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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,157 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.

2009 Toyota Corolla drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2009 Toyota Corolla Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #34

Aug 122020

Corolla

  • 209,000 miles

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

It's the transmission the engine light is on and I have a child and I dont want the transmission to brake on me on the highway or freeway.

- Rosenberg, TX, USA

problem #33

Feb 222019

Corolla

  • miles
My light came on 80.000 miles and I was informed it is the shift solenoids vale P2757, what was replaced, and right after taht the code came on again P2757 with a differend diagnostic.shavings from the transmission and I need a complete new transmission. There are no available only through the dealer 2 in houston rebuild no new ones. Can you check in to the problem. There are a lot of colmplains on the websites

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #32

Sep 062017

Corolla

  • 110,000 miles
Tsb 0087-09 March 13, 2009 came out shortly after production of the 2009 model and due to the many complaints it appears they quickly included it in the powertrain warranty (6 mo/60K miles) rather than do a recall. This is a problem that is detected on a cold start, so many users will ignore it, thinking it's just a squeaky belt, and used car buyers will get taken because you can't detect it if the seller has started the car and it doesn't occur until the next day after you've purchased the car. Toyota slid under the radar on this one. It's a pricey repair that I've been told by a few mechanics that only the dealer should handle. I strongly encourage you to pursue a recall. This is not a part that should have problems. In fact, the dealer said they should go 250K without major problems. It's not just the '09 Corolla. It is widespread, and if you google this, the web is filled with complaints for several Toyota models. Please let the consumer know you're being vigilant and investigate this overlooked issue.

- Castro Valley, CA, USA

problem #31

May 082017

Corolla

  • 35,000 miles

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

A 2009 car that was regularly maintained (including regular oil changes) with less than 35,000 miles allegedly needs a new drive train"!?!?!"!!!!

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #30

Jan 192017

Corolla

  • miles
After decelerating into a left hand turn there is hesitation of up to 3 seconds or more after depressing the gas pedal down to accelerate again. Only happens on left turns. This is an automatic transmission on a 1.8 L 4 cylinder 2009 Toyota Corolla. This is a recurring problem that seems to be getting worse. Car only has 31K miles- mostly city driving - I'm retired / don't drive much.

- Dallas, TX, USA

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problem #29

Sep 302015

Corolla

  • 41,996 miles
Engine has a knocking sound at start

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #28

Sep 052016

Corolla

  • 68,000 miles

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

We were driving on a highway while we heard some noise came from the front of our car. We thought we hit some metal, so we slowed down and changed to the slow lane, then the car started slowing down by itself, and the steering wheel couldn't move freely. We pulled over, opened the front, and saw some smoke and some liquid fell down. We spent $300 for towing our car to the Toyota dealership where we bought our car from. And we were told that it is the water pump pulley failed that cause the drive belt broke and engine overheated...I was informed that the repair will cause about $4000 for a second-hand engine!! our 2009 Toyota Corolla was bought new in November, 2008 and only has 68000 miles on it. We just did the oil change at the dealership 5 days after this happen! now the car is sitting at the parking lot of the dealership, we contacted the service manager on the dealership as well as Toyota customer experience but have not receive a positive respond yet. They keep telling me that it pass the warranty, however, when I did the research online and found out that not only me has this problem, there are 35 more complain on record about the water pump failure. I believe Toyota should do a recall on the water pump and responsible for the repair.

- Kentwood, MI, USA

problem #27

Jun 282016

Corolla

  • 105,000 miles
The car automatic transmissions shift very hard. The mechanic replaced pressure solenoid valve. I was informed that electronic control module is bad. The symptoms are similar to a volunteer safety recall A0J for 2007-2008 Corolla models equipped with 1zz-fe electronic control module. The ECM for certain 2005 through 2008 Toyota Corolla and Corolla matrix models equipped with the 1zz-fe engine and two-wheel drive may have been improperly manufactured. There is a possibility that a crack may develop at certain solder points or on varistors on the circuit board. In most cases, if a crack occurs at certain points or on certain varistors, the engine warning lamp could be illuminated*, harsh shifting could result, or theengine may not start. In limited instances, if cracking occurs on particular solder points or varistors, the engine could stop while the vehicle is being driven which may increase the risk of a crash.

- Chino Hills, CA, USA

problem #26

May 182016

Corolla

  • miles
Vehicle is a 2009 Toyota Corolla. After parking the vehicle on a flat surface, left engine running, exited vehicle for about one minute to discard trash, reentered the vehicle, and went throught standard procedure to drive off, it would not come out of park. Vehicle was on a flat surface and the brake was being depressed.

- Warrenton, NC, USA

problem #25

Mar 292016

Corolla

  • 59,798 miles
During a routine inspection at the Toyota dealership on 3-29-16, a cracked cv joint boot leaking grease was discovered (59K miles) this is the 2nd occurrence for me, the 1st on my 2010 Corolla just a few months prior. Loss of grease will eventually result in failure of the cv joint & disconnecting from the hub assembly resulting in loss of propulsion and pose a potential safety hazard. It would seem that such a critical component should not fail so early in the vehicle's lifespan.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #24

Jan 142015

Corolla

  • miles

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

2 recalls that I have received through the mail. Im afraid driving on the freeway as they mention that when the light show on airbags 6 sections we can get into an accident due to airbags bursting out.

- Gardena, CA, USA

problem #23

Sep 072014

Corolla

  • 75,000 miles
The transmission grinds as it shifts into 3rd gear with the clutch disengaged as a result of a defective synchro ring. After a quick search online, this appears to be a common problem with the particular transmission on my '09 Corolla S. the problem was first described in a 2010 Toyota technical service bulletin (T-sb-0282-10), but Toyota did not extend the warranty despite the fact that the synchro ring in my particular vehicle was apparently doomed to fail at some point unless the lock ball spring strength was increased to reduce stress on the 3rd gear synchro. For anyone who didn't show symptoms before their warranty expired (like me), they were just a ticking time bomb.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #22

May 292015

Corolla

  • 79,000 miles
H first time the car malfunction I was coming back from returning the rental truck, I was pulling out on the highway and at that time the steering wheel locked up, the battery indicator light come on, ABS brake light come on, and rest of the idiot lights on the panel come on. It was very hard to steer the car, will all my effort with two hands I can steer the wheel and control the car. The engine was running really rough and sounded like it was going to quit. This lasted for approximately 20 seconds it seemed like, and then the car started running right now and I was able to steer again and all the lights on the panel went out. I was very concerned about this thinking my car was failing and I knew that there is probably something the matter with it but when it started running right, I figured I just can't fix something that's not broke and really take no notice of it. How my daughter got a driver's license on August the 4th and then on August the 6 you wanted to use the car. So I let her use it. The car malfunction again on this day and and it took out the alternator when it did. So I change the alternator in the car and let my wife use the car for two days because she travels a short distance to work to see if it's ok. After two days of my wife driving and then I resume driving it to work. Didn't appear to be the car was working fine until August 13th, and that's when my daughter erica drove the car again and while backing out of the driveway the car malfunction, she couldn't steer the car the brakes won't work and naturally grown in reverse the emergency brake is not that effective in she ran off the road and damage the car.

- Orland Hills, IL, USA

problem #21

Aug 142014

Corolla

  • 59,000 miles
A year after the warranty year period ended and less than 60,000 miles, the water pump and serpentine belt both failed. Under the hood, hot coolant was sprayed all over. The coolant level leaked dangerously low, and engine temperature rose without any check engine light on. The incident happened with no sound from the engine upon starting and driving.

- Waipahu, HI, USA

problem #20

Mar 012014

Corolla

  • 5,000 miles
The transmission hits so hard that it feels like you have hit a speed bump. This happens when you try to accelerate to pass.

- Florence , KY, USA

problem #19

Aug 182014

Corolla

  • 78,771 miles
I took my car for a Maryland state inspection. It was found by a licensed state inspector, that the left front axle shaft cv boot prematurely wore, and was split open and actively leaking grease.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #18

May 152014

Corolla

  • 23,840 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated during routine maintenance the technician notified her that the drive shaft was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage were 23,840.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #17

Jan 152013

Corolla

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle slipped out of gear and failed to go back into drive. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic. The technician diagnosed that it was a shift failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000 and the current mileage was 112,000.

- Hyattsville, MD, USA

problem #16

Jan 022014

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 58,150 miles
01/02/2014 at 7:15am: Vehicle idled normally for approx 15 minutes while I cleared snow from driveway. I entered vehicle, put my foot on the brake and shifted into reverse. Accelerator suddenly went to full throttle. I managed to shift back into park and the engine RPM increased to red-line level. I shut off the ignition and the engine stopped. I re-started the vehicle a minute later and everything seemed to be fine. I checked the floor mat which was not close to the accelerator pedal. At least 4" away. My foot never depressed the pedal. I am a mechanical designer and I am convinced that this was not a mechanical issue. I never experienced any accelerator issues previous to this event. I am scheduling an appointment with my local dealer to look into this.

- Medford, MA, USA

problem #15

Jul 242013

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 76,100 miles
I noticed last month a "brief engine knock/rattle noise at cold startup. It has happened every cold start since last month. I did research on the internet, and found a tsb-0087-09 issue regarding this problem. Toyota has since corrected this problems on their 2010 models - but did nothing for the current owners of the 2009 models. With a engine any thing could happen regarding safety!!! I believe it is selfishness on the part of Toyota, for what I call a safety issue. The gear in the intake or exhaust is bad in the engine. Not knowing what it could lead too for elderly that love to drive these vehicles?!!! it is covered under power train warranty - 3 yr/60K. But this is a known problem defect on Toyota manufacturing end - it should be covered no matter what. More people have this issue, and probably do not complain to this Agency. Probably never think to - that is why you may not have more complaints regarding this issue (tsb-0087-09). I wish you would address this Toyota over in Japan. Please keep me posted if any thing will come available for the unfortunate consumer!! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Tonawanda, NY, USA

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