Problems · by component
1998 Toyota Corolla air bags problems
61 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Toyota Corolla cite air bags, 26% of all 233 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
61
26% of all complaints
Crashes
25
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
20
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
“TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL MY 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA IS LISTED AS ONE OF THE CARS EFFECTED BY THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. TODAY I NOTED A BLINKING LIGHT ON MY DASH BOARD FOR THE AIRBAG. PLEASE ADVISE.”
“AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO CHARGED $ 100 FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $500 TO FIX. I THEN TOOK IT TO A SELF EMPLOYED MECHANIC WHO HAD WORKED FOR TOYOTA. HE SAID IT HAD JUST BECOME DISCONNECTED UNDER THE SEAT. HE WAS ABLE TO FIX IT, IT SEEMED, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS COMING BACK. I RECENTLY LEARNED ONLINE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. SEVERAL WHO HAVE SHELLED OUT THE MONEY TO TOYOTA TO HAVE IT "FIXED" SAY THE PROBLEM HAS NOT GONE AWAY. I AM SO ANGRY THAT TOYOTA HASN'T TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY AND NHTSA IS NOT HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE. *TR”
“AT THIS APPROXIMATE DATE, I BEGAN GETTING A WARNING LIGHT RE. MY AIR BAGS. MY DEALER SAID I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE FAULTY STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG ASSEMBLY COSTING ME BETWEEN $1000-1500 OR MORE TO REPLACE IT. NOW, OTHER COROLLAS ARE BEING RECALLED BUT MINE IS NOT BEING RECALLED. IT APPEARS THAT MY CAR HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM FOR AN EVEN LONGER PERIOD OF TIME THAN THOSE THAT ARE BEING RECALLED. I HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. I RECENTLY READ IN THE NEWS THAT THESE PROBLEMS BEGAN IN 1998, THE YEAR I PURCHASED MY CAR. MY CAR HAS JUST NOW TURNED 100,000 MILES AND I FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE ONGOING RECALL THAT INCLUDES OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS NOT ONLY ARBITRARY BUT DANGEROUS FOR ME FOR YOU TO EXCLUDE ME FROM THIS RECALL. I HEREBY REQUEST THAT YOU INCLUDE MY CAR IN THIS RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR”
“AIR BAG WARNING KEPT FLASHING THAT THE AIR BAGS NEEDED TO BE SERVICED. WE TOOK CAR TO DEALER, IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO "REPAIR IT OURSELVES" IF WE COULD FIND A CONSOLE THAT WOULD REPAIR IT AND HE THOUGHT THERE WAS ONLY ONE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR APPROXIMATELY $2000. WE WROTE TO TOYOTA WHO EVENTUALLY WROTE BACK TO US STATING THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT REPAIR THIS CAR AND HAD NO INTENTION OF RECALLING THIS CAR DUE TO THIS ISSUE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THIS CAR OURSELVES AT THE DEALER LOCATION. NOW WE SEE IN THE NEWS THAT TOYOTA IS RECALLING 1.3 MILLION OTHER CARS FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE--THE CONTROL OF THE AIR BAGS. DEALER TOLD US HE DID NOT KNOW HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT IF THE AIR BAGS WOULD GO OFF IN AN ACCIDENT OR NOT IN THE FUTURE OR ANY OTHER TIME. THE CONSOLE CONSTANTLY SHOWS THAT A DOOR IS OPEN AND THAT THE AIR BAG NEEDS TO BE SERVICED AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT EXCEPT TO HOPE IT WILL REACT PROPERLY. *TR”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BROKEN RIB, FRACTURED BONE AND WHIPLASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 167,000.”
Showing 6 of 61 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.