Toyota Corolla 2021

Car

Toyota Corolla 2021

12 source-linked failure reports. Most reported: Other. Typical failure around 3.1 yr.

Reliability signal B · Early signal · data confidence Low

12 confirmed failure reports

Reliability summary

What is likely to go wrong, when it happens, and how expensive it can be — from source-linked failure reports. Counts are reports in our database, not a population failure rate.

Reliability signal

B

12 confirmed failure reports · Early signal · Data confidence: Low

Most common issue
Other
Typical first failure
3.1 yr
Median of confirmed reports with timing
Median repair cost
—
Reported costs only · market varies
Highest reported repair
—
Not a quote · costs differ by country

What breaks?

Failure types

Click a type in the reports section below to filter.

  • Other3 · 25%
  • Airbag / restraint failure2 · 16.7%
  • Engine failure2 · 16.7%
  • Electrical system failure2 · 16.7%
  • Structure / body failure1 · 8.3%
  • Powertrain / transmission failure1 · 8.3%
  • Brake system failure1 · 8.3%

When does it break?

Failure timing

Months after purchase, using reports that included timing.

What does it cost?

Reported repair costs

Distribution of owner-reported repair costs— not a quote or guarantee. Labor and parts prices vary by country.

No reported repair costs yet for this model.

Median months to failure

37.5

Failure reports

12

View →

Median repair cost

—

Still recommend

—

% repaired

—

% mfr warranty

—

% extended warranty

—

% support helpful

—

Use these reports as a risk signal, then check current listings before you buy.

Search this model on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, After Warranty may earn from qualifying purchases.

What breaks?

What breaks? · reports

Structure / body failure

VISIBILITY/WIPER

34 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11607147

Yes the car can be inspected. Yes took to dealership today and they don’t know what’s causing it but what between $855 - 1,100 to fix. When it rains the front wipers automatically come on as they should. Then without warning, they stop working and on three occasions a wiper flew off and my teenager had to stop and run into middle of road to get the wiper. She was on a rural highway and could not see well without the wipers working. I replaced the wipers, but when it down poured rain again, like before they just stopped working with no warning. She had to drive 25 mph on a road that was ranges 45 -55 mph. She had a very hard time seeing and could have wrecked. This could have caused an accident had she been on the freeway going 70 mph. A Google search shows others have experienced this issue with their car. The only person who has inspected the issue / car is the Toyota dealership today. They said they don’t know what’s causing it and would cost more money to try and diagnose, but they said it appears if you run the wipers at the very slowest speed it does not malfunction. I don’t have the money to fix it right now, so we are going to try and not drive in rain and if caught in a storm while driving, like before, we will try running wipers at lowest speed as they suggested. First incident was April or May 2024. Most recent incident was July 2024. Sorry I don’t have exact dates.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

34 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Other

WHEELS

53 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11697834

While attempting to change a flat tire on a 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, two wheel studs sheared off completely, leaving the wheel unsafe to drive. My wife was stranded alone in the mountains with no cell service. She managed to loosen three lug nuts, but the final two were seized. When a passerby assisted, both seized studs snapped. The spare could barely be mounted. The vehicle has been serviced exclusively by Toyota dealers since new. Lancaster Toyota later replaced the broken studs free of charge, yet simultaneously claimed that another dealer, Frontier Toyota, had “switched the tyres.” so Lancaster are not responsible. That claim is false — Frontier’s invoice (Sept 25 2025) clearly shows only an oil change and inspection, no tire or wheel service of any kind. Replacing the studs at no charge while denying responsibility suggests an attempt to quietly resolve what may be a dealer-induced over-torque or defective-stud failure. The broken studs were not returned to us despite multiple requests — effectively withheld by the dealer, which constitutes unauthorized retention of customer property and prevents independent verification of failure cause. Toyota Corporate (case #251103002581) was notified but refused to investigate, referring the issue back to the same dealer. This complaint is being filed so NHTSA can document a potential wheel-stud safety defect or service-related failure and dealer mishandling of critical evidence that could conceal a wider safety problem.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

53 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Airbag / restraint failure

AIR BAGS

42 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11631735

I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding the ongoing issues related to safety recall 23TA15 for my 2021 Toyota Corolla LE. The recall, issued in December 2023, involves a defect in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensors in the front passenger seat, which may have been improperly manufactured. Unfortunately, Toyota has failed to address this recall in a timely manner, significantly impacting my ability to use my vehicle safely and as intended. My local dealership has confirmed that my car is affected by this recall and that the OCS sensor is not functioning. However, despite the recall being issued nearly a year ago, the dealership has informed me that they are unable to obtain the necessary parts to repair the issue, and they do not expect to receive them until at least the end of December 2024—if not later. As a result, I have been unable to use my car's passenger seat in a safe and fully functional manner, effectively rendering the car unsuitable for my needs. This prolonged delay in resolving a critical safety issue is unacceptable, and I am concerned for my safety and the safety of others until this issue is resolved. I kindly request that the NHTSA investigate Toyota’s handling of this recall and take appropriate action to ensure that affected vehicle owners, including myself, are provided with timely repairs and necessary parts. I am also requesting clarification on any steps I can take to expedite the repair process. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

42 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Engine failure

ENGINE

33 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11581838

The engine coolant bypass valve circuit short to battery or open and lower hose - Trouble Code - DTC: P268115. The error message "Engine Maintenance Required - Visit Your Dealer" was consistently popping up and I couldn't see my speed or dash or how many miles I had till empty even after acknowledging the message and pressing ok & back. It would stay on while my car was on no matter what. I couldn't use or see any of my information on my dash. The problem has come up multiple times by different people in the auto forum and I was warned that I would have to replace it again in 15 months. There was no light that came on on my dash just the message that would pop up and block my speed so I couldn't see how fast I was going or when I was going to be out of gas. I'm not sure if it's been inspected by the manufacturer. It first appeared after 3 years of owning my brand new car. I was very shocked that I already needed to replace a part in my engine after only having and driving my car for a short amount of time and 30,000 miles on it. It was an expensive part and caused me to have to guess how fast I was going while driving as I couldn't see or get the message to go away even after acknowledging it. I took it to Toyota and they told me the only way to get the notification to go away was to replace it but they did tell me that they have recently had multiple cars come in with the same issue. I had to drive my car in danger as I couldn't immediately afford to pay to get it fixed right away and was in college away from home and didn't have enough time to leave my car in the shop.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

33 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Powertrain / transmission failure

POWER TRAIN

55 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11709131

NOTE: This has not happened to me yet, but it appears that most Corollas manufactured before 2022 or 2023 have this issue. However I did recently flush the fluid from my clutch system and it was very clearly contaminated, possibly indicating early evidence of a failure. Clutch system, specifically the slave cylinder is faulty on these vehicles. It is a known issue on these cars that the clutch slave cylinder (inside the transmission) is made out of resin and fails. When the slave cylinder fails, brake fluid from the shared clutch/brake reservoir leaks out onto the clutch and flywheel, damaging them and resulting in an expensive repair. In addition to this, the brake fluid leak results in a "low braking power" message on the dashboard, indicating a problem with the braking system. Obviously this is a safety issue that could cause an accident. This issue has been confirmed by many dealers and the solution is to replace the slave, clutch, and flywheel and flush & refill the brake fluid reservoir. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer as of yet, but in the interest of safety I am considering an early replacement of the cylinder. The only warnings of this issue are a clutch stuck to the floor, and in some cases a "low braking power" warning on the dashboard. A low brake fluid level may also be an indicator of this issue if caught in time. Incident report below is of the clutch flush, showing the contaminated brake fluid from the clutch hydraulic system. It's important to note that flushing the clutch is not a recommended maintenance item at any point on these vehicles as it is expected to be done with the braking system, although that won't remove contaminants from the clutch cylinder.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

55 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Airbag / restraint failure

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

47 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11678966

My vehicle was backed into while ì was inside of it in a parking lot. Due to my horn failing., I was unable to alert the other driver to see me. The clock spring is what failed the first time at 95k they replaced it. I'm now at 147k and it failed again . Now I'm discovering that if it does not work, there's an electrical circuit failure and that the airbag will not deploy if I get in an accident. This is a serious safety issue and I feel Toyota should be responsible for it for the life of the vehicle . A horn should never go out. Especially if it not working will keep my air bag from functioning properly . 850 out of my pocket is way steep. The replacement part lasted half as long as the original part did when I bought the car that to me seems like a faulty part this should be obvious and they should just fix the problem cuz I might have to just consult an attorney should they choose not to. The attached photo shows what happens when you can't beep your horn at somebody who's about to back into your car !!! my car still has not turned on any kind of warning lamp for the airbag or any kind of malfunction light, no warnings on my radio. I have noticed that my Lane departure warning seems to work intermittently along with the automatic high beams that like to flash my high beams in people's face for some unapparent reason which also seems like a safety issue. If I had to take my car to an inspection station it would not pass an inspection due to the horn not working ! You cannot take your child to the Department of Motor Vehicles and let them take their drive test if your horn does not work ! which happened to be my case !! Very disappointing to say the least especially when you've paid $30,000 for a car.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

47 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Engine failure

ENGINE

41 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11624084

I recently purchased a 2021 Toyota Corolla SE. After a few days the "Engine Maintenance Required - See Dealer" notification appeared. See as it was purchased very recently, I assumed this was the oil maintenance light, and reset it. Later that day, it came back, and I reset it a different method under the assumption I did it wrong. The next day it was back, and that is when I realized it must be something else. So I started doing some research and found lots of other people have had this same issue: 2020-21 Corolla, greater than 30k miles, usually less than 60k, and while the Check Engine Light *DOES NOT TURN ON* the car is throwing an error code: P268115 - Engine Coolant Bypass Valve. Sure enough, I have the codes pulled and I have that code showing up. So I took it to the local Toyota Dealership. They stated that the issue was not a warrantable, so I would likely have to pay out of pocket. After a slight fuss, they agreed to fix it as a "one-time goodwill gesture, performed in the interest of customer satisfaction..." So in the end, they did fix it; I did still have to pay for a diagnostic of the issue which is frustrating, especially since I was dead on in my analysis of the issue. To answer the guideline questions: Engine Coolant Bypass Valve Leaking engine coolant could cause the engine to overheat, which can lead to fires, not exactly ideal. It can also cause electrical shorts, leading to more issues. Yes. Lancaster Toyota confirmed the issue. Yes, Lancaster Toyota confirmed that the part was faulty. They appeared shortly after buying the car. There were no error lights like I'd expect, but there was the constantly appearing "Engine Maintenance Required - See Dealer" message which the Owner's Manual states is simply the 5000 mile Oil Change warning. Hidden behind this message is the error code P268115.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

41 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Electrical system failure

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

7 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11448525

When I was driving on the freeway on January 21, 2022, I had my iPhone X plugged into the car's infotainment system via USB to enable Apple CarPlay and navigate using Google Maps. In the middle of driving, the navigation system lost accuracy of my precise location. It continuously kept rerouting, as it believed that I had exited the freeway and was now on the side street. GPS precision is unreliable when the connected phone is not unlocked and on the Google Maps app (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't). This is obviously a safety hazard, since I have to exit the Google Maps app on my phone, reopen it, and reroute to the location so the software accurately picks up my location (luckily, the car has lane-trace assist). Another issue is when using Google Maps (an issue with all navigation app, really; here I use Google Maps as an example, but I've had an issue with all maps apps I use, including Apple Maps) navigation with Apple CarPlay and the iPhone locks itself or the driver exits the Google Maps app on the phone. Sometimes, when the phone locks itself from idle usage (as it should, since the driver is focusing on the road) or when the Google Maps app is exited (but not closed), the navigation interface on the car's infotainment system freezes. It shows the current location of the vehicle as stationary when it really should be moving. The intended functionality is the navigation software should continue running and updating as the car moves, regardless of whether the phone is locked or if the Google Maps app is only running in the background. This issue happens sporadically, but poses a significant risk of a collision, as it forces the driver to use their phone and reroute their navigation instead of paying attention to the road. Toyota needs to coordinate with Apple to address this issue on Apple CarPlay and subsequently release a software update to drivers.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

7 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Other

TIRES

46 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11744107

Over the past year and a half I’ve had to deal with unknown reasons for at least 13 tire problems. And one of those problems was a complete blow out on the highway. When I went to get my spare tire and change it there wasn’t anything in the trunks spare compartment. I called the dealership and they said they don’t do that (meaning they don’t provide the car with a spare). I was very confused and stressed. I felt played and wasn’t made to feel confident in this purchase. That not the only thing. The electric system does pretty much whatever it wants. Changes my music, gives advice for things we didn’t ask and the volume is always highering itself and lowering just whenever it chooses. The airbag light has been on most of the time letting me know the passenger airbag isn’t on or working properly. The engine light has been on for at least four months now. I understand Warranty for regular checkups and maintenance but this feels a bit more serious than me making sure I’ve secured my warranty. I have called and taken the vehicle into both Toyota of Visalia and Toyota of Selma where I got financing for the vehicle. Toyota of Visalia wasn’t very much help at all and preceded to talk down to me. Toyota of Selma keeps giving me the run around and telling me different things about my warranty. This car isn’t worth the trouble my credit score goes through to secure it each month just to have something else fail me in it. At this point I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to replace the DC to DC because the car died a week ago and hasn’t turned back on since. And yes I’ve tried jumping the battery already. I’ve only had this car a year and a half. I wasn’t made aware of any issues with it when I drove it home that day. It was a nice ride home but less than a couple months I was already having questions about its performance. I really wish this complaint would even help but I’m just writing to probably waste my own time.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

46 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Other

LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

6 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11498348

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.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

6 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Electrical system failure

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,WHEELS

17 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11544433

I am making a complaint about my 2021 corolla SE because I am constantly running into issues that cost and are not my fault as to why these issues have come about. I bought my car in March 2021, in May 2021 my car hit a bump in the highway and cracked my rim and bust my tire. Luckily I have alloy and tire coverage so I did not have to come out of my pocket. Next, my two front tires are constantly wearing down on the inside of the tread making the wires be exposed and causing me to have a blow out or needing to replace my tires at least 4 to 5 times since I have had my car. My car only has 71,000 on it to need that many tires replaced. I go and get my car serviced where I purchased my car at the toyota dealer so If I needed and alignment or tires rotated they would have let me know that and the only time I was informed I needed an alignment was when I got all new tires. Then, in November of 2022 my front lighting sytem when completely out ( signals lights, blinkers, brake lights, etc. I went to get it checked on and the dealer made me feel as if I had an entire electrical issue going on with my car and I would have to pay $160 x2 in order for them to just figure out what was wrong with my practically new vehicle. They came back and explained it was only a fuse and the fuse is $5 but still attempted to charge me for diagnostics. After this encounter I had to be ugly just to not come out of pocket for a large sum. At that visit there was an "engine malfunction" light on as well that they did not mend and continues to blink to this date. Prior to my last servicing appointment last week my entire radio system went out ( backup camera, radio, gps system, bluetooth). I was told at the dealer that I would have to pay $160 for them to diagnose my issue and and then pay for the repair. I asked my service manager if there were any recalls on my car for these issues and he stated no but as for the 2022-2023 models there are recalls. I need help with this.

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

17 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Brake system failure

WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES

6 months

Government / agencyIndexed Oct 9, 2026Source-linkedVerify source — NHTSA complaint #11480884

Recently my car was in an accident involving 2 other vehicles. An SUV in front of me rear-ended someone and then I rear-ended the SUV. We were in heavy traffic at a major intersection and were stopped at a red light. The light turned green and we began to move. We were accelerating from a stop and were maybe approaching 10 -15 mph. Traffic started to back up at the next light and so the first car stopped suddenly so as not to block the intersection. Then the driver in front of me crashed into that car. He was on his phone, not looking, and didn't have time to brake. I was about 2-3 car lengths behind when he came to a complete stop. I was also still accelerating, as were most cars, since the light had just turned green. As soon as the vehicle in front of me hit the other car and stopped moving, I immediately applied my brakes. Based on the distance I believe I should have been able to stop. I remember thinking there was plenty of room. Except that the ABS came on and, instead of stopping my car before hitting the object in front of me (because the car is also capable of doing that), it just continued to let my car slide right into the back of the vehicle in front of me. I was then "at fault" according to my insurance company despite my explanation of the details. This led to a $500 deductible for repairs and an increase in my insurance rate. I honestly believe that the ABS should not have activated in that situation. If the car is able to recognize and even stop for objects in front of it, why would it let me slide into another car? I've had similar situations with my other cars in the past and they always stopped quickly, often avoiding this very situation. To summarize, I feel that the antilock brake system in my car failed to act in a safe and appropriate manner, thus causing an increased risk of damage or injury to the vehicle and passengers. In my case it resulted in damage to my car and a lot of extra money to cover those damages. Thank you

VerifiedEvidence ★★★★☆
View report details

Months until failure

6 months

Repair cost

Not stated

Repaired

Not stated

Manufacturer warranty

Not stated

Extended warranty

Not stated

Support helpful

Not stated

Would recommend

Not stated

AI extraction confidence

90%

Verification status

Verified

Evidence quality

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Discussion

Compare nearby models

Similar products

Stay ahead of failures

Notify me about this model

Get an email when a new source-linked failure report is published for the Toyota Corolla 2021.

We only email when a new published report is added for Toyota Corolla 2021. No spam, unsubscribe by contacting support.

Contribute signal

Had a failure with this model?

Add your experience and help future shoppers understand what happens after the warranty.

Submit your experience