2018 Toyota Corolla Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Best The 2018 Toyota Corolla has a complaint index of 5, the second-lowest of 21 model years, and carries a Best verdict. It has 134 complaints, 3 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls, with Fuel System and Airbags as the top problem areas.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 5/100
- #20 of 21 Corolla years
- Verdict
- Best
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 134
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 26
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
- 17
- Top issue
- Fuel System
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 31
- 28 city / 36 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 17 / 1
Top 2018 Toyota Corolla problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Fuel System38 (28%)
- Airbags36 (27%)
- Engine24 (18%)
- Other20 (15%)
- Electrical System13 (10%)
- Transmission & Powertrain12 (9%)
- Brakes11 (8%)
- Seat Belts11 (8%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (6%)
- Structure & Body7 (5%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Some owners report the brake pedal failing to engage during driving, leading to a collision.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in multiple frontal and side-impact crashes, sometimes resulting in serious injury or death.
- Owners describe the vehicle unexpectedly moving or accelerating after being shifted into park, in one case crashing into a wall.
- Some drivers say the car rolled on its own while parked on a flat driveway with the door left open.
- Owners report the lane departure/steering assist system engaging unexpectedly and pulling the wheel, causing loss of control.
- Smoke was reported coming from the dashboard vents when the key was inserted into the ignition without starting the vehicle.
2018 Toyota Corolla recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- NHTSA 20V012000Jan 13, 2020Fuel System1,830,752 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 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, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. 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 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
- NHTSA 19V503000Jun 28, 2019Other1,325 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
2018 Toyota Corolla fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 28 MPG
- Highway
- 36 MPG
- Combined
- 31 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,100
- 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.
2018 compared with other Corolla years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 Toyota Corolla reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2018 Corolla ranks as one of the better years, with a complaint index of 5 and a Best verdict compared to other Corolla model years.
- What problems does the 2018 Toyota Corolla have?
- NHTSA complaints for this year are concentrated in the Fuel System (28% of complaints), Airbags (27%), and Engine (18%), with a median mileage at failure of 17,000 miles.
- Does the 2018 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2018 Corolla covering the airbag control unit, the fuel pump, and a floor mat load-label correction. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2018 Corolla compare to other years?
- The 2018 model has a complaint index of 5 and ranks 20th out of 21 model years from worst to first, making it one of the lowest-complaint Corolla years alongside 2022-2025.
- Were there airbag deployment failures in the 2018 Corolla?
- NHTSA complaints include reports of airbags not deploying in crashes at various speeds, and the model was subject to an airbag ECU recall (campaign 20V024000).