Toyota Corolla 2020–2025
12th generation · E210 (TNGA-C)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20261,041 complaints, 177 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 177
- Median of reported failures
- 11,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Engine (17.5%)
- Recalls
- 7
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, 52% of complaints that record mileage fall within the first 12,000 miles, against 1 reports per 1,000 miles between 20,000 and 80,000.
Figure 1 · Toyota Corolla 2020–2025 · 177 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 20,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 106 complaints.
- First 12,000 miles — 52% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 500
- 25%
- 3,025
- Median
- 11,000
- 75%
- 45,000
- 90%
- 89,023
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 106 | 59.9% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 26 | 14.7% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 14 | 7.9% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 6 | 3.4% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 15 | 8.5% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 6 | 3.4% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 4 | 2.3% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,041 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Toyota Corolla, and 177 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
52% of complaints that record mileage fall within the first 12,000 miles, against 1 reports per 1,000 miles between 20,000 and 80,000. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the engine (17.5% of complaints, typically around 27,000 miles), the airbag system (9.2% of complaints, typically around 14,000 miles), the electrical system (9.1% of complaints, typically around 36,000 miles).
7 recall campaigns cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2020–2025 Toyota Corolla last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2020–2025 Toyota Corolla were filed by 11,000 miles and 90% by 89,000 miles — figures drawn from 177 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
Before you buy a 2020–2025 Corolla: the 3-minute check
Generated from 177 mileage-tagged complaints, 7 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 7 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Ask for brakes repair records. This area fails at a median of 11,000 miles — on any car this age it already happened or never will; the question is whether it was fixed under warranty.
- Check fuel system on 2019–2020 cars. Denso low-pressure fuel pump impeller deformation causing stalling; covered by the 2020 recall campaign on the earliest model years of this generation.
- Check body style boundary on 2019 cars. The Corolla Hatchback arrived on this platform for MY2019 while the MY2019 sedan was still the previous E170 generation; MY2019 'COROLLA' records are therefore a mixed-generation bucket.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 52% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the engine and the airbag system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 14,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Toyota Corolla 2020–2025
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Brakes62 reports11,0003,000–36,000Brakes: 62 reports, median 11,000 miles, middle half 3,000 to 36,000 miles.
- Airbag system96 reports14,0005,000–45,000Airbag system: 96 reports, median 14,000 miles, middle half 5,000 to 45,000 miles.
- Engine182 reports27,0008,000–59,000Engine: 182 reports, median 27,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 59,000 miles.
- Electrical system95 reports36,0008,000–70,000Electrical system: 95 reports, median 36,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 70,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline87 reports42,0003,000–81,000Transmission and driveline: 87 reports, median 42,000 miles, middle half 3,000 to 81,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 182 | 17.5% | 27,000 | 8,000–59,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 163 | 15.7% | — | — |
| Airbag system | 96 | 9.2% | 14,000 | 5,000–45,000 |
| Electrical system | 95 | 9.1% | 36,000 | 8,000–70,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 87 | 8.4% | 42,000 | 3,000–81,000 |
| Brakes | 62 | 6.0% | 11,000 | 3,000–36,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 55 | 5.3% | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 47 | 4.5% | — | — |
| Steering | 47 | 4.5% | — | — |
| Exterior lighting | 35 | 3.4% | — | — |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Toyota Corolla 2020–2025 · 177 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 82% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 98% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
82% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine — median 27,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 14,000 mi
- Brakes — median 11,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 8,000–70,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 3,000–81,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
91% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine — median 27,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 14,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 36,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 42,000 mi
- Brakes — median 11,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
98% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine — median 27,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 14,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 36,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 42,000 mi
- Brakes — median 11,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 11,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 17.5% of complaints (182 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 27,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,000 and 59,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 9.2% of complaints (96 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 14,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,000 and 45,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 9.1% of complaints (95 reports, 20 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 36,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,000 and 70,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 8.4% of complaints (87 reports, 22 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 42,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,000 and 81,000 miles.
The brakes account for 6.0% of complaints (62 reports, 17 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 11,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,000 and 36,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2020 model year drew the most — 395 complaints — while 2025 drew the fewest at 46. The median year sits at 123.
That makes 2020 an outlier: roughly 3.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 7 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (3), the steering (1), equipment (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,041 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 144 (13.8%)
- Fires
- 6
- Injury reports
- 84
- Fatality reports
- 4
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Fuel System 2019–2020
Denso low-pressure fuel pump impeller deformation causing stalling; covered by the 2020 recall campaign on the earliest model years of this generation.
Body Style Boundary 2019
The Corolla Hatchback arrived on this platform for MY2019 while the MY2019 sedan was still the previous E170 generation; MY2019 'COROLLA' records are therefore a mixed-generation bucket.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 395 | 93 |
| 2021 | 253 | 34 |
| 2022 | 129 | 29 |
| 2023 | 118 | 4 |
| 2024 | 100 | 9 |
| 2025 | 46 | 8 |
Recalls (7) — is your car included?
Mar 2025 · 2023 · Air BagsA deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Lexus RX350, 2023-2024 NX250, and NX350 vehicles that may have been incorrectly repaired under previous NHTSA recall number 23V-480. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occu
What can happen. A deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 25LA02.
Jan 2025 · 2023–2024 · SteeringA steering shaft that detaches can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles. Due to cracks developed during the manufacturing process, the steering intermediate shaft assembly may fracture and possibly result in the shaft detaching from the steering column.
What can happen. A steering shaft that detaches can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the intermediate steering shaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 24TB13/24TA13.
Oct 2024 · 2020–2021 · Air BagsAn air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
The defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
What can happen. An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Sep 2024 · 2024 · EquipmentA vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a…
The defect. Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain Toyota 2023 GR Supra, 2024 4 Runner, Corolla, Grand Highlander, Grand Highlander Hybrid, Land Cruiser Hybrid, Tacoma, Tacoma Hybrid, 2023-2024 BZ4X, Corolla Cross Hybrid, GR Corolla, GR86, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius Prime, Sequoia Hybrid, Tundra, Tundra Hybrid, Venza Hybrid, 2023-2025 Crown, and 2025 Camry Hybrid vehicles equipped with GST accessories. The load carrying capacity modification label may display inaccurate added weight values. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicl
What can happen. A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
The free fix. GST will mail new labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2024. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 24R2.
Sep 2023 · 2023 · Air BagsA deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
What can happen. A deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA08. Lexus' number for this recall is 23LA02.
Jan 2021 · 2020 · Fuel System, GasolineIf the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus
What can happen. If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this re
Feb 2020 · 2020 · Seat BeltsIn the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant…
The defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 C-HR and 2020 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles equipped with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.
What can happen. In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
The free fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TB22 and 19TA22.
What owners reported
07/09/19 - Three days after taking delivery of a brand new 2020 Corolla sedan, my car stalled in the middle of a busy city street. I was stationary with foot on the brake waiting to make a left turn. When i took my foot of the brake and attempted to accelerate, it had a complete power failure. Red warning light came…
2020 · 199 miles · Transmission and driveline
We bought the car on 07-29-19 and on 08-04-19 while driving home from maryland the car sensor lights started flashing after only 250 miles on the car. The flashing lights were for brakes and parking brake, lane departure and assist, back up and front camera, check engine, tire pressure, head lights, and rsa…
2020 · 250 miles · Brakes
Built from 177 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page