Toyota Corolla 2014–2019
11th generation · E170/E180
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,764 complaints, 1,002 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 38% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 4 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 38% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 8 complaints (0.8%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 500
- 25%
- 5,000
- Median
- 20,500
- 75%
- 50,000
- 90%
- 78,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 327 | 32.6% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 162 | 16.2% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 100 | 10.0% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 91 | 9.1% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 56 | 5.6% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 65 | 6.5% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 61 | 6.1% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 43 | 4.3% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 24 | 2.4% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 10 | 1.0% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 15 | 1.5% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 9 | 0.9% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 8 | 0.8% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 5 | 0.5% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 10 | 1.0% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 3 | 0.3% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 2 | 0.2% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 2 | 0.2% |
| 200,000+ | 8 | 0.8% |
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 1,764 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014–2019 Toyota Corolla, and 1,002 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
38% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 4 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the airbag system (17.7% of complaints, typically around 35,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (9.9% of complaints, typically around 19,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (8.8% of complaints, typically around 34,000 miles).
7 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Airbag system35,000median 34,900 miles, middle half 13,000 to 60,000
- Problems owners could not categorise19,000median 18,807 miles, middle half 5,000 to 40,000
- Transmission and driveline34,000median 34,423 miles, middle half 5,000 to 71,000
- Electrical system28,000median 27,750 miles, middle half 9,000 to 59,000
- Throttle and speed control11,000median 11,400 miles, middle half 2,000 to 38,000
- Brakes11,000median 11,396 miles, middle half 2,500 to 29,000
- Engine20,000median 20,000 miles, middle half 6,500 to 48,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 312 | 17.7% | 35,000 | 13,000–60,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 175 | 9.9% | 19,000 | 5,000–40,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 156 | 8.8% | 34,000 | 5,000–71,000 |
| Electrical system | 131 | 7.4% | 28,000 | 9,000–59,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 122 | 6.9% | 11,000 | 2,000–38,000 |
| Brakes | 114 | 6.5% | 11,000 | 2,500–29,000 |
| Engine | 112 | 6.3% | 20,000 | 6,500–48,000 |
| Body structure | 98 | 5.6% | 16,000 | 5,500–51,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 86 | 4.9% | 20,000 | 7,000–50,000 |
| Steering | 81 | 4.6% | 25,000 | 4,500–50,000 |
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 20,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 17.7% of complaints (312 reports, 182 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 34,900 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 13,000 and 60,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 9.9% of complaints (175 reports, 70 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 18,807 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,000 and 40,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 8.8% of complaints (156 reports, 83 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 34,423 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 5,000 and 70,777 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 7.4% of complaints (131 reports, 78 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 27,750 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,821 and 59,326 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 6.9% of complaints (122 reports, 92 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 11,400 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 38,000 miles.
The brakes account for 6.5% of complaints (114 reports, 87 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 11,396 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,368 and 29,300 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2014 model year drew the most — 381 complaints — while 2018 drew the fewest at 196. The median year sits at 299.
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 equipment (2), the fuel system (1), the airbag system (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
Of the 1,764 complaints filed against this generation, 452 reported a crash; 21 reported a fire; 356 reported an injury; 3 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 25.6% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 38% 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 airbag system and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 18,807, 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.
Documented problems
Fuel System 2018–2019
Denso low-pressure in-tank fuel pump impeller can deform from fuel absorption and contact the pump housing, causing the pump to stop and the engine to stall without warning; covered by Toyota's large 2020 fuel pump recall campaign.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 381 | 249 |
| 2015 | 309 | 194 |
| 2016 | 310 | 203 |
| 2017 | 278 | 170 |
| 2018 | 196 | 104 |
| 2019 | 290 | 82 |
Recalls (7)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 20V012000 | 2020-05-01 | Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump |
| 20V024000 | 2020-03-16 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module |
| 19V503000 | 2019-08-23 | Equipment:other:labels |
| 19V244000 | 2019-05-24 | Equipment:other:labels |
| 18V901000 | 2019-04-22 | Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter |
| 17V295000 | 2017-06-15 | Tires:temporary/Emergency Spare Tire |
| 13V505000 | 2013-11-08 | Visibility:windshield Wiper/Washer:switch/Wiring |
What owners reported
I had just purchased a 2014 Toyota Corolla le eco, after only going 10 miles on a level dry evening surface, i was attempting to make a left hand turn up to go up hill. There was no response between the gas peddle and the engine. After two full depressions on the gas peddle, the peddle to engine finally engaged…
2014 · 18 miles · Fuel and propulsion system
My 2014 Toyota Corolla le is a lease i picked up in december 2013 & now has 3641 miles on it. I first noticed this issue with the brakes within first month but felt because the 2011 Corolla i just turned in was a different model (not le) & many changes in 2014 model that perhaps i should give it more time. The problem…
2014 · 45 miles · Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration several times. The engine surged and the vehicle proceeded to accelerate with the brake pedal depressed, which LED to two crashes. During the first crash, the vehicle surged in reverse and accelerated…
2014 · 48 miles · Throttle and speed control
Bought a new car in april 2014 from Toyota dealer (Toyota of mckinney). Since then having problem with rear windshield. In the night driving there is a refraction of lights from the cars coming from behind. Dealer is not ready to fix this issue saying its a design flaw from Toyota. When contacted Toyota they are not…
2014 · 50 miles · Visibility/wiper
Built from 1,002 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page