2020 Toyota Corolla Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Engine coolant bypass valve
"Engine maintenance required. Visit dealer" message appeared about 2 years ago. The message appears when I turn on the A/C or heater and will not go away, which affects multiple functions such as speedometer and text function.
Engine coolant leak from an issue with a valve that allows coolant to drip on other parts of the vehicle. “Engine Maintenance Required” is displayed on the instrument cluster and causes the A/C to not function normally.
Flow Shut-off Valve Coolant Leak
I have experienced a message saying 'Engine Maintenance Required' and after experiencing the same instances as many people have online, it seems the engine coolant bypass valve is faulty and needs to be replaced. No code can be read using a code reader either.
Coolant Bypass Valve
On June 19, 2025, I was driving and out of nowhere, there was a warning notification that said "A warning light was turned on. Would you like to call an operator?" On the digital cluster, there was a message that said "Engine Maintenance Required - Visit Your Dealer. Mileage noted down was 79,632. I asked around for some insight and people are telling me it's the water/coolant bypass valve that's leaking and the Op code is 24TE04R1. Will this be a covered service?
The engine maintenance required message appeared on the dash. I was travel from work to home (about 40 miles). I pulled over immediately at a store, left my car and walked over a mile to the mechanic shop down the road (in 95° weather with a knee that has been through 3 surgeries in less than 5 years). The gentleman took me back to my car. Followed me as i took my car back to the repair shop since it was close and did not have any lights on the dash and I was not overheating. He plugged a reader in it and the error was a coolant bypass valve issue (i can't remember the exact verbage). I purchased a replacement valve 6-17-25, along with toyota coolant. I am having to wait and save up the money to have the valve replaced at the shop got the message code from. I can not afford the dealerships cost to replace the valve. The valve and coolant was expensive in itself. I have read many forums and blogs. Toyota knew there was an issue and I am requesting my reimbursement for the cost of replacing a part you knew was faulty.
I received a "voluntary Customer Support Program" letter from Toyota saying that a small engine coolant leak can occur that "can allow coolant to drip on other parts of the vehicle. This can cause 'Engine Maintenance Required' to be displayed or cause the A/C not to function normally." Then it concludes that repair with a new "flow shut-off valve" will fix the problem, "under the terms of this Customer Support Program." I thought this was a recall and took my car in only to find that they wanted nearly $700 for the repair, because I did not have an extended warranty. When asked whether this could cause a safety problem if unfixed the reply from the Service Advisor was yes -- the coolant leak could potentially cause the engine to seize up on the highway. I was shocked that a defective part in the car I purchased new for $20,000 plus would not be replaced free of charge. I have put less than 16,000 miles on the car and now I find the resale value is essentially zero. And I now may be driving a potentially risky vehicle that could crash or leave me stranded somewhere. I feel there should be a repair at no charge.
Engine Maintenance Required displays see dealer displays in Panel. I have taken to my local shop Engine coolant bypass valve replaced. Still having same issue.
I keep getting a warning sign on my dashboard stating that "Engine maintenance required. Call your dealership". After scanning for codes, I get the code P2681, or that the Engine coolant bypass valve is faulty. After looking online it appears that this is a common issue with this car model. There is a class action lawsuit for this right now since the part is known to be faulty and can crack and leak engine coolant. Toyota has refused to issue a recall for this and will charge you to replace this faulty hardware. I also am not able to clear the message while driving and it will constantly pop back up distracting me while driving and making me unable to see any important warning on my dashboard. This is endangering my ability to safely drive my vehicle.
I have an error that appeared displaying “Engine Maintenance Required” after some investigation snd research, I have noticed that this is a common issue associated with the OEM Engine Coolant Bypass Valve. This occurred as I was driving home from work when I was driving down the freeway, I did not run into any obstacles or have an accident, it appeared out of thin air.
unknown. i know that my car was doing fine and then randomly the coolant was low and my car was overheating on my way to work. i have yet to get it fixed, as i dont know how much it could cost me. but i read that 2020-2021 toyota makes were having issues with their coolant.
Car is currently at 56k miles and the "Engine maintenance required" popped up on my dashboard I'm pretty sure this is the engine coolant bypass valve which I read is a constant problem for new toyotas like mine
I own a 2020 Toyota Corolla, and without any prior warning, the “Engine Maintenance Required” message appeared on my dashboard at approximately 79,575 miles. There were no unusual symptoms—no overheating, strange noises, or performance issues—before the light turned on. I had my vehicle inspected by Golling Toyota of Warren, where they diagnosed the issue as a faulty Engine Coolant Bypass Valve. I was informed that the valve needed to be replaced and flushed. The total cost of the repair was $932.21, which I had to pay out of pocket. Because the message specifically said “Engine Maintenance Required,” I was concerned that it could be a serious engine issue. Out of caution, I avoided driving the vehicle until it was inspected, as I didn’t know whether it could result in engine damage, performance failure, or a sudden breakdown while on the road. The fear of an unknown engine-related malfunction created a genuine safety concern for me and others —especially since the warning came without any prior symptoms. I later learned that the problem was tied to the Engine Coolant Bypass Valve, which is known to fail prematurely in Toyota vehicles. This failure can affect engine performance and temperature regulation, increasing the risk of engine damage or failure while driving. There is already a class-action lawsuit concerning this issue, yet Toyota has not issued a recall. Owners like myself are being left to pay out of pocket for a known defect that poses real safety risks. I’m submitting this complaint in hopes that Toyota will be held accountable and that the NHTSA will take appropriate action to protect consumers from this recurring and potentially dangerous defect.
“Engine maintenance required” alert received, related to a faulty coolant bypass valve which will need replacement. Vehicle is currently at 51,049 miles. Alert message can’t be dismissed from the dashboard. It obstructs a significant portion of the speedometer.
Coolant bypass valve broken dealers are charging $800, class action lawsuit pending
Valve matic is messed up. According to my research this is a known issue with 2020 Toyota corollas.
Vehicle maintenance light won’t turn off, stays off if car started with AC off but comes on and stays on while AC is running. Coolant overflow valve malfunction
There was a maintenance required notice on my dashboard and I searched up that it was my coolant bypass valve having an issue. Apparently it’s a defective part in Toyota Corolla and rav4 models from 2019-2023 I believe. The notice would come on and off each time I would start the vehicle. The dealership has confirmed this issue is common and after having it inspected and diagnosed, it was indeed the coolant bypass valve. My safety and the safety of others were fine, my engine would’ve been the unfortunate casualty if I did not take care of this.
Engine Coolant Bypass Valve replacement , Toyota is charging me 888 dollars for repair.
There is a problem with the bypass control heater valve of my car Corolla Toyota 2020 It says i have to replace it but it's still running good. I research what this part is about and it says that this is a malfunction in all the Toyota Corollas and RAV4 2019-2021. The message "engine maintenance required" doesn't go away and it doesn't let me see the mile percentage when driving. This problem has been confirmed by a mechanic who installed the tablet and run a test to see what's wrong with it. The car has not been checked by insurance because of this manufacturer malfunction. This all started happening 6 months ago and haven't found a way to replace it and dealership charges over 800 dollars for a mistake Toyota made on all Corollas line. Please help me find a solution. Thank you!
My 2020 toyota corolla's warning light which stated "engine maintenance required visit your dealer" came on. When I called the dealership they stated I would need to come in and hook it up to diagnose the problem which would cose me $185 + taxes and fees. Then once diagnosed they would be able to fix the problem. I checked with O'Reilly's autopart store and Autozone which both of their scanners found nothing wrong. So I informed Toyota and they stated they I need to bring it to them because their scanner/tool is the one which will tell us what the problem is specific to my car. But they stated they think it could be a hose related to my coolant system to prevent my car from overheating. They stated to watch the temperature gauge while driving as it may overheat and become dangerous to drive. If this happens or I see any smoke pull over and get out if the car. However they haven't seen anyone have to do this so they think I should be fine but I should fix this problem soon. I asked if that is the problem would it fall under my mechanical breakdown insurance coverage and the dealership stated that if that's the problem yes but if I go through the insurance it will take a really long time to fix because they'd have to file a claim and get paid before doing any repairs. Then they said I'd have to pay the copay and any difference. I was confused as my insurance states I only have to pay my copay. However, I had someone else with a scanner/tool hook theirs up and to see if we could check the actual problem and it did say the error code P268115 engine bypass coolant valve. So, this was the issue. I viewed online that there is a class action lawsuit going on right now for this same problem with 2019-2023 Toyota Rav 4 and Corolla's. Toyota failed to disclose this information to it's consumers and it is not being covered under the power train warranty either. This safety issue with cars overheating is dangerous and costly.
Experience with a faulty Coolant Bypass Valve. Read enough information of this being a problem with newer toyotas (RAVs, Camrys, Corollas, etc.). Cannot get rid of Engine Maintence Required notification on dash which pops up every 10 seconds when I’m driving after I dismiss it. This specific notificaiton is also NOT in the Toyota Manual whatsoever, and no it is not the Maintenance Service Required notification that comes up every 5,000 miles for basic check up.
The engine Coolant Valve is leaking coolant, in ordering a new part to replace so yes it’ll be available for inspection. My car Could overheat leaving me or my riders stranded wherever it is that the car stops. I went to Tires plus and they said I had to swap it out but I refuse to go to Toyota so they can rob my money The part has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance, The only symptom is my coolant runs low sometimes and my engine maintenance screen won’t go away
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Quick Summary
The 2020 Toyota Corolla has 82 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.