2010 Toyota Corolla: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2010 Toyota Corolla: 17 recalls, 1244 owner complaints and up to 30 mpg combined.
Recalls
17 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Equipment Vehicle recall #09V332000 · 2009 · 1,309 vehicles
What's wrong: 208, "occupant crash protection." the air bag label installed on the driver side sun visor can separate from the surface of the visor.
Why it matters: This does not meet the standard requirements.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the label and exchange the driver's side sun visor free of charge. The recall began on September 3, 2009.
Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #09V338000 · 2009 · 95,705 vehicles
What's wrong: 8l engine and originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. When driving under certain unique conditions in extremely low ambient temperatures, the intake manifold suction port for the brake vacuum can become…
Why it matters: This could lead to an increase in vehicle stopping distance and a crash could occur.
The fix: Dealers will install a newly designed intake air connector which will relocate the brake system vacuum port. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on September 21, 2009.
Speed control / throttle Vehicle recall #10V017000 · 2010 · 2,230,661 vehicles
What's wrong: Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever May become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as May occur from heater operation (without a/c) when the pedal assembly is cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated May…
Why it matters: The accelerator pedal May become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. Gm will notify owners for the Pontiac vibe please see 10v-018. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on February 5, 2010 and will be…
Speed control / throttle Vehicle recall #10V023000 · 2010 · 1,126,915 vehicles
What's wrong: The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat. This recall is an expansion of a campaign of 3.8 million other Toyota vehicles announced in 2009 for the same issue (see 09v-388).
Why it matters: A stuck open accelerator pedal May result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will modify or replace the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles. Floor surface modifications are also being considered and will be included for any model for which it is deemed appropriate. Initially, dealers will be instructed on how to reshape the accelerator pedal for the repair. As…
Equipment Vehicle recall #10V035000 · 2010 · 271,417 vehicles
What's wrong: 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Why it matters: This does not meet the standard requirements.
The fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on May 27, 2010.
Equipment Vehicle recall #10V036000 · 2010 · 153,418 vehicles
What's wrong: 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Why it matters: A driver May overload a vehicle which May increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on May 27, 2010.
Body & structure Vehicle recall #11V566000 · 2011 · 518 vehicles
What's wrong: There is a possibility that the front a-pillar trim panel retention clip May have been damaged during the installation of the aftermarket accessory.
Why it matters: A damaged a-pillar trim panel retention clip May allow the trim panel to come loose and injure an occupant in the event of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the a-pillar trim panel retention clip and replace it if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on December 30, 2011.
Seats, Airbags Vehicle recall #13V014000 · 2013 · 3,235 vehicles
What's wrong: During modification by set to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest dvd systems, these vehicles May not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system May not operate as designed.
Why it matters: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags May not deploy or they May deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag…
The fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013.
Equipment Vehicle recall #13V123000 · 2013 · 7,525 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (fmvss) number 110, "tire selection and rims."
Why it matters: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which May result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
The fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013.
Airbags Vehicle recall #14V168000 · 2014 · 1,486,413 vehicles
What's wrong: In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly, which includes a flexible flat cable (ffc). Due to the shape and location of the ffc's retainer, the ffc could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned.
Why it matters: If the ffc is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. The failure of the driver's air bag to deploy in the event of a crash that typically necessitates deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and general motors will notify the Pontiac vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall. Toyota will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. General motors sent Pontiac…
Seats Vehicle recall #14V743000 · 2014 · 3,233 vehicles
What's wrong: The affected vehicles May experience compression of the seat cushion which May damage the seat heater wiring.
Why it matters: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
The fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015.
Visibility (wipers, glass) Vehicle recall #15V689000 · 2015 · 1,814,284 vehicles
What's wrong: During the manufacturing of the power window master switch (pwms), grease lubricant May have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Why it matters: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch May cause a short circuit and the switch assembly May overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the pwms circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V340000 · 2016 · 1,754,517 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 Scion xb and Lexus is f, 2007-2008 Toyota yaris, 2006-2008 Lexus is250 and Lexus is350 and 2007-2008 Lexus es350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016.
Seats Vehicle recall #16V396000 · 2016 · 7,749 vehicles
What's wrong: The electrical wiring in the seat heaters May be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Why it matters: If damaged, the copper strand heating element May short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016.
Airbags Vehicle recall #18V024000 · 2018 · 628,018 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Vi or "zone a." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, 4runner, Lexus is250, is350, is250c, is350c, es350, is-f, gx460, and Pontiac vibe vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of az, ar, de, dc, il, in, ks, ky, md, mo, ne, nv, nj, nm, nc, oh, ok, pa, tn, va, and wv or "zone b." Toyota is also recalling certain 2009 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix,…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018.
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V005000 · 2019 · 1,299,448 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Virgin islands or "zone a." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, Lexus is250, is350, 2011-2016 4runner, 2011-2015 Scion xb, Lexus is350c, is250c, 2011-2014 Toyota sienna, Lexus is-f, 2011-2017 Lexus gx460, and 2011-2012 Lexus es350 vehicles ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland,…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019.
Airbags, Airbags Vehicle recall #19V741000 · 2019 · 928,220 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators May explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 10 mention a fire, 103 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (424): the most common themes are fails to deploy (33), deploys unexpectedly / inflator (27), warning light on (21).
- Steering (371): the most common themes are steering problems (291).
- Speed control / throttle (198): the most common themes are sudden acceleration (53).
- Brakes (hydraulic) (101): the most common themes are brake failure / soft pedal (28), noise or vibration (28).
The 2010 Toyota Corolla has 1244 owner complaints, ranking #2 of 37 Corolla model years for complaints (4.0× the average Corolla year). Complaints peaked in 2010 (488 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 4 years old, at a median of 6,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2009 (1459 complaints, 13 recalls), 2011 (584 complaints, 9 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 L 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 26 | 35 | 30 | Regular |
| 1.8 L 4-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 26 | 34 | 29 | Regular |
| 2.4 L 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 30 | 25 | Regular |
| 2.4 L 4-cyl | Automatic (S5) | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 30 | 25 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2010 Toyota Corolla.
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FAQ
Does the 2010 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 17 vehicle recalls for the 2010 Toyota Corolla. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2010 Toyota Corolla problems?
Owners have filed 1244 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (424), steering (371), speed control / throttle (198).
What gas mileage does the 2010 Toyota Corolla get?
EPA ratings run up to 30 mpg combined (1.8 L, Manual 5-spd), across 4 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2010 Toyota Corolla repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.