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What 8 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Corolla Im

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (8)Crash / fire / injury (2)Driver assistance (2)Steering (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Airbags (1)Brakes (1)Electrical system (1)Fuel system (1)Lane Departure (1)Lights (1)Suspension (1)

2 of 8 complaints match · Steering · clear filters

Dec 6, 2021SteeringTransmission & drivetrainLane DepartureCrash1 injury

The steering wheel locks and unable ro drive

NHTSA ODI 11442929

Jul 30, 2018SteeringSuspension

2018 TOYOTA MATRIX IM THIS IS A LETTER ADDRESSING THE VEHICLES THAT ARE BEING SOLD AND DISTRIBUTED IN MY STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AS AN AMERICAN TO THIS BEAUTIFUL NATION, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I'M APPALLED TO FIND THAT TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A. IS LOSING BUSINESS AND HAVING COPYCATS OR AS I MAY CALL THEM TOYS 'SOLD' ON BEHALF OF A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE COMPANY. AS A CHILD I NEVER PLAYED WITH TOYS AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY EYES IN BOOKS AND ON THE PRIZE. AS A MAN I KNOW I DON'T DESERVE A CAR THAT IS A HOT WHEEL PROTOTYPE. I WAS GRATEFUL THAT CAPITAL ONE AUTO FINANCE EXTENDED A LOAN TO FINANCE THIS VEHICLE AND WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO OWNERSHIP.MY FINDINGS AND RESEARCH HAVE DETERMINED THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE WHAT TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A.;INC. IMPORTANCE IS ABOUT 'WE BUILD CARS AND TRUCKS THAT HELP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GO PLACES RELIABLY AND SAFELY.' (HTTPS://WWW.TOYOTA.COM/USA/OUR-STORY/INDEX.HTML).THE VEHICLE I RECEIVED FROM FREEWAY TOYOTA LOCATED AT 1835 GLENDALE AVE, HANFORD, CA 93230 IS NOT WHAT TOYOTA'S LIFELONG PHILOSOPHY FOR CONSUMER'S SAFETY SHOULD BE. THE VEHICLE CAME WITH UPGRADED PARTS THAT WERE INSTALLED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE OR SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. AN UNUSUAL SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE HAS BEEN LINGERING FROM DAY ONE OF THE PURCHASE. I DISREGARDED THE SMELL FOR A FEW WEEKS AND ADDRESSED MY CONCERN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GIVING ME EXTREME HEADACHES. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS CONFORMED TO OPERATE WITH A SMELL THAT WILL LAST FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND EVENTUALLY DISAPPEAR. TO MY DISCOVERY I FOUND THAT THERE ARE STYROFOAM PIECES THAT ARE PLACED UNDER THE FLOOR MAT, ONE DISTINCTIVELY UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL AREA WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR CONSUMERS. FROM PERSONAL USE I KNOW THAT STYRFOAM IS MAINLY USED TO KEEP LIQUIDS THAT ARE EITHER HOT OR COLD AT THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE.

NHTSA ODI 11114455

Working with the data? Download all 8 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 22, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2018 Toyota Corolla Im verdict →