2021 Toyota Corolla
Hybrid Gas Compact car
The 2021 Toyota Corolla is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact car with 12 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Corolla Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 52 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 185 complaints, most often about air bags. 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 + 207V Li-Ion and NiMH | 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 APEX | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 31 | 38 | 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 APEX | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 28 | 36 | 31 | $2,000 |
| 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 (1)
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.
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
185 complaints filed
18 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 13 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2020: 1 · 2021: 19 · 2022: 17 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 52 · 2025: 55 · 2026: 29
Most-cited components
- Air Bags — 52
- Engine — 40
- Unknown Or Other — 32
- Electrical System — 22
- Power Train — 19
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 2021 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
F2020 Corolla
6 recalls · 307 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 42585, 42746, 42587, 43298, 42589, 42582, 42583, 42747, 42588, 42584, 43299, 42745). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.