Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
31–52 mpgcombined; city 28–53, highway 36–52; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$6,250–$10,480U.S. average; Ohio $5,580–$9,360 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2021 Corolla. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 186 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Corolla. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
52
12
1
12
Engine
41
2
0
0
Unknown or other
32
2
1
0
Electrical system
23
3
1
1
Power train
19
0
0
1
Visibility/wiper
15
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
8
1
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
8
1
0
0
Seat belts
8
2
0
3
Vehicle speed control
7
2
0
0
Service brakes
6
1
0
0
Steering
5
1
0
2
9 more parts
Structure
5
1
0
0
Tires
5
0
0
0
Seats
4
2
0
3
Wheels
4
1
0
0
Lane departure
3
0
0
0
Parking brake
3
0
0
0
Suspension
3
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2021 Corolla over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 181 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2021 Corolla, the latest on Aug 20, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (51), electrical system (47), engine (38), structure (34), engine and engine cooling (12).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2021 Corolla.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: compact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 7–9 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Corolla Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S10)
Regular Gasoline
32 / 41 / 35
Corolla Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S10)
Regular Gasoline
31 / 40 / 34
Corolla Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
30 / 38 / 33
Corolla Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
29 / 39 / 33
Corolla Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
29 / 36 / 32
Corolla Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
28 / 37 / 31
Corolla APEX Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S10)
Regular Gasoline
31 / 38 / 34
Corolla APEX Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
28 / 36 / 31
Corolla Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
53 / 52 / 52
Corolla XLE Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
29 / 37 / 32
Corolla XSE Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S10)
Regular Gasoline
31 / 38 / 34
Corolla XSE Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AM-S10)
Regular Gasoline
30 / 38 / 33
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data