Toyota Corolla engine problems, 2016–2027
242 of the 1,561 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Toyota Corolla 2016–2027 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). The loudest years: 2020 (109), 2021 (40), 2019 (39). Filed under the same heading across these years: 9 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.
Toyota Corolla engine problems by model year
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsOne row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.
| Model year | Complaints naming the engine | Share of the year’s | Typically at | On file under the heading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2026 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2025 | 0 | — | — | 21 TSBs | the year → |
| 2024 | 8 | 11% | — | 69 TSBs | the year → |
| 2023 | 13 | 15% | — | 72 TSBs | the year → |
| 2022 | 15 | 14% | — | 41 TSBs | the year → |
| 2021 | 40 | 22% | — | 85 TSBs | the year → |
| 2020 in depth | 109 | 35% | — | 97 TSBs | the record → |
| 2019 | 39 | 19% | — | 45 TSBs | the year → |
| 2018 | 15 | 11% | — | 22 TSBs | the year → |
| 2017 | 3 | 2% | — | 25 TSBs | the year → |
| 2016 | 0 | — | — | 19 TSBs | the year → |
Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the engine. Nothing here is a rate.
When the engine complaints were filed, and at what mileage
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled per calendar year, every model year together: 2018: 2 · 2019: 8 · 2020: 15 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 22 · 2024: 113 · 2025: 54 · 2026: 17
Across the model years, half of the 45 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 8,000 and 40,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
In the past week at 30,700 miles, my 2020 Toyota Corolla "Engine Maintenance light; see dealer" service light appeared on the dash. Through talking with a Toyota dealer, they are aware of this issue with Corollas, Camrys, and Rav4's.
Engine maintenance light came on and found out I had replace coolant bypass valve. Apparently this is an issue many 2020 corollas and RAV4 have issues with and need replacement. There’s no reason or rhyme as to why it becomes faulty but should be recalled as many people have the same issue and dealership are aware of this issue
My car reached 52,254 miles and I got a engine maintenance required a scary message I have never seen before I thought it was the oil maintenance one but it’s not I keep dismissing the message because I can’t see my speed and it stays in the way I have realized that if I start the car with AC on the message pops up but if I don’t have ac…
Engine code P2681(15) which after lookup is the coolant bypass valve which is a common faulty part that Toyota seems to not care about and charge upwards of 700$ at the dealer to fix. I took the part out and it indeed has a crack around the case
Engine maintenance came on, took it to dealership and was told the diagnostic test showed coolant bypass valve. Apparently this is a recurring issue and if not taking care of, it could cause major problems. I was told the part is $200 plus and labor is $500 plus. This should be a recall issue and fixed free of charge by Toyota.
What is on file about the engine, across the years
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications9 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year
- Aug 20, 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
- Aug 11, 2026
- Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to Flow Shut-off Valve Coolant Leak.
- Feb 27, 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
- Nov 17, 2025
- Owner Renotification Letter Due to certain programing in the engine ECU, under certain conditions, the vehicle may stall at low speeds when accelerating from a stop. If this low-speed vehicle stall occurs, steering and braking are not impacted, and the vehicle can be restarted immediately.
- Aug 19, 2025
- OBSOLETE NOTICE August 19, 2025: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0059-25.
- Aug 15, 2025
- Some 2020 – 2025 model year Corolla vehicles may exhibit a vibration or rattle noise from the right-hand engine mounting insulator sub-assembly. This condition will usually go away when the engine’s Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) are above idle. This condition is typically found on vehicles in warm climates/weather. No Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) are associated with this condition. This conditio
- Jun 19, 2025
- Some 2018 – 2021 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with an A25A-FKS, A25A-FXS, or M20A-FKS engine may exhibit a condition in which an “Engine Maintenance Required” message is displayed in the Multi-Information Display (MID). Additionally, the vehicle will exhibit DTC(s) P268111 (Engine Coolant Bypass Valve Circuit Short to Ground) and/or P268115 (Engine Coolant Bypass Valve Circuit Short to Batt
- Jun 17, 2025
- Some ECUs can set a DTC that is common with other ECUs. This can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of DTCs.
The 8 newest are listed; each model year’s page lists every one filed on that year. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Other systems with a record on the Toyota Corolla
Source: the same filesEvery system, every model year: Toyota Corolla problems by year →
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsWhich Toyota Corolla years have the most engine complaints?
2020, 109; 2021, 40; 2019, 39. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2020 (35%).
Is there a recall for the engine on the Toyota Corolla?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading on any of these model years. A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the Toyota Corolla?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 17,890 miles across the model years; half of them between 8,000 and 40,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.