2021 Toyota Corolla

NOTE: This has not happened to me yet, but it appears that most Corollas manufactured before 2022 or 2023 have this issue. However I did recently flush the fluid from my clutch system and it was very clearly contaminated, possibly indicating early evidence of a failure. Clutch system, specifically the slave cylinder is faulty on these vehicles. It is a known issue on these cars that the clutch slave cylinder (inside the transmission) is made out of resin and fails. When the slave cylinder fails, brake fluid from the shared clutch/brake reservoir leaks out onto the clutch and flywheel, damaging them and resulting in an expensive repair. In addition to this, the brake fluid leak results in a "low braking power" message on the dashboard, indicating a problem with the braking system. Obviously this is a safety issue that could cause an accident. This issue has been confirmed by many dealers and the solution is to replace the slave, clutch, and flywheel and flush & refill the brake fluid reservoir. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer as of yet, but in the interest of safety I am considering an early replacement of the cylinder. The only warnings of this issue are a clutch stuck to the floor, and in some cases a "low braking power" warning on the dashboard. A low brake fluid level may also be an indicator of this issue if caught in time. Incident report below is of the clutch flush, showing the contaminated brake fluid from the clutch hydraulic system. It's important to note that flushing the clutch is not a recommended maintenance item at any point on these vehicles as it is expected to be done with the braking system, although that won't remove contaminants from the clutch cylinder.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot, the clutch pedal failed to function as intended. The clutch pedal was depressed and failed to return after being released. The contact used his foot to raise the clutch pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the slave cylinder had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the six-speed manual transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and assisted with the labor cost. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

I am filing this complaint regarding a serious defect in my 2021 Toyota Corolla (Manual). At approximately 42,000 miles, the clutch slave cylinder failed. This defect caused hydraulic fluid to leak and contaminate the clutch assembly, resulting in significant damage and loss of proper function. Despite the fact that this issue stems from a defective part, the dealership has refused to cover the repair of the clutch assembly, stating that the clutch is not covered under warranty. Instead, they are requiring me to pay for the repair out-of-pocket, which would not have been necessary if the damage had not been caused by the defective clutch slave cylinder. I believe this is unfair and unsafe, as the failure of a clutch slave cylinder directly impacts the drivability and safety of the vehicle. This is a significant safety issue. A defective clutch slave cylinder can lead to sudden clutch failure, loss of vehicle control, and increased risk of accidents. This is not a wear-and-tear issue but a manufacturing defect that compromises the safety of the vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter to determine whether similar failures are occurring in other Toyota Corolla vehicles of this model year. If this is a widespread defect, I urge NHTSA to take appropriate action, including a recall or requiring Toyota to cover repairs.

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway with the engine off and attempting to enter the vehicle to clean the interior of the vehicle, the vehicle rolled away going downward out of the driveway. Due to the failure, the vehicle tugged the contact while rolling away. The contact stated that the vehicle independently came to a stop in the middle of the roadway. The contact sustained back, feet, and injuries to both legs, requiring medical attention. A police report was not filed. The Insurance Provider retrieved the vehicle at the scene. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Vehicle has numerous electrical/mechanical issues that seem to stem from an autonomous learning remote sensor. The problems include, but are not limited to 1. Seatbelt sticking on driver’s side, problem resolves itself, possibly after someone has had a good chuckle on satellite watching the driver struggle to disengage the safely belt, 2. Trunk remotely popped at speeds ranging from 0 (park) to 70mph on highway, 3. Ignition light on and off, usually correctible by disengaging and reengaging battery lead, 4. Car shutoff and burglar alarm engaged while in park, again , correctible by disengaging and engaging battery lead, 5. Car gas gauge reading false on the light side ( less than E), then after disengaging and engaging battery lead, reverts back to 1/4 tank, 6. Clock time changed, presumably after vehicle shutoff and restarted in the middle of the night. Clock reset via auto computer, etc. All incidents are usually corrected by disengaging and engaging the battery lead, after a brief pause to reset the vehicle’s ECU.

I was driving home from school, and while trying to change lanes on fairly busy road on a hill and my car with a CVT transmission stalled out and a check engine light appeared on my dash with a message reading “drive-start control malfunction”. While trying to limp the car home, the engine killed power three or four times within like a five minute drive up some hilly roads and I constantly had to pull to the side and turn the car off and on just to make it up the next hill. I took it in the same day the issue were happening and they didn’t diagnose the issue until two three week after I had originally brought it in and said it was a CVT issue. A week or two prior to this happening, I was coming down a hill towards a stop light and when I get hit the stop light my car jerked and the “drive-start control malfunction” messages appeared then immediately went away, so I paid it no mind.

Car was in dealership twice in one week for jerking while driving dealership said it was abc and was so called “fixed” both times only had my car for a little bit back before I had to take it back . 3rd time in the same week my transmission went out on me while on the highway with young kids in the car and almost caused a wreck. Car got towed in was confirmed it was my transmission and a dozen other codes going off . Toyota is lucky that the semi that was behind me when this happened did not plow into me