Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Toyota Corolla owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the oil pressure sending unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
On 2/19/15 at around 9:27 pm my car was hit by a pickup truck in downtown bellevue, here is what happened 1. I approached the intersection to take a left from bellevue way ne to enter ne 7th st which takes into the Lincoln square cinema parking lot 2. I saw the red signal (exclusive left arrow) and waited for the light to turn green to take left. My car was first in line waiting on red 3. Once the left arrow turned green I started turning left and half way into the roadway a pickup truck (driving at around 45-50 MPH) hit my car on the front passenger side (side collision) 4. With that impact my car was dragged about 15 feet and hit another car, that was standstill and waiting to turn right from ne 7thst to bellevue way ne) the impact to my car was so intense police officer filed a case and interviewed witnesses at the scene and concluded it was other guy (pickup truck) mistake. …
I drive quite a bit and normally know my vehicles pretty good. I have recently obtained this 2011 Toyota Corolla s and it is in great condition overall. I made a trip 2 days after getting the vehicle and immediately noticed a hesitation between 55-65 MPH. The first time it was approximately 11 am in the morning at 78f. Driving on a flat well maintained black top road the vehicle does in fact have a constant hesitation that drops approximately 1000-2000 rpms with a noticeable feel in the vehicle. Immediately (3-4 sec) after the hesitation the vehicle recovers back to the original RPM. As long as staying in this speed range (55-65 MPH) the vehicle has the hesitation repeatedly. The second issue that I have noticed on the same vehicle is the actual deceleration when removing my foot from accelerator. …
I recently purchased a 2011 Toyota Corolla with 45K miles. For the past month when traveling between 40 and 70 MPH the car looses power. The tachometer will go down 200 to 300 rpms in a matter of a few seconds. It is like the engine is fluttering then after 10 to 30 seconds power returns and the rmps return to the previous setting. This loss of power makes the vehicle dangerous to drive. I started looking at complaints from other owners of the same vehicle-some found the problem to be in the accelerator pedal. I changed the pedal but it did nothing to fix the problem. After more research I discovered that there is a an official service bulletin regarding this problem. The cars computer has to be reprogrammed (flash). I called the Toyota website to ask about the proceedure and if Toyota paid for this-also no help. …
When I take my foot off the accelerator, it feels like I have the cruise control. The car decelerate very slowly for anywhere between .5 to 1 mile then the RPM drops suddenly as it should when you first take your foot of the pedal. The other related problem is that if I'm just trying to maintain a constant speed anywhere between 50 and 60 miles/hr it feels like the engine stalls for a very brief moment then shortly after comes back to the original RPM. When I drive car down hill try to apply break to maintain the speed of the car acceleration increases suddenly 3 to 4 thousand RPM and after 3 to 4 seconds cars come to normal engine RPM both problems describe above are easily reproducible and my local Toyota dealer said its normal. Its very scary to drive this car and since 3 years I was complaining to local dealer and get same answer every time its normal. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up due to excessive fuel in the engine. The contact stated that the spark plugs were wet from the fuel which presented a hazardous condition to the catalytic converter. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to bryan easler Toyota (1409 spartanburg hwy, hendersonville, nc 28793, [phone]) to be diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The mechanic removed and cleaned the spark plug tips after each failure. The contact stated that cleaning the spark plugs failed to fix the failure. Repeats 54,321 and 72,889. The failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 17,349. Consumer stated he had 3 identical failures.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated the vehicle failed to decelerate after releasing the accelerator pedal. The contact mentioned that he had to engage the brakes in order for the vehicle to decelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the wiring harness and speed sensors needed to be replaced. The remedy failed to repair the problem. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who sent an engineer to inspect the vehicle. The engineer was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition failed. The failure mileage was 16 and the current mileage was 17,000. Updated 01/02/2013 updated1/9/2013
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the passenger noticed a burning smell as black smoke began to emit from the hood, followed by flames. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was notified and stated that while the vehicle was under warranty the fire was not their problem and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 13,000. The VIN was not available.
It occurred in our parking at 11.30 pm, 24 hrs after the last time we drove. We didn't install anything in the car. The car had mirrors that fold and immobilizer (installed by Toyota here in israel) the glasses exploded to the outside (according to the fireman) the fire started near or at the battery (according to the fireman) the fire moved from the front part, to the passengers part (according to the fireman).
My 2011 Toyota Corolla has acting up we the RPM going higher than normal. The car once goes downhill it automatic increase speed. I will like to know what can I do to get this problem taking care or it. Its a safety issue. Please let me know. Thank you for your support.
Engine complaints in other Corolla years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Toyota Corolla, 4% of the model year's 584 complaints. The component named most often is engine (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Toyota Corolla engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2011 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 2011 Toyota Corolla engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles, and 64% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.