Toyota Corolla Beeping? (9 Causes & Solutions)

The Corolla is one of the world’s highest-selling cars.

They’ve always had lots of tech features too and these are responsible for various beeps, noises and chimes.

If you’re unsure why your Corrolla keeps beeping then this guide is for you.

Toyota Corolla Beeping

The most common causes of beeping on a Toyota Corolla include the dash camera, faulty seatbelt sensors, loose electrical connections, low keyfob battery, navigation alerts, low tire pressure, defective door latches or one of the driver assistance features.

Spare Keys Left in Vehicle

If you’ve left a spare set of keys in your Corolla you may hear a warning beep when you go to lock the vehicle as it thinks you are trying to lock the keys in the car.

Dash Camera

If you have the Toyota factory installed dashcam you’ll likely hear this beep on startup.

You won’t see any warning lights come up on the dash, however, if you look behind your rearview mirror where the dashcam is located, you will see the dash camera flashing.

If you see an error flash, you may notice the micro SD card has not been fully inserted into the camera.

By pressing the SD card into the dashcam, this should stop the beeping.

However, if the SD card is in and it’s still beeping, press and hold the ‘action’ button while you turn on the car.

  1. Make sure the vehicle is completely off
  2. Make sure you are parked on level ground
  3. Make sure the camera has shut off
  4. Press and hold the action button
  5. Then start your vehicle

By doing so you will recalibrate your vehicle.

You should hear a couple of beeps and see a green light and you’re good to go.

Loose Connection: Seat Belt Sensors

Loose wiring or a bad electrical connection may be triggering a beeping noise.

It’s worth checking underneath every seat in the vehicle and checking / pressing together all the plastic wire connectors to ensure they are all tight.

It’s also a good idea to do the same behind the glovebox.

Key Fob Battery

This one is fairly self-explanatory.

Make sure your key fob battery has plenty of charge and replace it if it doesn’t.

Seatbelt Alarm & Weight on Seat

The seatbelt alarm is a known suspect for annoying beeps.

There might be a faulty sensor that isn’t recognizing that your seatbelt is fastened.

Alternatively, you may have some weight on the passenger seat like a bag of groceries which is triggering an alarm.

In which case you can try fastening the passenger seatbelt.

You may also be interested in our article: How Long Do Toyota Corolla Hybrids Last?

BSM

The Blind Spot Monitor warns the driver if someone is in their blind spot or if someone is coming up behind your vehicle when you start to reverse, a warning light will flash in your mirror and it should also make a beeping sound.

Faulty Switches

A faulty headlight switch or a faulty ignition switch may be the cause of the beeping.

Since the headlights being on, or the key being in the ignition will cause the chime to sound, one of these switches may have a loose connection or be faulty.

Headlight blown

Check to make sure that none of your lights have burnt out, you should check your rear lights and brake lights too.

Burnt Out Airbag Warning Light

On many vehicles, if the airbag warning lamp has blown on the gauge cluster, the car will beep to warn the driver.

You should be able to see the light come on when you start the car.

You may also be interested in our article: Toyota Corolla: 12 Common Problems

Toyota Corolla Beeping While Driving

If you are experiencing beeping whilst driving your Toyota Corolla, this may be caused by a faulty door latch, if you have a ‘door ajar’ light on the dashboard then this is almost certainly the case, these latches can often become stuck.

Faulty latches are very common across all vehicles – you may need to have a latch replaced although you should first try lubricating it with something like WD-40.

If it’s not related to the door sensor/latch then it could be caused by a damaged wire.

A lot of mysterious beeps and electrical issues can be traced back to damaged wires or loose electrical connections.

Why Does My Corolla Beep When I Turn It Off

If you are hearing a beep or chime when you turn off your Corolla this is likely because you opened the door first without turning off the engine. It may also be caused by if you left the sunroof open.

No Chime:

  1. Engine running
  2. Put vehicle into Park.
  3. Turn off the Engine
  4. Open the door.

Chime:

  1.  Engine running
  2. Put vehicle into Park
  3. Open the door
  4. Turn off the Engine

It may be possible to disable this using the Toyota Techstream software.

Toyota Corolla Not Beeping When Locked

If your not Corolla isn’t beeping when you lock it, it may be because the lock beeps have been turned off. The procedure to turn the beeps back on is fairly straightforward.

This trick is common across a wide range of Toyota vehicles from various years and isn’t specific to the Corolla.

  1. Sit inside the vehicle leave the door open
  2. Put the key in the ignition
  3. Release it straight away
  4. Put the key back in
  5. Turn the key to ON
  6. Count to 10
  7. Press any key on the fob, release.
  8. Press it again.
  9. You should hear a beep, that means it worked.
  10. Step outside the vehicle and test it out.

You may also be interested in our article: Toyota Corolla Tune-Up & Maintenance Costs (Complete Guide)

Other Common Beeping Causes

  • Door / rear hatch open or not closed properly
  • Traction control (beeps when it activates)
  • Exceeding speeds set in cruise control
  • Low air temperature outside and possibility of ice on the road
  • Door is open and key is ignition
  • Seatbelt not fastened
  • Headlights on / key in ignition when door is open
  • Low fluids e.g. windshield waher fluid
  • Reversing (in some cases)
  • Spare set of keys locked in car
  • A warning / error condition on the instruments
  • Low fuel
  • RSA (road sign assist)
  • Lane Sway Warning (excessive swaying within the lane markings)
  • Lane Departure Alert
  • BSM (blind spot monitor)
  • ICS (Intelligent Clearance Sonar)
  • Park Assist
  • PCS (Pre-Collison System)

Diagnosing Beeps With a Scanner

Another possible option if you’re hearing a beeping sound is to use an OBD2 diagnostic scanner tool.

These are fairly easy to use, you simply plug them into your car – there’s usually an OBD2 port under the steering wheel.

Once you have the scan codes you can research these online specifically for the Corolla.

There are also OBD apps available so you can connect your car straight to your smartphone (either with a cable or Bluetooth) without even needing a scanner.

Related: 7 Most Common Toyota Corolla Problems (Solved & Explained)

Resources

https://www.toyota.com/owners/resources/warranty-owners-manuals.corolla.2020

https://www.toyota.com/owners/resources/warranty-owners-manuals.corolla.2016

Toyota Corolla Alarm Going Off? (12 Causes & Solutions)

Author:

  • Ian Sawyer

    Growing up with a father who was a mechanic I had an appreciation for cars and motorcycles from an early age. I shared my first bike with my brother that had little more than a 40cc engine but it opened up a world of excitement for me, I was hooked. As I grew older I progressed onto bigger bikes and...