Problems · by component

2008 Toyota Corolla electrical system problems

25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Toyota Corolla cite electrical system, 7% of all 345 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
25
7% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The engine will lose power and shut off while driving. It will proceed to not start and strand the driver. Other models in the genera of my car had this issue with the engine control module, so Im not sure why my VIN does not have a recall. My mechanic isolated the problem to either a fuse or the ECM. I took the vehicle for a test drive and it failed again. By shutting off when driving out of nowhere this is a huge safety issue and could cause an accident. The ECM is a component that should never fail on a vehicle. Improper soldering caused this issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 10, 2026Electrical systemODI 11763262
“I HAVE HAD FAILURE TO DISCLOSE ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. I HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND BRAKE HAD DIFFICULTY. I HAD A BAD ACCIDENT AND HAVE REACHED OUT TO TOYOTA TO WITHER REPAIR MY CAR OR SETUP RENTAL OR MAKE A PAYMENT FOR RENTAL. I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE THIS CAR UNTIL REPAIRED, THEREFORE RENTING FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 26, 2017Electrical system, Air bags, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 10991877
“I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MILES AN HOUR, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND I LOST POWER. I HIT THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENED. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF OF ROAD SAFELY. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, IT SHIFTED HARSHLY INTO FIRST AND WOULD NOT LET ME ACCELERATE PAST 25. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 29, 2016Electrical systemODI 10938403
“WE RECEIVED NOTICED BACK ON 2010 THAT OUR VEHICLE HAS A RECALL REGARDING ECM BUT WHEN WE CONTACTED DEALERSHIP THEY SAID OUR VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED. I JUST PUT MY VIN NUMBER IN THIS WEBSITE AND IT SHOWS TWO RECALLS OPEN IN MY VEHICLE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 18, 2016Electrical systemODI 10916693
“MY CAR HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING AFTER GETTING THE NEW BATTERY LAST MONTH, AND A COUPLE DAYS AGO MY ENGINE STALLED AS I SLOWED IT DOWN TO STOP IN THE BUSY TRAFFIC ROAD WHILE I WAS GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT CHECKED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP ASSUMING THAT A WRONG BATTERY WAS INSTALLED, BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE A BAD ECM. I HAD TO GET IT FIXED BY PAYING OVER $800. THE THING IS THE ECM UNIT IN MY CAR WAS A REPLACED ONE IN THE PAST AS THE TOYOTA RECALLED IT. I AM REALLY SCARED OF DRIVING MY CAR NOW BECAUSE IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, AND I WONDER IF TOYOTA KNOWS THIS ISSUE THAT THE ECM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A NEW BATTERY WELL. I READ THE SAME STORY WHILE SEARCHING FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 13, 2015Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 10809862
“WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN GA AUGUST 2012, 3 MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE WOULD COME ON BUT ELECTRICS WOULDN'T, MOVE OUT OF PARK. THE DEALER COULDN'T RE CREATE THE PROBLEM TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG SO WE DELT WITH IT FOR MONTHS UNTIL THE POWER SHUT OFF ON THE HWY. IT SCARED US. IT QUICKLY SHUT BACK ON THANK GOD BUT WE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH CORPORATE AND THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT ANY LUCK OR HELP ON FIXING IT. FINALLY JULY THEY SAID IT WAS THE ECM AND TRIED TO CHARGE US TO FIX IT. 3 WEEKS LATER THE STALLING CONTINUED. WE WERE SENT HERE BY A FRIEND AND JUST NOW 2 YEARS LATER FIND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL. WE ALSO FOUND OUT THE SAME DEALERSHIP WHERE WE TOOK TO FIX IT THAT COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM WAS THE SAME ONE THAT FIXED IT INITIALLY FOR THE RECALL. NOW CORPORATE AND THE DEALERSHIP IS DENYING THAT THEY FIXED THE ECM IN JULY THOUGH I HAVE AN INVOICE STATING SO. ALSO, DENYING THERE WAS EVER A RECALL. ITS DANGEROUS AND TERRIFYING TO DRIVE NOT KNOWING WHEN AND WHERE THE ENGINE WILL STALL. IT WAS FIXED 2012 A FEW MONTHS BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT, FIXED AGAIN THIS PASSED JULY SUPPOSEDLY BUT IS STILL STALLING SO ITS A RECURRING PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY THE PROPER PROCEDURE IS FOLLOWED TO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 12, 2014Electrical system, EngineODI 10644172

Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.