Check a VIN

Toyota Corolla vs Volkswagen Jetta: reliability compared

From 2006 to 2026, owners filed an average of 378 complaints per model year about the Toyota Corolla and 291 about the Volkswagen Jetta.

Side by side

Toyota CorollaVolkswagen Jetta
Model years compared2006-20262006-2026
Owner complaints7,9456,119
Complaints per model year378291
Recalls4043
Years to avoid20062007200920102006200920102011
Best years201720182022201720202021
Most common problemAirbagsElectrical
Crash ratingNo dataNo data
Fuel economy22-50 mpg combined (2026)33-34 mpg combined (2026)

A car that sells more collects more complaints, so the fairest test is the number of years to avoid, which compares each year with a typical year of the same car.

Complaints per model year

2006 Toyota Corolla: 8402006 Volkswagen Jetta: 58020062007 Toyota Corolla: 8362007 Volkswagen Jetta: 2012008 Toyota Corolla: 3142008 Volkswagen Jetta: 18820082009 Toyota Corolla: 1,4592009 Volkswagen Jetta: 8892010 Toyota Corolla: 1,2442010 Volkswagen Jetta: 85220102011 Toyota Corolla: 5852011 Volkswagen Jetta: 6072012 Toyota Corolla: 4462012 Volkswagen Jetta: 50020122013 Toyota Corolla: 2012013 Volkswagen Jetta: 5182014 Toyota Corolla: 2712014 Volkswagen Jetta: 38820142015 Toyota Corolla: 2202015 Volkswagen Jetta: 1942016 Toyota Corolla: 2162016 Volkswagen Jetta: 16220162017 Toyota Corolla: 1782017 Volkswagen Jetta: 1602018 Toyota Corolla: 1362018 Volkswagen Jetta: 3220182019 Toyota Corolla: 2052019 Volkswagen Jetta: 5532020 Toyota Corolla: 3132020 Volkswagen Jetta: 5420202021 Toyota Corolla: 1882021 Volkswagen Jetta: 712022 Toyota Corolla: 1032022 Volkswagen Jetta: 4320222023 Toyota Corolla: 742023 Volkswagen Jetta: 432024 Toyota Corolla: 662024 Volkswagen Jetta: 4620242025 Toyota Corolla: 322025 Volkswagen Jetta: 322026 Toyota Corolla: 182026 Volkswagen Jetta: 62026
Toyota CorollaVolkswagen Jetta

Problems compared

CorollaJetta
Airbags3,281403
Steering1,063245
Acceleration844208
Engine8101,268
Brakes644621
Electrical6411,442
Transmission4681,152
Fuel system2641,147

Questions about the Toyota Corolla vs Volkswagen Jetta

Which is more reliable, the Toyota Corolla or the Volkswagen Jetta?

Between 2006 and 2026, the Toyota Corolla has 4 years to avoid and the Volkswagen Jetta 4. Both are about equally consistent from year to year. By raw volume, the Volkswagen Jetta drew fewer complaints per model year (291 vs 378), though sales volume affects that number.

Which has more recalls, the Toyota Corolla or the Volkswagen Jetta?

From 2006 to 2026, the Toyota Corolla was covered by 40 recalls and the Volkswagen Jetta by 43.

What years of the Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Jetta should you avoid?

Toyota Corolla: 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Volkswagen Jetta: 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

More compact cars comparisons

Honda Civic vs Toyota CorollaHonda Civic vs Hyundai ElantraHonda Civic vs Nissan SentraHonda Civic vs Mazda MAZDA3Honda Civic vs Kia ForteHonda Civic vs Volkswagen JettaHonda Civic vs Subaru ImprezaChevrolet Cruze vs Honda CivicFord Focus vs Honda CivicHyundai Elantra vs Toyota CorollaNissan Sentra vs Toyota CorollaMazda MAZDA3 vs Toyota CorollaKia Forte vs Toyota CorollaSubaru Impreza vs Toyota CorollaChevrolet Cruze vs Toyota CorollaFord Focus vs Toyota CorollaHyundai Elantra vs Nissan SentraHyundai Elantra vs Mazda MAZDA3Hyundai Elantra vs Kia ForteHyundai Elantra vs Volkswagen JettaHyundai Elantra vs Subaru ImprezaChevrolet Cruze vs Hyundai ElantraFord Focus vs Hyundai ElantraMazda MAZDA3 vs Nissan Sentra

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car