Toyota
Toyota Corolla years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2020 and 2021. Best years: 2018.
The 2020 and 2021 Toyota Corolla draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2020 has 306 complaints (44 for each year on the road) and 2021 has 185 complaints (31 for each year on the road), against a median of 19 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2020 is overheating (89 reports).
- 1,784complaints
- 11recall campaigns
- 10model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2020
Most reported: overheating (89 reports, median 55,000 miles) and brake wear (23 reports, median 25,000 miles).
2021
Most reported: airbag (52 reports, median 55,000 miles) and overheating (29 reports, median 45,000 miles).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- No single year holds most of the file. The busiest, the 2020, has 17% of the 1,784 complaints across 10 model years.
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Airbag leads in 7 of the 9 model years and has the most reports overall, 388. Pooled across the years, half of the 185 owners who gave a mileage for airbag were under about 36,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 20% of Toyota Corolla complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 68 of its 214 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 8 of the 9 model years where owners report airbag have a recall on the same system. The 2022 has none. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2020 at 264 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 194. So far in 2026, 147 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Eleventh generation (E170)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 227 | 17 | 2 | Airbag warning light or recall (67) | 50,000 |
| 2015 | 219 | 18 | 1 | Airbag warning light or recall (56) | 34,000 |
| 2016 | 214 | 19 | 1 | Airbag warning light or recall (65) | 30,000 |
| 2017 | 178 | 18 | 3 | Airbag warning light or recall (54) | 20,000 |
| 2018 best | 134 | 15 | 3 | Airbag warning light or recall (36) | 19,450 |
| 2019 | 203 | 25 | 5 | Airbag warning light or recall (31) | 28,000 |
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2023 (73), 2024 (63), 2025 (31).
Year by year
2026 Toyota Corolla
17 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 6 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 1 recall: 26V-110 on the exterior lighting.
2022 Toyota Corolla
101 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (16 reports) and airbag (10 reports). 12 reports involved a crash and 10 people were hurt. No recalls.
2021 Toyota Corolla avoid
185 owner complaints, 31 for each year on the road (1.6 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (52 reports, median 55,000 miles), overheating (29 reports, median 45,000 miles) and seat belt (12 reports). 18 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 1 recall: 23V-865 on the airbags.
2020 Toyota Corolla avoid
306 owner complaints, 44 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (89 reports, median 55,000 miles), brake wear (23 reports, median 25,000 miles) and infotainment (18 reports). 22 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 23V-865 on the airbags and 20V-682 on the fuel system.
2019 Toyota Corolla
203 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.3 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (31 reports, median 13,395 miles), stalling (25 reports, median 29,149 miles) and overheating (22 reports). 23 reports involved a crash and 15 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 20V-024 on the airbags and 20V-012 on the fuel system.
2018 Toyota Corolla best
134 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (36 reports, median 15,000 miles), stalling (22 reports, median 24,000 miles) and driver assist (15 reports, median 17,890 miles). 26 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 20V-024 on the airbags and 20V-012 on the fuel system.
2017 Toyota Corolla
178 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (54 reports, median 38,700 miles), brake wear (26 reports, median 8,821 miles) and driver assist (19 reports, median 4,100 miles). 44 reports involved a crash and 41 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 20V-024 on the airbags and 19V-503 on the equipment.
2016 Toyota Corolla
214 owner complaints, 19 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (65 reports, median 35,000 miles), seat belt (31 reports, median 34,800 miles) and brake wear (29 reports, median 22,000 miles). 66 reports involved a crash and 56 people were hurt. 1 recall: 20V-024 on the airbags.
2015 Toyota Corolla
219 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (56 reports, median 43,000 miles), brake wear (18 reports, median 15,000 miles) and paint (13 reports). 60 reports involved a crash and 50 people were hurt. 1 recall: 20V-024 on the airbags.
2014 Toyota Corolla
227 owner complaints, 17 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (67 reports, median 48,000 miles), infotainment (27 reports, median 75,000 miles) and seat belt (16 reports, median 56,957 miles). 53 reports involved a crash and 41 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 20V-024 on the airbags and 13V-505 on the visibility.
Recalls that cover several model years
During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020.
Compare the Corolla with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Corolla vs Honda Civic2014 to 2026
- Corolla vs Hyundai Elantra2014 to 2022
- Corolla vs Mazda32014 to 2018
- Corolla vs Nissan Sentra2014 to 2026
- Corolla vs Volkswagen Jetta2014 to 2019
- Corolla vs Chevrolet Cruze2014 to 2018
- Corolla vs Subaru Impreza2017 to 2019
Questions
What Toyota Corolla years should you avoid?
The 2020 and 2021 Toyota Corolla draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2020 has 306 complaints (44 for each year on the road) and 2021 has 185 complaints (31 for each year on the road), against a median of 19 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2020 is overheating (89 reports).
What are the best years for the Toyota Corolla?
The 2018 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 134, or 15 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Toyota Corolla?
Airbag, with 388 reports across the 10 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
How many recalls does the Toyota Corolla have?
11 recall campaigns cover the Toyota Corolla model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 20V-024 on the airbags, covers 6 model years.
How many Toyota Corolla complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
20% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for airbag on the Toyota Corolla?
On 8 of the 9 model years where owners report it: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.