1997 Toyota Corolla Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Corolla years
- Fewer complaints than other years 23rd of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 135 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Toyota Corolla. That ranks 23rd out of 32 Corolla model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is seat belts (38 complaints, 28%), typically at around 76,850 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 5 fires, 22 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 135owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Toyota Corolla problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 38 | 28% | 76,850 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 29 | 21% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 7% | 99,876 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 5% | 117,187 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 5% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 4% | 99,350 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 4% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 200,110 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 2% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 2% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 76,110 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Toyota Corolla recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags
Problem: If the air bag computer in a subject vehicle experiences a mechanical shock (i.e., rapidly moving the front seat back against the stops or a sudden release of the parking brake) within a very short time after the engine is started, the air bag can deploy inadvertently.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will repair the air bag computer.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Driver side door will not open manually to repair malfunctioning electric door lock
I was scanning my vehicle with an obd2 scanner and learned that my car, which i'm not the original owner, has had recalls and i don't know if they've been rectified. Attached are screenshots of the recall information. The first one has me more worried than the other....inadvertent deployment of…
On march 23, 2013, i purchased four new cooper tires from sears auto center in lima, ohio, for my 1997 toyota corolla. The specific tires installed were cooper response touring m+s 175/65r14, dot u9ex lrc 4110, a08. Since that time, i have driven less than 30,000 miles on the tires and maintained…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota corolla equipped with cooper response touring tires, size: 175/65/r14. While driving 65 mph, the contact felt a vibration coming from the steering wheel and the front passenger side tire blew out. In addition, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The…
My driver side seat belt will not come out. I have actually had this problem before and got it fixed about a year or two ago. I paid over 300.00 for a mechanic shop to completely replace my seat belt. Now it is happening again to the replacement seat belt. I really don't think it should be my…
Other Toyota Corolla years
← 1996 Corolla · 1998 Corolla →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Corolla | 17 | 1 |
| 2025 Corolla | 31 | 0 |
| 2024 Corolla | 65 | 2 |
| 2023 Corolla | 73 | 3 |
| 2022 Corolla | 101 | 0 |
| 2021 Corolla | 186 | 1 |
| 2020 Corolla | 310 | 3 |
| 2019 Corolla | 204 | 5 |
| 2018 Corolla | 135 | 3 |
| 2017 Corolla | 178 | 3 |
| 2016 Corolla | 215 | 1 |
| 2015 Corolla | 220 | 1 |
| 2014 Corolla | 269 | 2 |
| 2013 Corolla | 201 | 5 |
| 2012 Corolla | 446 | 5 |
| 2011 Corolla | 584 | 9 |
| 2010 Corolla | 1,244 | 17 |
| 2009 Corolla | 1,459 | 13 |
| 2008 Corolla | 314 | 6 |
| 2007 Corolla | 836 | 6 |
| 2006 Corolla | 840 | 7 |
| 2005 Corolla | 854 | 6 |
| 2004 Corolla | 477 | 9 |
| 2003 Corolla | 720 | 9 |
| 2002 Corolla | 117 | 0 |
| 2001 Corolla | 133 | 0 |
| 2000 Corolla | 145 | 0 |
| 1999 Corolla | 155 | 0 |
| 1998 Corolla | 225 | 0 |
| 1997 | 135 | 1 |
| 1996 Corolla | 129 | 0 |
| 1995 Corolla | 176 | 2 |
See all Toyota Corolla problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Toyota Corolla?
Owners most often report seat belts, air bags, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, seat belts, accounts for 38 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Toyota Corolla?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Toyota Corolla a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Corolla model years, the 1997 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.