IllustrationVEHICLE HAS HAD CONTINUED INTERMITTENT ILLUMINATION OF THE AIR BAG LIGHT, THREE REPAIR ATTEMPTS, HOWEVER CONTINUES. MJS
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Corolla years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
60–25K
825–50K
1450–75K
1875–100K
11100–150K
7150K+
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
What owners actually said
225 reportsCONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
I HIT A TRUCK AT AN INTERSCTION AT 55. I DID NOT SEE HIM. I WAS ALONE, AND DID NOT SEE THE TRUCK SOON ENOUGH. MY DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DID NOT INFLATE. THE PARA-MEDIC WHO REACHED ME FIRST NOTED THAT THE BAG HAD NOT INFLATED. THEY ARRIVED IN 5 MINUTES. THE PASSENGER SIDE DID INFLATE. I SUFFERED SEVERE BRUISING AND BROKEN…
Read full complaint
I HIT A TRUCK AT AN INTERSCTION AT 55. I DID NOT SEE HIM. I WAS ALONE, AND DID NOT SEE THE TRUCK SOON ENOUGH. MY DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DID NOT INFLATE. THE PARA-MEDIC WHO REACHED ME FIRST NOTED THAT THE BAG HAD NOT INFLATED. THEY ARRIVED IN 5 MINUTES. THE PASSENGER SIDE DID INFLATE. I SUFFERED SEVERE BRUISING AND BROKEN RIBS AND HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. MY INSURANCE COMPANY ASKED ME TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT. *AK
TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER WHO CONTACTED TOYOTA...ALTHOUGH STILL UNDER WARRANTY DEALER AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPAIR. SAID THAT CAR WAS ABUSED, BUT OIL CHANGES WERE MADE AND DOCUMENTED. CAM SEIZED.
TRANSMISSION AND DOOR PROBLEM FIXED, STEERING WHEEL STILL NOISY (I GIVE UP). *AK
WHEN TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS ON WET PAVEMENT, AUTOMOBILE GOES INTO A SKID WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED ON 10-13-99 AT 11,802- LOW BRAKE FLUID LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON. REPORTED LOUD NOISES FROM THE BRAKES TO TH DEALER AT 5000 MILES ( BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON THEN, AS WELL). NEW BRAKES ARE NEEDED NOW, AT 11,802 MILE…
Read full complaint
WHEN TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS ON WET PAVEMENT, AUTOMOBILE GOES INTO A SKID WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED ON 10-13-99 AT 11,802- LOW BRAKE FLUID LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON. REPORTED LOUD NOISES FROM THE BRAKES TO TH DEALER AT 5000 MILES ( BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON THEN, AS WELL). NEW BRAKES ARE NEEDED NOW, AT 11,802 MILES. NOTE TOO THAT AUTOMOBLE SWAYS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS( I.E., HIGH SPEED AND WIND COMBINATION). AND, BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS (55 MILES PER HOUR) CAUSE THE CAR TO PULL.
MAKING NOISES IN FRONT AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. HAD AN OIL CHANGE 12-OCT-99, NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE WORN OUT. ALSO, REPLACED AND SURFACED ROTORS. DEALER SAID THAT CONSUMER WOULD NEED NEW BRAKES IN ABOUT 12000 MILES. *AK
UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS CAR CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. FIRE OFFICIALS AT THE SCENE NOTICED SMELL OF GAS. THEIR INITIAL REACTION WAS THAT EITHER A FUEL LINE RUPTURED OR A FUEL INJECTOR FAILED AND SPRAYED FUEL ONTO HOT ENGINE PARTS.
HIGH SPEEDS CAR HARD TO CONTROL, CORNERS HORRIBLY,PITCHING MOTION OVER BUMPS, CRUNCHING NOISE ON UNEVEN PAVEMENT
WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES 45MPH IT ACCELERATES AND DECELERATES ON ITS OWN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Official recalls
0No 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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.