wolfchase Toyota) that it would be "4 to 6 weeks" before the part would be available. It is now the 6th week and the service department here cannot give me any idea as to when the part will actually arrive. Although I appreciate the NHTSA's attempt to address this issue through recall, if in fact parts are not going to be furnished to implement the remedy in a timely fashion, consumers are left paying the price by having to refrain from having any passengers sit in the front (a definite hardship when one's family contains enough people to fill the car). Because consumers are "on notice, " liability is presumably reduced or eliminated for both takata and Toyota, while they further avoid the cost of recall implementation by just having the part "on order" in perpetuity.

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #27

Mar 022016

Corolla 4-cyl

  • miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V127000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect...updated 06/08/16

- Gelena, OH, USA

problem #26

May 012016

Corolla

  • miles
Takata recall the fact that you are losing the use of the front passenger seat for an undetermined amount of time is more than inconvenient. I have been a Corolla owner since 1982. Something needs to be done to get this dangerous situation corrected.

- Westlake, OH, USA

problem #25

May 062016

Corolla

  • miles

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

Takata recall- I contacted my local dealer -arlington Toyota- and they told me that they do not have the part to replace my front passenger inflator assembly, so I will have to drive my car until the part comes in. I was under the impression that the car was unsafe to drive. Other dealers have taken the affected car and provided a rental car while waiting for the new parts

- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA

problem #24

Apr 012016

Corolla

  • miles
Takata recall: I contacted auto nation Toyota in centennial, co at least 4 weeks ago to get the "urgent recall" repaired. My initial call I was transferred multiple times and finally sent to a voicemail. After a week, my call was not returned, so I again called and after 15 minutes on the phone (they had to find out what the recall was and if they had parts), I was told they did not have the parts and they would order them and call me when they arrived. Another week passed and I still had not been contacted by autonation. I again called automation and was again put on hold for about 15 min because they had no information that I had called the previous two weeks. I was finally told again that they found my information and my parts were on order and I would be contacted when they arrived. Another week passed so I made my fourth and final call. I was eventually transferred to a voicemail and I left another message with all of my information (VIN, name and that I had called 3 previous times already). This final message was on Friday, April 22, 2016. As of today, Thursday, Apr. 28, 2016, I have yet to receive a call from auto nation to repair my urgent recall. This is totally unacceptable. On April 22, after leaving the final message with autonation, I contacted two other Toyota dealerships in the area and both and the parts and were able to get me in with just a few days. If automation could not do the repairs, they should have told me that initially, instead they lead me to believe they would do it, all the while we are driving an unsafe car and four weeks passed by. Definitely very poor customer service and no consideration for consumers safety.

- Greenwood Village, CO, USA

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problem #23

Apr 152016

Corolla

  • miles
Front passenger airbag inflator module. Possibly "takata recall", the letter I received didn't mention that. Today (4/15/2016) I received a letter from Toyota. The letter isn't dated. It mentions that the airbag inflator module needs to be replaced and that passengers in my car have been, potentially, at serious risk. This is the first and, so far, only correspondence that I have received on this. The letter says that "they are currently preparing parts for my location" -- but when I called the dealer they already had the parts in, and have been working on these repairs for some time. But then why the hell am I just hearing about it now"?" I feel like Toyota and the dealer (frontier Toyota in santa clarita, California) hasn't remedied this defect within a reasonable period of time.

- Valencia, CA, USA

problem #22

Feb 092016

Corolla

  • 108,095 miles

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

The contact owned a 2008 Toyota Corolla. While driving 65 mph, the contact's vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact sustained injuries to the back and neck that required medical attention. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V128000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,095. The vehicle was destroyed.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #21

Mar 032016

Corolla

  • 120,000 miles
Takata recall, dash board air bag lite is illuminated.

- Rochester, WI, USA

problem #20

Sep 022015

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Family involved in a rear-end collision where the the air bag housing came out of the steering column but the bag itself did not deploy. The housing swung around during the wreck and hit the driver's arm resulting in minor injury (bruising). I am a police officer an have worked dozens of wrecks and have never seen this happen. I contacted Toyota about it and they said that this is something that happens all of the time which I am doubtful of. I have pictures to better illustrate the malfunction...updated 09-29-15....updated 10-27-15

- Fort Mill, SC, USA

problem #19

Apr 192015

Corolla

  • 54,000 miles
Corolla slid off road in the rain and tipped into a ditch where it hit several trees. Only the passenger side door frame air bag deployed. None of the others deployed. Car was totaled and driver (sole occupant) suffered a severely separated shoulder (requiring surgery), concussion, tbi, two spinal fractures, facial lacerations, and severe bruising including bruised lungs.

- Manchester, MI, USA

problem #18

Jun 302012

Corolla 4-cyl

  • miles

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

Rear ended another car but airbags did not deploy.

- Porter, IN, USA

problem #17

Apr 122014

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 53,000 miles
My wife was pulling into a parking spot in front of a bagel shop and the car just lost control accelerating, not stopping until it crashed into a pillar. Causing extreme damage to the car.

- Deer Park, NY, USA

problem #16

Jan 142014

Corolla

  • miles
I was driving on second lane going East @ a speed 40 or 45 and a second driver came from East into my lane no air bag on my company car

- Mission, TX, USA

problem #15

Jul 212013

Corolla 4-cyl

  • miles
2008 Toyota Corolla le, driven by 5'2" female, approximately 125-130 lbs. Vehicle was involved in a driver's side, offset, frontal impact crash while traveling at ~30 mph. Other vehicle made left turn in front of the Corolla. The driver's airbag deployed. The driver's side airbag did not deploy. The driver was wearing her seat belt, which locked on impact. The driver sustained a flexion-distraction fracture of her cervical spine and is now quadriplegic. The vehicle was totaled and not repaired.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #14

Oct 192009

Corolla

  • miles
While driving at approximately 40-45 mph I crashed into a tree. While the vehicle sustained $8000 in damages, the air bags did not deploy.

- El Centro, CA, USA

problem #13

Dec 042013

Corolla

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, she crashed into a concrete pole. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the head, shoulders and back. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer for the body repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that a representative would call the contact within twenty four hours. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

- Hampton, VA, USA

problem #12

Aug 182013

Corolla 4-cyl

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, a sudden traffic jam caused the contact to crash into another vehicle and a guard rail. The air bags failed to deploy and the vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries. The contact stated that there was a police report filed but there were no injuries reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 12/23/13

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #11

Jun 142013

Corolla

  • 75,000 miles
Head on crash at approx. 25-35 mph totaled the vehicle and the front air bags did not deploy.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #10

Dec 272012

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
I had an accident last December 27, 2012. I was driving 40-45 mph on a two-way street and hit a large sized donkey. There were at least 5 or 6 big donkeys on the road that showed up from nowhere. My airbags did not deploy. My windshield was damage. The front side of the car was damaged and the inside parts too.. the car was a total wreck. The mileage on the car was at least 130, 000 miles. I got bruises and some cuts on my hands. It was very traumatic and scary. Thinking that airbags will protect me during a crash but it failed. I can send a picture of my damaged car if requested.

- Perris, CA, USA

problem #9

May 032013

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that she crashed into the rear of another vehicle while driving approximately 40 mph. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The contact sustained bruising to her chest and stomach. The front passenger was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was treated for a fractured breast bone. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000...updated 07-17-13

- Acworth, GA, USA

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