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 2009 Toyota Corolla owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2009 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at 5 mph and exiting a parking lot when the vehicle accelerated on its own, veered to the left, and crashed into a gate. No warning lights were illuminated and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injury to the right shoulder, right foot, and right hand, but did not seek medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was totaled and towed to a towing company. Additionally, the contact stated in 2021 while reversing from a parking space, as the vehicle was driving forward, it veered to the left and crashed into a tree. The vehicle was towed to the to be diagnosed and repaired. Per the contact, the dealer offered no diagnosis or reason for the acceleration. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
Vehicle speed control / sudden unintended acceleration. This was NOT a "misapplication of pedal" by driver! It was clearly a mechanical failure-apparently accelerator pedal (not floor mat, which was secured on its pegs). NO warning lamp, msg, symptom prior to crash. Afterward, saw NHTSA rpts others FIXED speed control issue & same prob STILL recurred! My VIN wasn't listed as unrepaired (likely the original owner repaired recall issue/s)-yet car was still dangerous! At slow speed, approx 1-2 mph, I was entering my garage in usual way, turning R. Car abruptly sped up uncontrollably (self-accelerated); couldn't stop it! Crashed thru garage doorpost & wall, then backyard fence. Lucky I'm alive & no one in yard. VERY traumatic! Physical injury (neck/back) helped by ibuprofen. FWIW air bag didn't deploy. AAA said they'd only tow for repair, not inspection. …
My 2009 Toyota Corolla is once again exhibiting undesired acceleration. Toyota has deemed this vehicle repaired in response to the recall that covered this issue. I was told it was caused by the floormat which it obviously was not. The accelerator pedal sticks and they will not fix it under the previous recall. Is there any steps I can take to get this situation resolved? I was told the car is no longer under warranty so any repairs regarding this issue would be put on me.
The car speed variable when I try speed up became slow or sometimes it speed up one time it stops in the middle of rail crossing and completely stop then I moved out and the car pushed up other side and the car accelerated not working properly nod the fuel system also I have big doubt about this car!
My wife was pulling into a parking space and when she hit her brakes the car took off just like been reported with unintended acceleration and witness even saw her brake lights on and the car was put in park and the engine was still revving very high like the accelerator was stuck wide open. This car was repaired under the recall and the pedal and floor mats were replaced. It appears there still an issue with the unintended acceleration. Now we have to fix the damage to our car and then one she hit. This needs to be investigated why cars are still having this issue someone could of died because of this flaw in the car.
Tl contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. The contact noticed a grinding noise most of the time when she depressed the brake pedal. She took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that they could not find anything wrong with it. The failure continued to occur and the dealer turned the rotors to remedy the problem; however, she continued hearing the grinding noise. In September 2009, she took the vehicle to the dealer who replaced the brake pads and rotors. She no longer noticed the noise; yet, the brake pedal extended to the floor with a sudden pulling and grabbing motion. The dealer told her that the ABS activated which caused that feeling. She also stated that the vehicle would suddenly accelerate on an intermittent basis. In December 2009, the driver crashed into a brick wall when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. There were no injuries. …
My vehicle, a Toyota Corolla 2009 had worked without problems up until June 22, 2010. Two recall bulletins required work to be performed by Toyota to prevent potential sudden unintended acceleration (sua). The first one was done February 22, 2010 (fp 78112-07050) and the second on June 22, 2010 (fp 87268-12040) at autocentro Toyota in san juan, puerto rico. Immediately after the second repair I proceeded to pick up my two grandchildren. With my grandchildren in the vehicle and only 42 minutes after the second alleged repair the vehicle commenced accelerating on its own. Within the .8 miles the vehicle traveled (confirmed by my older son with his vehicle's odometer) I attempted repeatedly to stop the vehicle to no avail. Stepping on the brakes with all the force I could muster did not stop the vehicle. I drove into a median attempting to stop the vehicle with no results. …
My daughter was driving west bound on i20 between exit 189 and 190 on 11/1 when the car accelerated and hydroplane. My daughter was given permission to use my car on this date, the condition was rainy and low visibility. She took feet off gas and proceeded to brake when the car accelerated. As she put her feet on brakes she lost control and crash in guard rail. In the meantime I have checked the data base and there are two recalls on this vehicle. One involved acceleration. The dealer should have had these recalls done before the car was sold which could have helped to prevent the acceleration. Someone should be held liable other than the consumer for this mishap. I need to know what is the next step as a consumer. Also the air bag did not disengaged. …
Tl contact previously owned a 2009 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that she rear ended another vehicle when she approached a traffic light. Her foot was on the brake pedal but the vehicle suddenly lunged forward. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. She took the vehicle to the dealership to be inspected and the dealer told her that they found nothing wrong. The vehicle accelerated up to 64 MPH which she attributed to the unintended acceleration and as she depressed the brake pedal the vehicle did not slow down. The contact was given a citation for speeding when the vehicle accelerated on its own. After a week, she was approaching a traffic light and when she tried to apply the brakes, the vehicle continued to move forward which caused her to rear end another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. …
Tl contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. While driving approximately 50 to 55 MPH on normal road conditions there was an unintended increase of acceleration and the vehicle failed to slow down. The driver pulled partially onto the emergency lane which caused the vehicle to crash into the side of a bus and guard rail. The damage to the bus was minimal. The contact placed the gear shift into the "neutral" position and was forced to apply excessive force to the brake pedal. The vehicle stopped accelerating after several attempts. The vehicle sustained damages to the body of the vehicle on the passenger and drivers side. The police was called to the scene. There were no personal injuries. The vehicle was operable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 highlander, model year 2009-2010 corolla, venza and matrix passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Remedy: Toyota will modify or replace the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles. Floor surface modifications are also being considered and will be included for any model for which it is deemed appropriate.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. GM will notify owners for the Pontiac vibe please see 10v-018.
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 2009 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA has 197 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2009 Toyota Corolla, 14% of the model year's 1,459 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (27 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Toyota Corolla acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-023 (accelerator pedal, Jan 27, 2010); NHTSA recall 10V-017 (accelerator pedal, Jan 21, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Toyota Corolla acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 60% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 66 crashes, 1 fire and 32 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.