2020 Toyota Corolla: Common Problems, Recalls and Vehicle Data
Check the 2020 Toyota Corolla records before a viewing: recall campaigns,
owner-reported symptoms, investigations, service bulletins and EPA fuel economy.
The 2020 Corolla's three recall campaigns each sit in a different system -- seat belts, the gasoline fuel system, and air bags -- rather than clustering around one component. That breadth means the recall record points to several separate concerns rather than one area receiving repeated attention: a seat belt campaign (19V877000) tied to multiple-impact crashes, a fuel pump campaign (20V682000) linked to engine stalling, and an air bag campaign (23V865000) concerning non-deployment.
No repeat-repair notice appears in the data, meaning none of these campaigns is a follow-up correcting an earlier fix that didn't take. There is also no open investigation on file for this model year.
Among the 305 complaints logged, engine-related reports are the largest single group at 94, followed by complaints categorized as "other" at 85. Drivetrain complaints follow at 37. These figures describe how complaints were categorized by reporters, not a measured failure rate across the vehicle population.
Service bulletins, which are separate from recalls and reflect guidance Toyota gave dealers rather than confirmed defects, are led by the equipment system with 23 of 165 bulletins, followed by structure:body at 19 and electrical system and engine tied at 15 each. That spread is fairly even rather than concentrated in one area, consistent with the recall pattern above.
Body class
Sedan
Drive types
Front-Wheel Drive
Combined MPG
32–52
Recall campaigns
3
Check the VIN to find out whether a recall applies to this car. Complaint counts describe reports on
file; differences in time on the road, sales and reporting prevent a direct comparison of failure odds.
Read our methodology.
Complaint trends
305 complaints on file with NHTSA's
Office of Defects Investigation, grouped into CarTold's broad component categories.
Engine94 (31%)
Other85 (28%)
Drivetrain37 (12%)
Electrical26 (9%)
Visibility & lighting18 (6%)
Brakes17 (6%)
Airbag17 (6%)
Steering8 (3%)
Fuel system3 (1%)
Most frequently reported, by the specific component NHTSA logged each complaint
under (not CarTold's category groupings above):
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Consequence: 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 assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
Campaign 19V8770002019-12-11
SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 C-HR and 2020 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles equipped with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.
Consequence: In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TB22 and 19TA22.
A model-year recall does not mean every vehicle is affected. Look up a specific car with our
recall check — paste a VIN and it lists every campaign covering that
vehicle. Whether the work was actually done needs
nhtsa.gov/recalls or the
manufacturer; our guide explains
what each of its answers means.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigations on file for this model year.
Manufacturer communications
Expand a component group to read the service bulletins and other communications
manufacturers filed with NHTSA. Use the document number to ask a dealer whether the instructions apply to
this car and whether any repair is covered. A bulletin alone does not establish payment eligibility.
How these records differ from recalls and investigations.
NHTSA crash-tests each body-style/drivetrain configuration separately, so ratings can
differ by variant — shown as tested, not averaged. See
how the 5-star ratings work, including why an
overall score isn't the average of the three category scores.