Engine, brake, powertrain issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2020 Toyota Corolla celebrates the lineup that has been in America for more than 50 years. The automaker claims after all of these years that this model is “greater than ever.” But owners whose cars have a coolant valve bypass issue, faulty brakes, and jerky transmissions don’t agree.
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Owners of the 2020 Toyota Corolla are filing many varied complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The most common problem is a coolant valve bypass malfunction in the engine. There are also a large number of brake problems, though there isn’t one single standout issue. The most serious is total brake failure. Powertrain problems are also prevalent.
Additionally, there are numerous electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, structure (body), airbag, visibility/wiper, and seat belt problems.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Electrical System | |
| Air Bags | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Structure:body | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Seat Belts |
The most significant engine problem owners of the 2020 Corolla are complaining about is a coolant bypass valve malfunction. Many state that it is indicated by an illuminated warning that says, “Engine Maintenance Required.”
A Florida owner states he “discovered this a prevalent issue after you hit 70,000 miles. There are forums all over the internet with complaints about the same issue as mine.” A Toyota dealer inspected the Corolla and wanted to charge $85 for a diagnosis. The cost of the part was estimated at around $150.00 plus labor and taxes. It was over a $400.00 repair. “The warning message never went away.”
Another owner maintains that all dealerships with service departments are aware of the problem. He also faced high repair costs despite the fact that so many customers were compromised by the same issue. “The Toyota dealership wants to charge $800 to fix it. It is a very common issue faced by many customers of 2020+ Corollas and 2019+ Rav4s.”
The owner of a used 2020 Corolla SE got a “maintenance required return to dealer” notification on the dash after driving less than 500 miles. The dealer said, “They got nothing via a scan. The issue is the Coolant Bypass Valve. I reset the light on the dash and restarted my car with air off and it did not come back on. The second you turn on the air (the A/C in particular) the light immediately pops back on along with a new warning message. I’ve looked around and there’s literally THOUSANDS of people reporting the same issue all on vehicles between 15k and 100k miles. The dealers also charge at least $600-$1100 to remedy this all too common issue as they will tell you it is not covered under warranty.”
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Among all of the systems that need to work properly, the brakes might be the most important. Yet, there are major issues many owners are facing. They range from complete brake failure and anti-lock brake system malfunctions to brake pedal vibrations, premature brake wear, seized calipers, and electronic parking brake issues.
There are many complaints that describe crashes, some with injuries. This driver was lucky not to crash. “I was driving down a hill approaching a stop sign when my brakes gave out and stopped working. The road was damp and (there) was slight rain. I pressed down on my brakes five times and nothing happened to make the car stop so my car kept driving towards a ditch — and I almost fell off a hill into more trees.”
Two owners from California describe how their cars’ brakes failed. One was exiting a freeway. After slowing down at a red light, the driver realized the car wasn’t stopping and “slammed (the) brake pedal to the floor. The car continued to move and hit another car.”
The other was waiting to join a highway on the way to work. There were at least three or four cars ahead of him, and not wanting anyone to get hurt, he “ veered off to my right-hand side where there was some space and tried to stop the car but it did not do so.” The car hit the highway pole and came to a stop. “The airbags deployed and hit me more to my right side.” The car was totaled, but the driver said, “I am glad to be alive.”
Another owner from California rear-ended another car while driving on the interstate. There were “no brakes or indication that the brakes were failing.” The airbags didn’t open either. And then, when the vehicle was in the shop, “the battery exploded. “Now the car is totaled for all the front-end damage and the cost of the battery would be ten thousand dollars.”
Jerky transmissions, sudden loss of power, and continuously variable transmission (CVT) issues are all problems that 2020 Corolla owners are reporting to the NHTSA. A large number of complaints report that dealers are unable or unwilling to help.
One of the complaints details a particularly scary situation where the CVT malfunctioned causing the car to lose control and limit speed. It emphasizes the danger of complete powertrain failure. The complaint states that the incident happened “during a driver education event, and therefore was not on public roads with other pedestrians. Had this happened on a highway during merging or passing on a highway, this could have caused an accident by not having control of (the) car’s deceleration, and no warning brake lights to drivers behind me could have caused other drivers to rear end me.”
The CVT wouldn’t upshift and “was bouncing off the rev limiter. I had no controls over the paddle shifts or electronic manual shifter controls.” The check engine light (CEL) came on. Then “the vehicle went into LIMP mode causing me to lose control of (the) accelerator pedal, and the car drastically decelerated on its own until about 35 mph.” Two dealers found that the CVT was faulty and needed replacement.
Another complaint describes how the Corolla would lose power when the driver accelerated. “I have reached out to the dealer by phone and when I have obtained service I am being advised that it’s nothing. But I have experienced it on multiple occasions and even had an accident and nothing is being done to resolve the issue. I know that it can’t be normal for the vehicle to do that and I am tired of getting the runaround in regards to it.”
If you are concerned about the problems your 2020 Corolla displays, and you’re not getting help from dealerships, it might be wise to get a lemon law firm like Lemberg Law to assess your problems. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements to thousands of lemon owners.
All you have to do is call the Lemberg Law Helpline or fill out a contact form and we will investigate your case free of charge. You don’t pay because the law makes Toyota pay the legal fees for lemon law cases.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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March 11 2020 I bought a new Corolla LE. I bought it for work plus I do Uber. Last year I noticed that the transmission was not moving the car forward as the RPMs accelerated. Recently, the transmission is not moving the car from parked to Drive. The RPMs accelerate and the car barely moves. The car is a 2020 Corolla wit h 78000 miles which is way beyond any warranty. The car is a lemon!!!
My name is Cathy Burdette, my number is ###. My car shut down on the interstate, the brakes wouldn’t stop. I towed it in to Nalley Toyota dealership in Union City GA. They hid it from my insurance company state farm for 3 days. I established a case with Toyota headquarters, they investigated the problem. They said it was caused by my floor mat. The car set in my apartment complex for 2 months making loud noises and the gear shift constantly got stuck with a groaning sound. Sometimes the car keys got stuck to. It’s still makes noises from the gear shift and back shocks. A certified machanic said it has cheap shocks and will make that noise as long as I have the car. Also my computer says need maintenance go to dealership. I went, but they did not service my car. I calls and they put me on a ringer for a long period of time. Toyota headquarters says they cannot reach Nalley Dealership and told me I got to deal with them some kind of way. I’m driving 6 minutes to work and back in order to pay my bills and not become homeless. But I am too scared to drive on interstate and busy highways. I done gave my car information to a lemon firm hoping to find Justice. Because Toyota is not abiding by their contract, warranty, or fixing the existing problems to my car. Thank you