2020 Toyota Corolla
Hybrid Gas Compact car
The 2020 Toyota Corolla is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact car with 10 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Corolla Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 52 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 307 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corolla Hybrid | Hybrid | FWD | 1.8L 4-cyl + 202V Ni-MH | 53 | 52 | 52 | $1,200 |
| Corolla Hatchback | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 32 | 41 | 35 | $1,800 |
| Corolla | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 31 | 40 | 34 | $1,850 |
| Corolla XSE | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 31 | 38 | 34 | $1,850 |
| Corolla | Gas | FWD | 1.8L 4-cyl | 30 | 38 | 33 | $1,900 |
| Corolla | Gas | FWD | 1.8L 4-cyl | 29 | 39 | 33 | $1,900 |
| Corolla Hatchback XSE | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 30 | 38 | 33 | $1,900 |
| Corolla | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 29 | 36 | 32 | $1,950 |
| Corolla XLE | Gas | FWD | 1.8L 4-cyl | 29 | 37 | 32 | $1,950 |
| Corolla Hatchback | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 28 | 37 | 31 | $2,000 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (6)
Air Bags
highProblem: 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.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline
highProblem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200,
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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
Exterior Lighting
highProblem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Corolla Hatchback vehicles. A rear hatch wire harness connector may have been damaged during assembly, which may cause the back-up lights to fail.
Risk: If the back-up lights fail, there can be an increased risk of a crash while the vehicle is reversing.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear hatch wire harness, free of charge. The recall began June 30, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB07 and 20TA07.
Seat Belts
highProblem: 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.
Risk: In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
highProblem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
Equipment
minorProblem: Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
307 complaints filed
22 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 23 injuries, 1 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2019: 14 · 2020: 32 · 2021: 17 · 2022: 25 · 2023: 26 · 2024: 114 · 2025: 58 · 2026: 21
Most-cited components
- Engine — 108
- Unknown Or Other — 79
- Power Train — 37
- Electrical System — 32
- Service Brakes — 22
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 10% |
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 10% |
| 5 HB FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 10% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Compare the 2020 Corolla with
Other Corolla model years
2027 Corolla
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 Corolla
1 recalls · 15 complaints
B2025 Corolla
2 recalls · 42 complaints
C2024 Corolla
4 recalls · 70 complaints
D2023 Corolla
6 recalls · 84 complaints
A2022 Corolla
0 recalls · 102 complaints
A2021 Corolla
1 recalls · 185 complaints
D2019 Corolla
6 recalls · 201 complaints
B2018 Corolla
3 recalls · 141 complaints
B2017 Corolla
3 recalls · 190 complaints
A2016 Corolla
1 recalls · 213 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 41214, 42093, 41213, 41216, 41217, 41218, 42094, 41215, 41219, 42092). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.