IllustrationAUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED. YH
1997 Toyota Corolla
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota Corolla do not stand out strongly from 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: 21 of 135 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 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
22 crash reports5 fire reports16 injury reports
What owners actually said
135 reportsTURNING STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN CAUSED NOISE. YH
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED.
TIRE SIDEWALL FAILED (GOODYEAR) CAUSING FLAT TIRE.( INVICTA GS ) ( P175/65R14 ). *YC
BAD SEAM CAUSED WATER TO LEAK INTO PASSENGER AREA IT ALSO HAVE MOLDY SMELL WHEN FAN BEGINS TO RUN. YH
WATER PUMP FAILED.
SIDEWALL BLISTER AND CUT RESULTING IN TIRE FAILURE ON TWO OCCASIONS.
SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT COME OUT. *YC
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO RETRACT FOR USE. HAD BELT RETRACTORS REPLACED 10 MONTHS AGO, BUT RETRACTING PROBLEM HAS SINCE REAPPEARED. *AK
HUSBAND DRIVING CAR APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. LADY IN VEHICLE AT A STOP SIGN CROSSED IN FRONT OF ME. I SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO TRY TO AVOID HITTING HER, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. FRONT OF MY VEHICLE STRUCK THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF HER VEHICLE. MY DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. POLICE ALSO COMMENTED ON THE FACT THAT TH…
Read full complaint
HUSBAND DRIVING CAR APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. LADY IN VEHICLE AT A STOP SIGN CROSSED IN FRONT OF ME. I SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO TRY TO AVOID HITTING HER, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. FRONT OF MY VEHICLE STRUCK THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF HER VEHICLE. MY DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. POLICE ALSO COMMENTED ON THE FACT THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THAT WE SHOULD REPORT THE INCIDENT.
Official recalls
197V043001 · Air Bags
Mar 20, 1997
IF THE AIR BAG COMPUTER IN A SUBJECT VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A MECHANICAL SHOCK (I.E., RAPIDLY MOVING THE FRONT SEAT BACK AGAINST THE STOPS OR A SUDDEN RELEASE OF THE PARKING BRAKE) WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG CAN DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE AIR BAG COMPUTER.
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.