Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
22–50 mpgcombined; city 19–53, highway 27–46; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$6,500–$18,290U.S. average; Ohio $5,810–$17,240 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 2026 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 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 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
Unknown or other
8
0
0
2
Service brakes
3
3
0
0
Air bags
2
2
0
1
Electrical system
2
1
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
2
2
0
1
Steering
2
2
0
1
Suspension
2
1
0
0
Vehicle speed control
2
1
0
0
Engine
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
1
0
1
Power train
1
0
0
0
3 more parts
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
1
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 2026 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 2026 Corolla vehicles. The front headlights may have missing headlight aim markings, which can result in improperly aimed headlights during service. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Incorrectly aimed headlights can reduce driver visibility or create a glare for oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both front headlight assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 20, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 26TA05.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 27 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Corolla, the latest on Jun 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (26), wheels (1).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
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 2026 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: 4–8 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 (AV-S10)
Regular Gasoline
32 / 41 / 35
Corolla Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S10)
Regular Gasoline
31 / 38 / 34
Corolla (1-mode TM) Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
32 / 41 / 35
Corolla (3-mode TM) Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
31 / 40 / 34
Corolla FX Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S10)
Regular Gasoline
30 / 38 / 33
Corolla Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
53 / 46 / 50
Corolla Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
51 / 44 / 48
Corolla Hybrid SE Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
50 / 43 / 47
Corolla Hybrid SE All-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
47 / 41 / 44
Corolla XSE Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S10)
Regular Gasoline
30 / 38 / 33
GR Corolla All-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 3 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
21 / 28 / 24
GR Corolla All-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 3 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
19 / 27 / 22
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