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.
I picked up my new 2009 Toyota Corolla on 3-5-2009. The more I drove it the more I noticed that the steering wandered. While trying to drive straight, the car goes left and right, almost like there is a strong cross-wind, but there isn't any wind. It is very difficult to drive on the interstate and stay between the white lines. You have to keep two hands on the wheel at all times and continually make steering corrections to avoid jumping into the other lanes or off the side of the road. I took it back to the dealer to have it checked and they said it worked just fine. I told him no, that it does not work just fine and insisted somebody else look at it. He had me go along with his head mechanic, and the mechanic said something was wrong, suggesting that the pinion gear had too much "preload". they kept the car and replaced the steering. After I picked up the car, it seemed better at first, but then it returned to the same problem with the wandering after driving a few hundred miles. This is a very dangerous problem in my opinion and needs some serious followup. I'm taking the car back as soon as I can arrange for other transportation. Help!
I purchased a new 2009 Toyota Corolla on March 16, 2009. The eps steering causes the car not to run in a straight line. At highway speeds it pulls strongly to the right. To correct the steering causes the need for constant input to correct the steering as the car wanders off of a straight line constantly. The steering input is not precise and the car seems to steer off of a straight line. If not corrected, the car pulls right. Due to this condition, I checked tire pressure. From the dealer, the front tires were well over the prescribed 30 pounds and the rear tires were well under. It appears that there was an attempt to compensate for the steering issues and mask the problem. With correct tire pressure, the problem is worsened.
I noticed again today that while I was driving on the freeway, the steering wheel pulled to the right out of nowhere. I got so scared. This is dangerous for a 2009 Toyota Corolla type S. what can I do?
At speeds over 50 mph, the steering is way too sensitive causing over-correction. Toyota claims nothing is wrong but this is cause for concern and should be able to be eliminated/adjusted by a software update.
I have noticed that while driving in the highway, even though it's not windy, the steering wheel seems like it's being dragged to the left or right and sometimes, the steering wheel would just swerve to either left or right...it was kind of scary!
- Levittown, PA, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
2009 Toyota Corolla electric steering faulty. Vehicle is dangerous to drive. Difficult to keep car straight, constantly veers to the left or right. Will not track straight. A constant fight to stay in your lane.
Purchased 2009 Toyota Corolla yesterday. Drove 140 miles mostly highway. I noticed the car wanders at highway speed as it was gusty when it isn't. this is for my wife, how will it act during real wind and/or ice? I am disappointed and have already scheduled dealer to check steering however sources say that this is an unfixable problem and needs recall.
2009 Toyota Corolla le purchased 12/30/08. Steering problems at high speeds - feels like I'm fighting to stay on the road at speeds of 55+. like you are fighting the wind at times and other times like the steering is just too loose. Hard to get vehicle to drive straight down road. Very dangerous and I don't feel safe driving it. Took car to dealer to have steering checked and was told nothing is wrong with steering; however, I see others are complaining of same feeling. What's up with this car?
I purchased my 2009 Toyota Corolla in October 2008 and returned to my dealer within two weeks with concerns about the steering at highway speeds -- 50-60 mph. My salesperson drove the car with me and told me that the steering was very sensitive, that I was used to driving a heavier rav4 with stability control but that nothing seemed amiss with this vehicle. Over the course of the last four months, the issue continues and when the roads are slick or when the wind blows the problem increases tenfold. I live in a part of the country where wind is inevitable and ice/snow can be issues. I have contacted the dealer twice to try to trade the Corolla in on a safer vehicle but since it is a new car, I cannot recover the depreciation to make the trade at this time.
One major flaw: Twitchy power steering it"S similar to others on the internet blogs ? after about 30 minutes it"S as if I am trying to balance my steering on a ball. The steering wants to move off center to the left or right. By steering into oncoming lane or traffic. I reminds me as a kid; turning my bike handle bars 180 degrees (backwards)and steering forward. You can do it but you must keep both hands and fight the steering.
I just got a 2009 Corolla le yesterday and today while driving it on the freeway, the steering was going all over the place. I had a hard time keeping the car straight at speeds greater than 50mph. I need this car for commuting but am afraid to drive it on the freeway and am disappointed with the purchase.
My daughter stated she was having a difficult time with the steering and keeping the car centered on the road. She went around a curve and lost control. The car spun around and landed driver's side down, backwards in a ditch.
I have had my 2009 Corolla for only a week and the first time I drove this car on the highway I noticed the car would sway to the left and to the right making it hard to keep the car straight. I thought maybe this steering issue was in my head, but after reading other peoples complaints I just feel mad. I have never driven a car with this type of problem and I have driven many cars. You literally take your eye off the road for a second and you are drifting into another lane. This isn't just an issue of annoyance, this is a safety issue and somebody could possibly get killed. If Toyota doesn't start a recall on this issue, there top selling car's record of unsurpassed reliability could be tarnished!
I ordered a newly-designed 2009 Toyota Corolla xle from a local dealership. It arrived in August, 2009. The dealership had no xle models on the lot, so a test drive was not possible. After the car arrived, I noticed that the car was pulling independently on the road to the left without just cause. I thought maybe I should have the dealership check the tires/steering/ or alignment on my next visit. As the weather became more rainy in the fall, I noticed that the car kept feeling as though it was not holding the road safely-- particularly at turnpike speed. I live relatively close to the elementary school where I teach, so I do not have to usually drive the turnpike, but when I did--the car 's steering or tires ?? felt out of control. Then I noticed that the tire sensor came on and I saw that I had a flat tire when I was at school. The dealership came and towed the car in to the shop. They patched it. I thought maybe that would correct the problem, but the sensor kept coming on and going off. I went back to the dealership, explaining the car was pulling to the left and I thought maybe the steering or tires were not working. They worked on it again and I bought a new tire from the dealership and they balanced, aligned, etc. And I paid for it. Then it snowed and I noticed that the slightest amount of snow increased the unsafe feeling of not having steering control. I have tires that are Bridgestone/turanza tires that are rated M/S that came with the car plus the new tire they replaced is the same kind. Please know that we have owned another Toyota for 12 years and nothing like this happened. I am scared to drive this car. I feel unsafe.
While driving on expressway and roads the vehicle will make a sudden surprise pull to the left or right randomly. One thing to note when turning any corner the steering wheel won't recover straight as if it forgot I turned. The car is less than a week old. Notice the dangerous problem on my first trip on the interstate. I look it back for service the next day. For 2 days Toyota service checked alignment and drove it. They find the steering wheel in tolerance. Scotty said it's normal for this type of new electric steering. You must keep both hands on steering wheel or it will steer out of assign lane. After a 2nd trip in a week of owning this car decided to test drive a different 2009 Toyota Corolla and drove just fine. I only wished mine would have drove straight.
While driving on expressway/roads the vehicle will make a surprise pull to the left or right. One thing to note when turning the corner the steering will not recover straight. The car is less then a week old. Notice the problem on my first trip on the interstate. I took it back for 2 days and they find nothing wrong but scotty said it's normal for this new type of steering. You must keep both hands on wheel at highway speeds.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. While driving approximately 30 mph in windy weather conditions, the contact experienced difficulty steering the vehicle. The vehicle unexpectedly pulled to the left or right without assistance. This was a gradual change in direction. The vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician performed a front end wheel alignment on the passenger side. On three separate occasions, the vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer for identical failures. The failure mileage was 35 and current mileage was 1,100. Updated 02-23-09 updated 02/25/09.
I was driving straight on the mass pike in framingham, MA, and my car began to lose control. I neither hit anything nor did I lose control of the car. The brakes stopped working and I could not turn the steering wheel. This resulted in my car swerving out of control, hitting the barrier and flipping over. My car landed directly on top of 2 of the 6 air bags I have in my car, and not one airbag deployed after barrel rolling my car. My car is now totaled and I am undergoing physical therapy for severe whiplash to my back and neck. My insurance company has considered the accident a human error, yet I did nothing to cause the accident. My friend who has been a car mechanic for over 20 years feels that it was a mechanical flaw on the vehicle, and does not see how the accident could have been caused by me. I would like to talk to someone regarding a possible manufacturer's error on my new but totaled 09 Toyota Corolla.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Willis, TX, USA