Toyota Corolla Problems by Year
NHTSA has 11,192 owner complaints and 49 safety recalls on file for the Toyota Corolla, across 32 model years (1995–2026). The 2009 model year has the most complaints (1,459). The most reported problem area overall is air bags.
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Toyota Corolla years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Corolla year: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2009 Corolla: 1,459 complaints, 13 recalls
- 2010 Corolla: 1,244 complaints, 17 recalls
- 2005 Corolla: 854 complaints, 6 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2026 Corolla: 17 complaints, 1 recall
- 2025 Corolla: 31 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2024 Corolla: 64 complaints, 2 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Toyota Corolla problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 4,559 | 32 | 907 |
| Steering problems | 1,169 | 32 | 142 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 1,127 | 32 | 423 |
| Electrical System problems | 828 | 32 | 51 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 656 | 21 | 17 |
| Power Train problems | 637 | 32 | 50 |
| Engine problems | 608 | 29 | 40 |
| Structure problems | 417 | 30 | 104 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 385 | 23 | 114 |
| Service Brakes problems | 372 | 27 | 133 |
| Seat Belts problems | 340 | 30 | 86 |
| Suspension problems | 245 | 29 | 29 |
| Tires problems | 210 | 29 | 28 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 198 | 25 | 12 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 181 | 30 | 13 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 174 | 25 | 8 |
| Visibility problems | 171 | 24 | 2 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 130 | 23 | 1 |
| Wheels problems | 126 | 26 | 33 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 122 | 18 | 21 |
| Seats problems | 102 | 27 | 17 |
| Equipment | 78 | 21 | 7 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 65 | 10 | 22 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 53 | 20 | 3 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 41 | 8 | 12 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 25 | 11 | 6 |
| Lane Departure | 24 | 10 | 6 |
| Fuel System, Other | 22 | 11 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 20 | 11 | 9 |
| Traction Control System | 15 | 7 | 3 |
| Back Over Prevention | 14 | 8 | 3 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 13 | 7 | 5 |
| Child Seat | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Toyota Corolla problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2021: air bags (52)
- 2020: engine (111)
- 2019: power train (55)
- 2017: air bags (54)
- 2016: air bags (65)
- 2015: air bags (56)
- 2014: air bags (69) · electrical system (52)
- 2013: air bags (72)
- 2012: air bags (370)
- 2011: air bags (418)
- 2010: air bags (424) · steering (371) · vehicle speed control (198) · service brakes, hydraulic (101) · electrical system (75)
- 2009: air bags (552) · steering (382) · vehicle speed control (197) · engine (91) · electrical system (89) · service brakes, hydraulic (70)
- 2008: air bags (138) · vehicle speed control (54)
- 2007: air bags (436) · vehicle speed control (95) · electrical system (89) · engine and engine cooling (68)
- 2006: air bags (454) · engine and engine cooling (104) · electrical system (85) · vehicle speed control (75)
- 2005: air bags (457) · engine and engine cooling (92) · vehicle speed control (66) · electrical system (59)
- 2004: air bags (236) · vehicle speed control (60)
- 2003: air bags (332) · engine and engine cooling (92) · vehicle speed control (77) · power train (61)
- 1998: air bags (61)
- 1995: air bags (54)
All Toyota Corolla model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Corolla | 17 | 1 | — | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2025 Corolla | 31 | 0 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Corolla | 64 | 2 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Corolla | 73 | 3 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Corolla | 101 | 0 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Corolla | 186 | 1 | 5★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2020 Corolla | 310 | 3 | 5★ | Engine | More complaints than other years |
| 2019 Corolla | 204 | 5 | 5★ | Power Train | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2018 Corolla | 134 | 3 | 5★ | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2017 Corolla | 178 | 3 | 5★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2016 Corolla | 215 | 1 | 5★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2015 Corolla | 220 | 1 | 5★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2014 Corolla | 269 | 2 | 5★ | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2013 Corolla | 201 | 5 | 4★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2012 Corolla | 446 | 5 | 4★ | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2011 Corolla | 584 | 9 | 3★ | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2010 Corolla | 1,244 | 17 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2009 Corolla | 1,459 | 13 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2008 Corolla | 314 | 6 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2007 Corolla | 836 | 6 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Corolla | 840 | 7 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Corolla | 854 | 6 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Corolla | 477 | 9 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Corolla | 720 | 9 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Corolla | 117 | 0 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2001 Corolla | 133 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2000 Corolla | 145 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1999 Corolla | 155 | 0 | — | Tires | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1998 Corolla | 225 | 0 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1997 Corolla | 135 | 1 | — | Seat Belts | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1996 Corolla | 129 | 0 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 1995 Corolla | 176 | 2 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
More from Toyota: all Toyota models · Toyota VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Corolla years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2003 (720), 2004 (477), 2005 (854), 2006 (840), 2007 (836), 2009 (1,459), 2010 (1,244), 2011 (584), 2012 (446) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Corolla year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Toyota Corolla?
Air Bags, with 4,559 complaints across 32 model years.
How many recalls does the Toyota Corolla have?
49 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.