Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota Corolla owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate over 40 MPH. The vehicle was restarted and all the warning lights illuminated. In addition, the vehicle failed to reverse and moved forward. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the shifter cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. On a separate occasion, while attempting to park, the vehicle accelerated without warning while the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the contact crashed into a light post. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was unable to be determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. Ma 07/30/15 updated 10/5/2017
Tl contact owns a 2006 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle abruptly accelerated and crashed into a median, two trees and came to a stop after crashing into a residential garage. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed but the brakes failed to respond. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The contact mentioned the vehicle had three flat tires. The vehicle was towed by a flat bed but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 17,715.
I had my brake applied and was stopping on city street and engine started racing and it hit the van ahead. With my foot on the brake I shifted the car into the park position hoping to stop the racing engine, but, it didn't stop. I am seeking possible source of problem as I would like to keep the vehicle it has only been driven 34,000 miles. Car has been repaired but I want to be sure I can have it fixed so I don't injure or kill anyone,
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Corolla. While attempting to park, the vehicle accelerated independently and crashed into a beam on the sidewalk. The windshield cracked, but there were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,500. Ma 10/15/2015
I was slowly pulling up the driveway to park behind another vehicle when the Corolla suddenly surged forward. It accelerated quickly and I couldn't stop it. It crashed into the back of the other vehiclewaaq. Both vehicles sustained damage but the Corolla's is significant.
The car was in reverse with foot on the brake when it suddenly accelerated out of control. The cause was definitely unintended acceleration and is the second such incident with this car since it was purchased used in December 2015.
My mother was driving a 2006 Toyota Corolla and was pulling into her parking place at her apartment (estimated moving only several MPH). When she took her foot off of the accelerator to brake, the car suddenly lurched forward accelerating very fast, jumped the curb, and crashed through the building wall and into a neighbor's apartment. The car struck the tenant inside, causing extensive injuries. The police surmised her foot hit the accelerator, but she kept repeating 'the car suddenly jumped forward on its own'. Lacking evidence to the contrary, we had no way to question the police's report; however, in my mother's recounting the experience, it didn't seem to make any sense. Then, as we have seen others recently recounting similar experiences and watching videos acceleration problems with Toyota vehicles, we realized that this seemed to be exactly what our mother experienced. …
On five separate occasions my 2006 Toyota Corolla experienced sudden acceleration. Vehicle each time was at very low speed, approximately 5 MPH, going from park to drive or park to reverse, with light pressure applied to brakes. Engine began to race and accelerate, braking harder had no effect, and vehicle stopped only when shifted to park. Instances occurred while parallel parking or coming out of a driveway onto a busy street. Accelerator was not stuck in down position, but engine roared and raced on its own power. I had no control of vehicle during the four or five seconds it took me to shift into park. Vehicle was taken to dealer on November 17, 2017 after first three incidents, with service department finding no problem. Vehicle was brought to dealer again on February 14, 2018, after two more incidents of sudden acceleration. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Corolla equipped with Goodyear all season tires. The contact stated while sitting idle with the brakes depressed, the vehicle abnormally accelerated resulting in a crash. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but was not examined for the cause of failure. Repairs were made to the body damage only. The failure continued to recur intermittently and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer approximately three times where an unknown service was performed on the throttle. The failure did not recur since the throttle repair. In addition, the contact stated that the tires were wearing prematurely. The dealer confirmed that the tires exhibited premature wear. The tires were replaced and the failure did not recur. …
I was parking in my tandem parking spot behind my husband's car. I tapped the accelerator and then stepped on the brake to finish parking. When my foot was on the brake, the car continued to accelerate. I pressed harder on the brake but the car continued to accelerate, and stopped when it hit my husband's car. The hood, bumper, grill, and front fenders on my car were damaged. The bumper on his car was cracked. I am certain I was pressing the brake and not the accelerator. I filed a complaint with Toyota. They did an edr investigation on my car but could not replicate the problem or find evidence of sua. The person who did the inspection told me he deemed it was safe to drive. Toyota takes about 3-4 weeks to close the case from the time of inspection. …
NHTSA investigations
Low-speed surging
The Agency received a petition on September 11, 2014 requesting an investigation into, low-speed surging in the 2006-2010 Toyota Corolla [vehicles] with ETCS-i, in which the brakes fail to stop the vehicle in time to prevent a crash.NHTSA conducted a technical review of the material cited and provided by the petitioner, material Toyota submitted in response to a NHTSA formal request, interviews with complainants and…
Acceleration complaints in other Corolla years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2006 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA has 75 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2006 Toyota Corolla, 9% of the model year's 840 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Corolla acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2006 Toyota Corolla, though it has 7 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 2006 Toyota Corolla acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 40 crashes, 0 fires and 17 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.