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1996 Toyota Corolla problems

The most common problem on the 1996 Toyota Corolla is airbags. It has fewer complaints than a typical Corolla model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
128
Recalls
0
Service bulletins
41
Worst area
Airbags
Fuel economy
25-29mpg

The worst 1996 Toyota Corolla problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Toyota Corolla

No deployment 13Seat belt 10Fire or smoke 9Brake failure 5

Recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Defect investigations

Turn signal failuresOpened July 22, 1997, closed September 21, 1998

There is no summary currently available

EA97015

Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Toyota Corolla 41

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 41 bulletins for the 1996 Toyota Corolla

1996 Toyota Corolla fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
1.6L 4‑cylFWD23-2627-3225-29
1.8L 4‑cylFWD23-253126-27

What 1996 Toyota Corolla owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 1, 2019 · Acceleration · OR · crash

Law enforcement entry - vehicle was involved in a crash. Driver reports unintended acceleration as he was unable to stop his vehicle from accelerating. Independent witness appears to verify driver's report. *dt vehicle was traveling at approximately 35 MPH on a city street when it began to accelerate for no apparent reason before crashing into another vehicle.

Filed Jun 14, 2017 · Airbags · 46,797 miles · HI

Feb 14, 2012, warning light appeared on panel. Drove immediately to capitol auto service, 94-422 ukee street, waipahu, hi 96797 and spoke with owner, mr. Fox to ask what problem was.(contact ph-(808) 676-1888. After inspection, it was determined the problem was the airbag and that it would need to be resolved in order to obtain upcoming safety inspection. After much difficulty, he was able to obtain an airbag which would solve the problem. Invoice #2004, dated feb. 21, 2012. Amount paid $948.90. To date, my vehicle is still not on recall list. I recently learned that takata had knowledge of the defective airbags 10 years ago and did not disclose this information. My claim is be reimbursed for those monies paid ($948.90) when vehicle should have been on the recall list and I needed to replace the airbag in order to obtain a safety check and be able to operate my vehicle on our roadway.. I am able to email you a photo copy of the invoice using my cell phone if you require same. Thank you.

Filed May 25, 2015 · Seat belts · 115,000 miles · MD

Driver side seat belt for toyota corolla '96 model is defective: this belt has pulled out and will not retract.

Filed Apr 16, 2015 · Brakes, Electrical · LA

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota corolla. The contact stated that the suspension was unstable and there was a rattling noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 10e002000 (suspension). The contact also stated that there was an intermittent electrical short in which the fuses shorted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the technician diagnosed that the dashboard would need to be replaced and rewired. The mechanic replaced the fuses. In addition, the brake light remained illuminated. The contact indicated that the brake pedal had to be depressed to the floor with force to completely stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was not available.

Filed Apr 1, 2011 · Acceleration, Steering · 47,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota corolla. The contact stated that during rainy weather, the steering wheel would turn independently and the vehicle would accelerate from left to right abnormally before straightening. During the failure, the contact depressed the brakes but to no avail until the vehicle came to a stop independently. The vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired for the failure. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The VIN was unavailable. The current and failure mileage was 47,000.

Filed Apr 1, 2011 · Electrical · 110,500 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota corolla. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start during damp, cold weather while the vehicle was parked on a flat surface. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 110,500 and the current mileage was 112,800. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Feb 25, 2010 · Acceleration, Engine · MI

I no longer own this vehicle, but it was a 1996 toyota corolla, and I hope the information I provide here can help somehow with any current investigations. Around 100,000 miles, I took my car to a non-dealer mechanic to replace my timing belt as a matter of maintenance. After this replacement, my cruise control never worked again, and I noticed that in moments of deceleration (either in braking or coasting) that the engine would suddenly race and I could feel the gas pedal pull from its resting position. Please note that the model I've indicated is inaccurate -- I don't recall what the model was as I no longer own the vehicle. I've been as specific as I can be. I just thought it might prove useful. The incident date is also inaccurate as this occurred frequently enough to notice, but not often enough or severely enough to warrant my taking to a dealer.

Filed Sep 17, 2008 · Acceleration · AL

Ltr from congressman jo bonner on behalf of his constituent, who has concerns about the cruise control in his 1996 toyota corolla. *nj the consumer stated the consumer control did not perform as designed. The consumer stated toyota denied knowing anything about a recall.

Filed Sep 8, 2008 · Fuel system · 94,000 miles · MA

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 toyota corolla. While the vehicle was at an auto shop for repair, the contact was informed that the gas tank was corroded on top. There were holes on the filler pipe and rust on the gas tank. The failure was corrected by the auto shop. The manufacturer offered no assistance because the vehicle was out of warranty. The current mileage was approximately 98,500 and failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

Filed Feb 4, 2007 · Airbags · 115,000 miles · CA · crash · 1 injury

Airbag failed to deploy during violent collision.

Used buying checklistWhat to check on a 1996 Toyota Corolla before you buy

Compare the 1996 Toyota Corolla

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Other model years

19901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027

Questions about the 1996 Toyota Corolla

Is the 1996 Toyota Corolla reliable?

Owners have filed 128 complaints about the 1996 Toyota Corolla, fewer than a typical Corolla model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Toyota Corolla?

Airbags, with 32 complaints. Next is seat belts (17).

How many recalls does the 1996 Toyota Corolla have?

No recalls on record.

What year does the Toyota Corolla have bad airbags?

The Toyota Corolla model years with the most airbags complaints are 2009 (552 complaints), 2005 (457 complaints) and 2006 (454 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 1996 Toyota Corolla get?

Official estimates for the 1996 Toyota Corolla range from 25 to 29 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 23-26 city and 27-32 highway.

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