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2016 Toyota Corolla Transmission Problems

18 owner-reported transmission complaints from NHTSA data

18
Complaints
1
Crashes
Jan 2020Dec 2019
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (18)

criticalPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Dec 2025

Your 2016 Toyota Corolla's Check Engine light came on due to a CVT transmission failure affecting the torque converter clutch and valve body (code P2757). Toyota has a technical service bulletin acknowledging this specific defect, and the dealer quoted $11,000 for repairs. A failing transmission can slip, hesitate, or lose power unexpectedly, creating a safety risk. The repair will likely require transmission replacement or major internal component service.

NHTSA #: 11702599
highPOWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE
Filed: Aug 2024

Your 2016 Toyota Corolla is making a loud whining and rattling noise from the front of the engine, and a Toyota dealership technician diagnosed it as a failing transmission chain that requires a complete transmission replacement. The noise started suddenly without any warning lights or error codes and is getting progressively louder, despite your vehicle having regular maintenance and 87,000 miles. The dealership says the transmission must be replaced to safely continue driving the car.

NHTSA #: 11608325
mediumPOWER TRAIN,ENGINE
Filed: May 2024

The owner reported an issue with their car's engine or drivetrain, but did not provide specific details about what the problem is or how it affects the vehicle's operation.

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NHTSA #: 11590200
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Nov 2021

problem with transmission at low sped code by Toyota p0841 p2829 the car has 35000miles Toyota toll me That I have to change the CVT transmission cost: 7380.$ by Bev Smith Toyota Fort Pierce FL 34982 Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA #: 11439707
mediumPOWER TRAIN,ENGINE
Filed: Feb 2021

I DROVE TO TOYOTA ARLINGTON FOR TIRE ROTATION ON 2/4/21 AND THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE. ODOMETER WAS 44091 MILES. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, I DROVE ABOUT A MILE THEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE CAR COULD ONLY GO ABOUT 5 MPH. THE CAR JERK UP AND DOWN AS IF I DROVE ON THE RAIL ROAD TRACKS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TRAC OFF AND RED STEERING WHEEL SYMBOL LIT UP BUT NOT FLASHING. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THE ATTENDANT TURNED IT BACK ON. THE CHECK ENGINE, TRACK OFF AND STEERING SYMBOLS WERE OFF. THE CODE WAS NOT SAVED, SO ON 2/8/21 THE INDEPENDENT SHOP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM (44132 MILES). ON 2/12/21 THE SAME SYMPTOMS CAME BACK AT 44175 MILES. THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHING, TRACK OFF LIGHT AND STEERING WHEEL SYMBOLS CAME ON BUT NOT FLASHING. MY WIFE TURNED THE CAR OFF, WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN TURNED IT ON. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF BUT THE TRAC OFF LIGHT REMAINED ON. IN THE PAST, AFTER I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT ON ONE CLICK, THE SYMBOLS WERE ON, AND WHEN THE IGNITION TURNED ON, THE SYMBOLS WERE OFF. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE CAR ALSO SMELL LIKE A BURNING TIRE. WE WERE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH ON LANE NUMBER 1 (NEXT TO YELLOW LINES MEDIAN) ON A COUNTY 4 LANES HIGHWAY. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 5 MPH, JERK UP AND DOWN AND THE CAR VIBRATES AND IT HAPPENED TWICE IN A WEEK. THE CAR IS ONLY 4.5 YEARS OLD AND ONLY 44175 MILES. THE SECOND INDEPENDENT SHOP READ THE CODE AS P0301, MISFIRED. HE SUGGESTED TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR TOYOTA TO FIX IT UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE YET.

NHTSA #: 11395950
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Nov 2020

VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY WORE OUT ON THE CAR AT 98,000 MILES AFTER A COMPUTER PATCH WAS APPLIED TO CORRECT AN ISSUE WITH EARLY WEAR ON THE PART VIA A TOYOTA RECALL

NHTSA #: 11372661
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Sep 2020

TRANSMISSION IS CLUNKING AND IT SEEMS LIKE AN EXTREMELY ROUGH DOWNSHIFTING MOSTLY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND IT ACTUALLY SOUNDS AND FEELS AS THOUGH YOU'VE HIT SOMETHING ON THE ROAD EVEN THOUGH ROAD WAS CLEAR. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IF IT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. WHEN I LAST BROUGHT IT TO DEALER FOR OIL CHANGE THEY PUT ON THE VEHICLE REPORT THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS BLACK AND WHEN I ASKED WHAT SHOULD BE DONE THE SERVICE ADVISER DIDN'T TEXT BACK. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING MORE OFTEN AND I ESTIMATE THE CLUNKING AND STRANGE NOISE HAS HAPPENED 10-15 TIMES AT LEAST. IT IS NERVE WRACKING WHEN IT OCCURS BECAUSE IT IS SCARY TO FEEL THAT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY.

NHTSA #: 11361192
mediumPOWER TRAIN
CrashFiled: Jan 2020

THE CAR SEEMS TO BE MAKING A WHINING NOISE WHEN FIRST STARTED FROM THE TRANSMISSION OR TORQUE CONVERTER, WHILE IN PARK, NEUTRAL. ALSO A RATTLING NOISE IN REVERSE AND DRIVE! ALSO ON UPHILL ROADS FROM A STAND STILL THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND MAKES A LOUD NOISE WITHOUT ACCELERATING OCCASIONALLY. ALSO THERE SEEMS TO BE A VIBRATION COMING FROM THE CAR IN HIGHER SPEEDS OF 40+ AND RUBBER BANDING WHEN IN SLOW LESS THAN 15 MPH.

NHTSA #: 11297094
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Dec 2019

RECEIVED A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT THE CVT NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE. WE HAD THIS DONE AT INVER GROVE TOYOTA. HOWEVER, THE RPM'S CONTINUED TO FLUCTUATE WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEN TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $6000. CAR HAS JUST OVER 62000 MILES AND TOYOTA WOULD NOT GRANT AN EXCEPTION TO THE WARRANTY TO COVER THE NEW TRANSMISSION. WE NOW HAVE THR VEHICLE AT AN INDEPENDENT SHOP WHO IS DOING A DIAGNOSIS. IF THEY FIND THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, THEY WILL BE REPLACING IT WITH A USED TRANSMISSION FROM A SALVAGE YARD.

NHTSA #: 11290973
mediumPOWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Filed: Nov 2019

2016 TOYOTA COROLLA, 80,000 MILES. I'M DRIVING UP A HILL TOWARDS THE FREEWAY AND MY CAR SLOWS AND COMES TO A STOP. I TRY TO TURN THE CAR ON AND IT WON'T TURN ON. GET IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND IT'LL BE $8,000 TO REPAIR. THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAME OUT OF THE BLUE AND MY CAR ISN'T EVEN COVERED FOR IT BECAUSE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 75,000 MILES. CONTACTED TOYOTA USA AND THEY SAID MY CAR ISN'T COVERED UNDER THE CVT RECALL OF CERTAIN 2014-2017 COROLLAS SO I'M LEFT WITH THIS MYSTERIOUS TRANSMISSION DEFECT WHICH PUT ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS I WAS TRYING TO HEAD ONTO THE FREEWAY!

NHTSA #: 11279914
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Sep 2019

"TAKATA RECALL" MY CAR SHUDDERS AT LOW ACCELERATION AND AT HIGH SPEEDS

NHTSA #: 11255669
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Apr 2019

MY DAUGHTERS 2016 TOYOTA COROLLA WAS TAKEN IN TO HAVE THE CVT CHECKED AND IT FAILED. RICK MCGILL'S TOYOTA SAID IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THAT IT COULD LOCK UP AT 35 MPH AND THEY MADE HER LEAVE THE CAR. THEY REBUILT THE CVT AND IT FAILED AGAIN SO THEY REBUILT IT A 2ND TIME. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 29 DAYS AND SAID ITS GOOD NOW BUT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION IMMEDIATELY AND WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT UP A HILL THE RFPM'S KEPT FLUTUATING BACK AND FORTH. I RETURNED IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. I DON'T TRUST THIS CAR NOR TRANSMISSION BUT MY DAUGHTER IS DRIVING IT TO COLLEGE? WHY DIDN'T THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION?

NHTSA #: 11203602
mediumPOWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Filed: Apr 2019

THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AFTER DIAGNOSTICS WERE DONE IS SHOWN TO BE FAILING ALREADY AND IT LOOKS LIKE OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. THE COMPRESSOR JUST SHUTS ITSELF OFF AND STRAIGHT HOT AIR BEGINS BLOWING, WHICH IS NOT FUN OR SAFE. IT HAPPENED SUDDENLY IN DEAD HEAT AND DOES NOT GIVE ANY WARNING SIGNS BEFORE GOING OUT. *DT CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE SECOND DIAGNOSTIC, THAT INSIDE THE COMPRESSOR LITERALLY CAME APART, WHICH RESULTS IN TRASH IN THE SYSTEM MEANING SPECIFIC HOSES AND CONDENSER ALL MUST BE REPLACED. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AS A FACTORY FAULT, THOUGH I'VE SEEN WHERE MORE THAN ONE COROLLA HAS HAD THIS OCCUR. VIN IS INVALID.*JB

NHTSA #: 11195703
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Apr 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER AN UNKNOWN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER BY OAK LAWN TOYOTA (4320 95TH ST, OAK LAWN, IL 60453, (708) 423-5200), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOW THE CONTACT'S FAULT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

NHTSA #: 11193056
mediumPOWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Filed: Mar 2019

SUDDEN LOST IN SPEED WEATHER IT'S TO SLOW DOWN OR AFTER COMING TO A STOP HAPPENS INFREQUENTLY USUALLY HAVING ME TO PULL OVER TURNING OF CAR AND TURNING BACK ON TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. MAJOR CONCERNS ARE WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY WITH TRAFFIC GOING ANYWARE FROM 45 TO 75 MILES PER HOUR HAVING THE CAR LOOSE SPEED TO LESS THAN 15MPH IS A REAL DANGER

NHTSA #: 11187404
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: Feb 2019

WHILE TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY IN MY 2016 TOYOTA COROLLA, I AM NOTICING FREQUENT ISSUES WHERE IF I SLOW DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ANY REASON (SUCH AS TRAFFIC) AND GO TO SPEED UP OR WHILE ACCELERATING UPHILL, THE VEHICLE JERKS WHILE SHIFTING INTO A LOWER GEAR, WHICH STARTLES ME EVERY TIME, AND EVEN HARD ENOUGH TO WAKE MY 3 SLEEPING CHILDREN IN THE BACKSEAT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE AUGUST 2018 , AND HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE OFTEN AS TIME HAS PASSED. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. TODAY, I TOOK THE MECHANIC ON A RIDE ALONG IN THE VEHICLE, AND WHEN IT HESITATED, I TOLD HIM THAT WAS WHAT IT DID (WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A CAR CHARACTERISTIC GOING UPHILL) BEFORE JERKING. HE TOLD ME BASED ON MY STATEMENT THAT THE ENTIRE THING "WAS WHAT THE CAR WAS SUPPOSED TO DO." IT'S SUPPOSED TO JERK WHILE SHIFTING INTO A LOWER GEAR? I WAS ESSENTIALLY TOLD THAT IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THE COROLLA DID AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I CAN DO. I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IN ANY VEHICLE AS PART OF MY LIVING IS MADE ON THE ROAD. NO VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED HAS SHIFTED LIKE THIS VEHICLE IS. I HAVEN'T EVEN OWNED THE VEHICLE A FULL YEAR, AND NOW MY CHILDREN DON'T EVEN WANT TO GET IN MY ONLY CAR.

NHTSA #: 11181954
mediumPOWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Filed: Aug 2018

THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY WHEN ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. IT WOULD NOT EXCEED 45 MILES PER HOUR. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AS THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY ISSUED A SERVICE CAMPAIGN BULLETIN TO ADDRESS THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE SINCE SUSPENDED THE RECALL LEAVING DRIVERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM AT RISK. THE ONLY APPARENT SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $9200 WHICH MAY BE WHY TOYOTA IS HESITATING ON ISSUING A PROPER RECALL. UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE $9200 SO THE CAR REMAINS UNDRIVEABLE.

NHTSA #: 11115101
mediumPOWER TRAIN
Filed: May 2018

AM HAVING TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT AXLES AT 81K MILES. DEALER ESTIMATE IS $1300.00. HARD TO BELIEVE THAT AXLES GO BAD THIS EARLY IN CAR'S LIFE.

NHTSA #: 11093807

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