Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Toyota Corolla owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Most important: we do not drive the car now. Unable to get answers to possible solutions. Called Toyota they said they cannot assist if the problem is not happening when they get the car. This problem is intermittent at best. I asked if they had problems such as mine below and can give me some idea and they said they cannot assist me without having the problem occur while they have the car. We cannot drive the car for it May shut down on us. Latest problem: the vehicles engine shut down while driving 30 MPH. Tried to restart the vehicle and everything comes on as if it was going to start up (meaning: the problem is not battery), but would not crank over, no noise, nothing. After playing with the fuses, and waiting a bit the car was able to crank over and start. …
My 2004 Toyota Corolla had an unexpected acceleration while driving home from work. My mother (the driver at the time) removed her foot from the accelerator pedal and while braking the vehicle accelerated at full speed right before going over a speed bump near to our residence. My mother crashed into the side walk and she was able to stop the car using the parking brake and eventually shut it down. We were able to take the car home, where the car is currently parked but the car won't start again. Luckily, we didn't have any injuries, fire or mayor crash into anything. We contacted Toyota in west palm beach florida and they refused to further investigate this issue because the car is too old. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V043000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 212,000. Updated 02/23/16; updated 05/03/18
Tl contact owns a 2004 Toyota Corolla. The contact was driving in the highway when the contact noticed a burning smell from the engine area. When the contact took the vehicle to an authorized dealership, the dealer informed the contact that the radiator was cracked; the dealer could not determine if the burning smell was caused by the cracked radiator or the engine overheating. The failure mileage was 74,766. The current mileage was approximately 80,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000. Ma 10/15/2015
Engine will surge when at a stop and unless brake is fully depressed to the floor, vehicle May move forward. This surge is not consistent, occurring between 10-20% of the time and more likely to occur within the first 10 seconds of stopping at a light or to park vehicle after being on highways at higher rates of speed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Corolla. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the front driver side air bag and the engine warning indicators illuminated continuously. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,040.
Since I bought the car in sept 2003 it emitted a rotten egg smell through the vents. I went to arbitration in May 2004 and lost because they said that it was the design of the car. The Toyota rep said that someone wou ld be caontacting me and that they were aware of the problem. No one contacted me and the dealer would not return my calls. The 800# continued to say it was the gas. I have suffered with horrible headaches and I lost my periphial vission on three ocasions. In feb 2005 I was pulled over sick form the odor and fi again called 800#, they again said it was the gas. I pleaded with the rep to help me and she called me back two days later with a new TSB that came out in May 2004. The dealer reprogramed the ECU and tech smelled odor so they ordered a new cat converter replaced that a reprogramed ECU again. They said it was an internal failure in my cat. …
I was driving at 70 MPH on the interstate when the car stalled out. We were able to pull to the side of the road luckily. It did start again but stalled again if I went over 40 MPH. I had replaced the transmission the week before and had a transmission place check it out. They said the transmission is fine and that the error code is for the ECM. I had taken the care back to my transmission place (certified transmission in bellevue ne.) and he had the same answer for me. I attempted to work with Toyota on this through their customer complaint dept. They referred me to nick anderson (customer care manager) at bellevue Toyota. He didn't care that the car is unsafe to drive or that it stalled on us going 70 MPH on the interstate. All he cared about is that the care is over miles on the extended warranty (80,000) and he wouldn't do anything for me at all. …
Without any indication of a potential problem, my car lost complete power while driving it. In addition, my speedometer was stuck on 50 (I just got off the interstate & was going residential speed), my gas gauge reflected I had a full tank (I actually had a half of a tank) and my temp gauge said my engine was completely cool. I don't know what caused this to happen, but I'm lucky that it did not happen to me while I was on the interstate! Let me clarify the facts here- total power loss while driving, steering wheel locked up, gauges - including the speedometer- while at a complete stop were stuck on inaccurate readings, no indication of an issue prior to it stalling! (prior to the car dying on me- headlights and interior lights were bright, radio worked, gauges were accurate. …
Engine complaints in other Corolla years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA has 55 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Toyota Corolla, 12% of the model year's 477 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota Corolla engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2004 Toyota Corolla, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Corolla engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 23,000 miles, and 51% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.