2013 Toyota Corolla Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 38,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V024000 (AIR BAGS) and 19V005000 (AIR BAGS) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.Owner complaint, filed 2025

I went to a toyota dealer to get the recall work done(dealer at 2610 forest lane'dallas,tx) they never did the repair and gave me a phone call trying to sell me with $1000+ of bogus repairs. There was nothing wrong with my car,I have a 21point inspecrtion done twice a year by good mechanics--except the red light under the radio stays on…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 109,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 3,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became loose while making left and right turns. As a result, the vehicle overturned without warning No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was first taken to the dealer where the alignment was…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 176,000 miles

While attempting to make a sharp right turn from a stationary position the steering wheel locked in place for a few seconds and freed up only after wrestling with it several seconds. Also, on the highway the car seems to weave left or right at any given moment. This car has the electric steering system. The steering wheel locking also…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 69,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 37,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

My daughter was driving south on interstate 95 (md) in the far left lane (fast lane) when her 2013 toyota corolla went out of control and went into a 180 degree clockwise spin across 3 lanes of traffic into the far right right lane (slow lane) and when she pumped her brakes the car went into a 180 degree counter clockwise spin back…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 76,156 miles

There's a high pitched metal grinding noise that has been coming and going on it's own when applying the brakes. This noise happens at slow or high speeds. My brake pads still have meat on them and the rotor is not warped as well. I've even checked for brake dust which I don't have any so I'm not sure what's going on. My friend's 2012…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 20,700 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 22,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, IGNITION COIL. Code P219A BANK 1 AIR-FUEL RATIO IMBALANCE. Code P0302 CYLINDER 2 MISFIRE DETECTED. While in motion will shake, jerk, self-fluctuate speed, and lose power up to 100 % if the gas pedal is pressed past a certain point. I have no doubt it is a matter of time and consequence before great damage and bodily…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Car overheating and when I was checking under hood while vehicle was stationary in driveway to see if radiator fan was working place where small hose that connects to reservoir is attached to plastic radiator pipe broke suddenly projecting strong stream of scalding radiator fluid to my abdomen causing burn injury.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 132,960 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 toyota corolla. The contact stated that there was a failure with unintended acceleration when the vehicle was idling high while at a stop or in drive. The contact had to ensure that the brake pedal was applied with force to ensure that the vehicle would not surge forward. The vehicle was to be taken to the dealer…Owner complaint, filed 2016

The contact owns a 2013 toyota corolla. While driving 20 MPH, the vehicle [VIN] rapidly without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired, but no failures could be found. The [VIN] was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 20,000.Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 20,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

For the last month, my driver's side seat belt has taken effort to click on place. As of today, it will not click into place at all. My car has not been in any recent accident.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 88,000 miles

The rear seat was always tough to get it to stay locked in place after folding the seat down. At 70,000 miles, one half of the 60/40 seat would not stay locked in position, after being folded down. According to the dealer, the whole seat locking mechanism needs to be replaced at a cost of $300. Furthermore, the part is on a 'national…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 70,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 61,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 71,509 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 197,151 miles

The contact owns a 2013 toyota corolla. While driving at any speed, the speedometer failed to operate. There were no warning indicators illuminated before or after the failure. The dealer and [VIN] were not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 82,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (7).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

Blue color paint on hood and trunk of vehicle peeling off.The vehicle only has 29,000 miles and is parked in garage. Toyota needs to repaint car and absorb the cost.Owner complaint, filed 2025

This is a white Toyota where the paint is peeling on both sides of the windshield and the top of the trunk. This is a known issue with certain white Toyotas.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 58,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 toyota corolla. While driving various speeds, the vehicle would not accelerate. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would lunge forward. The failure occurred intermittently and without warning. The vehicle was taken to don wood toyota (900 e state st, athens, oh 45701, (740) 593-6641) to be…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 88,000 miles

4 months ago they replaced both front axles and 3 months in passenger front axle inner part broke in half. Had part warrantied and put in another right front axle. 2 weeks in and axle has went bad again. All the axles cant be bad, there is obviosuly an issue with this car and right front axles. I think a recall needs to be issued.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 115,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 2,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 toyota corolla equipped with bridgestone turanza el400-02 tires, size: p205/55r16. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to drive like one of the tires was flat. Suddenly, the rear passenger tire detached from the vehicle and the tire pressure indicator illuminated. The contact stated that she had to constantly…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 14,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 toyota corolla equipped with bridgestone turanza el400-02 tires, size: p205/55r16. The contact stated that the tires were wearing [VIN] and had developed bubbles on the sidewall of the front and rear driver side tires. The [VIN] was made aware of the failure. The tires were not replaced. The tire and vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 13,900 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 10,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving toyota corolla 2013 and I was 65 m/p on highway and the transmission failed (broken) I had only 39,000 miles. I had to minion something about that because I almost died,the car is unsafe and dangerous, I went to the dealership , they said you warrenty is expired and they could not fixe the car, less I renew my warranty on…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 39,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 toyota corolla. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle began to pull to the right. The failure recurred most frequently when driving in rainy weather or snow covered roads. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer six times. A four wheel alignment and a wheel balance were performed…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 100 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

My vehicle stalled out on me while I was driving and was almost hit as a result. After many attempts to find the cause, the final answer was the fuel pump, $2900 later. I just heard about the recall and to my surprise my vehicle was not listed for the fuel pump recall. Toyota service replaced the fuel pump but I'm not sure they did it…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 119,000 miles

There is a case where my toyota corolla 2013 has an inaccurate reading of its fuel range. Below you can find an instance of the sequence for reproducing the glitch. Step 1: corolla fuel gauge was showing a little more than 1/4 of the fuel tank capacity. I filled up the tank, after that, the fuel range was showing 294 miles,it was working…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 2,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Front windshield distortes the drivers vision. Windshield appears to have a wave or wavy effect to drivers vision while moving on highway or city streets or stationary or turning.Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 35,000 miles

I bought a new toyota corolla 2013 car on november 14, 2012 from the toyota of manhattan dealership located on 645 11th ave new york ny 10036. In a month, I discovered that the top segment of the rear defogger is not defogging the rear window. It is absolutely impossible to use a rear view mirror because of that when the rear window is…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 9,500 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

Trunk Trunk lid Trunk latch Rear bumper cover Rear bumper brackets Both rear head lights Both rear head light Rear trunk lid cover Rear trunk trunk support Are broken, my safety was put at risk because I was hit in the back of my car at a stoplight. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police but it is currently at the mechanic.Owner complaint, filed 2023