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Toyota Corolla CrossModel year report

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Problems

Complaints
177filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
2,900miles, 10 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
32 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 31 city / 33 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Most complaints on this model year center on the automatic engine stop/start system: owners describe the engine shutting down at a stop and then failing to restart on its own, often in rain with the wipers running, leaving them to shift into park and restart manually. A second recurring theme covers electrical glitches and dashboard warnings (battery charging, AWD malfunction, low steering power). Reports cluster at very low mileage — many within the first few thousand miles.

  1. Engine

    Engine stops at a stop and will not restart (auto

    • 120 complaints (68%)
    • median 3,000 mi at 0.8 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2023–2026

    Owners describe the engine shutting off at a traffic light or stop sign under the automatic stop/start feature and then failing to restart when the brake is released or the accelerator pressed. The dashboard shows messages such as "Engine Stopped" and "Steering Power Low," often with a check engine light and repeated beeping, and the steering becomes heavy. The usual workaround reported is shifting into park, switching the vehicle off, and restarting; several say the dealer could not reproduce the condition. Mostly reported in the first few thousand miles, frequently on rainy days with the windshield wipers running.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the stop/start-related service bulletin was applied and whether the battery and starting system have been checked. During a test drive, stop the vehicle with the wipers on and confirm the engine restarts normally.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving on the highway in traffic with the stop/start function active. It was raining and windshield wipers were on. Engine stalled in traffic and I couldn't turn the car back on, pressed the brake and it wouldn't restart. I put it in park and it started back up. The dash had a low power steering indicator and check engine light was on.”

    NHTSA complaint #11536711, filed 2023-08

    “I was in New York taking my boyfriend to work and was at a red light and out of nowhere the car started to beep and said the power steering was low and to press the brake to restart, nothing happened when I pressed the brake and then I received a message saying the engine turned off, the traffic light turned green and I had to put my car in neutral to park it and turn it off. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11536838, filed 2023-08
  2. Steering

    Power steering assistance drops at low speed

    • 78 complaints (44%)
    • median 4,600 mi at 0.9 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2023–2026

    Alongside the stop/start stalls, owners report the steering becoming very heavy or locking while stopped or at low speed, accompanied by a "Steering Power Low" message. In a few accounts the vehicle rolled or was hard to steer at an intersection until it was restarted. Dealers were often unable to duplicate the condition. Typically reported in the first several thousand miles, at stops and low-speed maneuvers.

    Recall 23V480000Recall 25V040000

    What to check: Ask whether the steering column spiral cable recalls (23V480 and the follow-up 25V040) were completed, and confirm steering effort feels normal at parking-lot speeds.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was making an Michigan Left turn/U-turn & Hit the breaks for a traffic Signal, All of a Sudden my Engine stopped & steering got locked (I mean complete Halt), Then I have to change the Gear to Parking & restart my Car followed by Shifting to Drive mode, Luckily Vehicle started Moving & steering was Free.”

    NHTSA complaint #11520181, filed 2023-05

    “At a stop light the car shut down on me. Immediately on the the following message appeared on the warning panel indicator : “steering power low” then “ engine stopped “ and “ Press brake firmly to restart”. I followed the instructions but it didn’t work. I had to shift the car to park to be able to start the engine again. This happened on 4 occasions. In case this is relevant, it was raining heavily throughout the entire day.”

    NHTSA complaint #11538676, filed 2023-08
  3. Electrical system

    Multiple warning lights and electrical system messages

    • 38 complaints (21%)
    • median 2,900 mi at 0.9 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2023–2026

    Complaints describe clusters of warnings appearing together — 12-volt battery charging malfunction, AWD system malfunction with 2WD mode engaged, drive-start control, parking brake, vehicle stability control and secondary collision brake messages. In some cases the vehicle loses power or shuts down while driving, and owners report the dealer was unable to find a cause and cleared the codes, after which the messages returned. Reported across a wide mileage range, from near-new vehicles to tens of thousands of miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for a diagnostic scan history and whether any stored codes were cleared without repair. Check that battery and charging system components have been inspected.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I ordered the car in July and it arrived on 8/3/23. On 8/31/23, I got in the car while in my garage, attempted to start it as usual, and a loud sound occurred when I shifted from park to reverse. Lights began flashing. I turned off the car, got out and walked around to make sure I hadn’t hit anything. After verifying clearance all around, I checked my phone. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11542639, filed 2023-09

    “Dear NHTSA Representative: I bought a Toyota Cross LE 2023 in April of 2023. During the first few weeks of owning and using the vehicle, seat belt alarms got activated even though all passengers were wearing their respective seat belts. Also, open door alarms got activated randomly while all of them were properly closed. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11556116, filed 2023-11

Buying note. This model year draws a large share of complaints at very low mileage, mostly about the stop/start system stalling and not restarting. A test drive that includes a stop with the wipers on, plus a check of open recall status and any stop/start or head-unit software updates, gives a useful picture before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 177 consumer complaints for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. 10 of the complaints include a mileage, and 90% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 2,900 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 5 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 106 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Fuel system (7), Lane departure (5), Body and structure (3), Vehicle speed control (2), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (1), Engine cooling (1), Equipment (1), Seats (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “My vehicle stalled out 3 times in one day while stopped a t a traffic light. Windshield wipers were on (I do not recall what setting). First message displayed advised to press firmly on brake, which I did. Second message was low power steering and the engine shut off completely. I had to put in park, turn off, and restart. Thankfully it did without issue.”

NHTSA complaint #11519957, filed 2023-05

Electrical system: “I was stopped at a light and the check engine light came on, warning sounds and low steering power light flashed. Car would not move. I was able to put the car in park and turn off and back on and was able to proceed. Dealer found no error codes or defects when I took it to the dealership. They are keeping it for more diagnostics.”

NHTSA complaint #11503812, filed 2023-01

Steering: “I was at a red light with my windshield wipers on. I then heard several warning beeps with messages stating steering power low , battery low, and then the steering locked. I tried to turn the wheel after the last message came up but the steering wheel was locked. I couldn’t accelerate. I had to park the car and turn it off and on again. This has happened twice now and Toyota says it is “fine”.”

NHTSA complaint #11641201, filed 2025-02

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “Nothing has happened yet but I feel that the wipers on this vehicle, in high speed, are not adequate to clear the windshield in a heavy rain. I have great anxiety driving in heavy rain since purchasing this vehicle. I would like this to be noted in case others complain and hopefully it can lead to a solution. I just purchased this vehicle and now am stuck with a vehicle that can't provide basic safety.”

NHTSA complaint #11559290, filed 2023-12

Mileage when problems were reported

90% of the 10 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 1,000 and 9,000 miles.

80%0–1010%10–250%25–5010%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (10 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 2,900 miles.

Complaints by year filed

This model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

2023115202420252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Corolla Cross · SUV AWDnot rated4 / 455—
Corolla Cross · SUV FWDnot rated4 / 455—

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2023 model year: forward collision warning standard, lane departure warning standard, automatic emergency braking standard.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Corolla Cross FWD2.0L 4-cylCVT313332$2,100
Corolla Cross 4WD2.0L 4-cylCVT293230$2,250

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 106 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 106 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Corolla Cross

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026271,6790532Too new to compareToo new
2025213,6000532—Too new
20244650,0000—32Too new to compareToo new
20231772,9004—32Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Too new
20224931,5002—32Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising

All Toyota Corolla Cross model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross?

Most complaints on this model year center on the automatic engine stop/start system: owners describe the engine shutting down at a stop and then failing to restart on its own, often in rain with the wipers running, leaving them to shift into park and restart manually. The issues reported most often: Engine stops at a stop and will not restart (auto; Power steering assistance drops at low speed; Multiple warning lights and electrical system messages.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross have?

NHTSA recorded 177 consumer complaints for the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 104 complaints (59% of the total), followed by electrical system with 70.

Has the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross get?

The EPA rates the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross (Corolla Cross, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 32 mpg combined, 31 city and 33 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,100 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross reported?

Among the 10 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 2,900 miles and the middle half falls between 1,000 and 9,000 miles; 90% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.