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1998 Toyota Corolla

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Toyota Corolla do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 129.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

64 reports with mileage · 161 unknown

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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

36 crash reports8 fire reports24 injury reports

What owners actually said

225 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2000
Fuel System, GasolineFire

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE EXPERIENCE AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. LOCAL FIRE DEPTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT A FUEL LEAKAGE MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #865330

Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2000
Parking Brake

PARKING BRAKE FAILS (2 COMPLETE FAILURES). TAKEN TO DEALER, FIXED, BUT FAILED AGAIN. MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR, SO I NEED THE PARKING BRAKE. CAR NEARLY ROLLED INTO TRAFFIC NUMEROUS TIMES. MADE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PARK ON STEEP HILLS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #725323

Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2000
Fuel System, GasolineService Brakes, HydraulicUnknown Or Other

THIS CAR HAS VISITED AT THE DEALER'S SERVICE STATION FOR ALMOST A TOTAL OF 3 WEEKS COMBINED SINCE I BOUGHT IT APRIL 2000. GAS LEAKED WHEN PUTTING GAS IN TANK AND THE CAR SMELLED OF GAS ON THE INSIDE. THE TANK WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED BUT JUST RECENTLY STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES.…

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THIS CAR HAS VISITED AT THE DEALER'S SERVICE STATION FOR ALMOST A TOTAL OF 3 WEEKS COMBINED SINCE I BOUGHT IT APRIL 2000. GAS LEAKED WHEN PUTTING GAS IN TANK AND THE CAR SMELLED OF GAS ON THE INSIDE. THE TANK WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED BUT JUST RECENTLY STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES. PLUS THE RIGHT FRONT AND REAR WHEELS MAKE NOISE. I JUST WANT THE CAR FIXED BECAUSE COROLLA'S ARE GOOD CARS BUT THE CONSTANT VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ONE THING OR ANOTHER IS REALLY STARTING TO ANNOY ME AND HAS BECOME A HUGE INCONVENIENCE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #725236

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2000
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

THE CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE DASHBOARD AND SMELLED OF BURNING WIRE. NLM

NHTSA ODI #784653

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2000
Seat Belts

DUE TO HEIGHT THE CONSUMER MUSH THE DRIVERS SEAT AS FAR BACK AS POSSIBLE FOR COMFORT, WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS RETRACTED IT TWIST 90% OF THE TIME AN CANNOT RETRACT CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS DUE TO THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF SPACE BETWEEN THE SEAT AND THE DOOR. NLM

NHTSA ODI #552324

Mileage unknown · May 4, 2000
Electrical SystemFire

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED DUE TOO OVER HEATING OF FAILED STARTER CABLE WHICH IGNITED A PLASTIC GAS LINE. YH

NHTSA ODI #552133

Mileage unknown · Apr 2, 2000
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed ControlCrash

JUST MINUTES AFTER DRIVING IN HEAVY DALLAS TRAFFIC, STOPPED AT A GROCERY STORE AND WAS PULLING INTO AN ANGLED PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ALMOST STOPPED, WHEN CAR SURGED FORWARD (REPEAT-WITH MY FOOT ON BRAKE). THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. I HIT THE VEHICLE PARKED IN F…

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JUST MINUTES AFTER DRIVING IN HEAVY DALLAS TRAFFIC, STOPPED AT A GROCERY STORE AND WAS PULLING INTO AN ANGLED PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ALMOST STOPPED, WHEN CAR SURGED FORWARD (REPEAT-WITH MY FOOT ON BRAKE). THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. I HIT THE VEHICLE PARKED IN FRONT OF ME; VERY LITTLE DAMAGE AS MY CAR WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN IT SURGED FORWARD AND BRAKE FAILED. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAD HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY CAR PORT. THE BRAKE WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CAR SURGED FORWARD. THAT TIME I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND JUST THOUGHT MY FOOT MUST HAVE SLIPPED. THIS TIME, I HAD TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR AND WE ALL WITNESSED THE SURGE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL ON THE FLOOR OF THE CAR (USELESS). AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE HAS STOPPED (BY HITTING SOMETHING EACH TIME), THE BRAKE GOES BACK TO ITS USUAL POSITION. I TOOK THE CAR TO CLASSIC TOYOTA HERE IN TYLER THE NEXT DAY WHEN I DROVE BACK HERE. THEY SAID THEY INSPECTED IT AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I WAS VERY UPSET AND IT WAS ANNOTATED ON THE JOB TICKET. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND LEFT MY NAME AND PHONE NUMBER WITH THE DRIVER OF THE CAR I HIT IN THE GROCERY STORE LOT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED JUST MINUTES BEFORE AS I STOPPED FOR THE NUMEROUS RED LIGHTS IN DALLAS, MY CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN PROPELLED OUT INTO THE INTERSECTION AND WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, AND THE CAR IS A POTENTIAL DEATH TRAP FOR ME AND MY PASSENGERS OR THE VEHICLE I MIGHT HIT BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE AND SURGE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A TWO-YEAR LAPSE BETWEEN THE TWO INCIDENTS, WHICH IS WHY THE DEALER COULDN'T TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY SUGGESTED MY FOOT HAD SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE AND HIT THE ACCELERATOR. THIS ABSOLUTELY WAS NOT WHAT HAPPENED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #720900

Mileage unknown · Jan 27, 2000
SteeringVehicle Speed Control

ON AUGUST 26, 1999 OUTER TIE ROD NEEDED REPLACEMENT, AND LEFT CAM BOLT ALSO NEEDED REPLACMENT.DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #855669

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2000
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrashInjury

WAS IN AN ACCIDENT GOING 45MPH A TRUCK RAN A STOP SIGN AND I HIT THEM IN THE SIDE MY SON WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND HIS SEAT CAUGHT WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES BUT RELEASED WHEN WE HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE AIRBAG DEPLOYED BUT DID NOT INFLATE. THE SEATBELT ALSO RELEASED WHEN WE HIT THE DITCH. HE HIT HIS HEAD ON THE WINSHIELD 2 TIM…

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WAS IN AN ACCIDENT GOING 45MPH A TRUCK RAN A STOP SIGN AND I HIT THEM IN THE SIDE MY SON WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND HIS SEAT CAUGHT WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES BUT RELEASED WHEN WE HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE AIRBAG DEPLOYED BUT DID NOT INFLATE. THE SEATBELT ALSO RELEASED WHEN WE HIT THE DITCH. HE HIT HIS HEAD ON THE WINSHIELD 2 TIMES AND IS NOW DEALING WITH POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THEY FOUND NO DEFECTS AND THAT THE SAFETY SYSTEM DID WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSE TO. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185/65R14 )

NHTSA ODI #717071

Mileage unknown · Jan 3, 2000
Air BagsEquipmentSeat Belts

AIRBAG AND SEATBELT LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, IN JULY OF 1999 THE FRONT AND RIGHT SEATBELT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #558526

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Toyota Corolla problems