Which Toyota Corolla years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

Owners have filed 2,614 complaints with NHTSA about the Toyota Corolla from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the air bags, the engine and cooling and the transmission and drivetrain. The years with the most complaints are 2012, 2020 and 2014.
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| Year | Vs. other years | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Corolla | Among the worst years | 446 | 5 |
| 2013 Corolla | About average | 201 | 5 |
| 2014 Corolla | About average | 271 | 2 |
| 2015 Corolla | About average | 220 | 1 |
| 2016 Corolla | About average | 215 | 1 |
| 2017 Corolla | About average | 178 | 3 |
| 2018 Corolla | One of the better years | 136 | 3 |
| 2019 Corolla | About average | 205 | 5 |
| 2020 Corolla | Worse than most years | 311 | 3 |
| 2021 Corolla | About average | 188 | 1 |
| 2022 Corolla | Too new to judge | 103 | 0 |
| 2023 Corolla | Too new to judge | 74 | 3 |
| 2024 Corolla | Too new to judge | 66 | 2 |
Compared with its other years, the Corolla years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2012. The most reported problem area across all years is the air bags.
The Corolla years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2018. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.
Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the air bags, the engine and cooling and the transmission and drivetrain most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.
NHTSA lists 34 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Corolla, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.
These problems are for the model year as a whole. Here is how to find out about the one you are looking at.
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