Total Complaints
30 filings
TOYOTA COROLLA · model year
30 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989TOYOTACOROLLA carries 30 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 9 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 COROLLA is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (2) and seats (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1989 COROLLA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
30 filings
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 2 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS | 1 |
IN 1991, DRIVING ON HWY 5 IN CAL, SUDDEN MY CAR TACKED OUT, ACCELERATING BEYOND ANYTHING I'VE EXPERIENCE. THIS CAR IS BEFORE THE CURRENT RECALL. I BRING THIS UP, BECAUSE, AT THE TIME, I KNEW IT WAS NOT THE PEDAL. IT SEEMED TO ME AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS IN THE WIRING OR COMPUTER. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, IT COMPLETELY TACKED OUT, RISKING THAT IT WOULD THROW A ROD. THEN I TURNED THE KEY, AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AS I DRIFTED OFF THE HIGHWAY. PLEASE DON'T LET TOYOTA GET AWAY WITH SAYING THIS IS JUST PEDALS, IT WAS NOT FOR ME. *TR
CONSUMER WANTS NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE PROBLEM WITH THE ADJUSTABLE FOOT PEDAL. THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER READ ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THE ADJUSTABLE PEDAL IN WHICH DRIVERS COULD HIT THE WRONG PEDAL DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING. *NM
CONSUMER WANTS NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE PROBLEM WITH THE ADJUSTABLE FOOT PEDAL. THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER READ ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THE ADJUSTABLE PEDAL IN WHICH DRIVERS COULD HIT THE WRONG PEDAL DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING. *NM
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING CAUSING EXTEND STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED
ON 7-9-02, 65 MPH, THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE (I HAVE THE ORIGINAL TIRE AND SEPERATED TREAD) TIRE MAINTAINED PRESSURE WITHOUT THE TREAD. THE SEPARATING TREAD DENTED THE DRIVERS FENDER, DOOR, AND BROKE OFF A PLASTIC SUPPORT TO THE FRONT BUMPER. THE CARE HAD BEEN INSPECTED 4 DAYS PRIOR AND THE TIRES PASSED. (16 Y/O SON WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME) 3 OTHER WITNESS WERE IN VEHICLE.*AK
THERE WASN'T A WARNING OF LOW FLUID IN THE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT AND IT BROKE AND LOCKED UP THE FRONT TIRES MAKING THE VEHICLE COME TO A DEAD STOP. THIS IS NOT A PART THAT IS CHECKED FOR SAFETY.*AK
VEHICLE WAS REARENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED DRIVER'S SEAT TO DISCONNECT FROM SEAT TRACKS/ANCHORS. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK *YH
TREAD SEPARATION WAS FOUND BY MECHANIC WHEN ROTATING TIRES. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 1B EV GD TIRESIZE: P175/70R13)
I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 35 MPH ENROUTE TO THE FREEWAY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SIEZED LOCKING UP THE FRONT END, BRINGING THE CAR TO A SCREECHING HAULT. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS ABLE TO REACT AND AVOID A COLLISION. DEALER CONFIRMED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED AS I PLAN TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION MYSELF WITH A USED OR REBUILT COMPONENT. I DON'T EXPECT ANY REIBURSEMENT, BUT THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE REPORTED AS IT DID CREATE A HAZARDOUS SITUATION.
NO TIME TO BRAKE, SEATBELTS FAILED TO CONTRACT SO DRIVER & PASSENGER HIT THE DASHBOARD WITH INJURIES.
TOYOTA WAS BEING DRIVEN THROUGH A PARKING LOT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60-65 MPH HEARD RATTLING NOISE LIKE LOOSE FAN BELT IN THE FRONT OF CAR UNDERHOOD, SOMETHING DROPPED OFF THE CAR, THEN SMOKE OCCURRED, FLAMES CAME OUT, PART OF THE ENGINE BLOCK MISSING AND THERE IS A BIG HOLE IN THE ENGINE. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AFTER TURNING ENGINE OFF, AFTER RUNNING FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES, THE CAR WENT INTO POST- IGNITION, AND ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND WAS TOTALLED. NOT SURE OF THE EXACT CAUSE OF FIRE. *AK
AUTOMACTIC TRANSMISSION, CAN REMOVE THE KEY IN ANY GEAR. REMOVED THE KEY IN REVERSE AND VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS, IMPACT 6:00 POSITION, HIT A PARKED VEHICLE. *AK
AXLE SHAFT FELL OFF.
BRAKE DRUM FELL OFF.
VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT FIRE WHEN STRUCK FROM REAR.
CENTER SUPPORT FOR DRIVER'S DOOR BENT IN ACCIDENT, PREVENTING DOOR FROM OPENING.
DRIVER'S SEAT SLID FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION UPON IMPACT.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER NOISE.
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.