YearToAvoid

2019 Toyota Corolla Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

20/100

#13 most-complained of 16 Corolla years

The 2019 Toyota Corolla has 202 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 20, ranking 13th of 16 model years and earning a "Best" verdict relative to other Corolla years. It carries 5 recalls, with Transmission & Powertrain the top complaint area at 27% of complaints.

Complaints
202
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
23 / 1
Injuries / deaths
15 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
32.5
28.5 city / 37.5 hwy

Top 2019 Toyota Corolla problems

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

  1. Transmission & Powertrain54 (27%)
  2. Engine50 (25%)
  3. Fuel System43 (21%)
  4. Other32 (16%)
  5. Airbags31 (15%)
  6. Electrical System20 (10%)
  7. Brakes16 (8%)
  8. Seat Belts9 (4%)
  9. Structure & Body9 (4%)
  10. Steering8 (4%)

What owners report

  • Airbags reportedly fail to deploy in moderate-speed crashes, including rear-end and side-impact collisions.
  • Owners describe the brake pedal being depressed with little or no stopping response, leading to collisions.
  • Some drivers report sudden loss of steering control, with the wheel locking up or feeling out of control.
  • Reports describe a loud noise from the engine area followed by acceleration or steering problems while driving at low speed.
  • One owner reported the transmission slipping and the car accelerating on its own after a dashboard warning icon appeared.
  • A tire blowout on the rear driver-side led to a crash, reported by an owner who said the tire was regularly maintained.
2019 Toyota Corolla complaints: complaints filed per quarter332019 Q12020 Q12021 Q12022 Q12023 Q12024 Q12025 Q12026 Q1
287 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2019 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2020 Q2 (33).

2019 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 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.

  3. 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2019 Toyota Corolla →

2019 Toyota Corolla fuel economy and fuel cost

City
28.5 MPG
Highway
37.5 MPG
Combined
32.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,000
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.

2019 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
2017Good40178331
2018Best7134331
2019Best20202532.5
2020Avoid80306333
2021Good33185133

All Toyota Corolla years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Toyota Corolla reliable?
Relative to other Corolla model years, the 2019 has a complaint index of 20 and ranks 13th out of 16 years, giving it a "Best" verdict. It has 202 NHTSA complaints and 5 recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Toyota Corolla?
NHTSA data shows Transmission & Powertrain issues lead at 27% of complaints, followed by Engine at 25% and Fuel System at 21%. Airbags account for 15% of complaints and involve 12 crashes.
Does the 2019 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2019 Corolla, covering airbags, the fuel pump, a CVT torque converter issue on hatchback models, and two labeling corrections. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2019 Corolla compare to other years?
The 2019 model's complaint index of 20 is much lower than the 2010 model's 100 and the 2011 model's 93, both rated "Avoid." It ranks better than most other Corolla years in NHTSA complaint data.
What is the median mileage for reported failures on the 2019 Corolla?
Across all problem areas, the median mileage at failure is 12,000 miles. Transmission issues showed a median of 8,900 miles, and Engine issues showed 7,589.5 miles.

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.