2020 Toyota Corolla problems, complaints & recalls
TypicalFalling
NHTSA has received 307 owner complaints about the 2020 Toyota Corolla, or 46.0 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.09, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #61 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Toyota models its rate is 35% higher; against other Compact cars it is 100% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-06-30 and 2026-08-06. Median delay from incident to filing: 6 days.
307Complaints
46.0Complaints per year on the road
1.09Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
4Recalls
7.5%Share involving a crash or fire
35Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 26.2 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 32.6 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 63 complaints, 11% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (35.5% of complaints), followed by Interior & equipment (17.9%) and Transmission / powertrain (10.4%). Engine complaints are 1.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “bypass”, “valve”, “coolant”, “engine maintenance” and “maintenance required”. 23 reports (7.5%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 23 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 51 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (45% of incidents). In the last 12 months 35 new complaints were filed, versus 64 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.
NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls for this model year. 18% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.09
vs. other Toyota models1.35
vs. other 2020 models1.22
vs. other Compact cars2.0
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (63)1.11
The automatic emergency breaking and forward collision warning failed to alert and turn on and I wrecked into an object. My life was put at risk and I wrecked my car. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the independent service center.
Driver-assist systems · 2025-05-15 · ODI 11661160 · Crash
I was in a car accident where someone hit us at a high speed from behind. Unfortunately the air bags malfunctioned resulting in my face being busted on the front dash. The car gave me a malfunction warning when they didn’t deploy
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 outcome.
Engine · 2026-08-06 · ODI 11755244
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 unit, the clutch disc, the pressure…
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-06 · ODI 11755364
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.
Electrical · 2026-08-06 · ODI 11755366
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION Campaign 23V865000 · 2023-12-20
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.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
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.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
Risk: In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) Campaign 19V544000 · 2019-07-24
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
DP22005 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07 · Campaign 22V063000 · Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2020 Toyota Corolla?
307 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Toyota Corolla, or about 46.0 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2020 Toyota Corolla?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 35.5% of complaints.
Does the 2020 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall(s) for this model year. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Is the 2020 Toyota Corolla still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 35 new complaints were filed, versus 64 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.
How does the 2020 Toyota Corolla compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 307 owner complaints about the 2020 Toyota Corolla, or 46.0 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.09, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #61 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Toyota models its rate is 35% higher; against other Compact cars it is 100% higher.