2018 Toyota Corolla Complaint Log

The 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.

Due 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.

My 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

Each travel driver seat belt become tight I try pull down for loose and I have notice the driver seat become level low.

After 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.

On 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.

Odometer 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.

CVT transmission is making a loud noise and undrivable due to jerking motion every time I accelerate.

My 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.

A 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.

The 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.

The 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.

No accident everythink working perfect

A 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.

I 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.

The 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.

corolla 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.

My 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.

Purchased this vehicle new. The vehicle has 58,000 miles and the suspension went out, upper & lower control arms, ball joints, struts and stabilizer. This controls the driving ability of the vehicle and could have caused me to loose control of the car. Confirmed by an independent service center and repaired. There were no warning lamps or messages. The vehicle started making a loud noise when turning.

Hello, dear sir and madam I haven't seen any incidents so far because I drive according to Virginia law.

Hello, I hope that my message will find you in the right clothes. We have not had any accidents until now, because I drive carefully.

After vehicle is driven for approximately 15 mins or more and then comes to a long stop at a red light or drive thru line (while transmission is in drive and foot is on the brake), idle drops to 500rpm and car starts shaking as if it's about to die. Issue has been ongoing for years even before the fuel pump recall fix was performed but didn't start until around 25 thousand miles. Issue isn't the AC compressor cycling, it is not the secondary/auxillary cooling fans engaging, no check engine lights, no other symptoms. If it gets worse, it could cause the vehicle to completely stall in traffic posing a safety hazard. Shifting the transmission to neutral or park stops the issue. Shifting into neutral and then back to drive temporarily corrects the issue but then it re-occurs after at least 30 seconds or more. Many other 2017 and 2018 Corolla owners have reported this issue as well online and nobody has found the cause.

Check engine light on. Cruise control stopped working. Fuel cap tightened.

The driver and passenger seat belts by the holder the retracts them back into the car. Each time the seat belt is released or retracted it begins to cut more.

Dashboard paint gets bubbles due to a lack of shielding which leads to covering/erasing the warning lights/signs on the dashboard. This may lead to a safety problem regarding the warning signs. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer and I was informed that the shielding behind the Dashboard is missing which led to the dashboard paint popping up.

While on the road but in a slow bumper to bumper traffic, the engine turned off. Scary situation. I had to pull over on the side and managed to restart the engine. Same incident happened and the engine suddenly turned off while at a gas station

On the morning of 12/7 I tried starting my car, and the engine wouldn't start. There were no warning lights. Finally late afternoon it started up and I immediately drove to Toyota in town. They said my battery was probably dead and replaced it for $160. I then drove to Costco, parked, and then started the car up and went to Hyvee. When driving out of Hyvee, my car's big red battery light popped up, my car started shaking, and then it shut off and would not turn back on. I had to pay for a tow back to Toyota ($196). Today, 12/8, Toyota in town calls me and said it was never a problem with my battery (yet I can't get a refund for them not even checking it in the first place), and that the issue is a fuel pump malfunction. They said the part will cost $1,463 and I will not be able to start my car let alone be safe to drive without it fixed. I am a student and this was the first car I bought and paid off. I have not had any problems with my car, and pride myself in taking very good care of it. I could have gotten in an extremely bad car accident with my car stopping and shutting down, putting not only my life at risk, but other drivers as well. There have been hundreds of reports of 2018 Toyota Corrolla's having fuel pump malfunction recalls; however, my specific VIN has 0 unrepaired recalls listed. This is completely out of the blue and with how new my car is (55,000 miles), how great of a job I do at taking care of it (this is my very first issue ever), and how many previous reports exist for the exact same issue (fuel pump malfunction) with the same year/make/model, it is shocking that my VIN has no associated recalls and am therefore receiving no financial help. I am lucky that I am safe and unharmed, because if this were happening on an interstate (which I frequently take to get to school), I easily would have died.

Noise cracking when I make right my car has 57,000 miles I took the car to the dealer they were charging me 90 dollars end the day they told me that parts it’s not corvette the warranty

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving over a speed bump, the contact heard a ratting sound coming from the steering wheel. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed at the dealer, and that the replacement steering column was out of stock nationwide. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 35,000.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated without any warning causing the vehicle to drive over the curb and crash into a 7 eleven store building. The air bags did not deploy, and no one was injured. The contact was unsure if there was a police report filed. The vehicle was towed, and it was deemed for total loss. The dealer was contacted and stated they were unsure of the cost of the repairs because the vehicle had an anti-lock brake feature. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 16,500.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the driveway, approximately 12 hours later while the contact was sleeping, a sound woke the contact and it was discovered that the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed and the fire also caused damage to the garage door, the side of the home, and the concrete driveway. The contact mentioned that the battery was replaced by AAA 3 weeks after the incident. No injuries were reported. A fire report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was later towed away. The cause of the fire was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the fire. The failure mileage was 8,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving 40-60 MPH, the vehicle started jerking. The warning messages "Charge System Malfunction - See Owner’s Manual", "Oil Pressure Low Stop in A Safe Place. See Owner’s Manual" and "Traction Control Turned Off" were displayed and the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 30 minutes. The contact then drove to her residence. The failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where unknown codes were cleared. The dealer test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that no issues were found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair as the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) had previously been completed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,900.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver’s seat shifted independently with an abnormal clicking sound coming from the seat. The contact stated that the driver’s seat bracket was the cause of the failure and needed to be repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH in inclement weather, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle and she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into the median and was spinning before another vehicle crashed into the contact's front end. The air bags were not deployed upon impact. The contact suffered soreness in her arms, legs, and back; however, no medical attention was received. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision center and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 100,555.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake warning and the master warning lights illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic reader was used, however, the mechanic was unable to locate a failure code. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that after restarting and refueling, the vehicle was stalling and although she depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle delayed accelerating. The contact referenced failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, VIN was not included in the recall. The contact then stated that after the vehicle was refueled and she came to a left turn to make a U-turn, the vehicle was stalling and then jerked forward independently, causing her to crash into the back of an attached trailer. The airbags failed to deploy. There was an additional passenger in the vehicle, however, the contact stated that there were no injuries and that a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 19,000.

My daughter was in an accident on 2/28/2022 at 20 plus miles and hour. It was a front end collision where the air bags did not deploy.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the steering wheel seized and she depressed on the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle. The contact crashed into a traffic sign in the middle of the street. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive to her residence but continue to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle to a collision center and had the bumper replaced. The mechanic informed that he had also experienced the failure and referred the contact to a local dealer. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer but was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact traded the vehicle for another vehicle. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

I just bought my car less than three years ago, recently I started noticing a creaking squeaking sound and my mechanic could not figure out what it was, I did research and found other people had problems as well with 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla control arms and the bushings. Mine is a 2018 that should not be making a sound this new. With that information, my mechanic has confirmed this. It makes a squeaking creaking sound when I make turns or go over bumps. Yes, my car is available for inspection. I will be calling Toyota tomorrow, though I doubt they will do anything, this needs to be a recall, many other people have the same issue and it’s worrisome, this is what steers the car!

While driving at 55 mph, cruise control engaged, the vehicle suddenly lost power, the cruise control disengaged, the engine light came on and the traction control disengaged warning was displayed. The vehicle continued operating. After engine fault code stated there was a Mass Airflow Sensor fault. Owner replaced the sensor. Two weeks later, the situation repeated, this time the fault read as an oxygen sensor error. After a day or two, the fault would clear, only to repeat a week or two later. Then, on Dec. 31, the vehicle completely stalled at highway speeds. It would restart, but if the rpms exceeded 2,500 it would stall again. Trying to get an appointment with the dealership, but will have to wait until after the New Year for them to open again.

The driver door will no longer open from the inside. As a driver door this door does not have child safety lock nor should it have one. This makes exiting the car very difficult under normal situations and prevents exiting the car in the event of an emergency. I had a mechanic dissemble the door and the mechanic discovered that the door handle mechanism had failed internally so that the interior door handle was no longer connected internally to the door opening mechanism. The only way to exit the vehicle is to either crawl to another door or to roll down the windows (which requires electric power to be available). This problem occurred suddenly without any warning.

While driving the car started to sputter like it was going to die. When I stopped to gas the next day a gush of air came out of the gas tank when I took the cap off. I put gas in and then my car wouldn’t start. For 3 hours I tried and finally it started. Now I can have in park and it revs clear to the 5 sometimes then it starts sputtering. Every time I put gas in I have to sit for 3 hours then it starts. The trac off light on the dash is on as well so nothing works the lane control, cruise control, the emergency brake system.

UNKNOWN BRAKE FAILURE AFTER SLOW SPEED STOP (LOCK UP)

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while coming out of a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted and functionality was regained. The contact stated that the check engine warning lights were illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. Consumer stated engine light and "Traction Control Turned Off" warning while vehicle was still moving, then "Charging System Malfunction" and "Oil Pressure Low/Stop in a Safe Place" warning lights appeared at the same time the vehicle stalled.

2018 Toyota Corolla - Front drivers seat is making clicking noises while driving. I believe seat is not properly secured and may be unsafe to drive. Car was under the Manufactures warranty when taken into Bill Kidds Toyota for service. Service manager was able to duplicate clicking noise while test driving car. Bill Kidds Toyota refuse to investigate any further. I went on-line and found similar complaints to my vehicles problem. One person stated the problem is with the seat track not being secured properly. I reached out to Toyota Motors to file a formal complaint, and they referred me back to the dealership. Dealership is refusing service. I think this may not be an isolated issue with the 2018 Corolla. I would like Toyota to further investigate and force dealership to properly inspect my seat which was under warranty at time of original complaint. Thank You.

Had a recall on the fuel system causing the system to potentially stall the vehicle. Had the car service but still when doing cruise control its still doing the same thing by reving the engine to high on RPM to potentially stall the vehicle. Potential safety problem

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE AIR BAGS AND REAR SEAT BELTS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER TOYOTA OF DOWNTOWN LA. (1901 S FIGUEROA ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90007, (213) 986-2011) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,391. *LN*JB

AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN I HAD AN ACCIDENT.*DT*DT*JB*JB

2018 TOYOTA COROLLA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TOYOTA BEING UNABLE TO REPAIR DEFECT IN VEHICLE. *LD *JS

IT HAS BEEN MULTIPLE TIMES WHERE I AM SITTING AT A RED LIGHT AND THE CAR SURGES FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. IT FEELS AS IF SOMEONE JUST REAR-ENDED ME. ONCE THIS HAPPENS AND YOU PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR IT TAKES LONGER TIME FOR THE CAR TO COME TO SPEED. IT'S AS IF THE ENGINE JUST "BOGS" UP FOR A COUPLE SECOND.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH WITHOUT STARTING THE VEHICLE, SMOKE START TO EMITTED THROUGH THE VENTS AND THE BOTTOM OF THE DASHBOARD IN THE MIDDLE. THE CONTACT NOT AWARE OF WHAT CAUSING THE SMOKE TO COME THROUGH THE VENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,326.