2020 Toyota Corolla

Family: Corolla · filed with NHTSA as COROLLA, COROLLA HATCHBACK, COROLLA HYBRID

Summary

In its first three years the 2020 Corolla drew 88 complaints — 1.2× the median of its generation (2020–2026). It does not stand out from the other years of this generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Of the 259 complaints that name a component, 43% concern Engine (112).
6 recalls filed for this model year.
1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 314
Recalls: 6
Investigations: 1
NCAP overall: 5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 31–52
Annual fuel cost: $1,200–$2,000
Median mileage at complaint: 10,000 mi (n = 71)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 22 / 1 / 23 / 1

What owners report

Engine

112 complaints · 43% of complaints that name a component · median 10,000 mi (n = 9)

Owner report Part is the coolant bypass valve. Toyota has been taken to court but dealership claims now that I’m over 100k miles I can’t do it. There was also a second part about 10 years but I wasn’t clear on the details of the outcome. Toyota has acknowledged this issue in court but failed to do so at the customer level in my c…

Owner report A message came on the screen saying “engine maintenance required” and it’s not going away. Upon doing a google search, there is a common failure in the cooling system for these cars reported by a lot of owners.

Powertrain

40 complaints · 15% of complaints that name a component · median 15,000 mi (n = 12)

Owner report The CV joint, there is a clicking sound when sharp turns are make to include U-turns. Spoke with a mechanic and was instructed to reach out to the dealership and check for recall on it. I did see any but I see a Technical Service Bulletin ( TSB-0106-20) for 2015- 2021 Corolla models regarding a potential clinking noise…

Owner report FAILED COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: The manual transmission Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) failed internally. Due to caustic hydraulic fluid contamination and severe system pressure loss, I had to replace the internal CSC unit, the clutch disc, the pressure plate, the flywheel, the master clutch cylinder, and the hydraul…

Electrical System

36 complaints · 14% of complaints that name a component · median 60,000 mi (n = 12)

Owner report DESIGN FLAW & SAFETY RISK: Toyota critically mismatched the standard battery to the vehicle's electrical charging profile; an AGM battery should be specified from the factory. Engine programming drops alternator voltage during cruising, deeply discharging the battery, and forces high-voltage surges (15V+) into it durin…

Owner report The contact purchased a 2020 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that they discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale on Facebook market. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 52,000. It was later discovered that the vehicle’s title mileage was 132,000. The contact sta…

18% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2020–2026)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 75.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2020	314	88
2021	188	49	not compared
2022	105	62
2023	85	75
2024	74	74	not compared
2025	42	42	not compared
2026	18	18	not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

23V865000 · AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Filed 2023-12-20 · 999,901 vehicles

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.

Risk: 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 mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

20V682000 · FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Filed 2020-11-04 · 1,525,742 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.

20V205000 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS

Filed 2020-04-08 · 960 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Corolla Hatchback vehicles. A rear hatch wire harness connector may have been damaged during assembly, which may cause the back-up lights to fail.

Risk: If the back-up lights fail, there can be an increased risk of a crash while the vehicle is reversing.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear hatch wire harness, free of charge. The recall began June 30, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB07 and 20TA07.

19V877000 · SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

Filed 2019-12-11 · 9,468 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 C-HR and 2020 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles equipped with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.

Risk: In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TB22 and 19TA22.

19V544000 · SERVICE BRAKES | ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

Filed 2019-07-24 · 6,925 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.

19V244000 · EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Filed 2019-03-27 · 3,634 vehicles

Defect: Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP22005	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM	2023-01-27	2023-08-07	22V063000

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Corolla	1.8L 4cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	30	38	33	$1900
Corolla	1.8L 4cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	29	39	33	$1900
Corolla	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (AV-S10)	Front-Wheel Drive	31	40	34	$1850
Corolla	2.0L 4cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	29	36	32	$1950
Corolla Hatchback	2.0L 4cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	28	37	31	$2000
Corolla Hatchback	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (AV-S10)	Front-Wheel Drive	32	41	35	$1800
Corolla Hatchback XSE	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (AV-S10)	Front-Wheel Drive	30	38	33	$1900
Corolla Hybrid	1.8L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	53	52	52	$1200
Corolla XLE	1.8L 4cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	29	37	32	$1950
Corolla XSE	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (AV-S10)	Front-Wheel Drive	31	38	34	$1850

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2020 Toyota Corolla 5 HB FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2020 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid 4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 455 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-08-20	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
2026-08-11	ENGINE	Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repair…
2026-08-11	ENGINE	Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repair…
2026-02-27	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
2026-02-27	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
2026-01-30	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
2026-01-30	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
2026-01-30	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
2026-01-28	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
2026-01-28	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Corolla, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Corolla model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.