Reliable Auto DB

2020 Toyota Corolla reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 308 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota Corolla over 7 years — 29 per year. The other Corolla years sit at about the same rate: their median is 27 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Fuel pump, and Buckle.

2020 Toyota Corolla LE
Photo by SsmIntrigue, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

308

Per year

29

Recalls

3

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (108 of 308), then Powertrain (39) and Electrical system (31). Those filings include 22 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, 15 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Corolla has 203 complaints, 26 per year, and the 2021 has 185 complaints, 16 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 Toyota Corolla. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2023-12-20 · NHTSA campaign 23V865000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Fuel pump 2020-11-04 · NHTSA campaign 20V682000
Summary 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 RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy 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 recall is 20LA01.
Recall seat belts, rear or other, buckle 2019-12-11 · NHTSA campaign 19V877000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (308 total)

Engine
108
Powertrain
39
Electrical system
31
Service brakes
23
Air bags
18
Visibility and wipers
17
Fuel and propulsion system
14
Structure
12
Seat belts
9
Steering
8
Forward collision avoidance
7
Wheels
7
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
Speed control
4
Exterior lighting
3
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Tires
3
Back-over prevention
2
Lane departure
2
Carry handle, shell, and base
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Suspension
1
Tether and lower anchor
1
Visibility
1
Show 17 more Show less
Crash-flagged

22

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

15

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

1420193220201720212520222620231142024572025232026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The concentric slave cylinder in my vehicle is a big issue with these cars. There has been so many reports of issues happening with these cars manual transmission Corolla's. This can cause fluid to spew, brakes to stop…"
    Powertrain, Service brakes · filed 2026-09-18
  • "The CV joint, there is a clicking sound when sharp turns are make to include U-turns. Spoke with a mechanic and was instructed to reach out to the dealership and check for recall on it. I did see any but I see a…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-15
  • "DESIGN FLAW & SAFETY RISK: Toyota critically mismatched the standard battery to the vehicle's electrical charging profile; an AGM battery should be specified from the factory. Engine programming drops alternator voltage…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-08-06
  • "Part is the coolant bypass valve. Toyota has been taken to court but dealership claims now that I’m over 100k miles I can’t do it. There was also a second part about 10 years but I wasn’t clear on the details of the…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-06
  • "FAILED COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: The manual transmission Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) failed internally. Due to caustic hydraulic fluid contamination and severe system pressure loss, I had to replace the internal CSC…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-06

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Toyota Corolla 5 HB FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 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 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S10) Front-wheel drive 31 40 34 MPG $1900
Corolla 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 30 38 33 MPG $1950
Corolla 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 29 36 32 MPG $2050
Corolla 1.8L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 29 39 33 MPG $1950
Corolla Hatchback 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S10) Front-wheel drive 32 41 35 MPG $1850
Corolla Hatchback 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 28 37 31 MPG $2100
Corolla Hatchback XSE 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S10) Front-wheel drive 30 38 33 MPG $1950
Corolla hybrid 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 53 52 52 MPG $1250
Corolla XLE 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 29 37 32 MPG $2050
Corolla XSE 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S10) Front-wheel drive 31 38 34 MPG $1900

Specs and fitment

12th generation, 2020–present
Body styles Sedan, Hatchback
Oil 0W-20 , 4.4 qt capacity
Tire size 195/65R15 (Hybrid LE), 205/55R16 (sedan L/LE/XLE; hatch SE), 225/40R18 (sedan SE/XSE; hatch XSE)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 24V-878 covers certain 2023-2024 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles: due to cracks developed during manufacturing, the steering intermediate shaft assembly may fracture and possibly detach from the steering column, which can cause a loss of steering control. Dealers replace the intermediate steering shaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 17, 2025. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB13 and 24TA13.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Toyota Corolla Next year 2021 Toyota Corolla See every Toyota Corolla model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Toyota Corolla reliable?

Owners have filed 308 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota Corolla over 7 years — 29 per year. The other Corolla years sit at about the same rate: their median is 27 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Fuel pump, and Buckle.

What are common problems with a 2020 Toyota Corolla?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (108 of 308), then Powertrain (39) and Electrical system (31). Those filings include 22 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, 15 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2020 Toyota Corolla more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Corolla has 203 complaints, 26 per year, and the 2021 has 185 complaints, 16 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Toyota Corolla been recalled?

The 2020 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 2020 Toyota Corolla?

Owners have filed 308 complaints about the 2020 Toyota Corolla with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Toyota Corolla get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Toyota Corolla is 34.9 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.