There are 9 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 1997 Toyota Corollain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
DRIVING ON SH 79 FREEHOLD BORO WHEN ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKES TO STOP AND MAKE TURN PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. PUMPED BRAKE PEDAL IN PANIC MANY TIMES WHEN VEHICLE PULLED SHARP RIGHT AND WHILE STILL PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL AND ATTEMPT TO USE HAND BRAKE VEHICLE FINALLY SLOWED AND STOPPED. MECHANIC ADVISED BOTH BRAKE LINES IN REAR WERE NOT COATED AND FLUID LEAKED FROM PLACE WHERE CLAMP STRAPPED THEM TO UNDERCARRIAGE OF CAR. LINES WERE RUSTED AS NO PROTECTION COATING WAS APPLIED DURING MANUFACTURING. THEY HAVE REPLACED MANY COROLLA BRAKE LINES DUE TO THIS LACK OF COATING. NO WARNING PRIOR TO BRAKES FAILING. NO TRAFFIC CLOSE WHILE BRAKING JUST TOTALLY SCARED TO DEATH. *TR
IN RAIN BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH RESULTED IN A CRASH. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK *ML
WHEN SITTING AT A STOP SIGN THE PEDAL WILL SLIP DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD HALF WAY, AND WHEN DRIVING AND GOING TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WILL SLIP AWAY FROM FOOT. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS THREE TIMES. THEY ADJUSTED THE BRAKES, AND THEY STILL CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND SOMETIMES VEHICLE WON'T STOP AT ALL,. NEEDS TO APPLY EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
REAR BRAKES HAVE WORN OUT TWICE ALREADY AND I AM STILL ON THE ORIGINAL FRONT BRAKES PADS. DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHY. REPLACING ALL REAR BRAKE COMPONENTS.*AK
WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKES, THE FRONT BRAKES MAKE A VERY LOAD CLANK. LOAD ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO TURN AND LOOK AT YOU. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM , AND THEY SAID ALL 1997 TOYOTA COROLLAS DO THIS, AND THAT IT WAS NORMAL,THEY SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES. NOW WHEN I GO GOT STOP,I FEEL LIKE ITS GETTING HARDER TO STOP. IF YOU COULD RSVP ME I'D APPRECIATE IT . THANK YOU. *AK
LOCKS ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S REAR DOORS BECOME JAMMED, AND CANNOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. ALSO, BRAKE LIGHTS ARE PREFORMING ERRATICALLY . PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NOISY BRAKES FOLLOWED BY BRAKES FADING. (QCAW)
BRAKES FAIL TO WORK WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS ON. *AK
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