Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Toyota Corolla problems

Owners filed 144 complaints about the 2002 Toyota Corolla with NHTSA between Jul 2001 and Aug 2023. The most-cited component is air bags (24).

Complaints
144
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
30
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags24
  2. Engine and engine cooling20
  3. Vehicle speed control11
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic11
  5. Tires9
  6. Suspension9
  7. Visibility9
  8. Power train8
  9. Exterior lighting8
  10. Seats7
  11. Latches/locks/linkages7
  12. Structure6
  13. Fuel system, gasoline6
  14. Engine5

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 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20017
200220
200316
200412
200516
20067
200712
20086
20097
201021
20112
20124
20132
20142
20156
20160
20170
20180
20192
20200
20211
20220
20231

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.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

24 reports18 crashes
“THE DASH LIGHT INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH MY AIR BAG IS ON. TOYOTA STATES THAT A SAFETY RECALL IS PENDING THAT MIGHT AFFECT MY CAR. UNTIL THEN, THEY ARE UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO REPAIR MY CAR. THEY STATE THAT THE AIRBAG MAY GO OFF ON IT'S OWN. THEY CANNOT TELL ME HOW LONG IT MAY BE BEFORE THE RECALL IS ANNOUNCED. THIS SEEMS HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO ME.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 13, 2015Air bagsODI 10781515

Engine and engine cooling

20 reports
“THE PROBLEM IS AND HAS BEEN EXCESS OIL USUAGE. IT USES A QUART ABOUT EVERY 400 HUNDRED MILES. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AT A LOCAL HONDA DEALER MAY, 2010. IT HAD 102,000 MILES ON IT. IT NOW HAS 117,000. IT'S BEEN USING OIL EVERY SINCE I'VE HAD IT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY THING WRONG. THEY SAID THE ENGINE WAS CLEAN AND THERE WERE NO OIL LEAKS ANYWHERE. I'VE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE ALOT OF COMPLAINTS POSTED ABOUT THIS CAR. THE PROBLEM IS THE ENGINE PUT IN THE CAR IN 2002. A 1.6L WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW 1.8L ENGINE AND EVIDENTLY THE 1.8L DIDN'T SEAT PROPERLY CAUSING OIL USUAGE. MY SON DROVE THIS CAR WHILE HE WAS AT COLLEGE. THE PROBLEM IS, WITH THIS KIND OF OIL USAGE, YOU CAN RUN THE CAR OUT OF OIL. WE TRIED TO KEEP UP WITH IT, BUT IF YOU RUN IT HIGH SPEEDS IT WILL USE MORE OIL. IF THE CAR RUNS OUT OF OIL ON AN INTERSTATE AND THE ENGINE LOCKS UP, WELL YOU COULD HAVE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. I KEEP THE CAR AT HOME NOW BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS. WE DRIVE IT LOCALLY ONLY. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 31, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10446024

Vehicle speed control

11 reports6 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT REMAINED STUCK IN THE FULL THROTTLE POSITION. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND APPLIED EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL IN ORDER TO RELEASE IT. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND VERIFIED THAT THE THROTTLE WAS STICKING BUT DID NOT PROVIDE A DIAGNOSIS NOR DID THEY REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,217. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000. UPDATED 2/23/11 *CN UPDATED 05/09/11”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 23, 2010Vehicle speed controlODI 10372263

Service brakes, hydraulic

11 reports4 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND APPROACHING A RED LIGHT WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT DID NOT RESPOND AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE IN-FRONT OF HIM. THE DRIVERS FRONT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. HE HAD EXPERIENCE BRAKE FAILURE TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2010Service brakes, hydraulic, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10316574

Tires

9 reports
“Tire size: TM-1 185/65R14 86 T Tire. I bought 4 tires in Sept 2022. I just found out that, after 11 months of normal city driving (which added bout 10K miles to the mileage) and normal maintenance, the tires already showing belt. They have become a safety hazard so I have to buy 4 new tires of another brand.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2023TiresODI 11540135

Suspension

9 reports1 crash1 related recall
“I WAS IN THE "SLOW " LANE ON THE INTERSTATE HEADED TO SCHOOL. I RECEIVED A SPEEDING TICKET THE DAY BEFORE SO I MADE SURE TO ON BE IN SLOW LANE GOING SPEED LIMIT. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME A RED CADILIAC BRAKE AND KIND OF HARD SO I BRAKE TRAVELING AT 60 TO 65 MPH. I BRAKE QUICK NOT REAL HARD AND WITH IN SECONDS I REALIZED THE CAR WAS LOOSING CONTROL. I QUICKLY JUMPED INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT AS SOON AS I REALIZED IT WAS IN GODS HANDS. I THEN DID A 360 AND A 180 ACROSS ALL THREE LANES NEVER HITTING ANOTHER CAR OR TRUCK HIT THE CENTER OF THE INTERSTATE AND ROLLED THREE TIMES. I KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THE WOMEN TRAVELING BEHIND ME SAID SHE HAD TO STOP BC SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW I WAS ALIVE. I TOLD THEM THAT I THOUGHT A TIRE HAD BLOWN BUT REALLY I HAD NO CLUE I KNEW I WAS PISSED BC MY 6 MONTH OLD CAR GONE. IT WAS THE FIRST THING I WAS ACTUALLY BUYING ON MY OWN AND BAM. I HAD A SPRAINED ANKLE AND CUT ON SHOULDER ROAD RASH AND WHIP LASH BAD. RECENTLY I HAVE RESEARCHED AND SAW MY CAR IS IN FACT ON THE LIST. THE YEAR AND MODEL BUT HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF MY EXACT CAR WAS DEFECTIVE? ITS BEEN IN THE IMPOUND SINCE APRIL 2002. I FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 20, 2014Suspension, WheelsCrash reportedODI 10637696
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.