2009 Toyota Corolla Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 197 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Toyota Corolla, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 20,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “unintended acceleration” (11% of reports).
- 197vehicle speed control complaints
- 20,000median miles at failure
- 66mention a crash
- 28mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 34%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Unintended acceleration: mentioned in 21 of 197 complaints (11%)
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 20 of 197 complaints (10%)
- Control accelerator pedal: mentioned in 15 of 197 complaints (8%)
- Floor mat: mentioned in 14 of 197 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 161 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 197 complaints, 66 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 28 an injury.
Toyota Corolla vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Corolla | 2 | 12% | — |
| 2025 Corolla | 2 | 6% | 8,000 |
| 2024 Corolla | 2 | 3% | 10,000 |
| 2023 Corolla | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2022 Corolla | 2 | 2% | 5,474 |
| 2021 Corolla | 7 | 4% | 4,000 |
| 2020 Corolla | 5 | 2% | 11,500 |
| 2019 Corolla | 13 | 6% | 4,550 |
| 2018 Corolla | 11 | 8% | 6,000 |
| 2017 Corolla | 29 | 16% | 4,400 |
| 2016 Corolla | 22 | 10% | 13,000 |
| 2015 Corolla | 18 | 8% | 22,000 |
| 2014 Corolla | 29 | 11% | 12,881 |
| 2013 Corolla | 18 | 9% | 20,000 |
| 2012 Corolla | 16 | 4% | 25,514 |
| 2011 Corolla | 46 | 8% | 10,275 |
| 2010 Corolla | 198 | 16% | 6,300 |
| 2009 Corolla | 197 | 14% | 20,000 |
| 2008 Corolla | 54 | 17% | 36,000 |
| 2007 Corolla | 95 | 11% | 33,000 |
| 2006 Corolla | 75 | 9% | 50,000 |
| 2005 Corolla | 66 | 8% | 40,000 |
| 2004 Corolla | 60 | 13% | 43,100 |
| 2003 Corolla | 77 | 11% | 62,500 |
| 2002 Corolla | 11 | 9% | 86,524 |
| 2001 Corolla | 14 | 11% | 43,201 |
| 2000 Corolla | 7 | 5% | 132,000 |
| 1999 Corolla | 13 | 8% | 55,000 |
| 1998 Corolla | 18 | 8% | 64,820 |
| 1997 Corolla | 9 | 7% | 99,876 |
| 1996 Corolla | 7 | 5% | 73,000 |
| 1995 Corolla | 3 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 highlander, model year 2009-2010 corolla, venza and matrix passenger vehicles. 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).
Risk: 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.
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 replacement parts with the same shape as the modified pedal become available, they will be made available to the dealers for the repair. Customers who have had the pedal reshape remedy completed will have the opportunity to receive a new pedal if they desire, after replacement pedals become available. In addition, toyota will replace any toyota all-weather floor mat in a subject vehicle with a newly designed mat, free of charge. For those customers who have the previous design all-weather floor mat but do not need or want the newly designed all-weather floor mat, toyota will recover the previous design all-weather floor mat and reimburse its price. The safety recall began march 30, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles. 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 increase, which may result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.
Risk: 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.
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 completed on march 15, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owned a 2009 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at 5 mph and exiting a parking lot when the vehicle accelerated on its own, veered to the left, and crashed into a gate. No warning lights were illuminated and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injury…
Vehicle speed control / sudden unintended acceleration. This was NOT a "misapplication of pedal" by driver! It was clearly a mechanical failureâapparently accelerator pedal (not floor mat, which was secured on its pegs). NO warning lamp, msg, symptom prior to crash. Afterward, saw NHTSA rpts…
My 2009 Toyota Corolla is once again exhibiting undesired acceleration. Toyota has deemed this vehicle repaired in response to the recall that covered this issue. I was told it was caused by the floormat which it obviously was not. The accelerator pedal sticks and they will not fix it under the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Toyota Corollas have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 197 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2009 Toyota Corolla (14% of the 1,459 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Toyota Corolla vehicle speed control?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 20,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Toyota Corolla?
The most frequent phrase is “unintended acceleration”, in 21 of 197 complaints, followed by “suddenly accelerated” (20).
Other 2009 Toyota Corolla problems
See all 2009 Toyota Corolla problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Corolla years.