NHTSA complaint #11559132

Owner complaint summary

I purchased my 2019 corolla hatch manual new. Before even 9000 miles I started having transmission issues. I could not shift into first when the car was cold. It was like hitting a wall. I had to cycle through all the other gears before it would go back into first. I took it to Toyota. They were unable to replicate the issue. It happened so sporadically I asked the technician what would happen if I had transmission issues in the future since they were unable to witness the problem. He assured me that the issues were documented, and it would not be a problem at all. Now at 30000 I am having serious issues. The clutch is engaging late, it is chattering in first and second and there are metallic fragments in my transmission fluid. The entire transmission and clutch assembly is going to have to be replaced. Toyota is stating that it will probably not be covered by my warranty because the clutch is a wear item. I've driven a manual for decades. I've put over 100000 miles on a Toyota clutch I previously owned that still worked perfectly when I sold it. This issue is not a driver caused issue. The 2019 is notorious for transmission and clutch issues if you search any kind of forums. The automatic transmission was recalled; however, the manual owners are just up creek without a paddle because Toyota can claim it's all a wear issue caused by the driver. I have not received a decision from the warranty department yet, but I am pretty sure it is not going to be covered by the warranty. A car should not have transmission/clutch issues prior to 9000 miles and be at the owner's expense especially if it is documented.