Most common 2011 Toyota Corolla problems
Share of the 584 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Corolla complaints by model year
Best Corolla years: 2018, 2025, 2023. Years to avoid: 2011, 2012, 2020, 2009, 2010. Compare all years →
2011 Toyota Corolla recalls (9)
Air bags › Air bag/restraint control module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of…
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge.
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.
Show 3 more recalls
Equipment › Other › Labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011…
Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed.
Seats
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and…
Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013.
Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 corolla vehicles equipped with a non-Toyota, blue tooth hands free device or navigation unit and certain model year 2011 Toyota sienna vehicles equipped with a non-Toyota, overhead entertainment system and/or Bluetooth hands free device.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the a-pillar trim panel retention clip and replace it if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on December 30, 2011. Owners May contact southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2011 Toyota Corolla:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events.
What 2011 Toyota Corolla owners say
Air bags all 418 →
The contact owned a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while he was driving at 40 MPH, another vehicle that was speeding caused a multiple vehicle collision. During the collision, the contact was in the middle lane when the speeding vehicle crashed into a vehicle in the left lane, and that vehicle merged violently into the middle lane, causing the contact to rear-end the vehicle in front due to the driver abruptly stopping. During the attempt to stop, the vehicle failed to decelerate sufficiently. Upon impact, the frontal air bags failed to fully deploy, as they only partially emerged from the housing. The failure experienced was a loss of braking effectiveness at 40 MPH that resulted in a rear-end collision, during which the frontal air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed to a family member's home. …
The contact owned a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while her husband was driving at 15MPH, another vehicle ran through a red light and crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle. No warning lights illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The police and the fire department arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. The contact stated that no injuries were reported on either side. The vehicle was totaled and towed to the service center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Speed control & acceleration all 46 →
I was notified of the air bag recall a year ago but the car dealerships in my area does not have the parts and I need to use my vehicle daily. So I am not sure what to do from here for that but I believe that the appropriate time to remedy this recall has past already and the fact that we have our children riding with us and we are unaware that their life is in danger or because we can not get it fixed is not acceptable. Then on top of that I am having issues like when my 2011 Corolla is sitting idle it will rev up the engine without touching the gas pedal and does this randomly and without warning and also while I am driving around 55 MPH on the interstate or highway sometimes it will dramatically drop and lose about 10- 15 MPH speed for no reason and this happens randomly as well. And this fluctuation happens during cruise control the most so I no longer even use that function. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that after attempting to apply the brake pedal to shift the gear, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 18 MPH in reverse without warning. The vehicle crashed into a building. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and a police report was filed. The contact did not receive any injuries. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the body was damaged and needed to be repaired. The contact stated the dealer did not provide an explanation as to why the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Steering all 43 →
While driving on a straight road steering wheel suddenly jerk hard left and right several times for just a few seconds and then went normal. This caused the car to cross lane into oncoming traffic. Fortunately steering went to normal before causing head on collision. I took the car into local Toyota dealer to be checked. They could not duplicate trouble. No warning lamps lit up and no fault codes per dealership technician.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota Corolla. When the vehicle was started, the electrical power steering failed and the steering wheel would lock up. The steering wheel could not turn left or right. After twenty minutes, the vehicle was restarted and returned to normal. The electric power steering warning indicator illuminated and made a beeping sound. Additionally, the ABS and traction warning indicators illuminated intermittently and without warning. The contact also stated that the radio would turn off when changing the stations and the defrost lighting would not illuminate when activated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 92,000.
2011 Toyota Corolla engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 27 / 34 / 30 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 26 / 34 / 29 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 30 / 25 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Toyota Corolla a good car?
Based on 584 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 Corolla rates avoid: 2.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Corolla at the same age. It is one of the Corolla years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Toyota Corolla?
The air bags — 418 complaints, 72% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the speed control & acceleration (46) and steering (43).
How many recalls does the 2011 Toyota Corolla have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2011 Toyota Corolla, the most recent from January 17, 2020 (air bag/restraint control module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Corolla?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018, 2025 and 2023. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 2012, 2020, 2009 and 2010. See the full Toyota Corolla years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Toyota Corolla problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 31,000 miles; 69% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.