YearToAvoid

2013 Toyota Corolla Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

53/100

#8 most-complained of 16 Corolla years

The 2013 Toyota Corolla has a Complaint Index of 53 and ranks 8th worst out of 16 model years, earning a 'Caution' verdict. Airbags are the top problem area, with 72 complaints (36% share) and 5 recalls tied to this year.

Complaints
201
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
46 / 1
Injuries / deaths
51 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
29
26.5 city / 33 hwy

Top 2013 Toyota Corolla problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags72 (36%)
  2. Steering39 (19%)
  3. Engine32 (16%)
  4. Brakes27 (13%)
  5. Other16 (8%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires15 (7%)
  7. Structure & Body13 (6%)
  8. Seat Belts12 (6%)
  9. Electrical System11 (5%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain9 (4%)

What owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy or deploy without inflating during moderate-speed collisions, leaving occupants without protection.
  • Airbags reportedly activate unexpectedly during normal driving, causing loss of vehicle control.
  • Steering loses power assist suddenly at highway speed, causing the vehicle to veer and crash.
  • Brakes fail to stop the vehicle even after repeated pumping of the pedal, leading to rear-end collisions.
  • Engine reportedly surges forward unexpectedly at low speed when the driver's foot is off the accelerator.
  • Structure and body components, including trunk and rear bumper parts, sustain damage that owners link to safety concerns after low-speed impacts.
2013 Toyota Corolla complaints: complaints filed per quarter202013 Q12014 Q32016 Q12017 Q32019 Q12020 Q32022 Q32025 Q2
257 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q1 to 2026 Q1; peak 2018 Q1 (20).

2013 Toyota Corolla recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 20V024000Jan 17, 2020Airbags2,891,976 vehicles

    Air bags: air bag/restraint control module

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.

    Risk: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.

  2. NHTSA 19V741000Oct 17, 2019Airbags928,220 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

  3. NHTSA 19V005000Jan 9, 2019Airbags1,299,448 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS250, IS350, 2011-2016 4Runner, 2011-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2011-2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, 2011-2017 Lexus GX460, and 2011-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS350, 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Lexus IS250, 2010-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2010-2014 Lexus IS-F, and 2010-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.

See all 5 recalls for the 2013 Toyota Corolla →

2013 Toyota Corolla fuel economy and fuel cost

City
26.5 MPG
Highway
33 MPG
Combined
29 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,250
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2013 compared with other Corolla years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Avoid93584927
2012Caution73446529
2013Caution53201529
2014Avoid87269232
2015Caution60219131.5

All Toyota Corolla years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Toyota Corolla reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2013 Corolla has a Complaint Index of 53 and ranks 8th worst among 16 model years, placing it in the 'Caution' category relative to other Corolla years.
What are the main problems with the 2013 Toyota Corolla?
Airbags are the top problem area with 72 complaints (36% share), followed by steering with 39 complaints and engine issues with 32 complaints, according to NHTSA data.
Does the 2013 Toyota Corolla have an airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists four separate airbag-related recalls covering the 2013 Corolla, including campaigns 20V024000, 19V741000, 19V005000, and 18V024000, plus one structure and body recall (13V014000).
How does the 2013 Corolla compare to other years?
The 2013 Corolla's Complaint Index of 53 is lower than the 2010 Corolla's index of 100 and the 2011's 93, but higher than the 2018 model's index of 7, which carries a 'Best' verdict.
What mileage do 2013 Corolla problems typically show up at?
NHTSA data lists a median mileage at failure of 25,500 for the 2013 Corolla overall, with airbag complaints showing a median mileage of 37,663.5.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.