There are 7 stored owner reports matching the electrical system leading-label group for the 1997 Toyota Corolla in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 7 of 7 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)MY DAUGHTER WENT OUT IN THE MORNING TO START HER 1997 TOYOTA COROLLA AND IT WAS VERY NOISY, SHE TRIED TO TURN CAR OFF AND IT WOULD NOT STOP. THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING AND THE STARTER WAS STUCK IN THE STARTER POSITION. SHE PULLED THE FUSE FOR THE IGNITION AND THE ENGINE STOPPED BUT THE STARTER WAS STILL IN A HIGH WHINE AND WAS TRYING TO START THE CAR. (OBVIOUSLY STUCK) IT WAS GETTING VERY HOT AND SMELLING. SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF ENGINE AND SHE WAS ABOUT TO TRY TO UNHOOK THE BATTERY CABLE WHEN THE STARTER QUIT. SHE WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THERE WAS NO FIRE, IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO THAT. SHE HAD NO PREVIOUS INDICATIONS ON STARTER PROBLEMS BEFORE THAT. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP. STARTER IS BEING REPLACED, BATTERY CABLES AND A NEW WIRING HARNESS DUE TO THE FACT EVERYTHING GOT TOO HOT AND MELTED. (OVER $1000)
WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE IGNITION SWITCH WILL GET LOCKED, AND CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START VEHICLE. DEALER NOTED THAT WHEN MOVING STEERING WHEEL FROM SIDE TO SIDE IGNITION SWITCH BECAME UNDONE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE.*AK
ON MAY 1, 2002 I LEFT MY OFFICE WHICH IS SIX MILES FROM MY HOME. WHEN I STARTED MY CAR I HEARD A WHINING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AS THE CAR STARTED FINE I DECIDED TO DRIVE HOME. I HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AT THIS POINT. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME THE WHINING SOUND INCREASED. ALL THE GAUGES READ NORMAL, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCLUDED. ABOUT 4 MILES FROM HOME THE WHINING SOUND INCREASED SO I TURNED OFF THE A/C AND THE RADIO. I BEGAN TO FEEL A SLLIGHT VIBRATION WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. ABOUT 2 MILES FROM HOME I BEGAN TO SMELL A SICKLY-SWEET ODOR. APPROX. 3/10 OF A MILE FROM MY HOME THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON THE CAR BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGHLY. THE SICLY SWEET SMELL BECAME MUCH STRONGER AND I HAD A SENSE THAT MY CAR WAS GOIN TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STILL READ NORMAL SO I THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS WRONG AND POSSIBLY THE ALTERNATOR WAS FAILING. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND PARKED IT DOWN BY THE ROAD, THE ODOR WAS BECOMING VERY STRONG. I GRABBED THE CAR KEYS AND SOME OF MY WORK ITEMS AND RAN TO GET THE WATER HOSE ABOUT 25 FT. FROM THE CAR. I TURNED AROUND, HAVIG BEEN OUT OF THE CAR POSSIBLY NO MORE THAN 10 SECONDS AND BROWN SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE HOOD. I CALLED FOR MY SON TO BRING THE CORDLESS PHONE AND TOLD HIM THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. HE BEGAN TO SPRAY WATER ON THE CAR IN AN EFFORT TO CONTAIN THE FIRE. I CALLED 911. TWO FIRE ENGINES RESPONDED BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO SAVE THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS, THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD HAD MELTED OR FUSED TOGETHER, THE FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE FIRE WALL MELTING THE DASH AND THE RADIO, THE HOOD LINER AND VISORS COMPLETELY BURNED, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND MELTED, THE FIRE BEGAN TO BURN THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL WELL, THE HOOD LATCH HAD MELTED SHUT SO THE FIRE DEPT HAD TO USE A CHAIN SAW TO OPEN THE HOOD WHEN THE FIRE WAS OUT. THE PAINT BURNED OFF THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I HAVE PICTURES TO VERIFY THE FIRE DAMAGE.*AK
I AM EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS W/MY DASH AND SPOILER(DOESN'T LIGHT UP FULLY, CAUSING DIFFICULTY TO SEE GRAPHICS DURING NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING DRIVING.) ALL FUSES HAVE BEEN CHECKED/REPLACED, HOWEVER THIS PROBLEM STILL PERSIST. ADVISED PER DEALERSHIP TO DISCONNECT SPOILER LIGHT DUE TO IT "ONLY BEING COSMETIC". ALSO EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS W/ODORS FROM AIR CONDITIONING COMING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I WAS ADVISED THESE ODORS WOULD SUBSIDE, DUE TO SERVICE MAINTENANCE OF AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. THESE EXPENSES HAVE PROVEN TO BE COSTLY. NEVER HAVE I BEEN ADVISED/NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. EVEN DURING REPAIR FROM DEALERSHIP,I WASN'T ADVISED THE ABOVE ITEMS WERE BEING QUESTIONED.*JB
LIGHTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE GO OUT WHEN HE HIT 45MPH WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE , AREA OF FRONT PASSENGER SEAT; ACCORDING TO FIRE DEPT, CAUSED BY FAULTY WIRING TO SAFETY BELT. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED. CAUSE OF FIRE WAS A ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT.VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: May 4, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.