Problems · NHTSA complaints
2017 Toyota Corolla problems
Owners filed 189 complaints about the 2017 Toyota Corolla with NHTSA between Jan 2017 and Aug 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (57).
Complaints
189
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
47
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
44
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags57
- Vehicle speed control30
- Service brakes25
- Electrical system21
- Power train17
- Engine13
- Steering13
- Seat belts13
- Structure10
- Forward collision avoidance9
- Fuel/propulsion system8
- Wheels8
- Electronic stability control (esc)7
- Suspension6
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
30
35
21
37
14
17
8
8
10
9
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 30 |
| 2018 | 35 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 37 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 17 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 | 9 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
57 reports35 crashes1 related recall
“My 2017 Toyota Corolla is Involved in Illegal Airbags that Are A Horrible CRASH RATING F - by .Toyota of Spartanburg South Carolina in 3 Recall To the Owner of 2017 Toyota Certified Pre Owned USA Automobile The NTSA Has Multiple Auto Manufacturing Companies that Are CHINESE AIRBAGS That ARE UNSAFE AND CAN DEPLOY and HURT PASSENGERS and ALLSTATE AUTO INSURANCE WILL TEST SAFE USA AIRBAGS for My TOYOTA USA SEDAN To INSURE CAR AUTO SAFETY”
Vehicle speed control
30 reports3 crashes
“Recently purchased a used 2017 Toyota Corolla. During the test drive I did not attempt to use the cruise control as it was only driven on city or small highways. Travel with the car at those locations has been good. Yesterday while on a freeway, I used the cruise control. It started out okay, but when I got to a downhill or uphill location, the car engine got very loud. The rpm’s revved to an extremely high level and the car accelerated and kept accelerating beyond the cruise set speed. I became very scared and didn’t know what was happening. Luckily I had quick thinking to hit the brakes immediately. I actually pulled over and stopped due to the issue and my nerves. The engine looked okay so once calmed, I began traveling again. I wanted to use the cruise on the freeway, so attempted a second time later. The same exact thing happened in the uphill / downhill scenario. I realized there is something wrong and it is not a good issue at all! This morning I began researching things related to the car. Prior to my purchase, I had checked for any outstanding recalls (which there were none) and problems people may have had with this car. There were no general…”
Service brakes
25 reports8 crashes
“While reversing out of a parking spot, I noticed my break and steering wheel felt extremely stiff. I lost control of the vehicle for a second until I instinctively pushed HARD on the break. I realized it was unsafe to continue reversing, so I switched from R (reverse) to D (drive), I let go of the break pedal slowly, but the car continued to reverse. I pushed hard on the stiff break again, and switched from D (drive), to P (park), I let go of the break pedal again, and the car continued to roll back in reverse still. I realized my cars breaks, steering wheel, and gears were being unresponsive. I kept my foot on the break pedal, used the parking stick and set the car into P (parking) again, and turned it off. The car did not roll back as before, and was completely off. I turned the car back on again, and it went back to normal. The steering wheel and break pedal were not stiff, and the gears were all working and being responsive. I searched up the problem, and from what I have read, it is currently unsafe to drive my vehicle. I have kept up with proper and regular maintenance on my vehicle. But from what I have researched, the corolla has had a massive recall on…”
Electrical system
21 reports2 crashes1 fire
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota Corolla. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was an independent dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 100,534. It was later discovered upon checking the Carfax Report, that the mileage was 112,085.”
Power train
17 reports2 crashes
“The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for brake service, the contact was informed that the transmission chain had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic for the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.”
Engine
13 reports1 crash1 fire
“While driving in the middle of active traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of motive power. The first indication of a problem was the A/C abruptly blowing hot air. Immediately following this, the vehicle began violently shaking before the engine stalled completely. The low oil pressure warning light was triggered on the dashboard. Losing all acceleration in the middle of active traffic created an immediate, severe crash hazard. The engine failure occurred after a franchised dealer service department failed. They had said at the dealership that my oil was fine. They didn’t even check it.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.