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2021 Toyota Corolla

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Toyota Corolla do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 129.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 25 of 185 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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports2 fire reports10 injury reports

Lane Departure complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 21, 2022
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

I purchased my Toyota corolla SE 2021 in May 2021 with 11 miles on it. I received safety connect trial for one year. It was so unsafe. I believe there was an invasion of privacy because after requesting my data held at Toyota Corp., I read of times of install/deactivation that were not proper in accordance of my purchase and my …

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I purchased my Toyota corolla SE 2021 in May 2021 with 11 miles on it. I received safety connect trial for one year. It was so unsafe. I believe there was an invasion of privacy because after requesting my data held at Toyota Corp., I read of times of install/deactivation that were not proper in accordance of my purchase and my understanding of the set up at time of purchase. It appears this safety connect was already connected before my purchase, which is a safety issue and is a violation of privacy and lead to data breach. With my connected device, iPhone, acting crazy and miss reading my locations and redirecting, etc., I was on my way to Apple in December 2021 with 2016 miles on my car. I believe the remote connect was being controlled by others as up to five devices are allowed on the module. GPS worked accordingly obviously, because when I exited the interstate, immediately my engine stalled out at 50 miles an hour in the rain. I was scared to death and found the closest gas station to pull over and stop my engine. About 30 minutes later, I continued to apple, 1 mile away. After restarting my car, I was alerted to be safe and contact my provider. I found out that that meant that my control module was blown. This has affected me in a few ways. Maps have read I am in China, South Florida, north, Florida, Georgia, California. I also went to the local Toyota for an oil change and tire rotation in October 2022 and learned that I needed a tire replacement and the pressure was down to 15 pounds. No light appeared. If the communication module is destroyed, then all of the safety features are, as well. No lights alert, no Blindspot warning days, automatic emergency, braking has failed as well, as I recall when it worked and it is not even sensing a vehicle or anything in front of it. Also the red signs that display, stop, certain miles per hour, etc. are reading incorrectly. Furthermore, Toyota wants to disclaim all warranties associated.

NHTSA ODI #11498348

Mileage unknown · Oct 28, 2022
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

Around 1900-2000 miles of ownership, 6 months after purchase, I was driving on I95 in the rain, 65 MPH, traffic in West Palm Beach, Fl, on my way to Apple(Mall). Upon exit, my engine completely stalled out. I pulled off road, not smoothly at all, turned off the car and it restarted 30 minutes later so I resumed my travels. The n…

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Around 1900-2000 miles of ownership, 6 months after purchase, I was driving on I95 in the rain, 65 MPH, traffic in West Palm Beach, Fl, on my way to Apple(Mall). Upon exit, my engine completely stalled out. I pulled off road, not smoothly at all, turned off the car and it restarted 30 minutes later so I resumed my travels. The next day, my vehicle alerted me that the communication module had blown, not in those words. I had called Toyota and told the representative of the spoken alert and she informed me to go to dealership. They were clueless how to fix and reset battery. This communication is vital for all modules to perform safety features. Today I had a large screw in tire and no alerts of low pressure. Tire read 12 lbs pressure. My lane departure/correction doesnt work half of the time. My attorney has informed me that he hears there are concerning issues involved and noncompliance has led to him filing suit today. Software Source code leaked and left open on GitHub for 5 years has compromised the safety of all connected customers and their devices.

NHTSA ODI #11491250

Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineLane Departure

Got in the car this morning and the check engine light came on. Needed to get to work so started driving. About 5 minutes later car started shuttering and reduced engine power displayed. Had to do 20 MPH all the way to work. Did not make for a good morning. The lane keep assist and other safety features were turned off as well. …

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Got in the car this morning and the check engine light came on. Needed to get to work so started driving. About 5 minutes later car started shuttering and reduced engine power displayed. Had to do 20 MPH all the way to work. Did not make for a good morning. The lane keep assist and other safety features were turned off as well. Not very safe when driving.

NHTSA ODI #11435034

Official recalls

1

23V865000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

Dec 20, 2023

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

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.

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