Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
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. …
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!
The break stopped working. I had almost gotten into a car accident. Fortunately, I hit a close donation metal container and was able to stop the car. I have my car checked out by a mechanic and the issue is not related to break pads and/or rotor. It is a due to a manufacturing related issue; hydraulic:power assist:vacuum. I have stopped driving the vehicle and I would like to get it towed for a recall service to darcars Toyota dealer in silver spring md where I bought the car. This model and year is under recall for breaks but not in the state of md or dc. You can reach me at [redacted] or [redacted]. "
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. While driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brakes malfunctioned. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The front passenger sustained a minor head injury that did not require medical attention. A police report was not filed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The front end of the vehicle sustained significant damage. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Dear sirs, I had a mechanical failure caused vehicle collision where two safety hazards should call public alert. On aug. 24, 2009 as I traveled on highway 93 south, I saw the vehicle in front of me took a sudden slow-down or stop, about 30 feet in distance, even as I floored the brake pedal, my 2009 Toyota Corolla did not have any brake function at all, even not a resistance force at the pedal. My vehicle reared another vehicle inside the tunnel of 93 south, under normal travel situation: road surface and lighting. And then before the deployed airbag from the driving column could have blocked my body movement forward , it exploded, the inside of my vehicle filled with smoke and funny smells. Fortunately, nobody got serious injured in the collision. Since my Corolla is a new car under 4900 miles, this was the only time I experience the sudden mechanical failures. …
I purchased a 2009 Toyota Corolla in January 2009. I thought the brakes were a little sluggish and expressed that to the salesman. He said they were fine so I thought I just needed to get used to them. I had no other problem in 2009. In January of 2010, on two occasions, I experienced episodes in which the brakes failed. The problem was that they would hold and then slip several times before the car came to a stop. On at least one of these occasions, I thought I heard the engine racing while the brakes were being applied. After I heard about the Corolla recall, I took my car into the dealership where I had purchased it and was told that my car was not subject to the recall. I did not understand this but asked them to keep the car until they could find and fix the cause of the malfunction because I considered the car to be a death trap. …
On, March 7, 2010 around 6:30 pm, going on the highway, without any warning. The 2009 Toyota Corolla model le, went totally out of control. I was on the far right lane, heading from toa baja to mayaguez on pr-22. Reaching arecibo, by highway mark (km 74.2) the car steering went totally to the left and in fractions of seconds my car invaded the left lane doing a 180 degree turn, had cars coming my way and just when I tough the other car was going to hit me. The steering on the car went completely the opposite direction and the car rolled again and I was going over the green area crazy fast. No control, spinning again over the grass area on the middle of the highway, heading right into the opposite side of the highway, cars coming at 65 MPH or more. Then the car hit a street sign that changed the car trajectory and then came to a stop on the green area on the middle of the highway. …
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 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* the contact owns 2009 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the driver depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle erroneously accelerated then crashed into a parked vehicle. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 43,000. Updated 04/03/13 the consumer stated she was traveling east at 25 MPH. As she turned into her cul-de-sac there were two parked cars on the side of the road facing each other. She moved to the left to avoid them . As she applied the brake to reduce her speed, as she was near her turn, there was a sudden jerk in the steering wheel, quickly pulling the vehicle to the right into the left rear of the first parked car. She had no control over the vehicle. …
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Scion xd and my 2009-2010 corolla, and corolla matrix vehicles equipped with 1.8l engine and originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new…
Remedy: Dealers will install a newly designed intake air connector which will relocate the brake system vacuum port. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on September 21, 2009.
Brake complaints in other Corolla years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2009 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA has 120 complaints about the brakes of the 2009 Toyota Corolla, 8% of the model year's 1,459 complaints. The component named most often is power assist › vacuum (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Toyota Corolla brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 09V-338 (vacuum, Aug 27, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Toyota Corolla brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 19,000 miles, and 57% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 42 crashes, 1 fire and 18 injuries to brakes 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.