Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 Toyota Corolla problems
Owners filed 233 complaints about the 1998 Toyota Corolla with NHTSA between Feb 1998 and May 2022. The most-cited component is air bags (61).
Complaints
233
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
37
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
29
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags61
- Structure23
- Vehicle speed control19
- Seat belts18
- Service brakes, hydraulic18
- Engine and engine cooling17
- Steering16
- Suspension15
- Electrical system14
- Tires11
- Fuel system, gasoline10
- Power train9
- Exterior lighting6
- Equipment5
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
23
59
27
9
14
22
18
9
8
6
5
1
12
1
1
2
2
6
3
0
1
1
1
1
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 23 |
| 1999 | 59 |
| 2000 | 27 |
| 2001 | 9 |
| 2002 | 14 |
| 2003 | 22 |
| 2004 | 18 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 12 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
61 reports25 crashes1 fire
“AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. WHEN I LOOKED UP ANY RECALLS ON THIS YEAR OF TOYOTA, THERE WERE ALOT OF COMPLAINTS AND NO FIXES. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD FIX THIS SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS, IT IS A BIG DEAL NOT FEELIG SAFE ON THE ROAD. THE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN WE WERE DRIVING. WE TRIED TO RESET IT BUT HAS NO EFFECT. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA.THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE, IT IS A SAFETY HAZZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACUTURER. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM, IT IS THERE FAULT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.”
Structure
23 reports1 crash
“The contact's wife owns a 1998 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while his wife was taking items out of the trunk of the vehicle, the trunk lid closed abruptly. The contact later noticed that the trunk lid driver’s side hinge was fractured. The contact's wife did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the trunk lid hinges needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.”
Vehicle speed control
19 reports6 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEIZED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.”
Seat belts
18 reports4 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT AFTER BEING UTILIZED. IN ADDITION, THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000. UPDATED 4/30/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REASON THE SEAT BELT FAILURE, WAS BECAUSE PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT; UPDATED 05/07/15*JB”
Service brakes, hydraulic
18 reports3 crashes
“1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. ON AUGUST 20, 1999, THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A RUBBING SOUND IN THE AREA OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED EARLY IN THE MORNINGS. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE DOOR PANELS WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE GLUE COMING THROUGH THE FABRIC. THE DOME LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON AT TIMES. THE CONSUMER SUSPECTED THERE MAY BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 44 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE AND THEN DECREASE IN SPEED. THE CONSUMER FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON. UPDATED 05/26/10.*JB”
Engine and engine cooling
17 reports
“CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED PROMPTING ME TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED. THE INDICATION WAS AN ERROR MESSAGE PO441: PURGE FLOW FAULT. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER DIAGNOSED A CHARCOAL CANISTER FAILURE WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT AND CONSISTENT COMPLAINTS BY TOYOTA OWNERS REGARDING EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEMS FAILURES IN THE 1998 COROLLA IN ADDITION TO A LAWSUIT IN WHICH TMC SETTLED WITH THE EPA COVERING ONLY CERTAIN MODELS. IT SEEMS THAT A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON ALL 1998 MODELS AS THIS PROBLEM IS VERY PREVALENT.*AK”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.