Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1996 Toyota Corolla, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags32
- Seat belts18
- Exterior lighting12
- Service brakes, hydraulic12
- Electrical system12
- Engine and engine cooling9
- Visibility8
- Vehicle speed control7
- Tires6
- Structure5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 32 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 26 1996 Corolla vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 24 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1996 Toyota Corolla failed the safety check 1.67% of the time — 14% more often than the average 1996 passenger car (1.47%). Median odometer at inspection: 154,630 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1996 Toyota Corolla cars on Dutch roads are the 1.3 petrol (55 kW, 74 hp) and 1.6 petrol (84 kW, 113 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3 petrol | 55 kW 74 hp | 130 |
| 1.6 petrol | 84 kW 113 hp | 89 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
289 first registered in 1996 are on Dutch roads; 3% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde183
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen109
- Band onvoldoende profiel96
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af73
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld56
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt47
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm46
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)44
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
139 cars built in 1996 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 379 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 237 of these cars first registered in 1996 took their annual MOT test. 58% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1996 the figure was 65%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1996 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.0% | 16.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.5% | 9.7% |
| Suspension | 11.8% | 11.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.7% | 6.8% |
| Visibility | 9.3% | 6.7% |
| Brakes | 8.9% | 11.5% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,285 of these cars first registered in 1996 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 276,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1,751 1996 cars are on the New Zealand register; 37% arrived as used imports, 61% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 8.6–9.6 L/100 km (about 25–27 mpg US), CO₂ 198–221 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corolla · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.8 | 8.6 |
| Corolla · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.6 | 8.6 |
| Corolla Wagon · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.6 | 8.6 |
| Corolla · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.1 | 7.8 | 9.1 |
| Corolla Wagon · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 10.1 | 7.8 | 9.1 |
| Corolla · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.3 | 8.7 | 9.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1996 Toyota Corolla.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Toyota told its dealers about the 1996 Toyota Corolla: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 627195 | SUBJECT REGARDING SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR TAPE SET. *YD |
| 619097 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING RETRO-FIT INTERNAL TRUNK RELEASE KITS. *TT |
| 604667 | SUBJECT REGARDING TOYOTA DINGHY TOWING GUIDE. *TT |
| 600684 | REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT AXLE HUB NUT. *YC |
| 52156 | FUEL DOOR OPERATION IN COLD CLIMATE. *JD |
| 52155 | REAR DOOR GLASS PERFORMANCE IN COLD CLIMATE. *JD |
| 52131 | A PRODUCTION CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE TO THE HAZARD SWITCH TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TURN SIGNAL CIRCUIT IN COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. *JD |
| 52123 | FUEL DOOR OPERATION IN COLD CLIMATE. *JD |
| 52122 | REAR DOOR GLASS PERFORMANCE IN COLD CLIMATE. *JD |
| 10244113 | TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate. |
| 10214323 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions |
| 10207946 | POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well. |
| 10197476 | Replacement vin plates. |
| 10197473 | Product general information. |
| 10190453 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions. |
| 10188913 | TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2021 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate. |
| 10187241 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions. |
| 10186195 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions. |
| 10174891 | TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates |
| 10174890 | TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, T-SB-0144-08, and T-SB-0304-17. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in thi |
| 10152205 | TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes SB No. T-SB-0101-11. Applicability has been updated to include 2016 ? 2017 model year vehicles. Service Bulletin No. T-SB-0101-11 is Obsolete and any printed versions should be discarded. Be sure to review the entire content of this bulletin before proceeding. When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals contain silicone or other compounds that may |
| 10145776 | Update on Technician Certification Requirements. |
| 10145749 | Technical Service Bulletin: OBSOLETE NOTICE: July 31, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0304-17. |
| 10145748 | Technical Service Bulletin: OBSOLETE NOTICE: July 31, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0304-17. |
| 10143953 | TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 31, 2018 Rev2: ? The Supersession Notice has been updated. January 11, 2018 Rev1: ? The Supersession Notice has been updated. Any previous printed versions of this bulletin should be discarded. SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, and T-SB-0144-08. Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, and T-SB-0144-08 are obsolete and any prin |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
TURN SIGNAL FAILURES
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation