IllustrationWHEN ACCELERATING AROUND A BANKING TURN THE FORCE OF THE TURN LEAVES THE VEHICLE WITHOUT FUEL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
1988 Toyota Corolla
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1988 Toyota Corolla are lower than the model-year median of 129.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Corolla years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 26 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports3 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
26 reportsBUMPER FAILED TO PROTECT DURING A LOW SPEED (25MPH) CRASH CAUSING REAR END DAMAGE.
BUMPER FAILED TO PROTECT VEHICLE AND CONSUMER'S DURING VEHICLE COLLISION RESULTING IN INJURIES DUE TO DESIGN.
REAR BUMPER FAILED TO PROTECT VEHICLE IN 25 MPH REAR END COLLISION.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION EXPERIENCED TWICE RESULTING IN TWO COLLISIONS.
VEHICLE HAD COME TO A STOP AND ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT CONSUMER FROM THE REAR. ONCE THAT HAPPENED THE SEAT BROKE. ALSO, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD THE DRIVER IN PLACE. THE DRIVER SEAT AND SEAT BELT BROKE WHICH ALLOWED DRIVER TO GO INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. *AK
PASSIVE RESTRAINTS: DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5MPH, REAR ENDED A VEHICLE AND BOTH SEAT BELTS BROKE. THE BUCKLE STAYED LOCKED BUT THE MALE PART BROKE. FEELS THAT DEALER SHOULD REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY FEATURE. *AK
UPPER PART OF SHOULDER RESTRAINT NOT ADJUSTABLE, SLIDES ACROSS THE NECK.
RUBBER FUEL HOSE LEAK CAUSED ENGINE FIRE.
IGNITION SWITCH HAS NO LOCKING FEATURES TO AVOID PULLING OUT KEY IN ANY GEAR, TURNED OFF IGNITION WHILE IN DRIVE, VEHICLE ROLLED, COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.