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).
"Takata recall" on 7/3/13, left work at 2:30 from fm1960 and aldine westfield. Took the on ramp of west loutetta to get off of ramp. I inched up to the intersection and the at&trepairman thought I was going, so, he gunned it. Needdlesstosay, I recieved spinal injuries, and the airbag never popped out. Years later, it is still indicating as implemented to no avail. I was told that the repairing of this problem is a massive undertaking. Of which I thought was going to be taken care of when the car was being repaired.
My ECM constantly have issues with stabilizing the vehicle on a daily occurrence. When it works as it should the car feels stable like it has added weight and the steering is responsive. The ECM in the late 2000s all have ECM problems which is a safety concern since braking, transmission and steering are all affected in some adverse way. The vehicle had a o2 sensor replaced and it still has the same issues, alternator also replaced. I believe Toyota knew about this issue with its toyotas and decided not to issue a recall in order to save money. Ive been dealing with this issue since a month after I got my car 4 or 5 months after I got my car. The code p0607 along with the p0138 are constantly going off in my vehicle. Sometimes the p0138 will go away but the symptoms of a bad ECM still remain. The car shakes, doesn't stall yet, feels sluggish and hard to keep straight at almost any speed.
I had spoken to mike from carson Toyota regarding this recall more than 6 months ago. I found out about this recall from my coworker who has the same model and year car as mine. Mike had told me that only a few toyotas were on recall and the last time I had gotten my oil changed there, he told me that my model was not in that recall.. But I did get a letter in the mail. I told him that my coworker told me about the electrical window on the right side. Mike had told me that it wouldn't be covered. I would have to pay about $400 plus for that window that got stuck. Mike did tell me that my VIN model was not counted for. I am real upset. This past December, I drove to san francisco when it is raining and windy, this is a real big hazard for a branch to have come inside my car without my daughter being able to close to the window and had poked her arm some how.
I've had everything fixed on my 2009 Corolla regarding the steering, thinkin it was the alignment ,tires,balancing,brakes ,spent alotta money at my mechanic.. Turns out its the steering control unit. At highway speeds my car wanders very bad and I'm afraid ill hit another car.even changing lanes my car trouble sometimes and it is a safety issue. My mechanic and tire guys said this is not safe to drive.. I will be writing Toyota and takin my car in to see if the cost my car is covered or not. Toyota was investigaged but noting and were later sured over this issue. Toyota shoud be ashamed for knowing about this issue and refuseing to cover the costs.
Tl contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. While driving approximately 40 MPH under rainy weather conditions the vehicle began to hydroplane and was involved in a crash. The contact thought that the electronic stability control should have prevented the crash. A police report was not filed but the driver was injured. The vehicle was towed to a local facility and was not examined for the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 40,000.
My 2009 Corolla experienced issues identical to a prior recall circa 2010 for '05-'08 Corolla & matrix models regarding engine control modules (ECM) that May have been improperly manufactured. On 3/30/16, the check engine light turned on and my vehicle experienced harsh shifting and struggled for gas. Vehicle was in motion with over a 1/4 tank of gas on a residential street at the time. On 3/31/16, I had the vehicle towed to my local Toyota dealership. Diagnostics were run and ECM fault codes were identified. Service associates working on my Corolla addressed their concerns and were repeatedly denied requests for a replacement ECM. At one point, I was advised by Toyota dealership staff to personally order an ECM unit through the parts dept., insisting that the request coming directly from a customer would not be denied. …
1. While driving at approx. 25 MPH, the car suddenly lost power; I was able to drive about 2 MPH into a nearby gas station. The battery light was not on, but the orange engine light came on. After 5 minutes, the employee was able to start the car and I drove one mile to my home. My repair mechanic did a computer scan indicating possible problems with a switch and suggested that I drive around for about a week before returning. 2. A similar incident occurred 10 days later. I glided into a parking lot, waited 10 min., and the car resumed at regular speed. 3. On 8/7/14, I drove 2 mi. Back to the repair shop at a regular speed. A second scan could not be completed because the car suddenly stopped responding to the repair shop's computer. At this point the car is completely inoperable and must be towed to a Toyota dealer. I was advised that I May need a new computer. …
Purchased 2009 Corolla in April 2008 - some major complaints are provided: (1) family does not feel safe in car - a lot of stress, pain and inconvenience to continue to have car serviced - dissatisfied with car's performance. (2) electronic power steering (EPS) - car sways and cannot stay in straight line - noticeable on a daily basis - dealership tried to correct - still drifting - complained - dealership changed wheels/tires - swaying still exists - dealership said I just needed to "get use to the new EPS" (3) loud cabin noise - car was advertised as being quiet - a lot of road noise (4) rattling noise - manifold pan bolt fell out - bolt was replaced (5) involuntary acceleration - accelerator pedal was replaced after "reinforcement fix" did not work. (6) owned 2003 and 2004 corollas that did not have as many problems.
Driving on a highway or roads the is above 50 MPH, my car steering wheel started to make a unusual movements ,it feels like don't have any control over the vehicle I recently had a incident, it was a Monday morning went I was driving on a parkway about 55 MPH went my vehicle star to pull to my right them left and was very hard to stay in a straight line so I stop and call my dealer and have them check it out but nothing have been done to my car.since I buy my car I felt this problem and I took my car back to the dealer three times all ready and they say is a engineer problem and because is a sport car ,so after I read about this issue over the internet I'm very sure I wasn't the only one with this problem. Please I willing to provide my car for a deep inspection because I don't feel secure with this car.
We have a 2009 Corolla. The vehicle has been jumping right from the time of purchase when we mention to dealership they have told us there is nothing wrong with the vehicle several times. They don't even document it unless we are demanding it. We have not had an accident as of yet but the spring has been put under the pedal and it still wants to take off at times. It is not consistent but frequent enough to be concerned. Towne Toyota refuses to own up to this problem, the date is the first date we experienced it.
Traction Control complaints in other Corolla years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2009 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2009 Toyota Corolla, 1% of the model year's 1,459 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Toyota Corolla traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2009 Toyota Corolla, though it has 13 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 2009 Toyota Corolla traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to stability & traction control 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.