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Over the years, Toyota has had a near-spotless reputation for reliability. The same goes for its luxury arm, Lexus, which recently took the crown from Toyota in terms of reliability ratings. That said, many argue that the Japanese carmaker's vehicles are no longer as reliable. There have been many service recalls, which at the very least, means Toyota is willing to sort out the issues. Last year, Akio Toyoda assured that there would be no cover-ups related to quality, following a 2023-2023 Toyota Prius recall.
But apparently, even the current-generation Toyota Corolla isn't exempt from annoying issues – ones that could, potentially, result in expensive repair bills. A member of the Toyota Nation forum recently started a thread about his 2020 Toyota Corolla hatchback going into “reduced engine power mode”.
It turned out the culprits are a failed oil-pressure sensor and oil-pressure sensor valve – replacement part numbers: 89637-63010 (sensor) and 15250-F0020 (sensor valve). The parts malfunction was accompanied by error codes P0524 (engine oil pressure low) and P0520-2A (engine oil-pressure sensor “A” signal stuck in range).
By all means, the issues should have stopped once the faulty parts have been replaced, but no. Just 10 km (6 miles) from the repair shop, the check engine light illuminates, followed by a few more indicators on the instrument cluster and a plethora of malfunction messages.
Those include malfunction of the electronic control of the engine (ECU) and even more interestingly, malfunction in the automatic transmission (it is a manual car). The odometer shows 126,905 km, which equates to 78,233 miles. Toyota cars, Corollas in particular, are known to last for hundreds of thousands of miles, so what's the deal?
Forums are a great place to get help from people that have experienced similar issues before you. But it can also be a place where you can be misled. One particular member in the discussion pointed my attention to something Toyota did with the Corolla's 12V battery.
Somewhere along the production cycle, the twelfth-generation Toyota Corolla switched to smaller batteries, from 54 to 45 Amp. The owner claims he hasn't changed the battery and could be the original, but even so four years isn't that much for an original battery, unless the car has been driven mainly on short distances and/or around town.
Many Corolla owners who have a 45-Amp battery switch to the 54-Amp piece, but it is unclear if that's what's causing the issue here. A fading car battery cold throw error codes and illuminate different indicators on the instrument cluster, including a check engine light.
The 2020 Toyota Corolla has three service recalls so far:
- Low-pressure fuel pump failure– check which other models fall under this recall here.
- Seat-belt failure – also applies for the 2019-2020 Toyota C-HR
- Brake booster pump failure
So, nothing about the oil pressure sensor and sensor valve. Perhaps, the issue isn't widespread enough for Toyota to take note. While every car has common issues, it is easy to forget there can be unexpected ones. Whether this a case of a manufacturing defect or something more common, remains to be seen.
I will follow with interest and report accordingly, so other Toyota Corolla owners have better understanding of their car. The bigger issue for me remains the faulty oil-pressure sensor and valve, at under 80,000.
Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.
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