NHTSA Complaint #10860456 — 2015 TOYOTA COROLLA

BOUGHT MAY 2015, WARM DAY, FIRM BRAKES. WET, COLD FALL MONTHS BRAKES BECAME SOFT W/ EXCESSIVE TRAVEL & ERRATIC DURING 40MPH & UNDER. TOOK TO DEALER SEPT 2015 AT 1,562 MILES. TECH PERFORMED ROAD TEST. COULDN'T DUPLICATE CONDITIONS. CHECKED FOR CODES. STATED 'FOUND NORMAL BRAKING CONDITIONS'. I STARTED DRIVING AGAIN & NOTICED DURING WARM DAYS AROUND 70 DEG BRAKES CHANGED HARDNESS WITH A/C ON. MORE FIRM. DURING COLDER DAYS BRAKES WOULD GO WITHIN 2 INCHES OF FLOOR BEFORE WORKING. TOOK TO DEALER ON 'WALK-IN' BASIS WHEN CAR WAS ACTING UP. DROVE W/ TECH 1 HR TRIED TO GET HIM TO NOTICE DIFFERENCE IN BRAKES. TECH STATED BRAKES WERE ACTING 'NORMAL' & THAT I JUST WASN'T FAMILIAR W/ HOW THE SYSTEMS OPERATED. I INSISTED IT WASN'T NORMAL. TECH CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. THEY SAID REPLACE MASTER CYLINDER AND BLEED SYSTEM. RETURNED CAR & STATED 'DRIVING CORRECTLY NOW'. I STARTED DRIVING AGAIN & NOTICED WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE COMPT WHEN DRIVING UNDER 30MPH BETWEEN BDLGS W/ WINDOW DOWN. BRAKES GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AT TIMES & THEY GRAB & THE CAR STOPS ABRUPTLY. ESPECIALLY IN STOP-&-GO TRAFFIC. TOOK TO DEALER MARCH 2016 AT 4,800 MILES. I SUGGESTED CHECKING ENTIRE VACUUM SYSTEM FOR LEAKS. TECH ONLY CHECKED LINE TO BRAKE BOOSTER. TECH MADE 'LITTLE' ADJUSTMENT TO E-BRAKE & REAR BRAKES. TECH STATED BRAKES 'FEELS SIMILAR TO NEW COROLLA' & NO WHISTLING SOUND. I CAN STILL HEAR WHISTLING SOUND & BRAKES STILL HAVE SAME ISSUES! I THINK IT'S A DESIGN FLAW RELATED TO THE ENTIRE VACUUM SYSTEM & SHOULD BE RECALLED! TOLD DEALER. TEST DROVE 2016 HONDA CIVIC W/ SIMILAR BRAKING SYSTEMS IT PERFORMED LIKE A NEW CAR SHOULD! OTHER ISSUES W/THIS COROLLA ARE THE SUSPENSION IS TOO 'LOOSE' WHEN TRAVELING ABOVE 55MPH & CHANGING LANES, THE ENGINE IS WAY TOO LOUD WHEN ACCEL & OFTEN KNOCKS DURING ACCEL & IDLING (CHANGED GAS STATIONS & CHECKED FUEL TYPE, STILL SAME PROBLEM), & HEADLIGHTS R 2 BRIGHT...