The Lemon Index

All cars · Toyota Corolla

2000 Toyota Corolla.

The 2000 Toyota Corolla is one of the most reliable years by owner complaints: 52 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 20, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about airbags, it has 5 recalls, and it gets 26 to 30 mpg combined. The best Toyota Corolla year is 2002.

20Lemon Index · 100 = average car

One of the most reliable. 5× fewer complaints than average.

Best year 2002 · Worst year 2009

Toyota Corolla
Photo shows a 2015 Toyota Corolla. Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Before you buy. What matters most for this car.

Owner complaints52first 3 years
Fuel economy26–30 mpgcombined, EPA
Front crash★★★★☆NHTSA, driver

How serious. Out of 145 owner complaints, owners reported:

22crashes
13injuries
3fires
1tows

Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.

What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.

airbags19%
engine15%
brakes13%
suspension10%
lights10%

Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.

Transmission problems in every Toyota Corolla year →

When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.

half by 69K
0K50K100K150K200K

Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 53K to 132K miles on the car (70 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.

  • engine complaints mostly came at 53K–90K miles

Recalls 5

  • suspension 2010

    RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.

  • lights 2009

    SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES.

  • lights 2008

    K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES.

Show all 5 recalls
  • lights 2006

    CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES.

  • lights 2006

    CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.

Check a VIN for open recalls

Problems Toyota told dealers about

Toyota sent dealers 83 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:

  • Tech Tip: Low battery voltage can contribute to a MIL "ON" condition for P0335 (Crankshaft…
  • This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and…

Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.

Safety

Stability controlNot offered
Collision warningNot offered
Lane departure warningNot offered

Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★☆ · rollover —

Fuel cost and engines

About $2150–2450 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 1.8L 4-cyl.

In owners' words

Consumer was involved in a 35 mph frontal collision in which driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy, cause unknown. Please give any further details.

2000 Toyota Corolla owner · NHTSA complaint 871724
More owner reports

While traveling about 60mph on highway another vehicle made a sudden stop, consumer applied brakes and driver's airbag didn't deploy.

NHTSA complaint 8018459

The assistant service manager told me that this is not the first time this has happened to this Model. No safety defec tlisted.

NHTSA complaint 760122

Quick answers

Is the 2000 Toyota Corolla reliable?

Yes, it is one of the most reliable by government complaints. It drew 5× fewer complaints than average filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 20; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Toyota Corolla year by this measure since 2010 is 2012.

What are the most common 2000 Toyota Corolla problems?

In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are airbags (19%), engine (15%) and brakes (13%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.

How many recalls does the 2000 Toyota Corolla have?

5 safety recalls (latest: suspension). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2000 Toyota Corolla get?

26 to 30 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).

At what mileage do 2000 Toyota Corolla problems start?

Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 53,000 and 132,000 miles. The middle report was at 69,800 miles, from 70 complaints.

Does the 2000 Toyota Corolla have transmission problems?

Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.

How much does the 2000 Toyota Corolla cost in fuel a year?

About $2150 to $2450 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.

What engines does the 2000 Toyota Corolla have?

1.8L 4-cyl.

What Toyota Corolla year is better than the 2000?

By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2012, 2013 and 2022.

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data