2018 Toyota Corolla
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 134 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 22nd highest complaint count among 26 Corolla model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 26 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 17 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, air bag/restraint control moduleJan 17, 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
Campaign 20V024000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpJan 13, 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
Campaign 20V012000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsJun 28, 2019
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
Campaign 19V503000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
134 reports, newest first.
Engine, May 29, 2023
The car lost power completely and shut down. The first time this occurred was on the freeway 601 in traffic in September 2019. Took it to the dealer and nothing would show up as being defective. Dealer kept the vehicle for maybe a week and was about to return it back to us but a service manager decided to research the problem further because we told him that we did not feel safe as this could happen again in traffic. Service manager advised that the fuel pump would be replaced. A year later we read that a recall has been issued for a fuel pump issue, we called and were told that our VIN was not part of the recall. We were still concerned because we wanted to insure that the replacement fuel pump was not one being recalled. We contacted Toyota and a case # was issued. Nothing else could be done. The vehicle shut down again on July 2022 and Sept 2022 took it again to the dealer and nothing wrong shows on on their diagnostic machine. Vehicle shut down May 2023 and it is still not on a recall list. There are no warning lights alerting the car shut down is about to happen.
Other or unspecified, May 26, 2023
Dashboard paint gets bubbles due to a lack of shielding which leads to covering/erasing the warning lights/signs on the dashboard. This may lead to a safety problem regarding the warning signs. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer and I was informed that the shielding behind the Dashboard is missing which led to the dashboard paint popping up.
Seat belts, May 23, 2023
The driver and passenger seat belts by the holder the retracts them back into the car. Each time the seat belt is released or retracted it begins to cut more.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 5, 2023
Check engine light on. Cruise control stopped working. Fuel cap tightened.
Steering, May 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving over a speed bump, the contact heard a ratting sound coming from the steering wheel. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed at the dealer, and that the replacement steering column was out of stock nationwide. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 35,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 10, 2023
While on the road but in a slow bumper to bumper traffic, the engine turned off. Scary situation. I had to pull over on the side and managed to restart the engine. Same incident happened and the engine suddenly turned off while at a gas station
Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 8, 2022
On the morning of 12/7 I tried starting my car, and the engine wouldn't start. There were no warning lights. Finally late afternoon it started up and I immediately drove to Toyota in town. They said my battery was probably dead and replaced it for $160. I then drove to Costco, parked, and then started the car up and went to Hyvee. When driving out of Hyvee, my car's big red battery light popped up, my car started shaking, and then it shut off and would not turn back on. I had to pay for a tow back to Toyota ($196). Today, 12/8, Toyota in town calls me and said it was never a problem with my battery (yet I can't get a refund for them not even checking it in the first place), and that the issue is a fuel pump malfunction. They said the part will cost $1,463 and I will not be able to start my car let alone be safe to drive without it fixed. I am a student and this was the first car I bought and paid off. I have not had any problems with my car, and pride myself in taking very good care of it. I could have gotten in an extremely bad car accident with my car stopping and shutting down, putting not only my life at risk, but other drivers as well. There have been hundreds of reports of 2018 Toyota Corrolla's having fuel pump malfunction recalls; however, my specific VIN has 0 unrepaired recalls listed. This is completely out of the blue and with how new my car is (55,000 miles), how great of a job I do at taking care of it (this is my very first issue ever), and how many previous reports exist for the exact same issue (fuel pump malfunction) with the same year/make/model, it is shocking that my VIN has no associated recalls and am therefore receiving no financial help. I am lucky that I am safe and unharmed, because if this were happening on an interstate (which I frequently take to get to school), I easily would have died.
Suspension, Nov 18, 2022
Noise cracking when I make right my car has 57,000 miles I took the car to the dealer they were charging me 90 dollars end the day they told me that parts it’s not corvette the warranty
Service brakes, Oct 19, 2022, crash
The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated without any warning causing the vehicle to drive over the curb and crash into a 7 eleven store building. The air bags did not deploy, and no one was injured. The contact was unsure if there was a police report filed. The vehicle was towed, and it was deemed for total loss. The dealer was contacted and stated they were unsure of the cost of the repairs because the vehicle had an anti-lock brake feature. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 16,500.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Oct 7, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake warning and the master warning lights illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic reader was used, however, the mechanic was unable to locate a failure code. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that after restarting and refueling, the vehicle was stalling and although she depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle delayed accelerating. The contact referenced failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, VIN was not included in the recall. The contact then stated that after the vehicle was refueled and she came to a left turn to make a U-turn, the vehicle was stalling and then jerked forward independently, causing her to crash into the back of an attached trailer. The airbags failed to deploy. There was an additional passenger in the vehicle, however, the contact stated that there were no injuries and that a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 19,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jun 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving 40-60 MPH, the vehicle started jerking. The warning messages "Charge System Malfunction - See Owner’s Manual", "Oil Pressure Low Stop in A Safe Place. See Owner’s Manual" and "Traction Control Turned Off" were displayed and the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 30 minutes. The contact then drove to her residence. The failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where unknown codes were cleared. The dealer test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that no issues were found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair as the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) had previously been completed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,900.
Seats, Jun 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver’s seat shifted independently with an abnormal clicking sound coming from the seat. The contact stated that the driver’s seat bracket was the cause of the failure and needed to be repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.
Air bags, Jun 6, 2022, crash
The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH in inclement weather, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle and she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into the median and was spinning before another vehicle crashed into the contact's front end. The air bags were not deployed upon impact. The contact suffered soreness in her arms, legs, and back; however, no medical attention was received. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision center and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 100,555.
Steering, Service brakes, May 23, 2022, crash
The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the steering wheel seized and she depressed on the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle. The contact crashed into a traffic sign in the middle of the street. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured or sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive to her residence but continue to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle to a collision center and had the bumper replaced. The mechanic informed that he had also experienced the failure and referred the contact to a local dealer. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer but was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact traded the vehicle for another vehicle. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Steering, Suspension, May 14, 2022
I just bought my car less than three years ago, recently I started noticing a creaking squeaking sound and my mechanic could not figure out what it was, I did research and found other people had problems as well with 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla control arms and the bushings. Mine is a 2018 that should not be making a sound this new. With that information, my mechanic has confirmed this. It makes a squeaking creaking sound when I make turns or go over bumps. Yes, my car is available for inspection. I will be calling Toyota tomorrow, though I doubt they will do anything, this needs to be a recall, many other people have the same issue and it’s worrisome, this is what steers the car!
Air bags, Mar 1, 2022, crash
My daughter was in an accident on 2/28/2022 at 20 plus miles and hour. It was a front end collision where the air bags did not deploy.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 8, 2022
Had a recall on the fuel system causing the system to potentially stall the vehicle. Had the car service but still when doing cruise control its still doing the same thing by reving the engine to high on RPM to potentially stall the vehicle. Potential safety problem
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 6, 2022
While driving the car started to sputter like it was going to die. When I stopped to gas the next day a gush of air came out of the gas tank when I took the cap off. I put gas in and then my car wouldn’t start. For 3 hours I tried and finally it started. Now I can have in park and it revs clear to the 5 sometimes then it starts sputtering. Every time I put gas in I have to sit for 3 hours then it starts. The trac off light on the dash is on as well so nothing works the lane control, cruise control, the emergency brake system.
Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 31, 2021
While driving at 55 mph, cruise control engaged, the vehicle suddenly lost power, the cruise control disengaged, the engine light came on and the traction control disengaged warning was displayed. The vehicle continued operating. After engine fault code stated there was a Mass Airflow Sensor fault. Owner replaced the sensor. Two weeks later, the situation repeated, this time the fault read as an oxygen sensor error. After a day or two, the fault would clear, only to repeat a week or two later. Then, on Dec. 31, the vehicle completely stalled at highway speeds. It would restart, but if the rpms exceeded 2,500 it would stall again. Trying to get an appointment with the dealership, but will have to wait until after the New Year for them to open again.
Other or unspecified, Dec 16, 2021
The driver door will no longer open from the inside. As a driver door this door does not have child safety lock nor should it have one. This makes exiting the car very difficult under normal situations and prevents exiting the car in the event of an emergency. I had a mechanic dissemble the door and the mechanic discovered that the door handle mechanism had failed internally so that the interior door handle was no longer connected internally to the door opening mechanism. The only way to exit the vehicle is to either crawl to another door or to roll down the windows (which requires electric power to be available). This problem occurred suddenly without any warning.
Service brakes, Sep 30, 2021
UNKNOWN BRAKE FAILURE AFTER SLOW SPEED STOP (LOCK UP)
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 31, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while coming out of a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted and functionality was regained. The contact stated that the check engine warning lights were illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. Consumer stated engine light and "Traction Control Turned Off" warning while vehicle was still moving, then "Charging System Malfunction" and "Oil Pressure Low/Stop in a Safe Place" warning lights appeared at the same time the vehicle stalled.
Seats, Jul 1, 2021
2018 Toyota Corolla - Front drivers seat is making clicking noises while driving. I believe seat is not properly secured and may be unsafe to drive. Car was under the Manufactures warranty when taken into Bill Kidds Toyota for service. Service manager was able to duplicate clicking noise while test driving car. Bill Kidds Toyota refuse to investigate any further. I went on-line and found similar complaints to my vehicles problem. One person stated the problem is with the seat track not being secured properly. I reached out to Toyota Motors to file a formal complaint, and they referred me back to the dealership. Dealership is refusing service. I think this may not be an isolated issue with the 2018 Corolla. I would like Toyota to further investigate and force dealership to properly inspect my seat which was under warranty at time of original complaint. Thank You.
Air bags, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 1, 2021, fire
MY CAR HAD EARLY SIGNS OF PROBLEMS WITHIN ONLY THE SECOND YEAR. IT HAD STOPPED TWO TIMES. IF THIS CAR STOPS BEFORE THE 18,000 OR LEMON LAW RETURN IT. I THEN WAS NOTIFIED THAT IT HAD 3 RECALLS. MY CAR WAS ACTUALLY STILL DRIVEABLE. I ALSO WANT TO DISCLOSE THAT I DEALL WITH ENVIROMENTAL ALLERGIES. I HAD THE VEHICLE FIXED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AFTER THE RECALLS WERE FIXED WITH THE FUEL PUMP AND AIR BAG I STARTED TO BECOME EXTREMLY ILL . I EVER PURCHASED A VOC MONITOR AND WAS ABLET TO DETECT GAS AT DANGEROUS LEVELS. MY DEALER TOYOTA BOWIE AND THE MANUFACTURER DID LITTLE TO NOTHING TO ACCOMODATE ME. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA AGAIN, OR A CAR PERIOD UNLESS I CAN PAY FOR IT IN CASH UPFRONT. THE VEHICLES VOC TURNED DANGEROUS AFTER TURNING ON THE CAR FOR 10MINUTES STRAIGHT.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Feb 3, 2021, fire
2018 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. *JS