1990 Toyota Corolla

Routine

Owners filed 27 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires4
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission4
000
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor3
101
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe3
000
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Tires › Bead1
000
Structure › Body › Door1
000
Steering1
100

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Suspension10E002000
Filed Feb 11, 201012,657 vehiclesRide Control, Llc

Defect. RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FRONT STRUT MOUNTS DID NOT CONTAIN A WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BEARING HOUSING AND THE RATE PLATE.

Risk. THE ABSENCE OF THE WELD CAN ALLOW THE STRUT TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION UNDER CERTAIN EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS WHICH COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING VEHICLE COMPONENTS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RIDE CONTROL AT 1-248-458-1396.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Dec 23, 2004NY

CONSUMER NOT HAPPY WITH SERVICE. *NM THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A CUSTOM HANGAR FOR HER MUFFLER. THE CONSUMER FELT LIKE THE SERVICE WAS RENDERED IN A FALSE AND MISLEADING MANNER. *TC

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed May 4, 200475,000 milesGA

I HAVE A 1990 TOYOTA COROLLA. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT, THE SEAT BELT (WHICH ATTACHED TO THE DOOR) DOES NOT RETRACT AT ALL. IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR SOME TIME AND WOULD NOT PROTECT ME IN AN ACCIDENT. I THINK THIS SORT OF SEAT BELT DEVICE IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO!*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Jan 18, 2002MI

EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS DEFECTIVE, DRIVER CAN SMELL CARBON MONOXIDE IN CAB OF VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATED THIS IS THE 4TH MANIFOLD, EACH ONE HAD CRACKS IN THE SAME PLACE.*SLC

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Sep 12, 2000VA

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD CAR JERKED. THEN IT JERKED AGAIN, AND SOON AS CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD, TRANSMISSION LOCKED AND VEHICLE STOPPED COMPLETELY. *AK

Tires › Bead
Filed Mar 13, 2000RI

SUDDEN BLOW OUT, THREAD DAMAGE BUT SUSTAINED TWO SECTIONS OF WALL DAMAGE AND HAD CRACKED INWALL AT BEAD AREA, SECOND TIRE CRACKS IN BEAD AREA

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Mar 3, 2000FL

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65MPH HEARD A LOUD NOISE ,TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. CAR SKIDDED TO HALT ON ROADWAY. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. MECHANIC SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY THE DIFFERENTIAL RUNNING OUT OF FLUID. THE DIP STICK FOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOWED FULL. THERE WAS NO DIP STICK FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL. SO THERE WAS NO WAY TO CHECK THE FLUID, IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. *AK *ML

Unknown or Other
Filed Nov 11, 1999CA

NO SUMMARY

Tires
Filed Feb 9, 1999GA

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A TIRE BLOWOUT. DEALER STATED ALL THE TIRES WERE DRY ROT. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT WAS A SAFETY DEFECT. HAD TIRES INSTALLED TWO YEARS AGO. GOODYEAR TIRES STATED TIRES WERE DRY ROT SINCE BEING INSTALLED, AND THE TIRES WERE SITTING IN THE WAREHOUSE FOR TWO YEARS AND BECAME DRY ROT. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Mar 3, 1998RI

EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED.

Equipment › Electrical › Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.
Filed Oct 10, 1997NY

RADIO MAKES LOUD NOISE WHEN DRIVING. YH

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Sep 30, 1997MI

WINDOWS INOPERATIVE.

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Aug 21, 1997IN

PARKING BRAKE LIGHT BADLY LOCATED AND CANNOT BE SEEN. *AK

SteeringCrash
Filed Aug 11, 1997NJ

CONSUMER WAS SLOWING VEHICLE DOWN, THEN SUDDENLY COULDN'T STEER THE VEHICLE, LOST CONTROL AND VEHICLE JUST WANDERED ALL OVER THE ROAD. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 13, 1997WI

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP/FAILED 4 TIMES. ALSO, REPLACED ENGINE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Gas Recirculation Valve (egr Valve)
Filed Aug 2, 1996CA

EGR VALVE FAILURE. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 20, 1996NJ

WHEN REAR ENDED THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK BROKE AND DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jun 11, 1996MD

ENGINE STARTED MAKING LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THEN THE CONNECTING ROD BROKE INSIDE ENGINE. *AK

Power Train › Clutch Assembly
Filed Apr 4, 1996WI

WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH IT STICKS INTERMITTENTLY. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN MORE DETAIL. *AK

Tires
Filed Dec 11, 1995WA

GOODYEAR TIRES CUP/WEAR EXTENSIVELY. *DSH

Tires
Filed Sep 28, 1995RI

GOODYEAR TIRES HAD AIR LEAK. *SD

20 of 27 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2009
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
202615100Routine
202531010Routine
202463201Fatalities reported
202373310Routine
2022100000Routine
2021185120Routine
2020305311Fatalities reported
2019202511Fatalities reported
2018133351Fatalities reported
2017178310Routine
2016214110High concern
2015219110High concern
2014269231Fatalities reported
2013201510Above average
2012446510Above average
2011584920Above average
20101,24417100High concern
20091,45913122Fatalities reported
2008314611Fatalities reported
2007836673Fatalities reported
20068391080High concern
20058531041Fatalities reported
20044771334Fatalities reported
20037201391Fatalities reported
2002117510Routine
2001133430Routine
2000145531Fatalities reported
1999155450Routine
1998225480Above average
1997135650Routine
19961296130Routine
19951767121Fatalities reported
1994172851Fatalities reported
1993130651Fatalities reported
199263230Routine
199171130Routine
1990 — this page27100Routine

Compare every Corolla year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Feb 11, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.