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2019 Toyota Corolla: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
64%
108 of 170 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

64% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2019 Toyota Corolla are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 84% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 32 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 53%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
108
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
202
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
23 crashes · 15 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN54 · 27%
ENGINE39 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER32 · 16%
AIR BAGS31 · 15%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM31 · 15%
SERVICE BRAKES16 · 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 2019

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

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,ENGINE05/10/2022CRASH3 INJURED
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving at 60-65 MPH, the vehicle shut off and lost electrical power. All the instrument panel warning lights including the lane departure assistance warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to re…
POWER TRAIN09/10/2026
Slave cylinder on clutch failed and leaked fluid in to clutch and flywheel. Clutch pedal would not rebound after being pressed in to shift gear, stuck in middle of road trying to get vehicle in first gear. Had vehicle towed to dealership, estimate of $5800 to repair. Apparently this is a known problem with this manua…
POWER TRAIN04/11/2026
Premature slave cylinder failure at ~70k miles. Suddenly started leaking brake fluid profusely. Inspected and confirmed by Toyota dealership. No symptoms prior to failure. Clutch stopped functioning, unable to shift while driving. Pulled over to inspect and all of the brake fluid had leaked out. Refilled brake fluid a…

Three of 108 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 (5)

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…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 30…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback vehicles equipped with Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT). Th…

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

Before you buy a 2019 Toyota Corolla

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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.