MotorDeets

2013 Toyota Corolla: Recalls, Problems & MPG

Here are the deets on the 2013 Toyota Corolla: 5 recalls, 201 owner complaints and up to 29 mpg combined.

5vehicle recalls
201owner complaints
46mention a crash
29best combined mpg
2013 Toyota Corolla
Photo: Ethan Llamas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Representative photo of this generation; trim may differ.

Recalls

5 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.

Seats, Airbags Vehicle recall #13V014000 · 2013 · 3,235 vehicles

What's wrong: During modification by set to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest dvd systems, these vehicles May not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system May not operate as designed.

Why it matters: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags May not deploy or they May deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag…

The fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013.

Airbags Vehicle recall #18V024000 · 2018 · 628,018 vehicles

What's wrong: S. Vi or "zone a." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, 4runner, Lexus is250, is350, is250c, is350c, es350, is-f, gx460, and Pontiac vibe vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of az, ar, de, dc, il, in, ks, ky, md, mo, ne, nv, nj, nm, nc, oh, ok, pa, tn, va, and wv or "zone b." Toyota is also recalling certain 2009 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix,…

Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018.

Airbags Vehicle recall #19V005000 · 2019 · 1,299,448 vehicles

What's wrong: S. Virgin islands or "zone a." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, Lexus is250, is350, 2011-2016 4runner, 2011-2015 Scion xb, Lexus is350c, is250c, 2011-2014 Toyota sienna, Lexus is-f, 2011-2017 Lexus gx460, and 2011-2012 Lexus es350 vehicles ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland,…

Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019.

Airbags, Airbags Vehicle recall #19V741000 · 2019 · 928,220 vehicles

What's wrong: These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators May explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019.

Airbags Vehicle recall #20V024000 · 2020 · 2,891,976 vehicles

What's wrong: During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) May malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.

Why it matters: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended May increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will…

Most-reported problems

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 1 mention a fire, 51 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.

Airbags72
Steering39
Brakes23
Speed control / throttle18
Engine16
Other / unknown15
Seat belts12
Electrical11

What owners describe

The 2013 Toyota Corolla has 201 owner complaints, ranking #17 of 37 Corolla model years for complaints (about average; the typical year has 315). Complaints peaked in 2014 (42 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 3 years old, at a median of 25,500 miles. Neighboring years: 2012 (446 complaints, 5 recalls), 2014 (269 complaints, 2 recalls).

Engines & fuel economy (EPA)

EngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyComb.Fuel
1.8 L 4-cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive263329Regular
1.8 L 4-cylManual 5-spdFront-Wheel Drive273329Regular

Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.

Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2013 Toyota Corolla.

eManualOnline Download (PDF), keep forever

Closest thing to the factory manual for most years. Pay once, keep it.

Most $25–$78, one-time
Check 2013 Toyota Corolla manual
Mitchell 1 DIY Online access, factory-level data

Pro-shop repair procedures, wiring diagrams and TSBs for your exact car.

From $19.99/mo · $39.99/yr
Check 2013 Toyota Corolla manual
ALLDATAdiy Online access, factory OEM info

OEM procedures, specs and recall/TSB info, the same source many shops use.

From $19.99/mo · $59.99/yr
Check 2013 Toyota Corolla manual
Haynes Print book or AllAccess online

Step-by-step photos written from a real teardown. Great for first-timers.

Books ~$30–$40 · AllAccess $34.99/mo
Check 2013 Toyota Corolla manual

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FAQ

Does the 2013 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 5 vehicle recalls for the 2013 Toyota Corolla. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common 2013 Toyota Corolla problems?

Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (72), steering (39), brakes (23).

What gas mileage does the 2013 Toyota Corolla get?

EPA ratings run up to 29 mpg combined (1.8 L, Automatic 4-spd), across 2 engine and transmission combos.

Where can I get a 2013 Toyota Corolla repair manual?

eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.

Other Corolla years

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