2009 Toyota Corolla Problems and Repairs

bebryant08 · October 2011

Did you get your issues resolved when you took it to the dealer? I am having t he same sound from my 2009 Corolla S and it has gotten worse over the last year. It went from if my car sat for more than 12 hours to more than 2 hours. Any information on what is causing it can help me go get it fixed.

Thank you!

bebryant08 · October 2011

Hey, did you get the starting noise repaired on your car? if so what was the cause? I am trying to know what is wrong so I dont lose a lot of time waiting for them to let my car sit until it will make the noise again.... Any help you can supply will be greatly apprecciated! Thanks!

breep · October 2011

Can I please get a copy of the pdf (apham@wsu.edu)? I bought a 09 corolla 3 months ago and have already had to get my catalytic converter replaced. I only have about 500 miles left on my warranty and want to make sure I get it checked out before then!

windgrace · October 2011

Well, the rattle has finally been diagnosed and Toyota today ordered a new part. I think they have to replace the interior trim piece that the driver side seat belt comes out of. The mechanic was shocked that I had been driving the car for 3k miles without going crazy, because it's like having a bee buzzing in your ear the whole time you drive! :sick:

I replaced the OEM Goodyears with Michelin X Radials yesterday and with the improved traction my ABS hasn't once activated going down the normal roads. HUGE improvement!

I noticed about a week ago that there were a few small bumps by the driver's side door handle...turns out that there was some paintless dent repair done to the car before I purchased it with 9500 miles on it. It's hardly noticeable (thank goodness it's a white car, you can only see it with certain lights/angles) and it's not worth repainting the door, but the dealership is going to pay for the 15, 20 and 25k services because I complained about it. Not too shabby. :shades:

rr1438 · October 2011

I have a similar problem with a 2009 Toyota Corolla LE in Sacramento, California. Do you think it's also a computer problem? Is there a TBS on this?

Sincerely,

RR1438

tlrbears · October 2011

I purchased a 2009 manuel trans. corolla, and i have to say that i enjoy this car. I purchased it in May of 2008. I have not had many problems with it. I do get really good gas mileage with it. On the highway, i usually get about 45 miles to the gallon and that is by my calculations, not just the car. However, I have noticed that there are times when i get really bad gas mileage, but i think it has to do with the quality of the gas that is put into the car. I have found that the car does better with gas from one gas station than the others I have to choose from. SO watch where you are getting the gas from.

mariec55 · October 2011

I totally agree, I have the same vehicle.

terceltom · October 2011

I don't know if I agree with that assumption as all stations are required to adhere to specific regulations. With the Corollas there is a great fluctuation of gas mileage on the highway vs. gas mileage in the city. You can get 40mpg. (and in your case 45mpg.) on the highway and still only get 24 in the city; could this be your case?

Interesting that you posted this on the "Toyota Corolla problem and repairs" board rather than the "Toyota Corolla real world mpg." board. What sort of problems have you had with your Corolla. Being a 2009 you really shouldn't have had ANY problems so far other than the recalls.

windgrace · October 2011

Unfortunately, I still have this obnoxious rattle coming in from the driver side B-pillar. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact a dent was removed from the driver side door....the Carfax was accident free when I purchased it but it is a little odd, no?

Either way, I've been to the Toyota dealership like 5 times. The first 3 times they thought I was crazy, and the last 2 times they actually heard the problem and have installed new parts but it still persists. I was actually looking up trade-in values for the car because that's how frustrated I am with this!!

I'm gonna be taking it to my independent mechanic ASAP and hopefully have better luck with him that the horrible service department.

etho1416 · November 2011

I have a 2009 base model corolla. I hit a curb over the weekend and bent my right front passenger side inner tie rod.

According to both the dealer and the toyota tech TIS site (I got a 2 day subscription to see about repairing myself) you can't replace an inner tie rod on this car! You have to replace the entire steering gear! This seems insane. I checked and you could replace just the inner tie rod on the last generation corolla. The different in parts cost is huge, $70 versus $890! Plus lots more labor.

Now my question is, can I replace the innter tie rod on this car. Even though toyota won't sell me the part or provide instructions, I do see that online car parts stores do sell the inner tie rod for this car.

So does anyone know if this repair (replacing the inner tie rod) is possible and where I could get instructions on doing it?

deerrobin · November 2011

There is no maintenance manual or repair manual available for the 2009 Corolla. You cannot even change a spark plug without it. :sick:

mcdawgg · November 2011

A quick Google shows they ARE available. How about this one?

http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/102820170-toyota-corolla-2009-2010-servic- - - e-repair-manual

True, there is no Haynes manual YET, but I am sure there will be soon. The last generation Corolla (2003-2008) has a Haynes manual available. Why not get a Toyota OEM one (better than Haynes, etc.). If you download, they are really cheap.

Also, plugs don't need to be changed for at least 100,000 miles.

waymer · November 2011

So I hit a bump in the road and my stereo makes a loud continuous noise like a low pitched braaaaaap. I turned down the volume and the sound goes dead and won't come back on at any volume level unless I slam a door then it makes the loud noise again. I got another stereo online stuck it in and it does the same thing.

:confuse:

zzzcar · November 2011

Sounds like you might have a short in the wire going to the speaker in the door...might try disconnecting that speaker either at radio or at speaker and see if that corrects the noise. could try jiggling the wire as well to see if that causes noise to come and go. good luck!

etho1416 · November 2011

You can pay $15 for a 2 day membership to the official toyota tech site and print out every repair manual, tsb, recall you want. And its what toyota dealer use.

https://techinfo.toyota.com

Totally worth spending a few hours or a full day printing out every bit of maintenence you think you can do and simple repairs. Checking out the tsb's is a great idea if you are under warranty and can get them fixed for free.

windgrace · November 2011

Ok, so I dropped off the Corolla yesterday and was given a rental so a technician can spend some time with the car. I was supposed to get a call today...but I didn't. The rental is free until tomorrow afternoon so I hope everything was taken care of! I've deemed it a 'demon rattle' at this point. It's like there's a bee buzzing in my ear whenever I accelerate. It's kind of maddening!

windgrace · November 2011

Regarding the obnoxious B-pillar rattle:

I bought the 2010 Corolla with 9500 miles on it last summer (original warranty intact). I have brought it to the dealership 5 times for a rattle in the driver side B-pillar. I have also complained because I found that there was a dent removed from the driver side door and I was displeased with discovering several small bumps from the tool used to remove the dent. I have a feeling that the two are related somehow. When I was shown the Carfax the report was clean (no-accident history).

My car has been at the dealership for over a week now and each time I call they say they cannot figure out the rattle. They can hear it, though.

I'm starting to get rather worried. What are my options if they claim they cannot solve the rattle? Can I demand they buy the car back, trade it in for a similar vehicle, give me a good price on a trade-in...? I need to know because this is absolute b.s. and I refuse to accept an "irreparable" 2010 Corolla with an excessive and unnatural rattle I dropped $15k on (and bought new tires for!!) just a few months ago.

jburkie1077 · December 2011

While my 2009 Toyota Corolla S Model is running, there's a rattling coming from my engine that gets louder when I accelerate. Some people suspect it's my timing chain. I was told it can be adjusted, though some people say it's a hydraulic thing that should sort itself out. I've gone to mechanics, and most are afraid to even take the engine apart to tell me. If someone can tell me what I can actually do, and possibly the cheapest alternative, do lemme know.

terceltom · December 2011

Although it is most likely the most expensive route to go , if it was my 2009, and I do have a 2009, I would only allow a Toyota Dealer to look at it.

windgrace · December 2011

So it turned out they had to replace the rear side airbag because it was faulty and was causing the rattle in the b-pillar. After the car was in the shop for 9 days I got it back and it seemed all was well...then a few days later 2 new rattles showed up. There is a loud buzzing coming from the driver side grab handle (it's a VERY similar noise to what I heard in the b-pillar and it comes out in the same circumstances) and now when I go over bumps the roof makes a very loud shaking sound and it sounds like there a constant static-y crackling sound coming from the roof. The Corolla has been back at the shop for another 6 days now and they've had to replace a few more parts. This is getting old really fast. :lemon:

mcdawgg · December 2011

Back to the dealer - they obviously created other problems when they did the work.

wishin_4a_ford · December 2011

They replaced the water pump with no questions asked, because they had a lot of problems with water pumps in the 2009 Corolla's. This is because 2009 was the first year of the totally new Corolla!

windgrace · December 2011

Yeah, so I got the car back and (FINALLY!) the rattles around the driver side door (b pillar, grab handle) seem to be gone but I still am getting a bunch of weird noises in the roof. I can't pin point it...sometimes it's a rattle above my head, sometimes there's a weird sound (think rubbing hard plastics together) by the passenger vanity mirror, and a weird static sound right in front of the light fixture. They all disappear when I push up slightly on the roof with my hand. The car just spent 6 days in the shop...I guess next week I'll give the dealership a call. Weighing my options...put up with this vehicle or accept massive depreciation on a trade-in value and try to find a deal on a Civic or Hyundai. I'm not impressed with the build quality at all with this Corolla...my sister's 06 Civic has a much more solid interior and with 110k miles it's rattle free! :sick:

mcdawgg · December 2011

Strange - I wonder if something else happened to yours? Ours is completely rattle free, ZERO issues. Beware of the Civic - very noisy, in my opinion.

windgrace · December 2011

I do agree the Civic is a bit noisier and louder...issues that could probably be remedied for the most part with some good tires. Much better steering feel/response than the Corolla and better cornering, too. I don't know, in the past month I've had the roof light fixture, the driver side grab handle, the passenger side kick panel and the entire driver side curtain airbag fixture replaced because of different rattles (the last one is definitely kind of worrying, as I learned after I bought the car that a large dent had been removed poorly from the driver's door because there are several small raised bumps in the sheet metal I noticed one day in a certain light. Weird coincidence?). I'm just wondering what's going to be next. Thankfully it's under warranty...for now. After this experience with a Toyota I'm definitely rethinking my loyalties to Japanese cars!

Sandman6472 · December 2011

Funny, my Civic is so quiet and rattle free...much quieter than the Corolla and Sentra I used to own. Guess it all depends how carefully the car was put together. Mine is still tight as a drum also. I can honestly say that my '06 Civic is the quietest, most reliable & best car I've ever owned bar none!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

windgrace · December 2011

Yeah, we've had some issues (both of the window regulators on the coupe went out and the windows wouldn't open/close or stay on track) but other than that it's been regular maintenance and there are no rattles after 110k miles. I dunno, it would suck losing stability/traction control on my 2010 corolla for a used sentra or civic or even elantra but at the rate my Corolla is going I feel like I'm going to be replacing plastic panel by plastic panel forever...

terceltom · December 2011

Yes, that is correct !

windgrace · December 2011

I do have a question. Since purchasing the car there have been numerous occasions where there has been a very loud 'clunk' sound that sounds like it's underneath the car when braking going through potholes. More noticeable when the front tires are going through the bumps. Almost sounds like something has dropped from beneath the car. The brake pedal also jitters pretty violently under these circumstances. Could there also be a suspension issue with the vehicle?

mcdawgg · December 2011

It is the ABS system - normal.

windgrace · December 2011

Kind of unnerving hearing a shudder going over bumps/potholes...and I've driven a number of cars with ABS that haven't done that. Interesting.

Sandman6472 · December 2011

You really need to dump this car...every so often you come up with more things you don't like. Why do you still own a car you obviously complain so much about? Cut it from the herd already!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

windgrace · December 2011

Well if it wasn't for massive depreciation loss I would...I'm looking for deals out there. I have had quite a number of problems with the car spending over 2 weeks out of the last 5 months in the shop getting airbags replaced and whatnot. There are a few more rattles here and there...I'm just exhausted going to and from the dealership (40 min drive one way) so I'm cranking up the music and ignoring it. Still, kind of annoying having these problems on a car with less than 16k miles on it.

Sandman6472 · December 2011

I hear ya on that so maybe just best to crank up your tunes and let it be for awhile. I had a year old used Corolla back in '97 and finally just forgot about the bad things and after awhile, it stopped bothering me. So if the car is getting you good mileage and the stereo is good, I'd keep on truckin' and deal with it down the road some. It'll aggravate ya to death, so just don't let it as it's only a car.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

jettafan03 · January 2012

I have the same problem and the dealer said i have to buy the whole thing for over $900 and they said that the older corollas sell them apart. i keep trying to look for a part of it and i cant find it. Where did you get yours at?

miltonguy · January 2012

I just had to replace my alternator on my 2009 Corolla LE. It only had 108k kms on it. I do not think I should have had to replace it this soon. The bearings went. I heard a grinding noise and it had an burning smell. My last car (2004 Corolla CE) had almost 200k kms on it and all I replaced on it were the tires, breaks, and a couple of lights. Now I get this new car and in the last 2 weeks I have replaced the water pump (covered by Toyota) and the alternator (not covered). I spoke to 2 mechanics and they were both shocked as well that the alternator went. Toyota would not budge on replacing it for free. Has anyone else had their water pump or alternator go this soon?

windgrace · January 2012

So they've had to replace the center dome light fixture that was loose and was causing rattles. There's still an odd one above the front passengers head, it even rattles for a bit after the car is stopped.

When I got the car back the dealership had an inspection sheet saying the tire tread was 9/32nds. That's good, until I realize I had Michelin X Radials put on less than 2000 miles ago that started with 10/32nds. Does that first 1/32 wear out really fast or is there something else wrong? I bought the car with 7/32nds on some Goodyears that were needing replacement pretty much within 4k miles, figured it was crappy OEMS but this does seem odd? I really wish I could dump this car, but I can't afford it at the moment!

miltonguy · January 2012

terceltom · January 2012

Yes, I had my 2009 water pump replaced because some were faulty; (covered under warranty).

circuitsmith · January 2012

Have you looked at the tires yourself?
Measurements like that generally have a tolerance of +/- one count.
There's some interpretation there.

windgrace · January 2012

Yes, I have looked at the tires myself. When I got the tires it was a solid 10/32nd" all around, and now it is a solid 9/32nd." I even have a diagnostic check list from a month ago when the dealership was dealing with another rattle that said 10/32nd" was left. At this rate these 80k rated tires from Michelin will be used up by 16k miles!!

circuitsmith · January 2012

I don't think it's valid to extrapolate from 1/32" of wear.
Besides the one count tolerance new tire rubber is at its softest, and maybe even softer at the surface.

windgrace · January 2012

Ok, thanks! I don't want to live in the 'what if' world buuut, if in the next 2k miles the tread continues to go down what should I check out? The whole suspension?

sban226 · January 2012

kruso,
I wondering if I'm having the same problem. I have an 09 Carolla that makes excessive noise under acceleration and crusing speeds. It almost sounds like I have the car in reverse. I was told that it may be due to the fact that there are only 4 speeds in the automatic or it may be dureto the lack of sound deadning material in the car. I have not taken the car to the dealership because I bought it used and am afraid it will cost a mint to fix plus I have to use it everyday. Wondering if you have learned anything else since your post.

terceltom · February 2012

Sounds like your car is over reving; perhaps your driving in "3rd" gear instead of "D"? The stick has to be pushed to the right side to be in "D". Many people have made this mistake initially.

j06 · February 2012

My 2009 Corolla @17,000 miles might need new front pads .. At 15K service, the advisor told me that I definitely need front break pads.. You wont drive another month with the ones you have on.. I declined it I was thinking about changing it.. Its only 17K.. I really dont need to do any rotor work

Which brand is the best ??

I was going with Duralast regular pads from Autozone for $41.99 ..

Any Suggestions ?? Ceramic is better ??

mariec55 · February 2012

Get a second and a third opinion. Most of the time when you go to a dealership they lie. I am at 36,000 miles and have yet to do anything to my breaks. They (dealership) has never mentioned anything of the sort to me. Definetly would get more than one opinion. Good Luck!

j06 · February 2012

Thanks

I heard that some of the 09 models came with pads that wear prematurely

I will only change after another evaluation. What you think Duralast / Wagner / Hawk ??

etho1416 · February 2012

I never found a seperate part and ended up replacing the whole thing at the dealership. Luckily I was able to file an insurance claim and they paid for it.

I'll never buy another Toyota thats for sure. This is a common repair on any car. You can hit a curb just about anytime. For them to design the car this way is just insane. Even the guys at the dealership could not figure out why they changed the design since the part is almost exactly the same design as the last one.

09corollahelp · February 2012

Hi i'm having the same issue. Did you find the problem? have taken the starter out and tested it and its fine have replaced the starter ignition switch didn't work. left now wit hthe relay??

2009 Toyota Corolla Problems and Repairs

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