Major Problems with 2003 Toyota Corolla Derived from Complaints & Recalls
Custom-fit Add-ons
Worst 3 complaints of 2003 Toyota Corolla
2003 Toyota Corolla
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
Victims: 6
Mileage: 50000 miles
2003 Toyota Corolla
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Victims: 5
Mileage: 30000 miles
2003 Toyota Corolla
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Victims: 5
Browse 2003 Toyota Corolla complaints by category
Problems with AIR BAGS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and EXHAUST SYSTEM are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Toyota Corolla owners.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
| AIR BAGS consumer called complaining about being in a frontal collision at 25 mph and the air bags did not deploy. also... |
302
~ 72364 miles |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL consumer states while at a complete without any indication vehicle accelerated causing consumer to loosing control of vehicle resulting into |
65
~ 58815 miles |
| EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING when the heat was turned on there was an odor coming from the vents.*jb... |
30
~ 10137 miles |
| SEAT BELTS problems with seatbelts. *mr the driver seat belt locked up which impaired the safety of the consumers driving. the service... |
28
~ 92067 miles |
| POWER TRAIN car accelerated when breaking to a stop and while stopped. the event happened 4 times in one day and 1 |
27
~ 101698 miles |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM intermittently while driving without warning the interior lights including the dashboard panel lights goes out. the dealership has serviced the |
26
~ 67217 miles |
| ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING the vehicle became hesitant and did hold in idle the manufacturer was aware that a problem existed with the new |
20
~ 33620 miles |
| FRONTAL > AIR BAGS the vehicle was involved in a frontal collision and the air bags failed to deploy. *jb *ts... |
18
~ 54922 miles |
| ENGINE tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. the contact stated the check engine light illuminated. the contact took the... |
14
~ 150344 miles |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING twice while driving the car has suddenly dropped out of overdrive while coasting on flat road or going down a... |
14
~ 47676 miles |
| STRUCTURE complaint concerning additional floor padding added to all 2003 corolla's manufactured after 1/03 to improve crash test rating. i would... |
14
~ 31506 miles |
| CATALYTIC CONVERTOR > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM strong sulfur odor from exhast. service department has said it cannot be repaired and blames bad gas. did say toyota... |
13
~ 12877 miles |
| AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN vehicle lurches while sitting in traffic.*jb... |
13
~ 26328 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC rear-end accident resulting from insufficient braking ability of 2003 toyota corolla le purchased in april 2002. during a normal morning... |
13
~ 44290 miles |
| MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN the problem is . when i start my car i "must" press on the clutch very hard ( all the |
11
~ 95378 miles |
| BODY > STRUCTURE sunvisor moves driver's side mirror while traveling. consumer will fill in further information. *ak... |
10
~ 59382 miles |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia) 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) purchased 2003 toyota corolla vin: [xxx] with... |
9
~ 116888 miles |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER the car has a rotten egg smell. it happens sporadically. i've called both the dealer and toyota a number of... |
9
~ 56786 miles |
| TIRES all four tires are leaking air from the sidewall and deflating. cause unknown.*ak both failures occurred while driving down a... |
9
~ 9494 miles |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE purchased car new on 10/4/02. within a month noticed a very significant sulfar odor expecially when coming to a stop... |
8
~ 19601 miles |
| STEERING the bolt holding the pulley for the belts snapped and wedged in the engine - so far 2 1/2 days |
7
~ 77271 miles |
| ACCELERATOR PEDAL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL consumer stated that when trying to accelerate the pedal will stick in the idle position causing a distraction to the |
7
~ 8872 miles |
| EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING engine - sulfur smell continuous since purchase of '03 toyota corolla. mostly when stopped and engine cool but also happens... |
7
~ 1740 miles |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. while parked the contact noticed that the front passenger side window could... |
6
~ 39335 miles |
| VISIBILITY ok once i did replaced on right side passenger window was shattered. i've paid and fixed it was itself when |
6
~ 43800 miles |
| HEADLIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING consumer stated had problem with driver's side sun visor. due to its location and/or design the visor moved the rear... |
6
~ 27887 miles |
| SUSPENSION (1) rotten-egg smell from day 1 (purchased 9/2002) w/ cooling or heating system function. dealer told me to switch octane... |
6
~ 4183 miles |
| GLASS, SIDE/REAR > VISIBILITY driver's side visor when deployed forward collides with rear view mirror. this causes rear view mirror to change position rendering... |
6
~ 22667 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph the rear brakes malfunctioned... |
5
~ 136200 miles |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM vehicle was hit on freeway and knocked up onto center dividing wall of freeway approximately 2 days after purchase. the... |
5
~ 93971 miles |
| WHEELS just saw another complaint about tires i have a tire i have to put air in every 2-3 months. didn't... |
4
~ 123064 miles |
| AXLE HUBS > POWER TRAIN when i was driving the vehicle it started to make a rumbling and rattling sound in the rear of the... |
4
~ 38550 miles |
| AXLE ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN recall campaign 02v074000 while driving the rear axle assembly makes a rumbling noise and when applying the brakes a grinding |
4
~ 51230 miles |
| POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS > VISIBILITY driver's side front window exploded while driving the vehicle under normal driving conditions. *ak... |
4
~ 88750 miles |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES the bolt holding the pulley for the belts snapped and wedged in the engine - so far 2 1/2 days |
3
~ 59967 miles |
| INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated while driving 65 mph.... |
3
~ 147000 miles |
| ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC when the brakes are applied there is a delay before the vehicle will stop. cause is unknown. on december 2003 |
3
~ 41500 miles |
| INTERIOR > REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES > VISIBILITY re: 2003 toyota corolla le model leased on 7/21/03. driver's side sun visor when lowered will block a great part... |
3
|
| BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS > GASOLINE > ENGINE no incident just defects. *nm... |
3
~ 26667 miles |
| GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM sulfur like smell enters the car while running especially evident in wet weather. garage says toyota has sent out a... |
3
~ 692 miles |
| GASOLINE > ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING while at a stop with the engine idling the vehicle will momentarily surge forward. dt... |
3
~ 22333 miles |
| CRUISE CONTROL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL the cruise control was under the steering wheel which was very hard to use and see while driving. *ak *cb |
3
~ 17767 miles |
| SIDEWALL > TIRES the fudal carat assuro tires blowout on the sidewalls. the tire is only 15 months old with less than 10 |
2
~ 15000 miles |
| FRONT > SUSPENSION i own an '03 toyota corolla which i purchased new. at the 45 000 mile mark my rear suspension collapsed... |
2
~ 62500 miles |
| REAR > SUSPENSION i own an '03 toyota corolla which i purchased new. at the 45 000 mile mark my rear suspension collapsed... |
2
~ 62500 miles |
| GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) > AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN toyota corolla le 2003. parked in a multi-story parking lot. put the gear in park. next thing car accelerated and... |
2
~ 45200 miles |
| SEATS rear head rests too big and block view in the rear window. i need to remove the rear headrests to |
2
|
| BUCKLE ASSEMBLY > FRONT > SEAT BELTS the passenger's rear seat belts lock goes through the seat. seat cover has been changed and the manufacturer has not... |
2
~ 13897 miles |
| REAR WINDOW > DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM > VISIBILITY rattling noises sudden acceleration while sitting still and all four windows got stuck in the summer time and couldn't be |
2
~ 12490 miles |
| HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS > DOOR > BODY interior noise several parts were replaced but noise is not gone yet. now right front door and dashboard started making... |
2
~ 250 miles |
| WINDSHIELD > VISIBILITY my car is a 2003 corolla i bought it in december i had to replace the windshield in january and... |
2
~ 1225 miles |
| TREAD/BELT > TIRES consumer states that dealer sent a recall letter for the firestone tires fr690. consumer was told tires are not available. |
2
|
| FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC within the first three months of ownership our 2003 corolla was involved in two separate incidents in which the brakes... |
2
|
| HEAD RESTRAINT > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEATS i just bought this car and unfortunately can't return it. the rear headrests are huge blocking about 1/3 of the... |
2
|
| HORN > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. while the vehicle was parked the horn independently activated. also... |
1
~ 273000 miles |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING airbag light still on after toyota dealer replace the airbag inflator module and they refused to repair. report receipt date: |
1
|
| PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS > TIRES our complaint is with a tire on our car. the tire is a mirada brand sport gtx size is 195/65r15.... |
1
~ 30000 miles |
| AIR CONDITIONER > APPLIANCE > EQUIPMENT 2003 toyota corolla. consumer writes in regards to vehicle air conditioner and airbag recall repair issues. *smd the consumer stated... |
1
|
| WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES > FRONT > SEAT BELTS 2003 toyota corolla. consumer writes in regards to unsatisfactory service at dealership service department for recall notice. *smd the consumer... |
1
|
| CENTER SUPPORT BEARING > DRIVELINE > POWER TRAIN the 2003 toyota corolla makes noise at speeds over 40 miles per hour. i took the car to 2 different... |
1
~ 40000 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC i drove my 2003 toyota corolla in highway yesterday when i took brake to slow down the car accelerate... |
1
~ 49751 miles |
| VALVE > TIRES tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. the valve stems are installed on a set of sumotomo tires. while... |
1
~ 15000 miles |
| DOOR > BODY > STRUCTURE chrome on the interior door handles is coming off creating a cut hazard. *tr... |
1
~ 50000 miles |
| INFLATOR MODULE > DRIVER SIDE > FRONTAL i was driving my toyota corolla and hit another vehicle when they pulled out in front of me. my vehicle |
1
~ 127000 miles |
| HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS > COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. while driving 70 mph the air-conditioning unit shut off. the dealer stated that... |
1
|
| CONTROL UNIT/MODULE > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC under ideal nighttime road conditions (dry road and clear visibility) i swerved to avoid a collision with another vehicle on... |
1
~ 105000 miles |
| LABELS > OTHER > EQUIPMENT information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia) 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) purchased 2003 toyota corolla vin: [xxx] with... |
1
~ 80000 miles |
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia) 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) purchased 2003 toyota corolla vin: [xxx] with... |
1
~ 80000 miles |
| HUB > WHEELS my 03 toyota corolla wheel caps (hub caps) flew off. it has happened 3 times. one flew off at low... |
1
~ 40000 miles |
| WHEEL CYLINDERS > DRUM > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS when i was driving the vehicle it started to make a rumbling and rattling sound in the rear of the... |
1
~ 57000 miles |
| LATCH > DOORS > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES interior door handles are plated with a chrome metallic plating. metal plating is poorly attached and starts flaking off of... |
1
~ 30000 miles |
| PARKING BRAKE on january 7 2006 at about 2:30 a.m. my daughter [xxx] drove back home to san mateo from santa cruz... |
1
~ 38000 miles |
| COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING i bought a 2003 toyota corolla from a certified car dealership and was sold a car that was involved in... |
1
~ 29919 miles |
| HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS > DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER in the morning i found that fuel was leaking from the fuel pipe below rear passenger seat area of my... |
1
~ 24685 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR engine replaced at 55874 mls dealership said "vehicle was not mantained". even though oil was changed every 55 to 7500... |
1
~ 55874 miles |
| HUBCAP/COVER > WHEELS the consumer wanted to rotate the tires. the vehicle was jacked up followed by changing the tires. when the consumer... |
1
~ 134000 miles |
| TRUNK LID > BODY > STRUCTURE on sept. 10th 2004 my son tried closing my trunk on my corolla le and the plastic mechanism broke and... |
1
~ 38435 miles |
| PEDALS AND LINKAGES > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC intermittently the vehicle lunged or accelerated upon final parking with foot off accelerator and on brake. the vehicle jumped over... |
1
~ 14250 miles |
| RETRACTOR > FRONT > SEAT BELTS vehicle was impacted in the rear while at a complete stop. the driver side seat belt failed to retract. driver |
1
~ 2000 miles |
| FRONT > SEAT BELTS the seat belt in my 2003 toyota corolla le purchased in april 2002 is locking me up in my driver... |
1
|
| NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY > AXLE > REAR purchased new 9/03/02. at 15 470 miles the right rear wheel bearing failed. dealer replaced under warranty in less than |
1
~ 15470 miles |
| ROTOR > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS my brakes and rotors went out at 15 000 miles on my 2003 toyota corolla. if this has happened to |
1
~ 15000 miles |
| EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY accelerator pedal problem on toyota corolla 2003. the floors mats used to come on top of the accelerator and make... |
1
~ 5000 miles |
| EQUIPMENT consumer stated had problem with driver's side sun visor. due to its location and/or design the visor moved the rear... |
1
~ 400 miles |
| ANTILOCK > SERVICE BRAKES, AIR brake failure ! travelin approximately 55 mph with cruise control. tap brake to release cruise. begin coasting. approaching 4 way... |
1
~ 3000 miles |
| DRUM > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC consumer states while driving 35 mph rear brakes failed causing accident and injuries.*jb... |
1
|
| INTERIOR/UNDER DASH > WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM my 2003 toyota corolla which was bought brand new in may of 2002 has had several dashboard and radio issues.... |
1
~ 1300 miles |
| RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. > ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT my 2003 toyota corolla which was bought brand new in may of 2002 has had several dashboard and radio issues.... |
1
~ 1300 miles |
| FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS > WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM while vehicle was parked headlights came on and off which was a result of a dead battery. replaced battery and... |
1
|
| 12V/24V/48V BATTERY > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM while vehicle was parked headlights came on and off which was a result of a dead battery. replaced battery and... |
1
|
| CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN the problem is . when i start my car i "must" press on the clutch very hard ( all the |
1
|
| MASTER CYLINDER > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC brakes failed-brakes locked up on me in busy freeway conditions. i feared for my life as i struggled to get... |
1
|
| ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT i purchased a new 2003 toyota corolla and from day one it has had a horrid odor in cold weather... |
1
~ 3 miles |
| WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY windshield wipers obscure the hood affecting visibility. *ak... |
1
|
| RACK AND PINION > STEERING vehicle loses control when being driven above 50 mph. this mainly occurs when being driven over a bridge. provide further |
1
~ 2000 miles |
| HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH > HEADLIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING the low beam headlights are too dim and the driver cannot see at night while driving with the low beams |
1
|
| MID/REAR ASSEMBLY > SEATS when snapping the driver side back to normal upright position the consumer noticed that the latch was not centered in... |
1
|
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