The Lemon Index
Subscribe

All cars · Toyota Corolla · Transmission

Toyota Corolla transmission problems by year.

Worst years for transmission complaints per car sold: 2003 (48 complaints), 2019 (42 complaints), 2010 (32 complaints). Fewest since 2010: 2025, 2013, 2023.

Toyota Corolla
Photo shows a 2020 Toyota Corolla. Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Transmission complaints owners filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) for each model year, per 100,000 cars sold. A complaint counts when it's filed under the transmission, or under the power train and the owner describes the transmission (shifting, slipping, gears, CVT). It's an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.

200062.6 per 100K sold200183.3 per 100K sold200241.6 per 100K sold20034814.7 per 100K sold2004164.8 per 100K sold2005339.7 per 100K sold2006328.3 per 100K sold2007225.9 per 100K sold2008113.1 per 100K sold2009299.8 per 100K sold20103212 per 100K sold2011135.4 per 100K sold201241.4 per 100K sold201331 per 100K sold2014175 per 100K sold2015185 per 100K sold2016164.2 per 100K sold2017123.6 per 100K sold201851.6 per 100K sold20194213.8 per 100K sold20202510.5 per 100K sold2021156 per 100K sold2022135.9 per 100K sold202331.3 per 100K sold202462.6 per 100K sold202510.4 per 100K sold

What owners describe

Hard or jerky shifting14%
Transmission replaced10%
Lost power while driving9%
Slipping6%
Delay or hesitation5%
Rolled away or park trouble3%

Share of this model's transmission complaints that mention each symptom. One complaint can mention several.

Transmission and power train recalls

  • 2019 2018

    The pump impeller blades within the torque converter may detach, especially when driven under high load, potentially causing a vehicle stall.

  • 2003 2002

    ON PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS (VIN) STARTING WITH 1NX ONLY AND BUILT FROM JANUARY 8 THROUGH FEBRUARY 13, 2002, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE BOLTS THAT JOIN THE REAR BRAKE AND HUB ASSEMBLY TO THE REA…

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

In owners' words

When going down an incline and brakes are depressed transmission feels like it's slipping gears, and the rmps surge up to 4000. Cause unknown.

2003 Toyota Corolla owner · NHTSA complaint

The problem is . When I start my car I "must" press on the clutch very hard ( all the way inwards ) in order to start the car. I never had this problem with my previous manual transmission cars.

2003 Toyota Corolla owner · NHTSA complaint

Quick answers

Which Toyota Corolla years have transmission problems?

By transmission complaints filed with NHTSA per car sold, the worst Toyota Corolla years are 2003, 2019, 2010.

What are common Toyota Corolla transmission problems?

Owners most often describe hard or jerky shifting, transmission replaced, lost power while driving.

Which Toyota Corolla years have the fewest transmission complaints?

Since 2010, the Toyota Corolla years with the fewest transmission complaints per car sold are 2025, 2013, 2023.

See every problem, not just the transmission: Toyota Corolla reliability by year. How we count

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data