Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Toyota Corolla, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts38
- Air bags29
- Vehicle speed control9
- Service brakes, hydraulic8
- Structure7
- Tires7
- Electrical system7
- Power train6
- Steering5
- Engine and engine cooling4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 22 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 29 1997 Corolla vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 24 people died inside them. 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 1997 Toyota Corolla failed the safety check 1.27% of the time — 21% less often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 146,044 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
562 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 2% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde249
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen221
- Band onvoldoende profiel198
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht124
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af119
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm116
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt108
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse107
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
221 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 483 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, 599 of these cars first registered in 1997 took their annual MOT test. 59% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1997 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 17.0% | 12.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.5% | 16.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.0% | 9.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.8% | 7.2% |
| Brakes | 9.7% | 11.8% |
| Tyres | 9.3% | 3.7% |
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
1,938 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 278,000 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
1,606 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 34% arrived as used imports, 63% 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 4 variants: combined 8.6–9.8 L/100 km (about 24–27 mpg US), CO₂ 198–225 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corolla · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.8 | 8.6 |
| Corolla · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.6 | 8.6 |
| Corolla · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 10.1 | 7.8 | 9.1 |
| Corolla · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 8.8 | 9.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1997 Toyota Corolla.
| 1997059 20 Mar 1997 | Airbag IF THE AIR BAG COMPUTER EXPERIENCES A SEVERE MECHANICAL SHOCK (FOR EXAMPLE, BY A RAPID OPERATION OF THE FRONT SEAT ADJUSTMENT WITH A SLAMMING INTO THE STOPS, OR… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
IF THE AIR BAG COMPUTER IN A SUBJECT VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A MECHANICAL SHOCK (I.E., RAPIDLY MOVING THE FRONT SEAT BACK AGAINST THE STOPS OR A SUDDEN RELEASE OF THE PARKING BRAKE) WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG CAN DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY.
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 1997 Toyota Corolla: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 627268 | INFORMATION REGARDING AIR BAG COMPUTER. *YD |
| 627195 | SUBJECT REGARDING SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR TAPE SET. *YD |
| 623051 | SUBJECT REGARDING OWNER RENOTIFICATION OF NON COMPLETED SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAINGNS. *ET |
| 621324 | SUBJECT REGARDING OWNER RENOTIFICATION ON NON-COMPLETED SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGNS. *TT |
| 619097 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING RETRO-FIT INTERNAL TRUNK RELEASE KITS. *TT |
| 610054 | INFORMATION ON THE SPOILER LIGHT REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 604667 | SUBJECT REGARDING TOYOTA DINGHY TOWING GUIDE. *TT |
| 601607 | REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE FOR THE SPOILER LIGHT. |
| 600684 | REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT AXLE HUB NUT. *YC |
| 53033 | EXCESSIVE AIR CONDITIONING EVAPORATOR ODOR IS ACCURING IN VARIOUS VEHICLES. *YC |
| 50704 | STEERING COLUMN NOISE IMPROVEMENT. *TW |
| 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. |
| 10190460 | Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements |
| 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. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)