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2015 Toyota Corolla problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
34%
51 of 150 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

34% of relevant owner complaints on the 2015 Toyota Corolla are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 63% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 70 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 23%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2015 Toyota Corolla have transmission problems?

More than most. The pattern is elevated rather than severe. 51 of 150 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota Corolla concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (34%), and the largest group is filed under power train (30). For comparison, the 2014 scores 26% and the 2016 scores 30%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
51
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
220
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
60 crashes · 50 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS56 · 25%
STRUCTURE33 · 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER33 · 15%
POWER TRAIN30 · 14%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL18 · 8%
SERVICE BRAKES18 · 8%

The years either side

2010
11%
95 of 1,264
2011
29%
47 of 590
2012
15%
11 of 446
2013
24%
31 of 202
2014
26%
50 of 269
2015
34%
51 of 220
2016
30%
39 of 214
2017
27%
34 of 189
2018
44%
47 of 142
2019
64%
110 of 204
2020
55%
154 of 308
2021
49%
59 of 185
2022
44%
54 of 149
2023
61%
127 of 247

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2015 Toyota Corolla

What one owner reported

AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE08/05/2018CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S RPMS MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. BIG ISLAND TOYOTA (811 KANOELEHUA AVE, HILO, HAWAII 96720, (808) …

One of 51 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2015 Toyota Corolla?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2015 Toyota Corolla, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: air bag/restraint control module20V024000 · Jan 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2015 Toyota Corolla? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2015 Toyota Corolla

Does the 2015 Toyota Corolla have transmission problems?

More than most; the pattern is elevated rather than severe. 51 of 150 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota Corolla concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (34%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2015 Toyota Corolla?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2015 Toyota Corolla, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Corolla years are better?

Among the Toyota Corolla years we track, the 2010 (11%), the 2012 (15%) and the 2013 (24%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2015 (34%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2015 Toyota Corolla?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2015 Toyota Corolla has an elevated transmission complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing transmission work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.