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1989 Toyota CorollaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 23 owner complaints about the 1989 Toyota Corolla, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 16V-396 the manufacturer reports only 24% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 24%Owner complaints2311 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem5Engine and engine cooling

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 2, 2016. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1989 Toyota Corolla has problems

23 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling53
Power train40
Electrical system32
Service brakes, hydraulic31
Vehicle speed control31
Seats20
Fuel system, gasoline22
Seat belts21
Tires20
2 other systems21

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1989 Toyota Corolla recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

24%repaired · 2017 Q4

Front assembly: seat heater/cooler

Recall 16V-396 · Jun 2, 2016 · 7,749 vehicles · 1,831 repaired

Risk. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.

Best & worst years

1989 vs. every other Corolla year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Corolla median. How we score

'69'70'71'73'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Corolla owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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…
Complaint 832918 · Dec 31, 1998

Own a 1989 Corolla?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.