Total Complaints
1 filings
TOYOTA CORONA · model year
1981 TOYOTA CORONA
1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981TOYOTACORONA carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 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 1981 CORONA is power train with 1 filings. 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 51 investigation files overlapping the 1981 CORONA, and 1 remain open. 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.
1
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20130103CrashPOWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1981 TOYOTA CORONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL AWAY DOWN A SLOPE. THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE AND APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL AWAY. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT MOVED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO STEER AWAY FROM PARKED VEHICLES BUT WAS UNABLE TO BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL HAD SEIZED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO TO TWO PARKED VEHICLES BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STEERING LOCK THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 187,000. UPDATED 01/05/13*LJ UPDATED 2/4/2013 *JS
Mileage: 187,000
Compare 1981TOYOTACORONA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 TOYOTA CORONA have?▼
The 1981 TOYOTA CORONA has 1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 TOYOTA CORONA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 TOYOTA CORONA is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1981 TOYOTA CORONA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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.