Problems · NHTSA complaints

2018 Toyota Corolla problems

Owners filed 136 complaints about the 2018 Toyota Corolla with NHTSA between Apr 2018 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (36).

Complaints
136
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
26
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags36
  2. Fuel/propulsion system23
  3. Engine17
  4. Fuel system, gasoline15
  5. Electrical system13
  6. Power train12
  7. Seat belts11
  8. Vehicle speed control11
  9. Service brakes11
  10. Suspension5
  11. Steering5
  12. Structure4
  13. Forward collision avoidance4
  14. Seats3

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 4, 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
201817
201922
202045
20217
202212
202312
20247
20256
20268

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

36 reports17 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“I was driving home from church late Sunday night. A really rough storm hit and it knocked down a huge tree in the road covering the entire road. I did not see the tree until I got up on it and I went straight through it. I was running around 40 mph and total front end impact took the whole bumper off but my airbags did not deploy.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2026Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11766243

Fuel/propulsion system

23 reports1 fire
“Due to recent reports of fuel pump recalls, my daughter bought a 2018 Toyota Corolla almost a year ago. Right now that is problem and her car will not start. I need a free replacement of her fuel pump. Thank you.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 7, 2026Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11709551

Engine

17 reports1 fire
“I was driving the car and expressway. The car was making a sound. The car did not have an engine light on it. Also, the car just switched gears. I pulled over and II was driving the car and expressway. The car was making a sound. The car did not have a engine light on it. Also, the car just switched gears. I pulled over and I tried to park the car, but it wouldn’t allow me to park the car. Which it is left in drive with the emergency brake still in place .and if you let the break down the car will roll . . I got it looked at and now they are saying it’s the transmission, but it never had a light on to identify what was wrong with the car. There was no codes on the car.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2026Electrical system, Engine, Back over preventionODI 11773885

Fuel system, gasoline

15 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, or upon approaching a stop, the engine sounded very weak, almost as if the vehicle would shut off. The contact stated that the vehicle had shut off previously while driving through a drive thru. The vehicle was restarted, and the check engine warning light illuminated while driving. The contact also stated that after refueling the vehicle, the accelerator pedal had to be pumped while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed and DTC: P0171 was retrieved. The contact was informed that the EVAP valves and system were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) as possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,750. The VIN was not available.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 10, 2025Fuel system, gasolineODI 11653942

Electrical system

13 reports1 crash2 fires
“After having no indication of any issue, my 2018 Toyota Corolla has stopped re-starting after fueling. The only light that appeared was regarding my battery. My battery is brand new and tested.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 18, 2025Electrical system, Unknown or other, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11694221

Power train

12 reports1 crash
“The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the tachometer was raised to high levels while exiting the highway. While at a stoplight, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. An OBD2 scanner was used to diagnose the vehicle, and DTC: P0741, P075B, P1604, P2757, P2820(X4) were retrieved, which were related to the torque converter. The contact was informed that the CVT transmission needed to be replaced, and the contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 76,099.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 10, 2026Power trainODI 11723306
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026

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