Complaints about the 2018 Toyota Corolla peaked in 2020, with 45 filed
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Sedan, gasoline, 4x2, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Apr 18, 2018 to Sep 22, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20V-024 | Jan 17, 2020 | During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat… | Airbags | 2,891,976 | Repair or modification |
| 20V-012 | Jan 13, 2020 | On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser,… | Fuel system | 1,830,752 | Part replacement |
| 19V-503 | Jun 28, 2019 | Load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect | Equipment | 1,325 | Label or owner notice |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
134 complaints on file, page 1 of 7.
I was driving home from church late Sunday night. A really rough storm hit and it knocked down a huge tree in the road covering the entire road. I did not see the tree until I got up on it and I went straight through it. I was running around 40 mph and total front end impact took the whole bumper off but my airbags did not deploy.
NHTSA complaint 11766243CV axle making clicking noise when turning with all CV axle boots in good condition.
NHTSA complaint 11741358Each travel driver seat belt become tight I try pull down for loose and I have notice the driver seat become level low.
NHTSA complaint 11734961The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the tachometer was raised to high levels while exiting the highway. While at a stoplight, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. An OBD2 scanner was used to diagnose the vehicle, and DTC: P0741, P075B, P1604, P2757, P2820(X4) were retrieved, which were related to the torque converter. The contact was informed that the CVT transmission needed to be replaced, and the contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 76,099.
NHTSA complaint 11723306My 2018 Toyota Corolla has problems with acceleration and a very large noise in the front bar that guides the wheels. It also accelerates by itself, which is why I have had to change the brakes many times. It also shakes a lot at the bottom
NHTSA complaint 11717239Due to recent reports of fuel pump recalls, my daughter bought a 2018 Toyota Corolla almost a year ago. Right now that is problem and her car will not start. I need a free replacement of her fuel pump. Thank you.
NHTSA complaint 11709551On October 17, 2025, a 2018 Toyota Corolla LE was delivered to an authorized Toyota dealership for an airbag recall repair. The recall involved the airbag electronic control unit (ECU), which, according to Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), may fail to deploy the airbags and/or seatbelt pretensioners during certain types of crashes due to inadequate protection against electrical noise. The vehicle was picked up on October 18, 2025, after the dealer reported the recall repair as completed. Before the recall, the vehicle displayed a clear and consistent safety issue: the “Passenger Airbag OFF” indicator stayed illuminated even when a full-size adult occupant (approximately 208 lbs) was seated in the front passenger seat. After the recall repair, the exact same issue persisted with no improvement. The repair was ineffective, as the system still failed to recognize an occupied seat, and the passenger airbag continued to show “OFF.” When this was reported to the dealership immediately after pickup, staff incorrectly stated that the recall concerned metal fragments inside the airbags. This is inaccurate. The official recall documentation from Toyota and NHTSA clearly identifies the defect as non-deployment of airbags and seatbelt pretensioners, not metal fragments. The dealership then advised that a diagnostic inspection would be needed for a $175 fee. However, since this issue directly involves the same safety components addressed by the recall and remains unresolved after the recall repair, it should be re-inspected free of charge under recall coverage. Charging a diagnostic fee in this case is unreasonable, given that the recall repair did not correct the problem as intended. This ongoing malfunction presents a serious safety risk, as the airbag may fail to deploy in a crash. The problem likely involves a defective occupant detection sensor or an improperly functioning ECU/noise filter following the recall service.
NHTSA complaint 11694365After having no indication of any issue, my 2018 Toyota Corolla has stopped re-starting after fueling. The only light that appeared was regarding my battery. My battery is brand new and tested.
NHTSA complaint 11694221Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 85,000. The contact later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 200,095.
NHTSA complaint 11682844CVT transmission is making a loud noise and undrivable due to jerking motion every time I accelerate.
NHTSA complaint 11669267My 2018 Toyota Corolla has ongoing fuel pump-related issues that mirror those in the official recall, yet my VIN is not included. Every time I refuel, my car shuts off and will not restart for 1–2 hours. I’ve brought the vehicle to five different mechanics, including two full inspections with electronic diagnostics—none could find a fault except one who identified the fuel pump as the likely cause. Even Toyota-certified dealerships could not determine the issue. Additionally, any time I drive over 70 mph, the car displays a message telling me to take a break, then it begins to jerk and drive erratically, clearly a safety hazard. This problem has occurred repeatedly and poses a serious risk of accident on the highway. This issue is widely reported among 2018 Corollas and matches symptoms from Toyota’s known fuel pump recall. I’m shocked that Toyota has refused a goodwill repair and won’t inspect it under the recall. If the fuel pump is failing, it puts drivers and passengers at serious risk of being stranded or worse—losing power at high speeds. Please investigate this and consider expanding the recall to cover more 2018 Toyota Corolla VINs before someone is injured or killed due to this known and dangerous defect.
NHTSA complaint 11660381The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, or upon approaching a stop, the engine sounded very weak, almost as if the vehicle would shut off. The contact stated that the vehicle had shut off previously while driving through a drive thru. The vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light illuminated while driving. The contact also stated that after refueling the vehicle, the accelerator pedal had to be pumped while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed and DTC: P0171 was retrieved. The contact was informed that the EVAP valves and system were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) as possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,750. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint 11653942A whole new set of 4 tires were purchased and installed on the vehicle on 10/10/2024. While driving at highway speed 3 weeks later the rear driver side tire, in quick succession, went flat and almost instantaneously disintegrated causing the car to spin out and crash off the road. The car airbags deployed- saving the driver from injury or worse. Since the incident occurred out of home state and far from home and the car was totaled - it was sold as junked and not available for inspection. The accident could have involved other vehicles if the road was more crowded. Since only a single vehicle was involved - Maryland police would not write or provide a report. We believe that the tire failed on its own and wasn’t caused by an external object.
NHTSA complaint 11627042The bumper on this car has been replaced two times and my husband noticed that it’s coming apart AGAIN. It’s brand new and was just replaced in July. It could come apart on the road or cause serious injury if hit. These bumpers are not stable at all.
NHTSA complaint 11618292The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly on several occasions. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the loss of power and a failing fuel pump. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA complaint 11613928No accident everythink working perfect
NHTSA complaint 11611740A car was going to hit my car, I went to hit the horn and the horn doesn't work a few days later a airbag light went on. Went to the dealership and they said it's a know malfunction in toyota corolla. They are not sure if the airbags will work or not. They recommend that I put a notice in for recall since there are still no recalls. This is a huge safety issue.
NHTSA complaint 11589473I was driving down the highway and I heard a tapping noise thought it might have been a piece of trim loose on the car so I pulled over and stopped. Immediately the engine died would not restart. I looked under the hood and the radiator cap had blown off and all of the coolant was gone The engine had overheated when I put compression test was done there was water shooting out of the valve cover. It was diagnosed as a blown head gasket The car never gave any warning lights or the thermostat never showed any temperature problem at all. I was sitting on the side of the highway for 12 hours trying to figure out what to do with the car because I didn't have money for a tow truck. Fortunately nothing terribly bad happened as a result However had I not heard the trim loose and pulled over and the car had died in the highway it could have been way worse.
NHTSA complaint 11577085corolla 2018, has 90k miles, reently, (3rd time already). driving o freeway car reduced speed, and wont go over 40mph, although rpm goes high all the way to 4,000. had to stop aside waitied 3 hours to see whats wrong, after engine was cold, dorove it home slowly on side streets, happened again wont go over 40mph, transmission became slippery and noisy, after couple of weeks, third time happened agintransmission noisy became very scary, called toyota and they wont do anything bout it saying not under warranty, no recalls no voluntary repairs is associated with this vin although all other model years were included. car is useless now. no money for transmission repairs. really bad. for a car considered mot reliable car in the world.
NHTSA complaint 11574887My brother was driving his car and it was involved in a hard right front impact yesterday after a young girl pulled out in front of him. None of the airbags went off, severe front end damage on the right side to the fender, wheel, axle, radiator, hood, oil pan, and other front end components.The right front wheel is completely bent and the right front tire blew out. Front right headlight completely missing. Incident happened going approximately 30-40 MPH. Thankfully he’s okay, but the car is most likely totaled. The steering wheel airbag did NOT deploy and the right curtain airbag did NOT deploy. My brother could have gotten killed. Thankfully he’s only complaining about leg pain and chest pain, but the steering wheel airbag would’ve mitigated his injuries. A few years ago, he got sideswiped very hard on the left side and the vehicle needed 2 new doors and a rear bumper. The left side curtain airbags did not deploy in this scenario either. I’m very disappointed in Toyota that they built a death trap such as the 2018 Corolla.
NHTSA complaint 11557369Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall; the 60 most recent are listed.