My brakes seem to malfunction when engaged after hitting potholes and/or street depressions. This has occurred on Kensington Street east of Church Avenue. This is between Church Avenue and Dale Mabry Highway among other streets. My safety was put at risk as I felt the brakes were not going to hold or stop the vehicle. No, it has not been attempted to be duplicated. When my brakes were…
2017 Toyota Corolla brakes problems
severe 11 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
3crashes
1injury
What stands out
No new NHTSA brakes complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 4 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: Master cylinder failure causing complete brake loss is the most serious pattern—multiple owners experienced total brake failure at relatively low mileage with no warning. Soft brake feel from new, grinding noises, and unresponsive automatic emergency braking also commonly reported across this group.
Owners report two critical brake failures: complete loss of braking force (pedal to floor, no stopping) and brake fade (soft pedal feel from new). Master cylinder failure appears in multiple complaints at 45,000–52,000 miles with no warning lights. One owner experienced it twice within 7,000 miles; Toyota headquarters involvement yielded no recall or fix. Total brake loss events happened at low speeds (parking lot, 3 mph) and highway speeds (80 mph), with owners forced to use emergency brake and engine braking.
Soft, deteriorating brake pedal feel starting at 500 miles is another pattern. Dealer adjustments provide temporary relief, then symptoms return—suggesting the dealer recognizes the problem even if Toyota claims nothing is wrong.
Brake noise issues include grinding (especially wet conditions) and squeaking from new. One owner's shim kit replacement didn't hold; another's shock absorber replacement didn't fix brake malfunction after pothole strikes.
Safety concerns extend to brake lights not illuminating during braking (reported by Oregon State Police), automatic emergency braking failing to engage, and drum brakes without inspection holes—preventing owners from checking rear brake condition themselves.
Same Toyota Corolla brakes reports on nearby years: 2016 · 2020
Failure modes owners describe
Master cylinder failure
Brake pedal depresses fully to the floor without stopping power. Occurs suddenly without warning lights. Happened twice in one owner's vehicle within 7,000 miles.
When: 45,000 miles and 52,000 miles (owner #2); approximately 45,000 miles (owner #3); 4,000 miles (owner #7); early ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Pedal depresses fully to floor; No stopping power; No warning lights; Vehicle does not stop until emergency brake engaged
Repairs/costs cited: Master cylinder replaced; repair cost $500 cited by one owner. Owner #3 ordered parts but vehicle not repaired at time of complaint.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota headquarters notified but provided no resolution per owner #2. Owner #3 advised to take to dealer.
Brake fade and soft pedal feel
Brakes feel abnormally soft and lose firmness over time from new. Pedal feel deteriorates progressively despite multiple adjustments by dealer.
When: From 500 miles onward; persistent through 22,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Soft brake pedal; Pedal feel worsens over time; Inadequate braking distance concern; Pedal feels better immediately after dealer adjustment but softens again
Repairs/costs cited: Adjusted twice with more adjustments planned. Owner states dealer acknowledges the issue through repeated adjustments.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota stated nothing is wrong despite obvious deterioration pattern.
Brake noise from shim kit
Abnormal grinding or squeaking sounds from brakes, particularly front and rear. One owner reported grinding noise during and after rain.
When: 97,000 miles (owner #5); present after rain (owner #1); new vehicle (owner #10)
Symptoms owners cite: Grinding noise when brakes applied; Grinding present during and after rain; Squeaky brakes from showroom; Abnormal sound from front and rear
Repairs/costs cited: Brake shim kit replaced per one owner; failure recurred. No repair details given for other noise complaints.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner #5 did not notify manufacturer. Owner #1 had brakes inspected but issue not reproduced or resolved.
Brake loss after pothole impact
Brake malfunction occurs after vehicle hits potholes or street depressions. Brakes fail to hold or stop properly following impact but function normally otherwise.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes malfunction after pothole/depression impact; Loss of brake holding; Safety concern during normal braking after impact; Grinding noise when brakes applied
Repairs/costs cited: Brakes inspected and reported fine. Shock absorber replaced by Toyota (though owner states struts were needed), but problem persisted.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership and Firestone reported brakes were fine. Toyota replaced shock absorber without reproducing the failure condition.
Brake lights not engaging
Brake lights fail to illuminate when brakes are applied. Reported by law enforcement as safety hazard. Another owner reported similar issue.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Brake lights do not engage when brakes applied; Brakes function but lights inactive
Automatic emergency braking system malfunction
Automatic emergency braking system does not engage when approaching other vehicles. Only activates when using adaptive cruise control.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: AEB does not engage when approaching vehicle; AEB only works with adaptive cruise control active
Drum brake design issue
Rear drum brakes lack inspection holes, making brake condition inspection and service impossible without disassembly.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: No inspection holes in drum brakes
Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Drum Brakes - no inspection hole. There are no inspection holes in any of my drum breaks
Brakes are slvery soft and have been since 500 miles; and from day one have seemed to soften over time. Braking distance in my opinion is dangerous from the factory. I've had them adjusted twice and I'm about to have it done a third time. I bought the car new and have driven 22k miles. Toyota says there is nothing wrong but since the pedal feel is better after they adjusted them, and slowly gets…
Had brakes trouble with your 2017 Toyota Corolla?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2017 Toyota Corolla?
It's a meaningful issue. 11 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $450.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Based on the 11 complaints filed, brakes issues most often appear around 34,083 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2017/Toyota/Corolla.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.