InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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Toyota Corolla Transmission / powertrain problems

1.14 vs. all vehicles Rising

150 of the 1,128 complaints about the Toyota Corolla (13.3%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's second-largest problem area. That share is 1.1× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.

150Complaints · Transmission / powertrain
13.3%Share of complaints
1.14×vs. all vehicles
58Last 12 months
2.7%Share involving a crash or fire
1Related recalls

Analysis

By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2019 model (48, 24% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2025 model (4). 58 Transmission / powertrain complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 22 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.

Owners most often describe: “slave cylinder”, “clutch”, “transmission”, “manual” and “fluid”. 4 of these reports (2.7%) describe a crash or fire, with 7 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.

1 recall campaign relates to this area, most recently campaign 18V901000 (2018-12-19, model years 2019).

By model year

2018: 11 11 2018 2019: 48 48 2019 2020: 32 32 2020 2021: 19 19 2021 2022: 16 16 2022 2023: 11 11 2023 2024: 9 9 2024 2025: 4 4 2025
YearComplaintsShare of complaints
2018117.8%
20194823.9%
20203210.4%
20211910.3%
20221616.0%
20231113.3%
2024913.0%
202549.5%

When complaints were filed

2019: 12 12 2019 2020: 14 14 2020 2021: 8 8 2021 2022: 9 9 2022 2023: 11 11 2023 2024: 27 27 2024 2025: 31 31 2025 2026: 38 38 2026

Last 12 months: 58 · Previous 12 months: 22

Common terms in reports

  • slave cylinder38
  • clutch53
  • transmission65
  • manual23
  • fluid23
  • hatchback12

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Related recalls

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER Campaign 18V901000 · 2018-12-19 · Model years: 2019

Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback vehicles equipped with Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT). The pump impeller blades within the torque converter may detach, especially when driven under high load, potentially causing a vehicle stall.

Remedy: Toyota has notified owners, and dealers will replace the CVT and torque converter, free of charge. The recall began April 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J17/J07.

Problem areas · Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

Related reading

Frequently asked questions

How common are Transmission / powertrain problems on the Toyota Corolla?

150 of the 1,128 complaints about the Toyota Corolla (13.3%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's second-largest problem area. That share is 1.1× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.

Which Toyota Corolla model years have the most Transmission / powertrain complaints?

By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2019 model (48, 24% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2025 model (4).

Is there a recall for Toyota Corolla Transmission / powertrain problems?

1 recall campaign relates to this area, most recently campaign 18V901000 (2018-12-19, model years 2019).