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.
9/15/12 complete vehicle failure due to power steering axle and seals failure during 45 mph test mode by a sheriff's deputy...vehicle inoperable had to be towed...extremely dangerous and life threatening for future Toyota Corolla owners in any emergency situation...call [xxx](sarasota sheriff's driving school program...ask for [xxx] for more details and officer [xxx]testimony.) information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The car is wandering sideways and you have to really control and Focus on keeping the wheel straight to stay on lane. The best way to describe it is like you are always driving on windy weather with severe wind gusts. This happens on highway, with a speed of 60 mph or higher. The assistant service manager said it could be the wheel alignment but after they aligned it and checked it, the problem remains. I live in an area where we get significant amount of snow during winter and I am afraid of my safety because of this problem.
I recently took a trip from the South to the mid West. The roads are much straighter and the speed limit is higher. I had been noticing that the car drifts back and forth on the highway but hadn't paid it much attention until we went North. While doing 70-75mph down the highways that are straight forever the car was incredibly hard to keep straight. When I got home it was due for regular service and I addressed my concern with the steering. They "did" an alignment at the dealership, after I picked up my car and took it on the highway 24 hrs later I noticed my steering wheel was not straight. The "T" Toyota symbol on the wheel had to be slanted to the left in order for the car to drive straight. If you held the wheel straight the car was driving off the side of the road to the right! the drifting side to side was worse than ever!!!!! I have since taken my Corolla to the same dealership about 5 times now (although they haven't properly recorded that in the computer, they show its only been about 3), taken the lead service tech and the customer service rep for a ride in my car and they completely agreed with me that the steering wheel was off, noticeably! they held my car for a week and replaced the "steering computer" and said that should fix the problem. They drove it after it was "fixed" and returned the car to me. I then drove it down the highway about 30 min later and it is still freaking crooked!!!!!! Toyota Corp and the people at the dealership are making me feel like I'm crazy and that its normal! this is not normal! it was not crooked before I took it in and it is not fixed!! there is a lemon law in this state! this is my first brand new car and first Toyota and this is the worst experience I have ever had with a car and will not buy one again! unbelievable!
At highway speeds from 65-80 mph this vehicle takes constant effort to keep in a straight line, it feels as if you are always driving on a windy day even when it is not. The steering in too sensitive at highway speeds and even the smallest movements cause the car to move alot. I notified the dealer of this within a week of purchasing the vehicle, they said it was normal and would not even take a look at it. I notified Toyota with written correspondence and got not answer from them either, very frustrating on a brand new car. I wish I would have test drove it on the interstate before I bought it. If they could fix the steering this would be an enjoyable vehicle, but on this car wears you out on interstate drives. Please come out with some kind of update on the steering for this vehicle!
Update!. on 11/25/11 I wrote: Nov 25, 2011 - the villages, fl - vehicle speed control this is a new car purchase (w/200 mi). At 60-75 mph (and noticeable also at slower speeds on other roads) on the freeway the car's steering wanders all over the road, it cannot stay on a straight line even if the steering wheel is not moved. T ---------------------------------------------------- update 3/2/12 - I have an update on the problem. The problem for me is not looseness or wandering from looseness it's an overly tight steering situation causing tracking fluctuations... most cars have some slack or 'looseness' when driving straight at higher speeds... for safety. Humans breathe and move their bodies and heads all the time. This all translates to small natural movements in the arms and hands. If the steering at higher speeds is so tight that the least movement on the steering translates to wheel movement (imagine a go cart at 75 mph), then while it's great at 30-45mph (for tight responsive steering) - it makes for an unmanageable struggle at higher speeds to control the steering. The car steering is reacting to the smallest movements... think... flying a slower cessna 172 where large steering movements cause slow turns, yet in a military jet a minute movement of the stick causes tight radical changes. Most humans are not jet Pilot and we need some 'slack' at high speeds...otherwise over-corrections could cause steering oscillation and loss of control (crash). Perhaps Toyota countered the 'looseness' complaints of 2009/2010 with overly tight steering in 2011. But Toyota guys, do you actually drive your cars" no real engineer would call the steering acceptable. It's really a serious problem. Just copy what BMW does. Their steering is tight, natural and yet totally controllable. Can I please have a new steering? please? for my wife's safety"
- The Villages, FL, USA
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The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle veered towards the left and right while driving at all speeds. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was operating as intended. The contact was also informed that she would have to become more accustomed to the vehicle's electronic power steering system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 800. Updated 02/27/12
Engine tries to stall at speeds of 50 to 40, more at 40.when this occurs the RPM needle jumps up past 3 then drops to below one comes up and jumps. I took it in to the dealer and they had just received a recall notice from Toyota, it recommended it be flashed to stop what they said was a miss fire, this was done on 12/05/11. I drove it home it started doing it again, so I took it back in they reflashed it said that it would be alright. Not so it continues to misfire and act like is fixing to stall.I took it back again the head of service drove it said it was jumping in and out of overdrive just drive it don't worry about it.well it seems to be getting worse so I took it back in the service guy said after driving it was the best driving Corolla he had been in, course I knew that was not so cause to this day it keeps trying to stall in traffic.the steering seems to be getting hard to control it weaves more than it should like the front end is out of alignment but if you let go it tracks straight. I am really afraid to drive this car if it does stall in traffic there is going to be a serious wreck.I contacted Toyota they said there is no recalls on the Corolla not true my paper work shows they did a service recall to the dealers. What should I do next? I use this car to drive my 87 year old mother to the store and doctor god forbid it stalls with me driving her somewhere.I am paying good money for something I'm afraid to drive, it's just not right I bought this thinking it was a reliable source of transportation and it's not it's scary. I feel this car has a major computer issue, it's going to turn out to be serious.
When I test drove this Corolla, took it on the highway but only got to a speed of about 65 mph because we got on one entrance and off at the next exit. Short highway drive. After purchasing the vehicle, I took at 150 mile trip to the other side of the state of Michigan from where I live. The car felt like it was fighting through a windy day (there was no wind) and the car was all over the road. I was so tired by the time I got to my destination! I took the car to my dealership and they told me there were no bulletins are recalls for this problem. They said I would have to get used to it. They reset the "flash" or something like that and it helped fix the feeling that I was driving on ice. But the steering is not better. I saw on several forums there are other 2011 Corolla's with this same problem. It is scary, I am a female, and I hate this car! I can't sell it because I owe too much on it. What is my next step"?"
Purchased my 3rd Corolla on 01/14/2011. It is a 2011 le. I noticed that the steering wheel feels very independent from the road, it feels like I am driving in serious wind, when there is no wind. I do not like the feel and it feels very unsafe. I am not driving a video arcade game, I am actually behind the wheel of a moving automobile, but, have the feel of driving the video arcade game with a very sloppy and unresponsive feel. This is not a good experience. My previous Corolla models were a 1986 le, which I drove until purchasing the 2005 ce model. I drove a 2007 rav4 for 10 mos before purchasing the 2011 le. I am extremely disappointed and will fight to have this fixed immediately and would never allow anyone else to drive this vehicle, especially an inexperienced driver.
This is a new car purchase (w/200 mi). At 60-75 mph (and noticeable also at slower speeds on other roads) on the freeway the car's steering wanders all over the road, it cannot stay on a straight line even if the steering wheel is not moved. Trucks passing by do not appear to greatly effect steering. Wind was not an issue. This, not a looseness but rather inaccurate steering, causes a wandering which is very dangerous as the car will wander into another lane or off the road into a potential crash. The driver is 57, with 200-300K miles driving experience in Mercedes to BMW to Volvo to GM to other Toyota to Ford cars - w/O an accident. This is a real and serious problem which may cause deaths. There appears to be little control between the steering wheel and the steering. The tires have the proper air pressure (Goodyear). I repeat, this is the most dangerous new car I have driven since 1968. That's problem #1. problem #2, a lesser problem but also ridiculous.. is the accelerator pedal. You cannot keep the speed constant at 45-50 mph. Holding the accelerator steady the engine speed, as shown in the tachometer, wildly jumps up and down at will, intermittently, RPM going from 1600 to 2200. If you hold steady it drops to 1600, if you then depress the pedal the smallest possine about, it jumps to 2200, then back to 1600. Other times the same action works as you would expect a linear press on the accelerator would command a linear increase in speed. The engine/transmission speed control is all over the place with no feedback to the driver. Look... I have examined this on empty roads. It's the most ridiculous control system I have ever used. It's not acceptable and it's potentially dangerous. I cannot believe it would pass safety standards> please correct these 2 issues before deaths occur. I will swear to this.
Vehicle is difficult to drive in a straight line at speeds above 60 mph. It feels like there is constant side winds pushing the car around. This causes the driver to constantly adjust the steering wheel which is extremely sensitive. A very small movement of the steering wheel to correct the constant drifting causes the car to veer. If the driver holds the steering wheel in one position for more than a couple of seconds the car will change lanes or leave the road.
This vehicle wonders in the lane at 70 mph and when the wind is blowing it is very hard to keep in the lane. This vehicle would be very unsafe in the rain. I drive vehicles for a living and this is the worse driving vehicle I have ever encountered. Test drives under 55 mph will not reveal the problem. Following a tractor trailer on the interstate will feel like someone is shaking you in your seat. Some turbulence are expected but this is overwhelming. Being pushed from center line to side line will make you nervous trying to hang on. If you are planning on taking a trip, be prepared to fight the steering wheel the entire time. Toyota says this is factory specs and there is not correction needed. Shop foreman at Toyota told me it is a big problem but Toyota says it is factory specs so there is nothing they can do. I have owned a Toyota since 1974 and have never had one that drove this way. Problems are on the way with this steering I can promise you that. Families with children should not take them on vacation in this vehicle. I drove another one that was a mirror image of this one and it did the same thing. This is a Toyota Corolla le edition.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph or more, the steering wheel would not remain straight and would cause the vehicle to sway back and forth abnormally. The dealer was notified of the failure who stated there was no fix for the issue. The manufacturer was notified and a claim was filed. They offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 2,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving highway speeds, the vehicle felt like it was wondering and he had to force the steering wheel back into place. He also stated that when he released the brake pedal it would exhibit an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that everything he described were normal characteristics of the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 45 and current mileage was 551. Updated 10/4/11 updated 10/31/11
My 2011 Toyota Corolla started to wander and drift on the road after reaching speeds of around 50 to 60 mph. I took it to the dealer and they said they could find nothing wrong but said they contacted Toyota and were told to align the front end. After the alignment, or whatever they really did, it was better but still at 50 to 60 mph if you move the steering wheel at all, the car drifts and wanders like the rear end is on ice. Very scarry. Not much better. *
At about 55mph-60mph, the car becomes difficult to steer. The car becomes very unstable and will not hold the road well. The car jerks quickly back and forth across the lane, feeling almost as if one were driving in high winds; however, this steering issue will occur at every high speed and even without wind present. The steering is too sensitive and will easily move into any other lane despite holding the wheel still. This car feels like the steering has a mind of its own, which is especially frightening while driving past other cars on freeways due to diminished driver control. At lower speeds, steering is fine, but becomes dangerous at higher speeds. Very scary to drive.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. While driving at any speed above 60 mph with windy weather conditions, the contact noticed that the steering wheel became hard to move making it difficult to steer. The dealer advised the contact that there were no issues and that he needed to get used to driving the vehicle. The contact did not inform the manufacturer nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired. The current mileage was 2,100 and the failure mileage was 100.
2011 Toyota Corolla. Steering very hard to keep on the road. Wanders and jerks wheel very hard and turns by itself in the wind.. loss of control.. unable to keep the car in the same lane as it steers wherever it wants to go. Conditions worsened by wind and passing tractor trailers.. has something to do with the electric power steering. It over steers when you only want it to turn a little bit.. very scary at highway speeds.
- Iowa Park, TX, USA
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- Osprey, FL, USA