2006 Toyota Corolla Electrical System

I'M WRITING BECAUSE THERE IS AN INJUSTICE IN THE WAY THAT TOYOTA IS HANDLING YET ANOTHER ISSUE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HIS 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA ON 4/21/10 WHEN IT STALLED WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. HE LOST ALL POWER, SO HE COULD NOT EVEN TURN ON HIS HAZARDS. LUCKILY, THANKFULLY, HE WAS NOT HURT AND DID NOT HURT ANYONE ELSE. HERE IS A LINK TO AN ARTICLE ON TOYOTA NATION WITH 4 PAGES OF BLOGS WRITTEN BY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.TOYOTANATION.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=201631 HAD MY 5 YEAR OLD SON BEEN IN THE CAR WITH HIM AND THEY WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THINGS COULD BE MUCH MUCH DIFFERENT, AND I'M LUCKY. I JUST WISH SOMEONE WOULD TALK ABOUT THIS. THIS PROBLEM IS ASSOCIATED WITH A BAD ECM (ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) AND AFFECTS 2005-2007 COROLLAS AND MATRIXES. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN REFERENCE TO 2005-2007 TOYOTA COROLLA & MATRIX ECMS. TSB EG042-07 (SEPTEMBER 20TH 2007) BUT CAR OWNERS WERE NEVER INFORMED OF THE ISSUE. *TR

MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING P2716-TRANS SHIFT SOLENOID ERROR-REFER TO TSB FOR ECM REPLACEMENT. MY MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THIS WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FOR THE 2005 MODEL YEAR BUT I WAS TOLD BY THE TOYOTA DEALER THAT THE MFG DATE OF MY CAR WAS 12/2005.

TOYOTA COROLLA'S ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART REPLACED ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE ECM COMPUTER CHIP WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. UPDATED 05/05/10. *LJ UPDATED 05/06/10.*JB

2006 COROLLA STALLED, DID NOT RESTART EASILY AND "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. *TR

2006 TOYOTA COROLLA, GAS PEDAL FAILED TO ACCELERATE ENGINE AT CRITICAL TIME WHEN CROSSING HIGHWAY FROM SHOPPING STRIP. CAR WAS STOPPED BLOCKING TRAFFIC NARROWLY ESCAPING A COLLISION AND I HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY BY HAND. VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY WITH 47618 MILES. TOYOTA REPAIRED THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. THEY REPLACED THE COMPUTER ENGINE CONTROLLER. *TR

DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED IN TRAFFIC THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. IN LOS ANGELES TRAFFIC THIS CAN BE DEADLY. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED TWICE DUE TO THE INABILITY TO EVEN HAVE THE CAR ROLL TO A SAFE STOP. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A KNOWN ECM FAILURE AND MANY OWNER FORUMS HAVE SAID THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN AND COMMON FAILURE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA. ON 01-29-2010, I WAS DRIVING MY TOYOTA DOWN THE ROAD. SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE STALLED. LUCKILY, I WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I ENDED UP HAVING MY CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA OF EL CAJON WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A DEFECTIVE ECM (ENGINE CONTROL MODULE). THEY REPLACED THE ECM FOR $841.00 WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. AN ECM FAILING ON A NEW CAR AFTER 3 1/2 YEARS IS VERY UNUSUAL (THEY ARE ENGINEERED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR). I WENT ON LINE AND WAS STUNNED TO FIND THAT ECM FAILURES WERE A KNOWN PROBLEM AND FREQUENTLY FAILED ON 2006 AND SOME EARLIER TOYOTA COROLLAS. TOYOTA EVEN CHANGED/RE-ENGINEERED THE ECMS AFTER 2006 MODELS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THESE ECMS HAVE FAILED NATION WIDE AND WHY NO RECALL HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I'VE TRIED TO GET AHOLD OF TOYOTA CORPORATE BUT I CAN'T GET THROUGH TO A PERSON AND THEY HAVE NOT ANSWERED MY E-MAIL BACK (GOING ON TWO WEEKS SINCE I SENT IT TO THEM). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE SHUT OFF AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND LATER TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS A CHIP IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 03/12/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/09/10*JB

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, MY GAS PEDAL LOCKED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD JUST PASS A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU OR COMPUTER) SHUT DOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR HAS 83,000 MILES, 3,000 MILES OVER THE 8YR/80,000 MILE FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE ERROR THAT TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT. *TR

MY COROLLA 2006 STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH OUT WARNING. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY OTHER CARS WHILE TRYING TO GET MY COROLLA TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BAD ECM. THE ECM WAS REPLACED AND WE WILL SEE IF THIS ONE WILL WORK. THIS COULD HAVE TURNED OUT BAD IF THERE WAS MORE TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY! *TR

4/18/10 CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL WHILE WE WERE DRIVING 4/24/10 ENGINE STALLED RIGHT AFTER IT WAS TURNED ON & THEN HALF A BLOCK AWAY AT INTERSECTION. BOTH TIMES CAR RE-STARTED 4/27/10 ENGINE STALLED WHEN I CAME TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AT MAJOR INTERSECTION. WAS ABLE TO RE-START RIGHT AWAY 5/1/10 ENGINE STALLED 3 TIMES WITHIN A ONE MILE DISTANCE. THE 3RD TIME WAS WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR ROAD & NEEDED TO COAST TO SHOULDER. HAD TO WAIT BEFORE ENGINE WOULD RE-START. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT I HAD BOUGHT BAD GAS OR THE GAS CAP WASN'T ON TIGHT. I BOUGHT GOOD GAS & THEN AFTER YESTERDAY REALIZED SOMETHING MAJOR WAS WRONG. I WAS CHECKING ON LINE THIS MORNING & FOUND OTHER TOYOTA COROLLAS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH STALLING OUT...THE EMC?? DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER THIS AFTERNOON, SUNDAY, & WILL BE THERE FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING TO TALK WITH SERVICE DEPT. *TR

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN THE ENGINE DIES. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE SO FAR AND THE ECM WERE CHANGED BY TOYOTA ON BOTH OCCASIONS BUT IT JUST HAPPENED A THIRD TIME AND I AM FED UP. *TR

THERE WERE NO DEATHS OR INJURIES FOR THIS COMPLAINT. I'M GUESSING THAT THESE TWO INCORRECT ENTRIES WILL GET THIS COMPLAINT REVIEWED BY A NHTSA EMPLOYEE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. AS NOTED BY SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS, THE 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA'S PCM APPEARS TO HAVE A SERIOUS FAILURE MODE (I.E. CONTROL MODULE TURNS OFF FUEL RELAY CAUSING ENGINE STALL). IT ALSO APPEARS THAT THE FAILURE MODE HAS A HIGH OCCURRENCE. AS OF 4/6/2009 THERE WAS A TWO WEEK NATIONAL BACK ORDER OF PCM FOR THIS VEHICLE. I SPOKE WITH TOYOTA NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE, THERE WERE 4 VEHICLES AT A SMALL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN GRAND BLANC MICHIGAN WAITING FOR THIS SERVICE PART. IF THESE 4 VEHICLES ARE TAKEN AS A DATA SAMPLING, THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS 4 * 1400 DEALERSHIPS OR 5600 VEHICLES CURRENTLY AWAITING THIS SERVICE PART AND HAVE FAILED IN THE FIELD. ACCOUNTING FOR INDIVIDUAL DEALERSHIP BUSINESS VOLUME, MY ESTIMATION IS THAT THERE MAY BE AS MANY AT 8000 FIELD FAILURES OF THIS RELATIVELY SERIOUS FAILURE MODE JUST OVER THE LAST 3-4 WEEKS. YOU NHTSA FOLKS MIGHT WANT TO GIVE A CALL OVER TO TOYOTA NA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS BEFORE SOME YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THERE LIVES DESTROYED BY A ENGINE STALL IN HIGH SPEED COMMUTER TRAFFIC. THANKS. CM. AGAIN, THERE WERE NO DEATHS OF INJURIES FOR THIS COMPLAINT.*TR

ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2009, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA LE. ONCE THE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR HAD A "HARD SHIFT". ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2009, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE DIAGNOSTICS RUN, WHICH INDICATED A FAULTY P2716 PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID "D" ELECTRICAL. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE COMPUTER REPLACED ($900) AND THAT THE CAR COULD SHUT OFF ON ME WHILE IN OPERATION IF I DID NOT. AFTER I HAD IT REPLACED, I LOOKED IT UP ON THE INTERNET. TURNS OUT THAT TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BASED ON A 9/2006 SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT CHOSE TO NOT ISSUE A RECALL. I HAVE A 110 MILE ROUND TRIP COMMUTE DAILY AND AFTER READING HUNDREDS OF POSTING FROM OTHERS THAT HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM, I COUNT MYSELF LUCKY. MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE CAR STOP ON THEM GOING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. I WAS LUCKY, BUT IT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT DEADLY. THERE ARE INCIDENTS OF ACCIDENTS OCCURRING DUE TO FAULTY P2716'S. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF IT GOES OUT, BUT WHEN. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO NOTIFY THE OWNERS OF THE 2006 COROLLA LE'S THAT THE PART IS FAULTY AND TO HAVE IT REPLACED. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA. THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF VEHICLE HAS WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS WITH AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO CEASE ACCELERATION DURING DRIVING. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON INTERSTATE 77 WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. LUCKILY, HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT A CAR ACCIDENT. TOYOTA WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM, YET REFUSES TO RECALL THIS PART SAYING THAT IT IS NOT A "SAFETY ISSUE." I PERSONALLY KNOW OF OTHER DRIVERS WHO HAVE INCURRED THE SAME PROBLEM IN THEIR VEHICLES. I ALSO WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE RESPONSE IS DIFFERENT IN CARS WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, WHICH IS WHAT WE OWN. KNOWING THE DETAILS OF THE CASE, THE COMPANY STILL REFUSED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE, EVEN THOUGH THE REPAIR CALLS FOR A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PART, AND THAT THE OLD PART IS DEFECTIVE. OWNERS WHO DO NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM COULD BE SURPRISED BY A SUDDEN STOP IN THEIR VEHICLE, AND COULD BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AS THE PROBLEM DOES OCCUR DURING DRIVING. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA. ON NOVEMBER 11TH, AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER. THE COMPUTER, THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE, HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE I HAD APPROXIMATELY 81,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND THE WARRANTY COVERED THE COMPUTER UP TO 80, 000 MILES. I PAID TO HAVE THE COMPUTER REPLACED AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE REIMBURSING ME $300 OF THE TOTAL $978 BILL. *TR

2006 TOYOTA COROLLA WITH APPROX. 36,125 MILES STARTS BUT SOON STALLS WITHIN A TIME SPAN OF 15 SECONDS TO 5 MINUTES. EFFORTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY FAIL POSING A SAFETY RISK IF THE VEHICLE IS IN TRAFFIC (WHICH OURS WAS). AFTER WAITING APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES, THE VEHICLE IS ABLE TO RESTART BUT STALLS AGAIN WITHIN THE SAME TIME SPAN OF 15 SECONDS TO 5 MINUTES. THE BATTERY IS WORKING AS EVIDENCED BY INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS. GAS IS AT OR ABOVE 3/4 TANK FULL. CAR RECENTLY PASSED (APRIL 2009) PENNSYLVANIA STANDARDS FOR EMISSIONS AND INSPECTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FAILED. THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR ARE CURRENTLY ON BACKORDER; THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 32,000. UPDATED 6/4/09 *CN UPDATED 06/09/09.*JB

MY 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA (LE) RANDOMLY SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AFTER THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF, IT HAD TROUBLE RESTARTING. AS IT HAPPENED, WE WERE DRIVING ON A SIDE STREET AND NO ACCIDENT RESULTED. I AM CONCERNED HOWEVER, THAT IF THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE ON A HIGHWAY, THIS COULD BE A LIFE THREATENING ISSUE. AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR. HOWEVER AFTER REPORTING THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE, LEARNED THAT THERE WAS ONLY A SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THE COMPUTER AND STARTING ISSUES. NO INCIDENT HAD BEEN REPORTED WHERE THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. MY COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPLACED, BUT I STILL WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

2006 TOYOTA COROLLA (MILEAGE 36,191) : ON THE WAY TO DEALER FOR A SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (FIRST TIME SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE). DEALER INVESTIGATED AND INDICATED HAD I NOT BROUGHT THE CAR IN WHEN I DID, I WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED A NO-START CONDITION. DEALER REPLACED THE ECM MODULE. REPLACEMENT MODULE COVERED BY WARRANTY. *TR

DRIVING DURING RUSH HOUR, GOING HOME FROM WORK, CAR STALLED, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, LOOKED IN OWNER'S MANUAL AND FOR THAT "MALFUNCTION" FAILURE, STATES TO TAKE TO DEALER. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. THEY REPLACED THE "BAD COMPUTER" "IN WARRANTY" (THE NEXT DAY, TODAY) W/ AN "UPDATED ONE", JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE ONE IN STOCK "FOR OUR CUSTOMERS" "WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, THE NICE MAN STATED. *TR

THE COMPUTER QUITS AND CAR STOPPED RUNNING AS I WAS DRIVING. I WAS ALMOST BROADSIDED. THE LIGHTS TURN OFF, THE STEERING LOCKS AND EVERYTHING JUST SHUT DOWN. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT DAVID MAUS TOYOTA, THE COMPUTERS ARE HAVING A PROBLEM IN THE 2003-2006 COROLLAS. THERE IS NO RECALL ON THESE ITEMS. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON A BRIGHT SUNNY DAY THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ON THE 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA WITH 500 FAILURE MILEAGE BECAME DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. THE DEALER AGREED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAY, BUT CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,000. *AK UPDATE*4/23/07 **TR

OCCASIONALLY, THE IGNITION DOES NOT TURN TO THE "START" POSITION. TO REMEDY THE SITUATION THE DRIVER USUALLY HAS TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MUCH EFFORT TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT. THEN THE IGNITION WILL EVENTUALLY TURN TO THE START POSITION AND THE AUTO WILL START. *NM