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2021 Toyota Corolla Problems & Owner Complaints

184 NHTSA owner complaints
18 crash 2 fire 13 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~30.7 complaints per year on the road — ranking 2 of 12 Toyota Corolla years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 2021 Toyota Corolla, cited in 52 of 184 filed complaints (28%).

Engine is next (40 complaints, 22%), followed by Electrical System (22), Power Train (19), Visibility/Wiper (15).

Across all complaints, 18 report a crash, 2 report a fire, 13 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Air Bags: 12 crash, 1 fire, 12 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota Corolla, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 184.

Air Bags 52 12 crash 1 fire 12 injury

“The contact owned a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle ran a red light and crashed into the front passenger's side door. The contact stated that the air bags deployed, except for the driver's side steering wheel air bag. The impact caused her chest to lunge forward, and the contact fractured her neck. A passenger seated in the passenger's side front seat sustained bruising from her neck, her waist, and a fractured collarbone. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed…”
NHTSA complaint #11503491, 2022 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“I was rear ended. During the impact, which was enough to accelerate my vehicle from 9 mph to 36 mph, the steering wheel came completely off of the car and hit me in the head. The steering wheel was in the back seat immediately following the impact and my vehicle was traveling at 36 mph with no way to steer out control it and no airbags in front of me in case of a secondary collision. This happened on a busy interstate with dozens of drivers endangered by my out of control vehicle. Traffic had slowed for construction and it was a miracle I wasn't further injured or caused injury to anyone else.…”
NHTSA complaint #11502288, 2022 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while at a stop light in the turning lane, another vehicle rear-ended the contact, causing minor damages to the rear bumper of the vehicle. The contact was unsure of the damages to the other vehicle. No air bags deploy. The contact stated that the front driver side and front passenger side seat belts did not restrain causing both the contact and the passenger to strike their head. The contact noise was broken along with other head, eyes, and face injuries and the passenger also head and eyes injuries, both the contact and passenger sou…”
NHTSA complaint #11521142, 2021 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

Engine 40 2 crash

“2021 TOYOTA COROLLA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OVER A BARRIER. WHEN THE CONSUMER REVERSED THE VEHICLE, IT ACCELERATED BACKWARDS INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. *JS”
NHTSA complaint #11466934, 2022 · crash

“AFTER PURCHASING MY COROLLA MY CAR POWERED DOWN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHECKED IT AND STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THIS WAS IN NOVEMBER 2020. ON 1/16/2021 I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, EVERYTHING JUST POWERED DOWN. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS AROUND 6:00PM. I THEN CALLED MY FAMILY AND TOLD THEM WHERE I WAS AND WHAT HAPPENED. A PASSERBY STOPPED TO ASSIST ME AND GOT MY CAR RUNNING BY JUMPING IT OFF. AN HOUR LATER I WAS SITTING IN A PRIVATE DRIVE WAITING ON TRAFFIC TO PA…”
NHTSA complaint #11399776, 2021 · crash

“This Toyota Corolla hatchback is experiencing an issue where it is constantly giving an “ENGINE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED” light and when scanned, it says “coolant bypass valve malfunction”. There is already a recall for many Toyota Corolla Sedans experiencing this issue of this bypass valve being defective, but because this is a hatchback, it is not part of the recall when it should be. There is already a recall for vehicles affected with this issue: T-SB-0112-24”
NHTSA complaint #11751893, 2026

Unknown Or Other 31 2 crash 1 fire

“While driving the vehicle the brake hold system was activated at a red light. While proceeding through the light within (about) 5 minutes the vehicle indicated a brake hold malfunction. An odor of smoke was also present, at that point I turned off the vehicle and inspected the origin; the trunk. Upon opening the trunk the right side had a sizeable fire growing towards my assets. Police did arrive on scene, an adjuster has examined the damages, however this has not seemed to be replicated. I believe the risks associated with this incident are quite evident. There was no collision.”
NHTSA complaint #11441723, 2021 · fire

“My vehicle was backed into while ì was inside of it in a parking lot. Due to my horn failing., I was unable to alert the other driver to see me. The clock spring is what failed the first time at 95k they replaced it. I'm now at 147k and it failed again . Now I'm discovering that if it does not work, there's an electrical circuit failure and that the airbag will not deploy if I get in an accident. This is a serious safety issue and I feel Toyota should be responsible for it for the life of the vehicle . A horn should never go out. Especially if it not working will keep my air bag from funct…”
NHTSA complaint #11678966, 2025 · crash

“I was parked in my parking space I reversed into the space. I left the car running in park to dispose of trash. When I come back to my car to retrieve my cell phone and key out of the ignition. When the car turned off, the car began to roll down as my space is at a slight decline and the result of this was me bumping into a motorcycle who is parked directly across from my spot. I attempted to brake and I wasn’t able to steer as I had vehicles to my left and right and this happened in a distance of maybe 20-25 ft. The other party was notified no one was hurt but both my vehicle and his bike too…”
NHTSA complaint #11507148, 2023 · crash

Electrical System 22 3 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“On December 12, 2025, I was in a head on car accident in my 2021 Toyota Corolla nightshade. I was slammed into the steering wheel which caused injury. My car has over $14,000 worth of damage to the front yet my airbags did not deploy. I have taken my car to Toyota several times over the past few years and every time I’ve asked about a remedy for this recall I’ve been told there is no remedy as early as June or July 2025 I had to bring my car in for a manufacturer defect with the engine that Toyota fixed for free. I asked them about the recall on the airbags. They again told me there was no rem…”
NHTSA complaint #11707212, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“While driving the vehicle the brake hold system was activated at a red light. While proceeding through the light within (about) 5 minutes the vehicle indicated a brake hold malfunction. An odor of smoke was also present, at that point I turned off the vehicle and inspected the origin; the trunk. Upon opening the trunk the right side had a sizeable fire growing towards my assets. Police did arrive on scene, an adjuster has examined the damages, however this has not seemed to be replicated. I believe the risks associated with this incident are quite evident. There was no collision.”
NHTSA complaint #11441723, 2021 · fire

“My vehicle was backed into while ì was inside of it in a parking lot. Due to my horn failing., I was unable to alert the other driver to see me. The clock spring is what failed the first time at 95k they replaced it. I'm now at 147k and it failed again . Now I'm discovering that if it does not work, there's an electrical circuit failure and that the airbag will not deploy if I get in an accident. This is a serious safety issue and I feel Toyota should be responsible for it for the life of the vehicle . A horn should never go out. Especially if it not working will keep my air bag from funct…”
NHTSA complaint #11678966, 2025 · crash

Power Train 19 1 injury

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway with the engine off and attempting to enter the vehicle to clean the interior of the vehicle, the vehicle rolled away going downward out of the driveway. Due to the failure, the vehicle tugged the contact while rolling away. The contact stated that the vehicle independently came to a stop in the middle of the roadway. The contact sustained back, feet, and injuries to both legs, requiring medical attention. A police report was not filed. The Insurance Provider retrieved the vehicle at th…”
NHTSA complaint #11629864, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving in third gear, the vehicle failed to shift into a lower gear and became stuck in Neutral. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a defective slave cylinder, which was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,023.”
NHTSA complaint #11742375, 2026

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and remained in first gear. The contact shifted into Neutral, manually pulled the clutch, and attempted to reverse, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the slave cylinder and the clutch cylinder assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mile…”
NHTSA complaint #11742377, 2026

Visibility/Wiper 15

“During the lower interval settings, wipers will not work in proper order. Sometimes you may get three quick wipes and them the wipers will stop in middle of windshield for about 5-8 seconds. Sometimes the wipers are inconsistent with proper timing and will not properly work all the time.”
NHTSA complaint #11740462, 2026

“The problem of windshield wipers going off either once, or at varying speeds has not been able to be reproduced by my Toyota dealership. It goes off right when I turn the car on 50% of the time and is very inconsistent. Wipers typically go off after using the turn signal, making long turns (such as into a parking spot), and driving on long curved roadways. It has been inspected and nothing has been found. There are no warning lights or messages.”
NHTSA complaint #11695133, 2025

“When the windshield wipers are set to intermittent they would swipe as if they were set to lo and then they would come to a complete stop at a 45° angle sometimes starting up again but other times I would need to turn the windshield wipers off then back on for them to go again.”
NHTSA complaint #11646629, 2025

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Exterior Lighting 8 1 crash

“Headlights are defective. There is a "V" shaped dark spot in the headlights of the vehicle when on low beam. The significant unlit "V" shaped area does not allow the driver to see objects in the roadway which come up on a driver rather quickly, resulting in collisions. Toyota is aware of the defect, but will not act on it. Toyota Claim # 220811002276. There have been two collisions involving items in the roadway due to this headlight defect. Total out of pocket costs on the damage have been in excess of $1,500.”
NHTSA complaint #11488549, 2021 · crash

“Front Windshields of the vehicle has more tinting to be within compliance. The same vehicle has tendency to follow certain vehicles all the time as per what I have experienced or see.”
NHTSA complaint #11629704, 2024

“My car shows that the vehicle needed to be serviced, in checking the Toyota app I saw there was a warning for the adaptive lighting system/electrical concern. The warning light had been on for some time, thinking I was due for regular maintenance like an oil change I had ignored it for a bit. Everytime I would start the car this warning would appear. I too the car in for service, they also did a 20k maintenance service and kept the car overnight overnight as they were unable to locate the issue same day. The following day I was advised they couldn't determine the issue and they cleared the…”
NHTSA complaint #11557458, 2023

Forward Collision Avoidance 8 1 crash

“AFTER PURCHASING MY COROLLA MY CAR POWERED DOWN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHECKED IT AND STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THIS WAS IN NOVEMBER 2020. ON 1/16/2021 I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, EVERYTHING JUST POWERED DOWN. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS AROUND 6:00PM. I THEN CALLED MY FAMILY AND TOLD THEM WHERE I WAS AND WHAT HAPPENED. A PASSERBY STOPPED TO ASSIST ME AND GOT MY CAR RUNNING BY JUMPING IT OFF. AN HOUR LATER I WAS SITTING IN A PRIVATE DRIVE WAITING ON TRAFFIC TO PA…”
NHTSA complaint #11399776, 2021 · crash

“I was sitting idle in my car. The two cars crashing icon came on even though I was in the parking lot doing nothing. There was also issues with the other indications where I would use the back arrow on my steering wheel to clear the issue and it would not clear. Seems unsafe and scary.”
NHTSA complaint #11614017, 2024

“Coolant bypass valve needs replaced. Car states 'engine maintenance required visit dealer.'”
NHTSA complaint #11612183, 2024

Seat Belts 8 2 crash 3 injury

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while at a stop light in the turning lane, another vehicle rear-ended the contact, causing minor damages to the rear bumper of the vehicle. The contact was unsure of the damages to the other vehicle. No air bags deploy. The contact stated that the front driver side and front passenger side seat belts did not restrain causing both the contact and the passenger to strike their head. The contact noise was broken along with other head, eyes, and face injuries and the passenger also head and eyes injuries, both the contact and passenger sou…”
NHTSA complaint #11521142, 2021 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“While driving down a two-way street an oncoming car departed its lane resulting in an offset frontal collision on the driver's side. The driver's side airbag did not deploy, the seat belts did not pretention/lock and the pre-collision system did not engage brakes or alert the driver. The driver of the car suffered a broken bone as a result. The driver of the oncoming colliding car was okay, their airbags deployed.”
NHTSA complaint #11451068, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Vehicle has numerous electrical/mechanical issues that seem to stem from an autonomous learning remote sensor. The problems include, but are not limited to 1. Seatbelt sticking on driver’s side, problem resolves itself, possibly after someone has had a good chuckle on satellite watching the driver struggle to disengage the safely belt, 2. Trunk remotely popped at speeds ranging from 0 (park) to 70mph on highway, 3. Ignition light on and off, usually correctible by disengaging and reengaging battery lead, 4. Car shutoff and burglar alarm engaged while in park, again , correctible by disengaging…”
NHTSA complaint #11568809, 2024

Service Brakes 7 1 crash

“Recently my car was in an accident involving 2 other vehicles. An SUV in front of me rear-ended someone and then I rear-ended the SUV. We were in heavy traffic at a major intersection and were stopped at a red light. The light turned green and we began to move. We were accelerating from a stop and were maybe approaching 10 -15 mph. Traffic started to back up at the next light and so the first car stopped suddenly so as not to block the intersection. Then the driver in front of me crashed into that car. He was on his phone, not looking, and didn't have time to brake. I was about 2-3 car lengt…”
NHTSA complaint #11480884, 2021 · crash

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact discovered brake fluid on the clutch pedal, and the brake pedal was mushy while depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,900.”
NHTSA complaint #11718784, 2026

“29,000 miles had to replace front rotors dealership stated the rotors were destroyed also causing me to change brake pads - seems odd that rotors would be so damaged after less than 29,000 miles”
NHTSA complaint #11574862, 2024

Vehicle Speed Control 7 2 crash

“The car accelerated on its own when I was attempting to park it. I had no control over the car and it ended up crashing into multiple vehicles.”
NHTSA complaint #11734684, 2026 · crash

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle when depressing on the brake pedal and the vehicle accelerated independently and crashed into a building. The contact stated the "vehicle was needing to be serviced" warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries or seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact towed the vehicle to an unknown location. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufactur…”
NHTSA complaint #11420971, 2021 · crash

“My 2021 Toyota Corolla, with 3000 miles and less than a year on it, is repeatedly exhibiting a "check gas cap" warning message followed a day or two later by a "check engine, visit your dealer" warning. This has happened twice. I have returned to the dealer once to have the system reset, after which the same sequence of warning messages recurred. This message wipes out my dashboard display and keeps me from using my cruise control and radar distancing feature. I have not yet determined what other safety features are neutralized by this recurring malfunction. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSU…”
NHTSA complaint #11462961, 2022

Steering 5 1 crash 2 injury

“I was rear ended. During the impact, which was enough to accelerate my vehicle from 9 mph to 36 mph, the steering wheel came completely off of the car and hit me in the head. The steering wheel was in the back seat immediately following the impact and my vehicle was traveling at 36 mph with no way to steer out control it and no airbags in front of me in case of a secondary collision. This happened on a busy interstate with dozens of drivers endangered by my out of control vehicle. Traffic had slowed for construction and it was a miracle I wasn't further injured or caused injury to anyone else.…”
NHTSA complaint #11502288, 2022 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The problem of windshield wipers going off either once, or at varying speeds has not been able to be reproduced by my Toyota dealership. It goes off right when I turn the car on 50% of the time and is very inconsistent. Wipers typically go off after using the turn signal, making long turns (such as into a parking spot), and driving on long curved roadways. It has been inspected and nothing has been found. There are no warning lights or messages.”
NHTSA complaint #11695133, 2025

“My car wouldn’t start and the dashboard says “Engine Stopped / Power steering low” car will stop driving completely randomly. No codes are popping up when I test the car.”
NHTSA complaint #11689005, 2025

Structure 5 1 crash

“The car accelerated on its own when I was attempting to park it. I had no control over the car and it ended up crashing into multiple vehicles.”
NHTSA complaint #11734684, 2026 · crash

“When attempting to replace the rear glass at Safelite on 4/29/2026, the worker noticed rust on the headliner. Now the rear glass can't be replaced until a body shop replaces the rusted headliner. I began leasing this car in December 2020, and now I own it. Now I am driving with a plastic covering over the rear window, which poses a safety hazard.”
NHTSA complaint #11734636, 2026

“I have been taking my Toyota to Sun Toyota for routine maintenance and inspections. Upon today’s inspections they are claiming the battery looks like it leaked on the axial, some of the undercarriage components look broken and rusty. Possibly needing replacement. The overall car is less than 60k in mileage so that seems odd to me. I also brought the car in at 45k and they made no mention of these issues during that vehicle inspection. I asked about my brakes and braking issues. I do not slam on my brakes and the technician said I should stop braking too hard. There is noticeable wear now on th…”
NHTSA complaint #11607811, 2024

Tires 5

“Over the past year and a half I’ve had to deal with unknown reasons for at least 13 tire problems. And one of those problems was a complete blow out on the highway. When I went to get my spare tire and change it there wasn’t anything in the trunks spare compartment. I called the dealership and they said they don’t do that (meaning they don’t provide the car with a spare). I was very confused and stressed. I felt played and wasn’t made to feel confident in this purchase. That not the only thing. The electric system does pretty much whatever it wants. Changes my music, gives advice for things we…”
NHTSA complaint #11744107, 2025

“Dunlop SP Sport 5000 - 225/40R18 - DOT EUT74DDR5220 3 of the 4 tires are splitting on the side walls”
NHTSA complaint #11696809, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla equipped with Yokohama Tires, Tire Line: Blue Earth, Tire Size: 205/55/R16, DOT Number: FD8K-LL012. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started to shake and vibrate abnormally. The contact stated that after stopping to inspect the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear passenger’s side tire had experienced a sidewall blowout and tread separation. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local Toyota dealer was notified of the failure. The tire manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 53…”
NHTSA complaint #11663721, 2025

Seats 4 2 crash 3 injury

“I was rear ended. During the impact, which was enough to accelerate my vehicle from 9 mph to 36 mph, the steering wheel came completely off of the car and hit me in the head. The steering wheel was in the back seat immediately following the impact and my vehicle was traveling at 36 mph with no way to steer out control it and no airbags in front of me in case of a secondary collision. This happened on a busy interstate with dozens of drivers endangered by my out of control vehicle. Traffic had slowed for construction and it was a miracle I wasn't further injured or caused injury to anyone else.…”
NHTSA complaint #11502288, 2022 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“On December 12, 2025, I was in a head on car accident in my 2021 Toyota Corolla nightshade. I was slammed into the steering wheel which caused injury. My car has over $14,000 worth of damage to the front yet my airbags did not deploy. I have taken my car to Toyota several times over the past few years and every time I’ve asked about a remedy for this recall I’ve been told there is no remedy as early as June or July 2025 I had to bring my car in for a manufacturer defect with the engine that Toyota fixed for free. I asked them about the recall on the airbags. They again told me there was no rem…”
NHTSA complaint #11707212, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that they were unable to unscrew the rear screws on the seat to remove the seat because the seat failed to move forward to access the rear screws. The dealer stated that the seat bracket had to be fractured and then replaced to be able to complete the recall repai…”
NHTSA complaint #11665823, 2023

Wheels 4 1 crash

“Recently my car was in an accident involving 2 other vehicles. An SUV in front of me rear-ended someone and then I rear-ended the SUV. We were in heavy traffic at a major intersection and were stopped at a red light. The light turned green and we began to move. We were accelerating from a stop and were maybe approaching 10 -15 mph. Traffic started to back up at the next light and so the first car stopped suddenly so as not to block the intersection. Then the driver in front of me crashed into that car. He was on his phone, not looking, and didn't have time to brake. I was about 2-3 car lengt…”
NHTSA complaint #11480884, 2021 · crash

“While attempting to change a flat tire on a 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, two wheel studs sheared off completely, leaving the wheel unsafe to drive. My wife was stranded alone in the mountains with no cell service. She managed to loosen three lug nuts, but the final two were seized. When a passerby assisted, both seized studs snapped. The spare could barely be mounted. The vehicle has been serviced exclusively by Toyota dealers since new. Lancaster Toyota later replaced the broken studs free of charge, yet simultaneously claimed that another dealer, Frontier Toyota, had “switched the tyres.”…”
NHTSA complaint #11697834, 2025

“I am making a complaint about my 2021 corolla SE because I am constantly running into issues that cost and are not my fault as to why these issues have come about. I bought my car in March 2021, in May 2021 my car hit a bump in the highway and cracked my rim and bust my tire. Luckily I have alloy and tire coverage so I did not have to come out of my pocket. Next, my two front tires are constantly wearing down on the inside of the tread making the wires be exposed and causing me to have a blow out or needing to replace my tires at least 4 to 5 times since I have had my car. My car only has 71,0…”
NHTSA complaint #11544433, 2022

Lane Departure 3

“I purchased my Toyota corolla SE 2021 in May 2021 with 11 miles on it. I received safety connect trial for one year. It was so unsafe. I believe there was an invasion of privacy because after requesting my data held at Toyota Corp., I read of times of install/deactivation that were not proper in accordance of my purchase and my understanding of the set up at time of purchase. It appears this safety connect was already connected before my purchase, which is a safety issue and is a violation of privacy and lead to data breach. With my connected device, iPhone, acting crazy and miss reading my lo…”
NHTSA complaint #11498348, 2021

“Around 1900-2000 miles of ownership, 6 months after purchase, I was driving on I95 in the rain, 65 MPH, traffic in West Palm Beach, Fl, on my way to Apple(Mall). Upon exit, my engine completely stalled out. I pulled off road, not smoothly at all, turned off the car and it restarted 30 minutes later so I resumed my travels. The next day, my vehicle alerted me that the communication module had blown, not in those words. I had called Toyota and told the representative of the spoken alert and she informed me to go to dealership. They were clueless how to fix and reset battery. This communication i…”
NHTSA complaint #11491250, 2021

“Got in the car this morning and the check engine light came on. Needed to get to work so started driving. About 5 minutes later car started shuttering and reduced engine power displayed. Had to do 20 MPH all the way to work. Did not make for a good morning. The lane keep assist and other safety features were turned off as well. Not very safe when driving.”
NHTSA complaint #11435034, 2021

Parking Brake 3

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle came to a squeaky stop. The contact was able to get off the road safely. The contact stated once on the side of the road, he noticed the electric parking brake was engaged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the regular service brakes were inoperable while the electric parking brake was engaged. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic found no failure with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer wa…”
NHTSA complaint #11461617, 2022

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving down a dark road he was unable to see the roadway due to poor visibility from the headlights. The contact stated that the failure was evident while using the low-beam or hi-beam headlights. The contact stated that the electronic braking system was inoperable. The contact was concerned for his safety while driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 380.”
NHTSA complaint #11420257, 2021

“2021 Toyota Corolla. Consumer writes in regards to emergency brake system. THE CONSUMER STATED THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. THE CONSUMER STATED THIS WAS UNNATURAL.”
NHTSA complaint #11418732, 2021

Suspension 3

“I have been taking my Toyota to Sun Toyota for routine maintenance and inspections. Upon today’s inspections they are claiming the battery looks like it leaked on the axial, some of the undercarriage components look broken and rusty. Possibly needing replacement. The overall car is less than 60k in mileage so that seems odd to me. I also brought the car in at 45k and they made no mention of these issues during that vehicle inspection. I asked about my brakes and braking issues. I do not slam on my brakes and the technician said I should stop braking too hard. There is noticeable wear now on th…”
NHTSA complaint #11607811, 2024

“While driving approx. 35-40 mph driver impacted front left side with a stop sign post . Causing very little body damage but completely ripped the control arm out of the sub frame which caused an unreasonable amount of other significant damages . The axle broke off at the transmission . These 3 parts alone costing almost 2500$ plus labor to repair. It ripped part of my bumper cover which had to be replaced and dented the fender which is being repaired . Had the cars subframe held up in what should have been a minor incident none of the other parts would have been affected the way the were. I…”
NHTSA complaint #11427097, 2021

“REAR SUSPENSION SPRING WAS NOT IN THE RIGHT SPOT. IT WAS LEANING ON MY FRAME. MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.”
NHTSA complaint #11398566, 2021

Fuel/Propulsion System 2

“I smell gas whenever I drive my car. My car has less than 33,000 miles on it.”
NHTSA complaint #11716135, 2023

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2021 Toyota Corolla draws about 30.7 complaints per year on the road, ranking 2 of 12 among the Toyota Corolla model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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