Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Corolla, and it carries 5 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 53 | 26% |
| Steering | 29 | 14% |
| Service brakes | 11 | 5% |
| Unknown or other | 10 | 5% |
| Vehicle speed control | 10 | 5% |
| Engine | 7 | 3% |
| Air bags | 6 | 3% |
| Power train | 6 | 3% |
| Structure | 5 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The paint on my 2013 Toyota Corolla, Super White (040), is peeling extensively down to the primer on the roof, hood, trunk, and door frames and pillar areas. Toyota previously acknowledged this issue as a manufacturing
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Wiper blades only going fast. Fuse and moter are fine however wiper blades goes real fast.
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At th
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Blue color paint on hood and trunk of vehicle peeling off.The vehicle only has 29,000 miles and is parked in garage. Toyota needs to repaint car and absorb the cost.
NHTSA complaint: Structure
White paint peeling off, it looks like Toyota haven’t painted this car with primer before the base coat
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V024000 (AIR BAGS) and 19V005000 (AIR BAGS) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The loca
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
On Monday, [XXX], I was at the CVS pharmacy drive through when the failure occurred. There was no accident and otherwise no warning before it happened. I attempted to pull out when I noticed the car was drifting and the
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that when the outside temperature was hot, the vehicle was not working correctly. The vehicle was difficult to start, and there was an abnormal ticking sound whi
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2013 Toyota Corolla. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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, Louis
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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. Owners may
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 GX4
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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-asse
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP (Saipan),
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or r
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 y
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This co
Fix: 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. Owners may contac
| Reliability | 71 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 79 | good |
| Maintenance | 90 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 90 | excellent |
| Performance | 46 | below average |
| Efficiency | 51 | average |
| Safety | 80 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 53 of them (26%). There are 5 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 71/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density, adjusted for how many were sold so a popular model is not penalised for having more owners.
AVOIR scores its longevity 79/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2013 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 75/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.