Problems · by component
2003 Toyota Corolla engine and engine cooling problems
95 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Corolla cite engine and engine cooling, 12% of all 769 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
95
12% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE THE FIRST TIME THE CIL TURNED ON. IT STAYS ON FOR A COUPLE DAYS THEN STAYS OFF FOR LIKE A MONTH. IT HAS BEEN DOING THAT SINCE 2012. I HAD MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED BY A TECH AND HE SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN THE P0770 CODE MANY TIMES FOR THE MATRIX AND COROLLA. HE PRINTED OUT THE TSB (HTTP://WWW.MATRIXOWNERS.COM/TSB/T-EG020-02.PDF) AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT TO A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER. I TOOK IT TO CARSON TOYOTA IN CA AND THEY PRETTY MUCH SAID THE ONLY THING I CAN DO IS FIX THE ISSUE OUT OF MY POCKET WHICH WAS ALMOST $1500! HE SAID THE ISSUE IS THE R & R ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND IF THAT DOESN'T DO THE TRICK THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE R & R SPEED SENSOR. I PURCHASED MY CAR USED SO IT DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY. I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THIS SHOULD QUALIFY AS A RECALL. THERE IS SO MANY REPORT ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND SO MANY OTHER TOYOTA CUSTOMERS THAT ARE VERY UNHAPPY. ALLOT OF THE CONSUMERS ARE SAYING THEY HAVE BOUGHT THESE PARTS AND INSTALLED THEM AND THE CIL IS STILL LIGHTING UP. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I REFUSE TO PAY $1500 TO REPLACE THE ECM AND THE SPEED SENSOR FOR IT TO NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW I…”
“I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. I PULLED OVER TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. I MANAGED TO PUT THE CAR IN FIRST GEAR AND MAKE IT BACK HOME EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING THIS LOUD GRINDING NOISE. I BROUGHT THE CAR FOR REPAIR AND THEY TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. JUST 6 WEEKS AGO I HAD THE CLUTCH REPLACED. AFTER INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE I HAVE LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR”
“I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, A TOYOTA COROLLA 2003 ON JULY 12 AND WHILE DRIVING IT TURN ON THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NEXT MORNING WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IN A HIGHWAY THE CAR TURN OFF. I DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING, AFTER COUPLE ATTEMPTS THE CAR TURNED ON, I CALL A TOYOTA PLACE, WHERE I DO ALL MAINTENANCE OF MY CARS, AND AFTER I CALLED I WENT THERE SO THEY CAN RUN A TEST. THE RESULT WAS SHIFT SOLENOID "E" MALFUNCTION. THE WORKER TOLD ME THAT MOST LIKELY THE PROBLEM IS THE COMPUTER, THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT ON THE COROLLA 2006 NOT 2003. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THIS. HE TOLD ME TO FILE A COMPLAIN SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE. *TR”
“I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA 2003 4DR LE, 80000 MILES, I WANT TO REPORT COOLANT LEAK FROM ENGINE AREA. I TOOK THE CAR TO MECHANICS AND TOYOTA DEALER, THEY DETERMINED THAT COOLANT LEAK DUE TO BOTTOM PART OF THE ENGINE IS CRACKING, RECOMMENDATIONS IS REPLACE THE ENGINE BLOCK, THAT WILL COST ABOUT $6000. MECHANICS STATED THAT WHEN TOYOTA MADE THE MODE OF THE ENGINE, THE MODE DOES NOT MAKE GOOD. *TR”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILING AND LEAKING OIL. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED TWO YEARS AGO AND NOW IT HAD FAILED AGAIN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $1200. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REITERATE THAT THIS FAILURE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”
“I PURCHASE MY TOYOTA PRE-OWNED WITH 46,000 MILES ON IT ODOMETER. A SHORT WHILE AFTER THE PURCHASE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE CAR DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHY THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THE AGENT STATED THAT MY GAS CAP MAY NOT BE TIGHT ENOUGH. I TIGHTENED MY GAS CAP AND THE LIGHT WHEN OFF FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. IT NEVER CAUSED ANY PROBLEMS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR. HOWEVER, WHEN I WENT TO GET IT SMOGGED FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT WOULD NOT PASS SMOG. THE MECHANIC AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IT NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THAT IT WOULD COST AROUND $1,800 TO REPLACE. THEREFORE, I HAD TO GO THE REFEREE TO GET A 2 YEAR WAIVER ON MY SMOG. I AM A SINGLE MOM WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS, I CANNOT GO WITHOUT A CAR. MY CAR WILL BE GOING ON THE NEXT YEAR SOON. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY FUNDING TO HELP WITH REPAIRS WHEN THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A FACTORY ISSUE BECAUSE I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER TOYOTA CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE SAME MODEL YEAR CAR. *TR”
Showing 6 of 95 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.