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The Toyota Corolla — a compact car explained

The Toyota Corolla is a compact car built from 1981 to 2026 across 12 generations. Most were assembled in the United States (46.9% of the cars in our records), though 2 other countries build it too. Over that time it grew 37 cm longer and put on 392 kg.

Data · NHTSA & EPA · 1981–2026 · 46 model years · Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 4.0 ★★★★★★★★★★ ForCar Score
Quick answer

The Toyota Corolla is a compact car built from 1981 to 2026 over 12 generations. Most were assembled in the United States — 46.9% of those on record. Between 1981 and 2026 it grew 37 cm longer and gained 392 kg. Engines offered: 4-cyl, Hybrid. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).

1981–2026
Years
222
Recalls
52
Top MPG
5★
NHTSA
12361
Complaints

What the Corolla is

The Toyota Corolla is a compact car that Toyota built from 1981 to 2026 — 46 model years. Our measurements put it at 12 generations, the current one starting in 2020. It has been offered with 4-cyl, Hybrid power. Its closest siblings in the Toyota range: C-HR, Yaris, Mirai.

Where the Corolla is built

A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 10,355 Corollas on record.

FIG.02·Where the Toyota Corolla is built
Assembled inShareVIN starts withYears seen
the United States46.9%1NX, 5YF, 7MU, 4T11981-2026
Canada36.4%2T1, 2TB1990-2019
Japan16.7%JTD, JTN, JT21981-2026
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA records, grouped by VIN manufacturer code

Check your own: the first three characters of a Toyota VIN decide which of these 12 lines your Corolla belongs to. What every character in a Corolla VIN means →

Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Toyota Corolla adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.

Corolla generations, and what changed

These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the Corolla's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the Corolla that gives 12 distinct generations below.

FIG.03·Toyota Corolla by generation
GenerationLengthWheelbaseWeightvs previousWeight change
1971-1972390 cm235 cm---
1973399 cm234 cm-+9 cm-
1974414 cm234 cm-+15 cm-
1975419 cm244 cm-+5 cm-
1976-1980419 cm238 cm-+0 cm-
1981-1987427 cm240 cm992 kg+8 cm-
1988-1993436 cm243 cm1020 kg+9 cm+28 kg
1994-2002437 cm247 cm1078 kg+1 cm+58 kg
2003-2013453 cm260 cm1130 kg+16 cm+52 kg
2014-2018464 cm270 cm1290 kg+11 cm+160 kg
2019451 cm267 cm1327 kg-13 cm+37 kg
2020-2026464 cm270 cm1384 kg+13 cm+57 kg
ROWS 12·SOURCE Transport Canada vehicle specifications, 1971 onward

Between 1981 and 2026 the Corolla gained 37 cm in length (+8.7%) and 392 kg in weight (+39.5%). Cars did not so much grow as thicken — crash structures, airbags and equipment weigh more than the metal they replaced, and on the Corolla that is 392 kg against 37 cm. Full dimensions by year →

Toyota Corolla tire size, oil type & owner specs

The fitment Corolla owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.

Wheels & tires
Wheel sizeby VIN
Tire sizeby VIN
Bolt patternby trim
Tire pressure32–36 PSI
Engine oil
Oil typeFull synthetic
Gradeon oil cap
Capacityby engine
Battery
Main battery12V · group by trim
Key-fob cellCR2032
Wiper blades
Front bladesby generation
Rear bladeif equipped
Fuses
Fuse boxeshood + dash
Diagramon box lid
Light bulbs
Headlightby trim
Tail / brakeby trim
Fogif equipped

Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.

What engines does the Toyota Corolla have? Power & range

The Toyota Corolla is offered with 2 powertrains — 2L 4-cyl, 2L 4-cyl Hybrid. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 2 for the Toyota Corolla, against one or two on most rivals.

FIG.06·Toyota Corolla Powertrains
EngineDisplacementTransmissionDriveFuel
4-cyl2.0L · 4-cylCVTFWDRegular
Hybrid2.0L · 4-cylCVTAWDRegular
ROWS 2·SOURCE EPA + NHTSA vPIC

Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.

The Corolla by the numbers

What the federal and market records say about the Toyota Corolla. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.

FIG.05·Toyota Corolla by the numbers
TopicCorollaDetail
Recalls222 campaignsNHTSA, all years
Owner complaints12,361 filedWhat breaks and when
Reliability4.0 / 5Best and worst years
Crash safety★★★★★ NHTSAFrontal, side, rollover
Insurance$1,647/yrEstimated full coverage
Used value4,554 listingsWhat it sells for now
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA, EPA, HLDI and market listings
Everything on the Toyota Corolla
Recalls222 campaignsFuel economy52 mpg bestReliability4.0/5Common problems12,361 complaintsCheck a VINAgainst this exact buildDimensionsSize, weight, generationsCargo space31 cu ftUsed prices4,554 listingsWhat yours is worthValue by year & mileageInsurance costEstimated per yearWindow stickerOriginal Monroney labelDecode a VINWhat each character means

Frequently asked questions

What kind of car is the Toyota Corolla?

The Corolla is a compact car, built from 1981 to 2026 across 12 generations. Engines offered: 4-cyl, Hybrid.

Where is the Toyota Corolla made?

Across 10,355 cars in our records the split is: the United States (46.9%), Canada (36.4%), Japan (16.7%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.

How many generations does the Corolla have?

12 by our measurements, the latest starting in 2020. We draw the boundaries where length or wheelbase jumps between model years — a facelift moves a bumper, a new generation moves the whole car. Over its life the Corolla grew 37 cm longer and gained 392 kg.

What is the Toyota Corolla warranty?

New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.

Is the Corolla reliable?

It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.

How do I check a specific Corolla?

This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.

More in Toyota

More Toyota models
ModelYearsRecallsBest MPGForCar score
Toyota Camry1983–202616252 mpg4.0/5
Toyota RAV41996–202616878 mpg4.0/5
Toyota Tacoma1995–202619724 mpg3.5/5
Toyota Highlander2001–202611036 mpg4.0/5
Toyota 4-Runner1984–202617223 mpg4.0/5
Toyota Tundra1995–202624722 mpg4.0/5
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA
Data sourced from NHTSA (recalls, complaints, safety ratings) and EPA fueleconomy.gov (MPG). Best/worst-year analysis is ForCar's own aggregation of complaint volume. Last updated Aug 2026. — ForCar Editorial Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.