2020 Toyota Corolla: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
54%
152 of 279 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
54% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Toyota Corolla are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 71% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 27 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 50%).
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
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTIO08/27/2022CRASH3 INJURED
I am not sure what the component is but I am driving and as I accelerate the gas my car will lose power to increase speed. If I am at the stop sign or stop light and I proceed to go the car will stall and not get going once I place my foot on the gas. I have reached out to the dealer by phone and when I have obtained…
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM08/11/20212 INJURED
We rented a 2020 Toyota Corolla from Hertz at the McCarran Airport Las Vegas NV and almost past out while driving due to Carbon Monoxide poisonings. My wife was sick 3 out of the 4 days while this auto was being driven in our possession. At first our sickness was thought to be motion sickness or maybe from something …
ENGINE08/06/2026
Part is the coolant bypass valve. Toyota has been taken to court but dealership claims now that I’m over 100k miles I can’t do it. There was also a second part about 10 years but I wasn’t clear on the details of the outcome. Toyota has acknowledged this issue in court but failed to do so at the customer level in my c…
Three of 152 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 (3)
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry,…
SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 C-HR and 2020 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles equipped with rear seat belt assemblies…
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus E…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2020 Toyota Corolla
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
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.
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.
