YearToAvoid

2023 Toyota Corolla Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

0/100

#21 most-complained of 21 Corolla years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2023 Toyota Corolla ranks Best among 21 model years, with a complaint index of 0 and 73 NHTSA complaints. It has 3 recalls covering airbags and steering, but no do-not-drive orders, and owners' top complaint area is the electrical system.

Complaints
73
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
8 / 1
Injuries / deaths
4 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
39.5
39.5 city / 41 hwy

Top 2023 Toyota Corolla problems

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

  1. Electrical System24 (33%)
  2. Other18 (25%)
  3. Steering16 (22%)
  4. Engine14 (19%)
  5. Collision Avoidance & Cameras9 (12%)
  6. Brakes7 (10%)
  7. Airbags6 (8%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain6 (8%)
  9. Lane Departure5 (7%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers5 (7%)

What owners report

  • Steering assist and lane-keeping systems have jolted the wheel or caused the car to swerve when lane markings faded or a passing vehicle crossed the center line.
  • Multiple owners describe the engine shutting off unexpectedly at stoplights or intersections, followed by a 'press brake to restart' message and a power steering warning.
  • Some vehicles displayed a sudden 'system malfunction' alert while driving around 70 mph, veering on their own with brakes reported as unresponsive, leading to crashes.
  • The pre-collision system reportedly failed to brake or warn of an obstacle in front of the vehicle, including one case ending in a rear-end collision.
  • Several airbag-related complaints describe airbags not deploying during crashes, including a four-vehicle accident and an animal strike that filled the cabin with smoke.
2023 Toyota Corolla complaints: complaints filed per month18Dec 2022Jun 2023Dec 2023Sep 2024Mar 2025Oct 2025May 2026
115 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2022 to Sep 2026; peak Feb 2023 (18).

2023 Toyota Corolla recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 25V040000Jan 29, 2025Airbags1,716 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver clockspring/spiral cassette

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Lexus RX350, 2023-2024 NX250, and NX350 vehicles that may have been incorrectly repaired under previous NHTSA recall number 23V-480. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 25LA02.

  2. NHTSA 24V878000Nov 21, 2024Steering8,057 vehicles

    Steering

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles. Due to cracks developed during the manufacturing process, the steering intermediate shaft assembly may fracture and possibly result in the shaft detaching from the steering column.

    Risk: A steering shaft that detaches can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the intermediate steering shaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 24TB13/24TA13.

  3. NHTSA 23V480000Jul 12, 2023Airbags152,927 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver clockspring/spiral cassette

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA08. Lexus' number for this recall is 23LA02.

2023 Toyota Corolla fuel economy and fuel cost

City
39.5 MPG
Highway
41 MPG
Combined
39.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$1,650
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.

2023 compared with other Corolla years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2021Good40185133
2022Best10100033
2023Best073339.5
2024Best2063239.5
2025Best1531035

All Toyota Corolla years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2023 Toyota Corolla reliable?
Among 21 model years of the Corolla, 2023 carries a complaint index of 0 and ranks Best, with 73 NHTSA complaints and no do-not-drive recalls.
What problems does the 2023 Toyota Corolla have?
NHTSA complaints center on the electrical system (24 complaints, 33% share), steering (16 complaints, 22%), and engine issues (14 complaints, 19%), with a median mileage at failure of 55,000 for the year overall.
Does the 2023 Toyota Corolla have a steering recall?
Yes. Recall 24V878000 covers 2023-2024 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid models for cracks in the steering intermediate shaft assembly that developed during manufacturing.
How many recalls does the 2023 Toyota Corolla have?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2023 Corolla, two involving airbag spiral cable assemblies and one involving the steering intermediate shaft.
How does the 2023 Corolla compare to other years?
With a complaint index of 0, the 2023 Corolla ranks 21st out of 21 worst-first, meaning it has fewer reported problems relative to other model years, alongside 2018, 2022, 2024, and 2025, which also earn Best verdicts.

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.