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2015 Toyota Corolla: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
34%
51 of 149 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 1,230 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 September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
51
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
219
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
60 crashes · 50 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS56 · 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER33 · 15%
STRUCTURE32 · 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 445
2013
24%
31 of 202
2014
26%
50 of 269
2015
34%
51 of 219
2016
30%
39 of 213
2017
27%
34 of 189
2018
44%
47 of 141
2019
64%
108 of 202
2020
54%
152 of 306
2021
49%
59 of 185
2022
43%
52 of 147
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.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other compact cars with no elevated signal in 2015

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners 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) …
SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM03/12/2017CRASH1 INJURED
MY DAUGHTER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN HER COLLEGE PARKING LOT AT FGCU. SHE SAID , THINKS THE BRAKE DIDN'T WORK WHEN SHE APPLIED IT. CAR HIT CONCRETE WALL TO STOP. AAA TOW TRUCK DRIVER CAME AND SAID BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR AND HE HAD TO USE E-BRAKE TO PUT ON TRUCK. HE STATES WHEN HE GOT BACK TO GARAGE BRAKES WORKED. I TO…
POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL08/28/2025
Falla en tren motriz o transmisión

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

Recall campaigns on this model year (1)

AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. Duri…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2015 Toyota Corolla

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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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.