Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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).
2004 Toyota Corolla--driving on right most lane at speed about 25 miles because snowing had started . Date 02-12-2008 on I 96 east near inkster , exit. Suddenly car turned into left lane and accelerated to very high speed. Crossed 3 left lanes and crashed on to concrete barrier between east and west lanes. Due to start of snowing ,all traffic was moving very slow. So all cars in other lanes stopped. My Corolla did not hit any other vehicle. Police gave ticket for speeding. (-police dept-livonia, mi-police. Car was total wreck with front damage and chasis bending outward on right side. Car was taken to troy collision , troy , mi. Citizen insurance declared " total ". Though I was not injured , it is close to worst crash and I had to buy new car spending $10,000 extra. I had no answer for sudden acceleration and vehicle turning and crashing. …
Raw gasoline smell after driving car upon exit. Smell strong on left side of car, most pronounced by left rear wheel well. Persists for several minutes after car is turned off. Not noticable while car is running. Replaced gas cap twice and charcoal canister as well and smell still occurs. Appears to be the fuel filler neck for which there is a Toyota technical service bulletin to replace if corroded in first 36,000 miles. This is quite dangerous. Car could explode. There are no leaks visible under the vehicle, including the fuel filler neck. One could easily mistake this for an evaporative emissions system leak, while this is a very dangerous leak. The fuel filler neck is rubber.
While in reverse and backing my 2004 Toyota Corolla into my garage the car suddenly accelerated and I hit the rear of the garage. I am positive I did not have my foot on the gas pedal. The engine was still racing when I put it in drive and drove out of the garage . I had to run into a snowpile on the front lawn to stop the vehicle. After the engine was turned off I looked at the floor mat and saw nothing wrong with it. This same problem while reversing into the garage happened in sept 2005. At the time I just thought the mistake was mine, now after the second incident I am convinced there is a mechanical problem with the car.
I pulled into handicapped parking space at a local restaurant and when I took my foot off the accelerator, my 2004 Toyota Corolla unexpectedly accelerated, causing my car to jump curb and proceed forward approximately 30 feet where it crashed into side of restaurant. I am fairly certain I did not have my foot on the accelerator and absolutely did not keep it on the accelerator after it jumped the curb and proceeded into the building.
Takata recall Takata air bags were recalled never properly fixed by the service people who denied the recall. Catalytic converter went out at less than 50000 miles and Toyota refused to replace it under the standard warranty. Electrical problems with radio system, clock, hazard lights, and dashboard lights which work at intermittent times.
I bought a 2004 Toyota Corolla in July of 2003, not even two months of having the car I am having a problem. In September when I started to use my heat, I smelled a rotten egg/sulfer smell. It is terrible!!!..I called the dealership on it and they told me to switch gas, so I switched gas. Three gas stations later and 2 monts later I am still having the same problem. I don't konw what the health regulations are to breathing in sulfide, but it can't be good for someone. The epa must have some action against emiting sulfer into the air, that is why they have cadalitic converters. If the converter is a defect on the car, it is obviously not working. I have called every dealership in western ny and tried to get an answer or solution to this problem. My answer was "deal with it" from jim culligan in williamsville ny. I also got drive 20 miles to the indian reservation for your gas. …
The 2004 Toyota Corolla has a defective fuel filler neck. The metal used by Toyota for this fuel filler neck is corroding, causing leakage of gas vapors at the gas cap. The leakage causes the "check engine light" to come on, and people are forced to pay Toyota $400 for repairs in order to pass epa mandated emissions testing in order to renew the car's registration. It is clear that the fuel filler neck is defective because it has been said that the replacement ones have better quality metal and won't corrode. The NHTSA needs to pressure Toyota to recall the corollas and to reimburse the owners who have been forced to pay for this defect in the design of the fuel filler necks. …
The 2004 Toyota Corolla has a defective fuel filler neck. The metal used by Toyota for this fuel filler neck is corroding, causing leakage of gas vapors at the gas cap. The leakage causes the "check engine light" to come on, and people are forced to pay Toyota $400 for repairs in order to pass epa mandated emissions testing in order to renew the car's registration. It is clear that the fuel filler neck is defective because it has been said that the replacement ones have better quality metal and won't corrode. The NHTSA needs to pressure Toyota to recall the corollas and to reimburse the owners who have been forced to pay for this defect in the design of the fuel filler necks. …
I bought a 2004 Toyota Corolla in July of 2003, not even two months of having the car I am having a problem. In September when I started to use my heat, I smelled a rotten egg/sulfur smell. It is terrible!!!....I called the dealership on it and they told me to switch gas, so I switched gas. Three gas stations later and 2 months later I am still having the same problem. I don't know what the health regulations or environmental protection agency laws are against sulfur being emitted into someone's lungs and the air. Obviously, something is wrong and it is only going to snowball. I have called every dealership in western new york and tried to get an answer. My answer was "deal with it" from jim callaghan, in williamsville ny. There should be a huge recall on this vehicle. Otherwise a huge lawsuit will be coming from me if I don't get any action from Toyota on this vehicle.
10/29/09 I turned on the ignition and the engined immediately revved into the danger zone. I was not able to stop it. I turned the car off and checked the gas peddle.....the floor mat was nowhere near the pedal and there was no debris on the floor to cause this occurrence. I waited a few minutes and then restarted it. It was fine then...10/31/09 I took it to Toyota dealership and was told they had not heard of any problems with the acceleration of there cars. They "performed top engine cleaning and throttle body cleaning" told me they thought this would take care of the problem..charged me $176.98 and I was on my way. This had happened twice before but not to this degree.
Fuel System complaints in other Corolla years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2004 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2004 Toyota Corolla, 5% of the model year's 477 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly › filler pipe and cap (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota Corolla fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system 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 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 45% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.