There are 15 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Crossin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
SAFETY HAZARD! TAILLIGHTS ARE POORLY DESIGNED: NOT CLEARLY VISABLE AT NIGHT(BAD WEATHER) FOR THE VEHICLES BEHIND. I WAS ALMOST REARENDED AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THIS; AS THE PERSON BEHIND ME, TOLD ME. THEY NEED TO BE ON THE BACK OF VEHICLE FOR PROPER VISUALIZATION FOR VEHICLE BEHIND. YOU CAN ONLY SEE THE BACK TAILIGHTS AT NIGHT IF YOUR ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THAT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MOTORISTS.
Dark spots on the road with the LED headlights on low beam. This is very distracting and causes me to focus on the dark spots. Very dangerous when driving on winding roads at night. A lot of deer on and on the side of the rural roads and the dark spots take my focus away.
REAR TRUNK AREA LIGHT NOT BRIGHT.
There is an issue with the head lights. There are shadows in the lenses or covers that create a distraction while you are driving. I was told that Toyota did it not to have lights go into on coming cars but they make it hard for the driver to see also because it makes it look like something is in the road. I feel that they should change this cause it's a not to good of a design and it could cause a accident. Thanks
The rear running lights on my new Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid SE were not working as they were wired improperly from the factory. I was pulled over by a policeman driving at night because my car was not visible at night due to the lack of running lights. This is very dangerous as this is a factory defect that can cause rear end collisions! I immediately made an appointment with Toyota and the dealer told me upon thorough inspection that it was a factory defect. I was given a loaner car as my car is unsafe to drive. However it is taking Toyota a very long time to fix the problem. I believe that many other Toyota Corolla Cross cars have this wiring defect and that these are accidents waiting to happen! Thank God that policeman pulled me over and notified me as it may have saved me from a serious accident. I believe that all Toyota Corolla Cross SE 2023 should be recalled to have the rear running lights inspected!
The taillights on corolla cross hybrid S and SE of the USA model of the Corolla Cross are very unsafe. They only light up the very corner of the car, unlike the XLE models that extend onto the tailgate with LED lights. I just bought this vehicle 3 months ago and have several cars behind me flashing at me to let me know that my lights are off (which are turned on, by default the larger light piece on tailgate is not getting eliminated unless you have XLE trim). I feel that without more illumination in the rear of the Corolla Cross, vehicle is susceptible to getting rear-ended at night while stopped at traffic lights or stop signs where there are no street lights. Toyota should have a recall and replace those lights to help illuminate the vehicle.
Driving at night with low beam headlights there is a very distinct shadow that shows up especially on curves. The shadow moves back and forth on the curves. Dealer says that is normal but it's really scary when it happens
When driving at night the illumination from the headlights is very poor. I can only see about 1/3 of the way up on the windshield and only a short distance in front of the car. Everything else is black. I am leasing the car for three years but I can't drive it at night it's too dangerous. Even if I use highbeams it is difficult to see. Both of my adult children have driven the car and come to the same conclusion. I brought it back to the dealership and they said the lights were adjusted properly to pass inspection. The only solution they had for me was to find someone to put in different bulps. They said they could not do it and if I did not buy it at the end I'd have to put the old bulbs back in. I have seen several other people on the internet that have exactly the same problem.
See attached document for complaint
Toyota is aware of the situation. Dark shadows and cloud markings appearing only on left side of the vehicle when driving at night. Videos and pictures were given and shown to this Toyota service department this being done after an employee at the Toyota at the avenues driven with me at there closing time when it was dark stated this is a defect that Toyota is already aware of and other customers have had the same issue. Vehicle left at Toyota for five days. Stated was test driven, had removed the left led light for inspection. And Toyota inspector and GM got involved for evaluating the situation. Per the Toyota documentation state. “Headlights are within factory, spec and black spot seen is from the LED projector, normal operations when compared to other vehicles, no cases currently out for any repairs or replacements.” Ends statement. The Toyota dealership at the Avenues has acknowledged and is aware of the current situation of there 2023 vehicles. The Attorney General as been notified. This website will not allow uploads of pictures or documents.
Tail lamps on this car are very small and dim compared to other vehicles. Have been told by other drivers that they are not very visible. Tail lamps are working correctly, this seems to be a problem with the design of the tail lamps.
When the headlights are on Low, not High beam, there is a dark horizontal and vertical streak (shadow) in the illuminated area in front of the vehicle. The dark area looks like an L turned on it's side to the right. It is the same for both right and left headlights. This shadow area prevents full illumination of the roadway ahead of the vehicle. This also is a distraction and causes the driver's eyes to drift to the dark areas and further degrades nighttime driving safety. Per Toyota Corolla Cross Forum, this problem is across the board for the Cross vehicle, not just mine. When the lights are on Low and you hold a paper in front of either light, the dark streak is easily seen.
The headlights of the 2023 Toyota Corolla cross have a major defect, in that the bulb element casts a big shadow in the head light spread causing a huge distraction while driving. I personally have swerved to avoid colliding with an object just to learn it is said shadow. When taken to the dealership for inspection, the invoice states "inspected and verified concern. Dark spot being seen is normal condition, it is the element of the bulb casting a shadow. No repair required." This is unacceptable. Off paper the manager also made the remark that other owners have made the same complaint. Again, this is completely unacceptable.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the driver’s side headlight failed to provide adequate illumination. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the driver’s side headlight assembly. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 6.
Car came from factory with non-functional fog lights in 2022. Fog lights are installed and steering column has fog light switch, but lights do not come on. Have heard from other owners that their cars also had non working fog lights and upon inspection at dealership, it was found that a relay was not installed in the factory. This issue has caused reduced visibility in foggy and heavily rainy conditions. It seems that multiple cars are missing the relay, and there may be many more that have not been caught yet. Foglights are not often used during normal driving, and one might go to turn on the foglights during poor visibility and find them to be non functional.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026