2018 Toyota Corolla: What to check before buying

Failure to deploy in serious collisions is the most common complaint for this car. Reports describe head-on hits, side impacts, a deer strike, and runs into curbs, walls, and embankments with heavy front-end damage and no deployment. About half the filings involve a crash, and injuries range from bruises to fractured vertebrae, plus one death. Several cars were totaled. Some owners had already received air bag recall work before the crash. Dealers and body shops rarely diagnose why the system did not fire.

Stalling at speed and hard starting after refueling dominate these reports, nearly all tied to fuel pump recall 20V012000. Cars shut off at highway speed, at stops, and in drive-thrus, sometimes with the check engine light on. Many filings are about the recall itself: dealers had no replacement part, owners waited too long, and one loaner car stalled too. Some cars outside the recall show the same symptoms. One report mentions a fire, and another describes fumes in the cabin after recall work.

Engine shutdown and no-restart dominate here. Cars die in slow traffic, at gas stations, and after refueling, then refuse to start for an hour or more. Owners suspect the fuel pump even when their car is outside the recall, and several mechanics and dealers cannot find a fault. Other reports describe sudden power loss at highway speed with sensor fault codes, a jerk and sluggish acceleration from a stop, and the fuel pump humming with the car off.

Fire and smoke are the most serious reports in a scattered group. One parked car caught fire overnight, and another filled with smoke from the dash vents when the key was turned. Lane departure steering assist reportedly engaged on its own and steered the car into a wall. Other reports cover no-start after fueling, sudden shutdown at a light, a dead backup camera, and false air bag, pre-collision, and headlight system warnings. Dealers often cannot duplicate the faults. One filing reports odometer fraud on a private sale.

Surging and unstable idle at stops lead this group. The car lurches forward at red lights as if rear-ended, or the idle drops and the car shakes in drive after a warm drive. Cruise control downshifts and revs the engine high on hills. Transmission complaints include slipping, failure to upshift, a car stuck below 40 mph, and one transmission failure on the freeway. Another report describes the fuel pump running with the engine off.

Locking or seizing while driving appears in two crash reports, with one car hitting a traffic sign. Other cars rattle from the steering column over bumps, and one owner was told a replacement column was out of stock nationwide. Creaking from the control arms and bushings on turns and bumps also shows up. A dead horn followed by an air bag warning light, and a power steering warning light, round out the reports. Most of these cars were outside any recall.

Cruise control misbehaves on downgrades. The transmission downshifts, the engine revs past 4,000 rpm, and the car gains speed over the set point before braking hard to recover. Owners call the sudden braking violent and report near rear-end crashes and a speeding ticket. Dealers and Toyota say the car is operating as designed. Some report the same revving on level highway with radar cruise. A separate report describes sudden acceleration after shifting into park, ending in a crash into a store.

Brake failure in nearly new cars is the main theme. The pedal sinks to the floor, the car takes too long to stop, or the brakes do not engage at all, with one side-impact crash causing serious injuries. Another crash involves the car accelerating into a store while parking. Other reports describe brakes locking after a slow stop, the car lunging when parked, and brake noise and vibration that the dealer called normal.

Belts that fail to lock or retract are the most serious pattern, with front belts reported not securing occupants. Rear passenger webbing tears, frays, or gets sliced near the door latch, and one owner was quoted over $400 for a replacement that was not covered. Front belts also show cutting where they feed into the retractor. A minor complaint says the seat belt and key chimes are too quiet and too short.