CarTold

2019 vs. 2020 Toyota Corolla: What Changed

The 2020 Toyota Corolla has several substantial changes in the specifications and ratings we track compared with 2019.

A hybrid appears in the 2020 listing for the first time in this range.

EPA lists a 2.0-litre four-cylinder for 2020 that does not appear in the 2019 listing.

The best combined rating for the 1.8-litre four-cylinder rises from 34 to 52 mpg.

NHTSA's frontal crash rating goes from 4 and 5 stars in 2019 to 5 stars in 2020.

Five campaigns (air bags, equipment, fuel system and others) cover the 2019 and not the 2020, while three campaigns (air bags, fuel system and seat belts) cover the 2020 and not the 2019.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2019

  • 18V901000 power train
  • 19V244000 equipment
  • 19V503000 equipment
  • 20V012000 fuel system
  • 20V024000 air bags

Only the 2020

  • 19V877000 seat belts
  • 20V682000 fuel system
  • 23V865000 air bags
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2019 2020
Engines listed 1.8L 4-cyl 1.8L 4-cyl, 2.0L 4-cyl
Drive types Front-Wheel Drive Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 30–34 32–52
Recall campaigns 5 3
Complaints on file 201 305
Investigations 1 0
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2019

Drivetrain 52 (26%)
Other 50 (25%)
Engine 29 (14%)

2020

Engine 94 (31%)
Other 85 (28%)
Drivetrain 37 (12%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2019 Corolla full report 2020 Corolla full report Every Corolla year compared

Sources and methodology