2018 Toyota Corolla reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Toyota Corolla holds 133 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 28 per year. Corolla years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 27 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Air bag control module, Fuel pump, and Labels.

2017 Toyota Corolla LE — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

133

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (35 of 133), then Fuel and propulsion system (23) and Engine (15). Those filings include 25 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, 14 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Corolla has 189 complaints, 29 per year, and the 2019 has 203 complaints, 26 per year. The 2018 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017. The 2018 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Toyota Corolla. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, air bag control module 2020-01-17 · NHTSA campaign 20V024000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. 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.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.

Recall Fuel pump 2020-01-13 · NHTSA campaign 20V012000

Summary 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. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.

Recall Labels 2019-06-28 · NHTSA campaign 19V503000

Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. 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."

Remedy SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.

Complaints by component (133 total)

Air bags

Fuel and propulsion system

Engine

Fuel system, gasoline

Electrical system

Powertrain

Seat belts

Service brakes

Speed control

Steering

Suspension

Forward collision avoidance

Structure

Lane departure

Seats

Wheels

Back-over prevention

Carry handle, shell, and base

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Equipment

Exterior lighting

Tires

Visibility and wipers

Show 15 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"CV axle making clicking noise when turning with all CV axle boots in good condition."
Powertrain · filed 2026-06-01
"Each travel driver seat belt become tight I try pull down for loose and I have notice the driver seat become level low."
Seat belts, Seats · filed 2026-04-30
"The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-03-10
"My 2018 Toyota Corolla has problems with acceleration and a very large noise in the front bar that guides the wheels. It also accelerates by itself, which is why I have had to change the brakes many times. It also…"
Suspension, Powertrain, Speed control · filed 2026-02-11
"Due to recent reports of fuel pump recalls, my daughter bought a 2018 Toyota Corolla almost a year ago. Right now that is problem and her car will not start. I need a free replacement of her fuel pump. Thank you."
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-01-07

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Corolla	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S7)	Front-wheel drive	28	35	31 MPG	$2100
Corolla	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	28	36	32 MPG	$2050
Corolla	1.8L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	27	35	30 MPG	$2150
Corolla LE Eco	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	30	40	34 MPG	$1900
Corolla LE Eco	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	29	38	33 MPG	$1950

Specs and fitment

11th generation, 2014–2019

Body styles Sedan

Oil 0W-20 , 4.4 qt capacity

Tire size 195/65R15 (L/LE Eco), 205/55R16 (LE/XLE/S), 215/45R17 (SE/XSE)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-024 covers certain 2011-2019 Toyota Corolla vehicles, along with other Toyota and Lexus models: during certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit may malfunction, possibly disabling deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners. Recall 20V-012 covers certain 2018-2019 Toyota Corolla vehicles, and Toyota later expanded that campaign to include certain 2018 Corolla vehicles, because the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Recall 13V-505 covers certain model year 2014 Corolla vehicles: the windshield wiper switch assembly may short circuit, which can make the wipers inoperative. Dealers replace the wiper switch, the fuel pump, or install the air bag ECU noise filter as applicable under each campaign.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Toyota Corolla Next year 2019 Toyota Corolla See every Toyota Corolla model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Toyota Corolla reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Toyota Corolla?

Is the 2018 Toyota Corolla more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2018 Toyota Corolla been recalled?

The 2018 Toyota Corolla has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Toyota Corolla?

Owners have filed 133 complaints about the 2018 Toyota Corolla with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Toyota Corolla get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Toyota Corolla is 32 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2018 Toyota Corolla?

11th generation (2014-2019 in the US).

What oil does a Toyota Corolla use?

Recent US Corolla generations specify 0W-20; capacity is typically about 4.4 qt with filter on the 1.8L, but always check the owner manual for your engine.

Does the Toyota Corolla come as a hatchback?

In the US, the Corolla Hatchback joined the sedan starting with the 12th generation (2020 model year onward); earlier US Corollas were sedan only.