1999 Toyota Corolla — Known Issues & Recalls

You were hit broadside at a four-way stop with enough force to push your car through the intersection, but your airbags did not deploy during the crash. This is a serious safety concern since airbags are designed to protect you in exactly this type of collision.

You've received multiple recall notices about your airbags, but your dealer says there's no fix available yet. Because of these unresolved recalls, you and your wife are concerned that your car isn't safe to drive. The resolution will likely require waiting for Toyota to develop and release a repair kit, which you'll then need to have installed at a dealership.

Your car was involved in a crash at approximately 30 MPH when the driver confused the accelerator with the brake pedal while parking. The front airbags did not deploy during the impact with a pole, resulting in serious injuries to both occupants including fractured bones and internal injuries. The airbag system may need inspection to determine why it failed to activate during this collision.

Your rear passenger tire blew out while driving at 67 mph, causing your car to drift right and hit another vehicle. The tire had only 20,000 miles on it when it failed. The repair will likely involve replacing the failed tire and inspecting the wheel and suspension for damage from the collision.

Your passenger side front tire lost air pressure, and when you took it to Walmart for inspection, they found a small crack on the sidewall where it meets the tread. Because Walmart doesn't repair sidewalls, they wouldn't replace the tire, so you plugged it yourself. The tire is now warping and deformed, which can affect how your car handles and brake.

Both rear tires on your 1999 Toyota Corolla went flat while the vehicle was parked. When inspected at a tire shop, they found that something prevented the tires from sealing properly against the rims. The tires were relatively new (only 600 miles of use) when this happened. The fix will likely involve either replacing the tires or having the rims inspected and cleaned to ensure a proper seal.

Your car accelerated on its own while you were parking, causing it to jump over a curb and crash into bushes before stopping. You mentioned this acceleration problem happened before, but the car wasn't inspected by a dealer to identify the cause. The issue could stem from the throttle control system or related engine components.

While driving on the highway at 60 mph, your car suddenly accelerated on its own and reached speeds over 100 mph without you pressing the gas pedal. When you released the gas pedal, the car continued accelerating instead of slowing down. There were no floor mats that could have caused the pedal to stick. The issue may involve the fuel injection system, throttle control, or cruise control malfunction.

After you brake and come to a stop, your car surges forward unexpectedly instead of staying idle. You have to shift into second gear to keep the vehicle from moving forward on its own. This issue started around 31,000 miles and has continued as the car aged. The fix may involve inspecting the idle control system, fuel injectors, or transmission components to stop the surging.

Your car's serpentine belt tensioner bolt broke off and fell into the engine block when you started the car. This is a serious mechanical failure that will require engine repair or replacement to retrieve the broken bolt and prevent further damage.

Your car's evaporative emissions control vent circuit system is triggering an error code (P0446). This system prevents fuel vapors from escaping into the atmosphere. You'll likely see a check engine light on your dashboard. The repair will involve diagnosing and fixing the vent circuit, which may include replacing a vent valve, hose, or charcoal canister component.

You heard a sudden loud crackling noise from your transmission while exiting the highway. The next day, your car hesitated when accelerating and made loud cracking sounds when you released the gas pedal, eventually stopping completely. All fluid levels checked out fine. The transmission may need inspection or repair to address the internal noise and loss of power.

Your car experienced an engine fire that started near the fuel line area. The fire was extinguished by a nearby restaurant employee and was investigated by the fire department and police. This indicates a serious fuel system leak or malfunction that requires immediate professional inspection and repair to prevent future fires.

Your car's rear brake lines have severely rusted and ruptured, causing brake fluid to leak and your brake pedal to go to the floor — a critical safety issue. This happened twice on different rear brake lines within two years. The dealership noted that all your brake lines need replacement due to severe rust throughout the undercarriage, likely from years of exposure to salted winter roads in northern climates. Fixing this will require replacing the corroded brake lines with new ones.

After getting an oil change and driving about 800 miles, your engine started burning oil much faster than normal. You noticed this issue at 135,000 miles but the problem wasn't diagnosed or fixed by a mechanic. Rapid oil burning typically requires inspecting the engine's internal seals, piston rings, or valve guides to find the source of the leak.

Both your headlights—high beam and low beam—suddenly stopped working while you were driving at night at about 60 mph, with no warning signs beforehand. This happened at around 130,000 miles on your 1999 Toyota Corolla. The fix will likely involve checking the headlight bulbs, wiring connections, or the headlight switch to identify and replace the failed component.

After installing new rear struts, you had to twist the brake hose a quarter turn to connect it to the strut bracket because the bracket was manufactured incorrectly. This twisting puts stress on the rubber hose and differs from how it was originally installed at the factory, which could eventually cause the brake line to fail. The issue stems from an improperly designed strut bracket that doesn't align properly with the brake line attachment point.

Your seat belt warning light keeps flashing even when you've properly buckled the seat belt. This is a faulty sensor or connection in the seat belt system that's not recognizing when the belt is engaged. The fix will likely involve replacing the seat belt buckle sensor or checking the wiring connections in the seat belt system.

Your driver's side window moves out of its track as it raises and doesn't stop until the glass touches the metal door frame. You may hear abnormal noises when operating the power window, and the problem has gotten worse over time. This issue appears to be caused by loose window bolts, which is the same problem that triggered recalls for 2003-2004 Corollas with the same power window system. The repair will likely involve tightening or replacing the window mounting bolts and checking the window track alignment.

The owner reported a concern with the vehicle's structure, but no specific details about what part of the structure is affected or what the problem is were provided in the complaint.