Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 17% | — |
| 2025 | 8 | 25% | 8,000 miles |
| 2024 | 10 | 15% | — |
| 2023 | 7 | 9% | 55,000 miles |
| 2022 | 17 | 16% | 36,000 miles |
| 2021 | 9 | 5% | 11,000 miles |
| 2020 | 24 | 8% | 7,000 miles |
| 2019 | 16 | 8% | 8,000 miles |
| 2018 | 11 | 8% | 17,000 miles |
| 2017 | 26 | 15% | 4,000 miles |
| 2016 | 30 | 14% | 22,000 miles |
| 2015 | 18 | 8% | 13,000 miles |
| 2014 | 17 | 6% | 29,000 miles |
| 2013 | 24 | 12% | 37,000 miles |
| 2012 | 11 | 2% | 22,000 miles |
| 2011 | 21 | 4% | 35,000 miles |
| 2010 | 166 | 13% | 5,000 miles |
| 2009 | 120 | 8% | 19,000 miles |
| 2008 | 26 | 8% | 31,000 miles |
| 2007 | 45 | 5% | 34,000 miles |
| 2006 | 35 | 4% | 46,000 miles |
| 2005 | 37 | 4% | 52,000 miles |
| 2004 | 14 | 3% | 25,000 miles |
| 2003 | 32 | 4% | 56,000 miles |
| 2002 | 8 | 7% | 65,000 miles |
| 2001 | 12 | 9% | 40,000 miles |
| 2000 | 9 | 6% | — |
| 1999 | 7 | 5% | 119,000 miles |
| 1998 | 15 | 7% | 52,000 miles |
| 1997 | 9 | 7% | 76,000 miles |
| 1996 | 13 | 10% | 68,000 miles |
| 1995 | 21 | 12% | 120,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On February 19, 2026, at only 80 driven miles in this new 2026 Toyota Corolla hatchback, while moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement with no throttle input, no sharp steering and no misuse of the brake the vehicle spun out of control 4-5 times in the parking lot finally causing a collision with a parked vehicle which then it stopped. This collision nearly caused serious injury to the driver. Since its a brand new vehicle bugs and recalls are hard to tell, but we cannot drive this vehicle any longer due to safety issues.
Make: Toyota Model: Corolla (likely hatchback/sedan) Year: 2026 VIN: [redacted] Mileage at Incident: 80 Date of Purchase: February 17, 2026 Date of Incident: February 19, 2026 Description of Defect: While moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement (no throttle, no sharp steering, no brake misuse), the vehicle suddenly spun out of control-yaw/skid like rear wheels lost grip or stability control malfunctioned and steering wheel locked. No prior warning. The spin caused a collision with another vehicle and nearly resulted in serious injury/death to the driver/owner (myself, [redacted] ). Suspected Causes (based on symptoms and similar reports): Possible ESC (electronic stability control) or yaw sensor failure. ABS/traction control pulsing/locking wheels unexpectedly in reverse. Electronic power steering (EPS) glitch-wheel felt "fighting" or unresponsive during the event. …
The contact's daughter owns a 2025 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at 60 MPH and switching lanes, the driver noticed a stopped truck on the road. The contact stated that the driver depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle made an abnormal squealing sound, lurched forward, and failed to respond. The driver depressed the brake pedal with both feet, and the vehicle decelerated but failed to stop as needed, causing the front passenger's side of the vehicle to drive under the rear of the unoccupied truck and to crash into the truck. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's daughter was able to exit the vehicle. The check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated after the crash. The vehicle was reversed out of the rear of the truck and was driven to the driveway of the residence, where the engine failed. …
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving approximately at 65 MPH, and applying the brake pedal to exit off a ramp, the vehicle failed to decelerate. The contact continued to press the brake pedal; however, the vehicle did not stop, causing them to rear-end another vehicle, which caused their vehicle to come to an abrupt stop. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not receive any injuries, and no medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed by Georgia Carolina Recovery Services. The contact was informed by the adjuster that the vehicle may be totaled; however, the decision had not been finalized. The dealer was contacted and informed about the incident. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,500.
[redacted] In reading the above article, Toyota recalled Corolla Cross Hybrid vehicles with many complaints and situations mirroring our accident. Before the accident, the vehicle displayed no warning signs. Despite the driver pressing the brakes and the assisted braking feature seemingly turning on (e.g., signal lights on the computer system), neither seemed to work in this situation. The damage was far too severe for the assisted braking feature to have activated, along with the driver pressing the brakes. After viewing the matter with those involved in the accident, many of us concurred that we believe either the braking system or the computer system failed. In the aftermath of the accident, the police, manufacturer, or third party hadn't reviewed the vehicle's status. On top of that, our insurance refused to investigate, urging us to discuss the matter with Toyota. …
There was a recall on my vehicle for the skid and emergency braking and was told it was taken care of Feb 2025 at my service appointment. I was involved in a car accident on Aug 11, 2025, everything that was supposed to be fixed in the recall did not operate during my crash. I reconfirmed with the dealership that they did the recall repair and they again said yes but if they did then the repair completely failed. There was no emergency braking available, the car skid a long distance, no airbags deployed even though all sensors in the front were engaged and collision center confirmed they should have gone off. Vehicle is currently at collision center and is available to be inspected.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was shifted to park(P), the word (P) was illuminated on the PRNDL, but the word was not displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that while shifted to drive(D) there was no indication of drive on the PRNDL, or the instrument cluster, and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while shifted to reverse(R). The contact had been advised by a mechanic on how to reset the parking brake to be able to shift to park(P), drive(D) or reverse(R). The contact had been advised to lift the parking brake lever and hold it for 5 seconds and then depress the lever and hold for 5 seconds. The contact was able to shift to any gear, and the vehicle would move after performing the reset. …
We were driving on [redacted] near Norcross, GA about 200 ft from exit [redacted] at a constant speed of around 70 mph, when suddenly the vehicle displayed 'system malfunction' and started veering on its own and the brakes wouldn't work. It kept veering to the right and crashed into a vehicle 2 lanes away and rebounded back to the original lane and came to a halt with a message displayed 'Shifting to P'. The malfunction and loss of control, along with the brakes not functioning those few seconds/minutes put our lives and others' on the road at risk. The vehicle is available for inspection. The vehicle was towed on the day of the accident and then taken into a Toyota dealership and is currently there. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. …
Related recalls (1)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Corolla years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (166), 2009 (120), 2007 (45), 2005 (37) and 2006 (35) model years. Brake complaints make up 13% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Toyota Corolla brake problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 09V-338 (vacuum, Aug 27, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota Corolla brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 23,000 miles; 73% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (40 mentions), followed by the foundation components (24).
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.