1991 Toyota Corolla: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 71 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (18% of complaints); the 1990 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2010
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 toyota corolla. The contact stated that during the cold weather, she was unable to unlock her door from the inside. The contact stated due to the cold, and that the door lock did not have ridges, she was unable to pull the lock in the upward position and exit the vehicle. The contact was trapped inside of the vehicle until law enforcement arrived and unlocked the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure . The failure mileage was 200,000. The VIN was unavailable.”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Dec 2010
“Dt: consumer complained about the door mounted seat belt. The shoulder belt comes to the right side and connects to the door. The door opens up, and consumer is not belted in.*ak”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jun 2005
“While the vehicle was parked, the consumer noticed fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. The consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. *ak the vehicle was being driven on the highway and as the vehicle had taken an exit, a loud noise along with smoke, steam, and liquid was pouring out of the rear of the vehicle. The consumer was left stuck in the middle of the road on the exit ramp while on an incline. Currently the rod bearing in the engine was damaged. *sc”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 2004
Show 7 more owner reports
“Rear passenger tire suffered tire tread separation while driving at 65 mph. *mr the consumer heard a slapping/banging noise that had come from the rear underneath the vehicle. The consumer pulled to the shoulder and discovered the rear tire had come off as if it were sliced. The consumer was denied reimbursement because the manufacturer concluded the tire was being operated for an unknown period of time with insufficient air pressure *scc *jb”Owner report · Tires · Jul 2003
“While traveling on highway and without prior warning front end locked up. Consumer put vehicle in park and engine was still running.*ak”Owner report · Power Train · May 2002
“Tire lost entire cap on interstate-luckily no one injured-damaged rear left bumper/have kept tire and tread-am contacting firestone service center today( dot number: hayevf7a tire size: 17s/70rs13 )”Owner report · Tires · Aug 2000
“Three of my door handles on my 1991 corolla sedan are no longer functioning. They cracked when passengers attempted to open the doors from the inside. No force or abuse was ever applied to the mechanism. I feel that this is an extreme danger to my life and those of my passengers, since they would be trapped in the event of an accident. I have noticed that there were a number of other complaints involving the door handle mechanism in you "problems" section. *ak”Owner report · Structure · Dec 1999
“This is the second time that the oil pan has rusted completely through in this vehicle. The people I've talked to in the automobile industry (family and friends) tell me that this is extremely common in toyota vehicles. More than 5 different people had told me that this is so common that they are calling toyota repeatedly to have them do a recall on the product. Toyota wants to make me pay full price to have this part replaced again when it should never have gone bad in the first place. Plus then toyota charges over twice as much for replacement pans than other vehicle manufacturers. It just seems as if toyota is using this as a cash cow. *ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jul 1999
“The exhaust manifold cracked for no apparent reason and had to be replaced, which cost about $400. From the information that I have found, there have been quite a few people who have had the same problem with the exhaust manifold for this model. *ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 1999
“Vehicle was rear ended while standing still, causes driver's seat to lunge forward onto steering wheel and backward onto rear seat. Dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. *ak”Owner report · Seats · Jun 1999
When filing, owners marked a crash in 10 of these complaints and injuries in 7 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FRONT STRUT MOUNTS DID NOT CONTAIN A WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BEARING HOUSING AND THE RATE PLATE.
Remedy: RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RIDE CONTROL AT 1-248-458-1396.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1991 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Corolla by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1991 Toyota Corolla reliable?
NHTSA has 71 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1991 Toyota Corolla. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (18% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1991 Toyota Corolla problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 100,252 miles or less.
Does the 1991 Toyota Corolla have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning suspension. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.