2011 Toyota Corolla: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2011 Toyota Corolla: 9 recalls, 584 owner complaints and up to 30 mpg combined.
Recalls
9 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Body & structure Vehicle recall #11V566000 · 2011 · 518 vehicles
What's wrong: There is a possibility that the front a-pillar trim panel retention clip May have been damaged during the installation of the aftermarket accessory.
Why it matters: A damaged a-pillar trim panel retention clip May allow the trim panel to come loose and injure an occupant in the event of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the a-pillar trim panel retention clip and replace it if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on December 30, 2011.
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.
Equipment Vehicle recall #13V123000 · 2013 · 7,525 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (fmvss) number 110, "tire selection and rims."
Why it matters: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which May result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
The fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013.
Seats Vehicle recall #14V743000 · 2014 · 3,233 vehicles
What's wrong: The affected vehicles May experience compression of the seat cushion which May damage the seat heater wiring.
Why it matters: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
The fix: Set will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015.
Visibility (wipers, glass) Vehicle recall #15V689000 · 2015 · 1,814,284 vehicles
What's wrong: During the manufacturing of the power window master switch (pwms), grease lubricant May have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Why it matters: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch May cause a short circuit and the switch assembly May overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the pwms circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V340000 · 2016 · 1,754,517 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 Scion xb and Lexus is f, 2007-2008 Toyota yaris, 2006-2008 Lexus is250 and Lexus is350 and 2007-2008 Lexus es350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016.
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. 2 mention a fire, 34 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (418): the most common themes are deploys unexpectedly / inflator (31), fails to deploy (14), warning light on (11).
- Speed control / throttle (46): the most common themes are sudden acceleration (9).
- Steering (43): the most common themes are steering problems (36).
- Body & structure (22): the most common themes are door / lock issues (4).
The 2011 Toyota Corolla has 584 owner complaints, ranking #7 of 37 Corolla model years for complaints (1.9× the average Corolla year). Complaints peaked in 2017 (282 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 5 years old, at a median of 31,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2010 (1244 complaints, 17 recalls), 2012 (446 complaints, 5 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 L 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 27 | 34 | 30 | Regular |
| 1.8 L 4-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 26 | 34 | 29 | Regular |
| 2.4 L 4-cyl | Automatic (S5) | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 30 | 25 | Regular |
| 2.4 L 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 21 | 30 | 24 | Regular |
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 2011 Toyota Corolla.
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FAQ
Does the 2011 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 9 vehicle recalls for the 2011 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 2011 Toyota Corolla problems?
Owners have filed 584 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (418), speed control / throttle (46), steering (43).
What gas mileage does the 2011 Toyota Corolla get?
EPA ratings run up to 30 mpg combined (1.8 L, Manual 5-spd), across 4 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2011 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.