Free. Instant. No signup. Pulls recalls and complaints for your exact vehicle.

Couldn't find that VIN. Check the digits and try again.

ProblemsByVin Index / 2021-TOYOTA-COROLLA / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2021 Toyota Corolla owner complaints

180 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle , including 3 reporting a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. Showing the 300 most recent — grouped by category for scanning.

airbags 5 complaints shown

49 total in this category · severe · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags cluster analysis →
12/30/2024 ODI #11633202.0

Our car in used for a TURO rental car. The TURO system has unlisted our income making vehicle until this is fixed. It's been over a year and we are losing money every day. We are considering legal action. Hope this submission helps. Thank for your help

12/28/2024 ODI #11632814.0

On December 20, 2023, a safety recall was officially generated for my 2021 Toyota Corolla. It has been over a year, and there is currently no remedy for this recall. I was originally notified that there would be an option to fix this by the third quarter of 2024. However, that was not the case. On December 26, 2024, I contacted the service center at Sam Leman Toyota in Bloomington, Illinois by phone, and they confirmed that there is still no remedy for repair.

12/20/2024 ODI #11631735.0

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 lea

11/21/2024 ODI #11626587.0

The safety of any passenger in the front seat is potentially affected as the defect can either cause the front passenger airbag to fail to deploy in an accident or cause it to deploy when it shouldn't, either way causing harm to the passenger in the front. This probem was widely reported in the press in 2023 and 2024. One article I read said that Toyota claimed it would start issuing the recalls for repair in Feb 2024 but that still had not happened by the time I bought my 2021 Corolla in April 2024. I bought it as a used car from a local dealer who shared the info about the recall which was on the CARFAX report too. I am reluctant to have family or friends in the front passenger seat because of the risk of injury in the case of an accident of accidental deployment of the airbag. This red

11/20/2024 ODI #11626361.0

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

powertrain 4 complaints shown

19 total in this category · severe · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain cluster analysis →
12/29/2021 ODI #11445388.0

Car was in dealership twice in one week for jerking while driving dealership said it was abc and was so called “fixed” both times only had my car for a little bit back before I had to take it back . 3rd time in the same week my transmission went out on me while on the highway with young kids in the car and almost caused a wreck. Car got towed in was confirmed it was my transmission and a dozen other codes going off . Toyota is lucky that the semi that was behind me when this happened did not plow into me

12/10/2024 1 injury ODI #11629864.0

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway with the engine off and attempting to enter the vehicle to clean the interior of the vehicle, the vehicle rolled away going downward out of the driveway. Due to the failure, the vehicle tugged the contact while rolling away. The contact stated that the vehicle independently came to a stop in the middle of the roadway. The contact sustained back, feet, and injuries to both legs, requiring medical attention. A police report was not filed. The Insurance Provider retrieved the vehicle at the scene. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

12/02/2025 58,000 mi ODI #11702545.0

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot, the clutch pedal failed to function as intended. The clutch pedal was depressed and failed to return after being released. The contact used his foot to raise the clutch pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the slave cylinder had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the six-speed manual transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and assisted with the labor cost. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

11/28/2025 ODI #11701874.0

I am filing this complaint regarding a serious defect in my 2021 Toyota Corolla (Manual). At approximately 42,000 miles, the clutch slave cylinder failed. This defect caused hydraulic fluid to leak and contaminate the clutch assembly, resulting in significant damage and loss of proper function. Despite the fact that this issue stems from a defective part, the dealership has refused to cover the repair of the clutch assembly, stating that the clutch is not covered under warranty. Instead, they are requiring me to pay for the repair out-of-pocket, which would not have been necessary if the damage had not been caused by the defective clutch slave cylinder. I believe this is unfair and unsafe, as the failure of a clutch slave cylinder directly impacts the drivability and safety of the vehicle

electrical 3 complaints shown

18 total in this category · severe · avg repair $850 · see electrical cluster analysis →
12/27/2025 Crash ODI #11707212.0

On December 12, 2025, I was in a head on car accident in my 2021 Toyota Corolla nightshade. I was slammed into the steering wheel which caused injury. My car has over $14,000 worth of damage to the front yet my airbags did not deploy. I have taken my car to Toyota several times over the past few years and every time I’ve asked about a remedy for this recall I’ve been told there is no remedy as early as June or July 2025 I had to bring my car in for a manufacturer defect with the engine that Toyota fixed for free. I asked them about the recall on the airbags. They again told me there was no remedy.

11/29/2023 ODI #11557458.0

My car shows that the vehicle needed to be serviced, in checking the Toyota app I saw there was a warning for the adaptive lighting system/electrical concern. The warning light had been on for some time, thinking I was due for regular maintenance like an oil change I had ignored it for a bit. Everytime I would start the car this warning would appear. I too the car in for service, they also did a 20k maintenance service and kept the car overnight overnight as they were unable to locate the issue same day. The following day I was advised they couldn't determine the issue and they cleared the code.

11/26/2021 Fire ODI #11441723.0

While driving the vehicle the brake hold system was activated at a red light. While proceeding through the light within (about) 5 minutes the vehicle indicated a brake hold malfunction. An odor of smoke was also present, at that point I turned off the vehicle and inspected the origin; the trunk. Upon opening the trunk the right side had a sizeable fire growing towards my assets. Police did arrive on scene, an adjuster has examined the damages, however this has not seemed to be replicated. I believe the risks associated with this incident are quite evident. There was no collision.

lighting 2 complaints shown

5 total in this category · severe · avg repair $250 · see lighting cluster analysis →
12/30/2021 ODI #11445594.0

I purchased this vehicle new in June 2021. It is the hatchback model. Prior to that I drove a motorcycle since 2015. I noticed right at the beginning that the headlights don't illuminate far enough ahead at night for what I consider safe. My ability to see off into the distance ahead of the vehicle is far less than what I would get from my motorcycle, which doesn't make any sense to me because this car has LED headlights which are supposed to be better. I live in Washington, DC and have family in New Jersey that I visit regularly. There are two ways I can go. The first is Interstate 95 which has a speed limit of 65 but I set my cruise control at 60. When I come to an area where there is no street lighting and there are no other cars around which are helping illuminate the roadway

12/09/2024 ODI #11629704.0

Front Windshields of the vehicle has more tinting to be within compliance. The same vehicle has tendency to follow certain vehicles all the time as per what I have experienced or see.

visibility 2 complaints shown

10 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $350 · see visibility cluster analysis →
12/23/2022 ODI #11498697.0

came out and windshield was cracked. Toyota makes defective cheap windshields

11/20/2023 ODI #11556067.0

At around 0750 AM on 20Nov2023, the sun roof exploded while turning roughly 15 MPH onto an onramp of a highway. Nothing hit the car from the outside. The sun roof glass shattered and fell onto the sun roof cover. Glass could have fallen inside as well as onto me and could have obstructed my vision, causing a crash. No pot holes or noticeable bumps were struck prior to or after the malfunction. Car was at a red stop light for a minute or so prior to the malfunction. The temperature was around 45 degrees Fahrenheit when the malfunction occurred. The heat was not turned on in the car at any point. When speaking with the dealership service center, they said no on else has come in with this issue. When doing a quick google search, up to 5 individuals from 2022 have had the same issue with vary

other 1 complaint shown

12/21/2022 ODI #11498348.0

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

body 1 complaint shown

3 total in this category · severe · avg repair $1,500 · see body cluster analysis →
11/29/2023 ODI #11557461.0

While driving my car I noticed a sloshing noise like water, I thought it was a bottle of wiper fluid until I opened and closed my passenger rear door. The door was full of water, I looked it up online and found tips to loosen a plug on the bottom of the door to let the water drain out. I did this and it was pouring out of the door. I called for service, took the vehicle in, asked about damage to electrical inside the door like speakers and locking systems. The man explained due to the way the door is made IF any water got in it would not affect these systems. They advised the plugs can get full of debris and to loosen the plugs after heavy rain. This has now happened several times, I have to check all my doors and drain them after it rains. Note there are three plug holes, all have

engine 1 complaint shown

27 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $3,100 · see engine cluster analysis →
11/13/2024 ODI #11624945.0

My 2021 Toyota Corolla has 43k miles at this moment and the engine coolant bypass valve went out prematurely. There should be a recall on this part because a lot of people are having issues with this part on these cars at such low millage. Thanks

Showing 300 of 180 total complaints. The full federal record is available at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Toyota/Corolla#complaints.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-06-14. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
Get a free warranty quote →
Sponsored — we earn a commission if you complete a quote. Disclosure.