EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1998 Toyota Corolla
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 225 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Toyota Corolla, most frequently naming the airbags, body & structure and electrical categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 74 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2003 | 1 | 126 |
| Mar 2003 | 2 | 128 |
| Apr 2003 | 4 | 132 |
| Jun 2003 | 1 | 133 |
| Jul 2003 | 4 | 137 |
| Aug 2003 | 2 | 139 |
| Sep 2003 | 2 | 141 |
| Oct 2003 | 2 | 143 |
| Nov 2003 | 2 | 145 |
| Dec 2003 | 1 | 146 |
| Jan 2004 | 3 | 149 |
| Feb 2004 | 2 | 151 |
| Mar 2004 | 5 | 156 |
| Apr 2004 | 3 | 159 |
| Aug 2004 | 2 | 161 |
| Sep 2004 | 1 | 162 |
| Nov 2004 | 1 | 163 |
| Dec 2004 | 1 | 164 |
| Feb 2005 | 3 | 167 |
| Mar 2005 | 1 | 168 |
| Apr 2005 | 2 | 170 |
| Jun 2005 | 1 | 171 |
| Oct 2005 | 2 | 173 |
| Feb 2006 | 1 | 174 |
| Jun 2006 | 3 | 177 |
| Aug 2006 | 1 | 178 |
| Sep 2006 | 2 | 180 |
| Nov 2006 | 1 | 181 |
| Mar 2007 | 1 | 182 |
| Jul 2007 | 2 | 184 |
| Oct 2007 | 1 | 185 |
| Nov 2007 | 1 | 186 |
| Dec 2007 | 1 | 187 |
| Apr 2008 | 1 | 188 |
| Jul 2008 | 3 | 191 |
| Sep 2008 | 1 | 192 |
| Aug 2009 | 1 | 193 |
| Jan 2010 | 1 | 194 |
| Feb 2010 | 5 | 199 |
| Mar 2010 | 3 | 202 |
| Apr 2010 | 1 | 203 |
| Aug 2010 | 1 | 204 |
| Nov 2010 | 1 | 205 |
| Feb 2011 | 1 | 206 |
| Oct 2012 | 1 | 207 |
| Feb 2013 | 2 | 209 |
| Feb 2014 | 1 | 210 |
| Dec 2014 | 1 | 211 |
| Jan 2015 | 2 | 213 |
| Apr 2015 | 1 | 214 |
| Aug 2015 | 2 | 216 |
| Oct 2015 | 1 | 217 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 218 |
| Jul 2016 | 1 | 219 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 220 |
| May 2018 | 1 | 221 |
| Aug 2019 | 1 | 222 |
| Sep 2020 | 1 | 223 |
| Oct 2021 | 1 | 224 |
| May 2022 | 1 | 225 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags6123.1%
- Body & structure249.1%
- Electrical197.2%
- Engine197.2%
- Driver assistance186.8%
- Steering176.4%
- Seat belts176.4%
- Suspension166.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
4 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govEXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact's wife owns a 1998 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while his wife was taking items out of the trunk of the vehicle, the trunk lid closed abruptly. The contact later noticed that the trunk lid driver’s side hinge was fractured. The contact's wife did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the trunk lid hinges needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11466216
- Incident
- May 22, 2022
- Mileage
- 106,000 mi
My auto mechanic and I, after extensive diagnosis, have confirmed that the Pulse mileage/route tracking device that Metromile car insurance had me plug into the computer port of my 1998 Toyota Corolla LE is failing or has failed, and this caused a potentially disastrous situation to develop w/my car engine. When starting the engine from cold, it would cause repeated misfires, causing the rpms to drop quickly, then surge up, before settling into the proper cold idle speed. This would repeat itself every few seconds until the engine warmed up completely (usually about 10 minutes). When in gear, the car would buck violently, putting repeated, extreme stress on the drive train; but even when in neutral gear, two mechanics have told me it could easily destroy my crankshaft bearings and/or other parts of the drive train. We have now tested this five times briefly in neutral gear. When we plug the pulse device in the problem occurs immediately. When we remove the device the problem goes away. We can also insert the mechanic's diagnostic device into the computer port and everything works fine. The new "Pulse" device was received as a replacement for the old one I had been using, that had worked fine, and was first inserted into the computer port on 8/9/21. So it worked fine for about a month. Supposedly the only difference between the old and new devices is that the new one uses 5G instead of 4G to receive and transmit data.
- NHTSA ID
- 11437379
- Incident
- Sep 19, 2021
AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. WHEN I LOOKED UP ANY RECALLS ON THIS YEAR OF TOYOTA, THERE WERE ALOT OF COMPLAINTS AND NO FIXES. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD FIX THIS SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS, IT IS A BIG DEAL NOT FEELIG SAFE ON THE ROAD. THE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN WE WERE DRIVING. WE TRIED TO RESET IT BUT HAS NO EFFECT. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA.THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE, IT IS A SAFETY HAZZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACUTURER. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM, IT IS THERE FAULT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
- NHTSA ID
- 11360597
- Incident
- Aug 26, 2020
- Mileage
- 74,000 mi
TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL MY 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA IS LISTED AS ONE OF THE CARS EFFECTED BY THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. TODAY I NOTED A BLINKING LIGHT ON MY DASH BOARD FOR THE AIRBAG. PLEASE ADVISE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11245824
- Incident
- Aug 22, 2019
THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT A GPS DEVICE THAT ATTACHES TO THE CAR THROUGH THE OBDII PORT. MANUFACTURERED BY AGNIK CORPORATION SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAME VYNCS. THE DEVICE, WHEN INSTALLED, HAS CAUSED INTERMITTENT STALLING OF THE VEHICLE AT LOW SPEED SUCH APPROACHING A STOP OR IDLING IN GEAR AT A STOP. THIS WAS REALIZED TO BE CAUSED BY THE DEVICE AFTER ABOUT 1 WEEK OF EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT STALLING. WHEN THE DEVICE WAS REMOVED FROM THE CAR, THE STALLING ISSUE DISSAPEARED. I HAVE RETAINED THE DEVICE FOR SUBMISSION TO THE NHTSA FOR TESTING. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE MANUFACTURER ATTENTION THEY CEASED COMMUNICATION WITH ME, DISABLED THE GPS SERVICE, AND CLOSED MY ACCOUNT, WHEREBY I COULD NO LONGER EXTRACT ANY HISTORICAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THEM. ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THEM THROUGH [email protected] HAVE BEEN UNANSWERED. AGNIK DOES NOT PUBLISH AN ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER.
- NHTSA ID
- 11091891
- Incident
- May 1, 2018
- Mileage
- 235,000 mi
SAFETY ISSUE!!! THE LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE HAS A STRANGE ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SEEMS UNABLE TO REPAIR! 139000.0 MILES THE VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY REFUSE TO START. T THE KEY UNLOCKS BUT ONLY SO FAR IT REFUSES TO ENGAGE THE STARTER OR ALLOW THE AUTO GEAR SELECTOR TO WORK! STRANDS MY WIFE IN THE BAD PARTS OF TOWN AND CAUSES DISTRESS AND DANGER BECAUSE OF THE STRANDED VEHICLE CONDITION! NO CODES GENERATED AND TWICE TOYOTA HAS HAD FOR TWO DAYS AND NO FIX! CORPORATION HAS CASE OR INCIDENT REPORT OPEN BUT NOT FIXED. SO FAR IGNITION REPLACED BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE FOLLOWING COULD BE ISSUE? 1. IGNITION KEY CYLINDER 2. IGNITION ELECTRICAL SWITCH AND OR RELAY, 3. TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK SWITCH, 4. GEAR SHIFT LEVER BUTTON? GEAR SHIFT LINKAGE ADJUSTMENT TO ENSURE CAR IS IN PARK PROPERLY FOR INTERLOCK SWITCH TO WORK. EACH TIME IT COSTS OVER $200.00 AND A NEW $200.00 OR MORE WORTH OF PARTS! WOULD THIS NOT BE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE WITH GEARSHIFT NEUTRAL INTERLOCK OR SOMETHING? MY ALTERNATIVE IS TO KEEP DRIVING A GAS HOG SUV THAT IS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT RELIABLE? SO MUCH FOR SAVING FUEL OR THE ENVIRONMENT IF A CAR IS NOT RELIABLE OR ACCORDING TO TOYOTA FIXABLE WITHOUT THROWING CASH AT MECHANICS OR DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX WITHOUT JUST GUESSING AT RANDOM PARTS REPLACEMENTS? THE VEHICLE IS AT REST AFTER DRIVING AND IS IN PARK WITH KEY ENGAGED PROPERLY WITH BRAKE ENGAGED PROPERLY TO START THE IGNITION PROCESS THAT INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGES SOLUTIONS ... MAKE A NEW KEY?, REPLACE KEY AND CYLINDER OR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS? NEVER A RENTAL OR LOANER SO LOJACK NOT AN ISSUE, NO BLUETOOTH, NO GPS DISABLER TO MY KNOWLEDGE IF ONE EXISTS IT IS A CRIMINAL ACT TARGETING MY WIFE OR MYSELF. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10938531
- Incident
- Dec 25, 2016
- Mileage
- 1,380,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE VERY DIM AND HINDERED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 09E012000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 08E050000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 06E065000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), AND 06E026000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10884888
- Incident
- Jun 13, 2001
- Mileage
- 118,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEIZED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.
- NHTSA ID
- 10821517
- Incident
- Dec 20, 2013
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2024: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0057-18.
AIR BAGS; EQUIPMENT; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
BACK OVER PREVENTION; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.
AIR BAGS
Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
BACK OVER PREVENTION; SERVICE BRAKES
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 63.7 |
| 2025 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 58.1 |
| 2024 | 61 | 2 | 0 | 60.5 |
| 2023 | 72 | 3 | 0 | 57.9 |
| 2022 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 49.1 |
| 2021 | 184 | 1 | 0 | 52.4 |
| 2020 | 304 | 3 | 0 | 55.6 |
| 2019 | 200 | 5 | 1 | 65.8 |
| 2018 | 133 | 3 | 2 | 66.1 |
| 2017 | 177 | 3 | 2 | 67.9 |
| 2016 | 212 | 1 | 2 | 60.9 |
| 2015 | 219 | 1 | 2 | 61.0 |
| 2014 | 267 | 2 | 2 | 63.8 |
| 2013 | 201 | 5 | 2 | 66.5 |
| 2012 | 445 | 5 | 2 | 64.2 |
| 2011 | 584 | 9 | 2 | 62.2 |
| 2010 | 1,242 | 17 | 3 | 65.7 |
| 2009 | 1,459 | 13 | 3 | 64.8 |
| 2008 | 313 | 6 | 4 | 67.4 |
| 2007 | 836 | 6 | 3 | 66.0 |
| 2006 | 839 | 10 | 4 | 66.8 |
| 2005 | 853 | 10 | 4 | 67.3 |
| 2004 | 477 | 13 | 4 | 66.9 |
| 2003 | 720 | 13 | 4 | 67.0 |
| 2002 | 117 | 5 | 1 | 62.0 |
| 2001 | 133 | 4 | 0 | 58.0 |
| 2000 | 145 | 5 | 0 | 56.7 |
| 1999 | 155 | 4 | 0 | 55.4 |
| 1998Viewing | 225 | 4 | 0 | 56.3 |
| 1997 | 135 | 6 | 0 | 59.0 |
| 1996 | 129 | 6 | 1 | 67.4 |
| 1995 | 176 | 7 | 2 | 69.8 |
| 1994 | 172 | 8 | 1 | 69.7 |
| 1993 | 130 | 6 | 1 | 67.7 |
| 1992 | 63 | 2 | 0 | 53.5 |
| 1991 | 71 | 1 | 0 | 47.2 |
| 1990 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 43.3 |
| 1989 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 56.7 |
| 1988 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 54.8 |
| 1987 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 33.0 |
| 1986 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1985 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1984 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1982 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.