2021 TOYOTA COROLLA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
227
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
12
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA
The 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA has received a total of 227 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION. 12 technical service bulletins have been issued by Toyota Motor Corporation for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (51 complaints), Engine (34 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (30 complaints).
Recalls for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA, potentially affecting up to 1,999,802 vehicles.
Recall 23V865000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
| 999,901 vehicles affected
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be...
View full details →Recall 23V865000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
| 999,901 vehicles affected
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA
227 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
While in a parking lot, the clutch pedal suddenly lost all pressure and remained stuck to the floor, rendering the vehicle unable to shift gears. While this occurred at parked car , a sudden loss of gear engagement at highway speeds would have caused a catastrophic loss of motive power in high-speed traffic. Furthermore, this vehicle utilizes a shared reservoir for both clutch and brake fluid. A major failure of the clutch slave cylinder seals can lead to rapid fluid loss or air ingestion into the shared hydraulic system, potentially compromising braking performance. The dealership confirmed the internal clutch slave cylinder failed prematurely at only 38,000 miles. Because the part is internal to the housing, a full transmission removal was required, resulting in a total repair cost of $5,600. Despite the safety implications of a shared hydraulic failure and the extremely low mileage, Toyota has refused to cover the full cost. No warning lights or symptoms appeared prior to this sudden failure.
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Corolla. The contact discovered brake fluid on the clutch pedal, and the brake pedal was mushy while depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,900.
I smell gas whenever I drive my car. My car has less than 33,000 miles on it.
I smell gas whenever I drive my car. My car has less than 33,000 miles on it.
I smell gas whenever I drive my car. My car has less than 33,000 miles on it.
Safety Rating for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA
The 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA
Toyota Motor Corporation has issued 12 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
T-TT-0732-23 — BACK OVER PREVENTION
TT: Confirm the vehicle meets the following conditions: 1) Rattle noise is coming from the brake pedal bracket assembly area AND not from other areas of the vehicle 2) Mileage is under 20,000 miles 3) Vehicle has not had previous front brake repairs performed 4) Vehicle is located in California...
T-TT-0699-22 Rev — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
TT: Some Model Year 2018-2023 vehicles equipped with A25A-FKS/FXS or M20A-FKS/FXS engines may display the following message ?Engine Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer? on the combination meter
T-SB-0106-20 Rev — WHEELS
TSB: Some 2015 ? 2021 model year Corolla vehicles may exhibit a clicking noise when making turns greater than 90 degrees and accelerating with the steering wheel on full lock, such as when performing a U-turn. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition.
TSB002019 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
OBSOLETE NOTICE March 22, 2022: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0024-22.
T-TT-0593-20 Rev — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:SOFTWARE
TT: Some customers may experience the inability to activate Remote Connect or Remote Connect becoming inoperative when attempting to send commands to the vehicle. To simplify the diagnosis of this system and prevent the unnecessary replacement of parts, please refer to the procedure below.
T-TT-0663-21 — VISIBILITY
TT: When used in conjunction with the Repair Manual, these Blind Spot Monitor, Forward Recognition Camera, and Front Millimeter Wave Radar tips leverage SSTs and readily available tools to support target placement in varying shop environments.
T-SB-0121-20 — STRUCTURE
TSB: Some 2020 ? 2021 model year Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles, and some 2019 ? 2021 model year Corolla Hatchback vehicles may exhibit a sloshing or splashing noise when turning at low speeds or when opening and closing doors. This can be caused by water inside one or more...
T-SB-0041-20 Rev — EQUIPMENT
TSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: ?Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. ?Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). ?Interior cleanliness. ?Proper function...
T-SB-0041-20 Rev — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: ?Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. ?Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). ?Interior cleanliness. ?Proper function...
T-SB-0041-20 — STRUCTURE
TSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: ?Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. ?Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). ?Interior cleanliness. ?Proper function...
Showing 10 of 12 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the TOYOTA COROLLA
- 2016 TOYOTA COROLLA — 306 complaints
- 2017 TOYOTA COROLLA — 270 complaints
- 2018 TOYOTA COROLLA — 192 complaints
- 2019 TOYOTA COROLLA — 275 complaints
- 2020 TOYOTA COROLLA — 376 complaints
- 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA (current)
- 2022 TOYOTA COROLLA — 108 complaints
- 2023 TOYOTA COROLLA — 108 complaints
- 2024 TOYOTA COROLLA — 87 complaints
- 2025 TOYOTA COROLLA — 26 complaints
- 2026 TOYOTA COROLLA — 7 complaints
Other TOYOTA Models
- TOYOTA CAMRY — 23,209 total complaints
- TOYOTA PRIUS — 15,411 total complaints
- TOYOTA RAV4 — 11,737 total complaints
- TOYOTA SIENNA — 10,769 total complaints
- TOYOTA TACOMA — 10,512 total complaints
- TOYOTA TUNDRA — 8,997 total complaints
- TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 6,663 total complaints
- TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 6,405 total complaints