2020 Toyota Corolla

My 2020 Toyota Corolla had a warning light turn on, on 3/20/2024. The warning read "Engine Maintenance Required". I looked up this issue and read that many people were having similar issues with the coolant bypass valve. I took my car to my local Toyota dealership and they confirmed it was the coolant bypass valve. The risks included in this failure can be overheating and engine damage.

Had my car (Toyota Corolla 2020 SE) give a “engine maintenance required, take to a dealer” error message on my digital dashboard. No error codes from any maintenance device but apparently only the Toyota dealership can find this in the software using their computers to find it somewhere deep in there… The problem is the upper engine coolant bypass valve. This is costing me almost $1000 including the $80+ in diagnostics that ONLY the Toyota dealership can see and find out. Apparently this is a very common occurrence with the 4 cylinder corollas and RAV4s.

I purchased my vehicle new in 2020. I am currently at 74,000 miles and noticed my engine maintenance required light come on although I received an oil change service two days prior. It’s a different message from the routine maintenance. I got it checked out at Toyota today and the “engine coolant bypass valve” needed to be replaced. When I looked into it I noticed the 2020 Camry and 2020 rav 4 were recalled for the issue and repaired for free. However my model Toyota Corolla was not recalled and I had to pay $700.82 to get it replaced at Toyota today.

The fuel gauge suddenly malfunctioned giving a false reading of the amount of fuel remaining in the tank. A technician said that the problem seems to be with the sending unit in the tank. I use top tier gas and the car has only about 29,800 miles. The fuel gauge continues to malfunction and could be a generic design flaw. Safety could be put at risk if the vehicle ran out of fuel while driving in traffic. There were no warning lights, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

I discovered that my 2020 Toyota Corolla SE has a Coolant Valve Bypass malfunction coded "p2688115". I have also 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. I did some research and found no recalls. With this being such a common issue for no reason, faulty equipment. The car has been inspected by a Toyota dealer in Bradenton, FL because we had thought the service vehicle message was for a tire rotation. They scanned the vehicle and discovered the fault code "p2688115" after trying to reset it numerous times. The senior tech was the one who scanned it. He knew the exact reason why it was not clearing before scanning the vehicle. He only scanned it to solidify his hypothesis. I then spoke to the service team, they wanted me to bring it in for a diagnosis that would cost $85.00 if my warranty did not cover it. The cost of the part was estimated at around $150.00 plus labor and taxes. It was over a $400.00 repair. For a repair as such, this needs to be recalled. The warning message never went away, if you tried to clear it to view the screen you had about three seconds before it came back on. It is a major safety risk for those who wear glasses and drive at night. I use the screen to keep myself safe and maintain my driving speed. This warning message came on around 70,000. Some so many other individuals have experienced and complained about the same problem. This needs to be escalated. I am not allowed to utilize the safety features my car has to offer. Please take action and commence an investigation.