repaired · 2021 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2005 Toyota CorollaProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 854 owner complaints about the 2005 Toyota Corolla, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-627 the manufacturer reports only 33% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 12, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2005 Toyota Corolla has problems
854 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
457Air bags62 crash/fire/injury
92Engine and engine cooling3 crash/fire/injury
66Vehicle speed control37 crash/fire/injury
59Electrical system5 crash/fire/injury
37Power train
29Engine
28Service brakes, hydraulic
26Fuel system, gasoline
22Steering
12917 other systems17 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 457 | 62 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 92 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 66 | 37 |
| Electrical system | 59 | 5 |
| Power train | 37 | 3 |
| Engine | 29 | 3 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 28 | 12 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 26 | 0 |
| Steering | 22 | 8 |
| 17 other systems | 129 | 17 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
6 recalls
2005 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.
repaired · 2022 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
Show 2 more recalls
repaired · 2021 Q3
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WARNINGS AND CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFECT.
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.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
92kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 109 air bags complaints. 55% were reported before 100,000 miles.
17under 30k miles60under 100k miles49100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine and engine cooling
12 owners mentioned a cost$600median
Middle half: $448 – $718
Air bags
11 owners mentioned a cost$510median
Middle half: $450 – $700
Fuel system, gasoline
9 owners mentioned a cost$920median
Middle half: $400 – $1,500
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2005 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
0001110223516331426232771631301721761291352251551451331177214778548408363141,4591,244585446201271220216178136205313188103746632181
'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
NHTSA crash tests
2005 Toyota Corolla safety ratings
2005 Toyota Corolla 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2005 Toyota Corolla, and the recalls they led to.
- Engine StallLed to recall 10V-384
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 14V-668
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 14E-073
In owners' words
What Corolla owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
II own a 2005 Toyota Corolla. Since XXX, I have repeatedly asked Keating Toyota in [XXX], to complete the airbag and engine control module (ECM) recall repairs. As of XXX, the repairs remain incomplete. The dealership has either not obtained the needed parts or had parts available without calling…
Was in a wreck where I ended up rear ending a truck. I dont know how fast I was at after putting on the brakes. But originally it was 60 mph speed limit. The air bags did not deploy at all
I was in the middle lane and a car came into my lane so I swerved and a car came up on me in the right lane and my car did a 360 and ended up in a ditch
Own a 2005 Corolla?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.