2024 Toyota Corolla Cross: What to check before buying

Low-beam headlights cast a dark shadow or curtain across the top of the beam. The road ahead, roadside hazards and street signs stay poorly lit. Dealers confirm the shadow but offer no fix, and one adjustment led oncoming drivers to flash their lights. The complaints start in the first 100 to 700 miles. Other reports describe tail lights so dim the car is hard to see from behind. One owner says the touchscreen brightens at night in automatic mode, which contributed to a low-speed scrape.

The car fails to detect the key fob, even when it is held next to the start button. It then won't start, or it shows a no-key alarm that can last 30-45 minutes and strand the driver. Another pattern involves the engine shutting off with power steering and parking brake messages. A dealer traced that to a weak battery, which was eventually replaced. Other reports cover a liftgate that stopped opening after the hard-braking recall and brake lights that do not fully light up.

Brakes fail to slow the car or need unusually hard pedal pressure. The most serious reports describe no braking response at all, including a pedal that sinks to the floor after an electronic brake warning. Dealers did not diagnose that car. One highway brake failure led to a crash that injured 4 people. Other owners say the car is hard to stop at signs and lights with normal pedal effort. Loss of control and collision risk are clearly present in this category.

Automatic emergency braking activates with nothing ahead and brings the car to a full stop at around 20 mph, which creates a rear-end collision risk. It can happen repeatedly. One report says it continued after the pre-collision and braking recall was completed. Dealers report finding no fault. Adaptive cruise control also drops out on long downhill grades and over rough bumps. The car then coasts and loses speed until the driver presses the accelerator.

The power liftgate stops opening after a dealer performs recall 24TA11, a software update meant to improve braking. The latch releases and the gate can be lifted by hand. It still closes with the fob or button. Similar reports appear under electrical complaints, which points to a recall side effect rather than worn parts. Other complaints are about design. The owner's manual refers to towing eyelets that are missing, bumper covers suggest they exist, and one owner considers the hood prop rod unsafe.

Glass breaks while driving without anything hitting it. Reports include a windshield fracturing on the passenger side at about 55 mph and a sunroof exploding at 59 mph in hot weather. Both failures happen early, at 400 and 2,688 miles. The manufacturer covered the sunroof replacement but sent the windshield owner to insurance. No injuries are reported. An unrelated complaint describes a windshield crack near the camera mount.

The CVT fails early and has to be replaced. One failed at 7,000 miles and another after about 6 months of ownership. Symptoms include slipping, hesitation, bogging on acceleration and a loss of forward power with the gas pedal fully pressed. In one case that forced a stop on a highway shoulder and a tow. No warning lights appear beforehand. One owner reports more hesitation, an unresponsive throttle and a screen reset after the transmission was replaced.