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2008 Toyota CorollaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 314 owner complaints about the 2008 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.

2008 Toyota Corolla
40
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.5× the Corolla median · #11 of 38 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 33%Owner complaints314110 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage76kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 10, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Toyota Corolla has problems

314 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
Air bags13838
Vehicle speed control5431
Engine and engine cooling334
Electrical system221
Engine212
Service brakes, hydraulic174
Power train130
Steering121
Suspension100
14 other systems5213

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

6 recalls

2008 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.

65%repaired · 2021 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-741 · Oct 17, 2019 · 928,220 vehicles · 600,429 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

33%repaired · 2022 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-627 · Aug 28, 2019 · 229,460 vehicles · 75,093 repaired

Risk. An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

75%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-127 · Mar 3, 2016 · 147,242 vehicles · 110,541 repaired

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

68%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-128 · Mar 2, 2016 · 71,163 vehicles · 48,653 repaired

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls

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?

76kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 43 air bags complaints. 65% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
7under 30k miles28under 100k miles15100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2008 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
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Toyota Corolla safety ratings

2008 Toyota Corolla 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2008 Toyota Corolla frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2008 Toyota Corolla side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Toyota Corolla, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Frontal Air Bag Non-deploymentDP11001 · closed Aug 19, 2011
    No recall
  2. Low-speed surgingDP14003 · closed Apr 29, 2015
    No recall
  3. Engine StallEA10006 · closed Sep 16, 2010
    Led to recall 10V-384
  4. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Corolla owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while the driver was idling in an intersection and making a left turn, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle causing it to turn 180 degrees during the impact. The air bags did not deploy. The bumper detached…
Complaint 11619918 · Oct 15, 2024 · 135,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contacted stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Complaint 11577645 · Mar 15, 2024 · 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH a second vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle. During the crash, the front driver's side air bag deployed and the contact sustained multiple fractured ribs and a left ankle…
Complaint 11544276 · Sep 13, 2023 · 168,841 miles

Own a 2008 Corolla?

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