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1998 Toyota Corolla

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Toyota Corolla do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 129.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
225Owner complaints

Model-year median: 129

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1998 Toyota Corolla

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 225 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Air Bags: 61 reports
  • Structure: 24 reports
  • Vehicle Speed Control: 18 reports
  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 17 reports
  • Seat Belts: 17 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    176
    1995    129
    1996    135
    1997    225
    1998    155
    1999    145
    2000    133
    2001
    Compare all Corolla years →

    Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

    What owners reported most

    Air Bags
    61    Structure
    24    Vehicle Speed Control
    18    Engine And Engine Cooling
    17    Seat Belts
    17
    All reported categories
    Steering
    17    Electrical System
    16    Suspension
    16    Service Brakes, Hydraulic
    14    Fuel System, Gasoline
    11    Tires
    11    Power Train
    9    Exterior Lighting
    6    Latches/locks/linkages
    6    Equipment
    5    Unknown Or Other
    5    Visibility
    5    Seats
    3    Engine
    2    Fuel System, Other
    2    Wheels
    2    Equipment Adaptive/mobility
    1    Parking Brake
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    64 reports with mileage · 161 unknown

    NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

    What to inspect

    Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

    • Air Bags. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Structure. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

    NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

    36 crash reports8 fire reports24 injury reports

    Exterior Lighting complaints

    6 reports
    Clear category filter
    118,000 miles · Jul 14, 2016
    Exterior Lighting

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE VERY DIM AND HINDERED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 09E012000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 08E050000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 06E065000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), AND 06E026000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE VIN…

    Read full complaint

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE VERY DIM AND HINDERED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 09E012000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 08E050000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), 06E065000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), AND 06E026000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

    NHTSA ODI #10884888

    85,000 miles · Jan 26, 2010
    Exterior Lighting

    HEADLAMPS ON 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA HAVE FOGGED COMPLETELY OVER. THE FOGGING IS ON THE EXTERNAL LENS SURFACE, NOT DUE TO MOISTURE ON THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. ATTEMPTS TO CLEAN THE SURFACE AR TEMPORARY, WITH THE FOGGING RETURNING AFTER A FEW DAYS. THE FOGGED LENSES ARE A HAZARD AS THE LIGHT IS GREATLY DIMINISHED OVER A C…

    Read full complaint

    HEADLAMPS ON 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA HAVE FOGGED COMPLETELY OVER. THE FOGGING IS ON THE EXTERNAL LENS SURFACE, NOT DUE TO MOISTURE ON THE INSIDE OF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. ATTEMPTS TO CLEAN THE SURFACE AR TEMPORARY, WITH THE FOGGING RETURNING AFTER A FEW DAYS. THE FOGGED LENSES ARE A HAZARD AS THE LIGHT IS GREATLY DIMINISHED OVER A CLEAR LENS. *TR

    NHTSA ODI #10302399

    Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2003
    Exterior Lighting

    HIGH DENSITY HEADLIGHTS CAUSES DISTRACTION FOR CONSUMER.*MR CONSUMER BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE PERMANEATLY BANNED AND MADE ILLEGAL WITH STIFF FINES. *CB

    NHTSA ODI #10031366

    Mileage unknown · Apr 11, 2002
    Exterior Lighting

    THE HEADLIGHTS ON NEWER CARS ARE TOO BRIGHT AND THE LIGHTS ON SUVS ARE TOO HIGH -- BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE INTERFERRING WITH MY ABILITY TO SEE WHEN I'M DRIVING AT NIGHT. THESE NEW LIGHTS ARE TOO BRIGHT AND BLIND ME, EVEN WHEN I SWITCH MY REAR VIEW MIRROR TO THE NIGHT POSITION.*AK

    NHTSA ODI #760596

    Mileage unknown · May 24, 2000
    Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

    THE CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE DASHBOARD AND SMELLED OF BURNING WIRE. NLM

    NHTSA ODI #784653

    Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 1998
    Exterior Lighting

    THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO SEE WHAT IS IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER CANNOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE ITS THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

    NHTSA ODI #832765

    Recall campaigns

    0

    No recalls in this snapshot.

    Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

    Defect investigations

    0

    No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.

    Go deeper into Toyota Corolla problems

    Toyota Corolla electrical problems →Toyota Corolla transmission problems →