Toyota Corolla Life Expectancy – How Many Miles Can You Drive a Corolla?

When you want to buy a good car, you are thinking about longevity, comfort, power, and also a dozen of other factors that are important for you. Very often, a car that embraces all of the needed advantages comes from Japan. And very often, it's Toyota.

Today, we are talking about one of the most popular Toyota vehicles in the world - the Corolla. The Toyota Corolla is a legendary car that is now popular as a mid-sized sedan. This is a compact car that has reliability, good gas mileage, wonderful design, great engines, and also a lot of other pros you may want from a car. Want to know more about the Corolla? You just need to read our investigation on its longevity.

Toyota Corolla longevity

Here's what we are going to talk about:

  1. Which generation and year of Toyota Corolla are the most durable?
  2. What are the best engines and transmissions in a Toyota Corolla?
  3. How many miles can a new Toyota Corolla go?
  4. What's bad in a Corolla? What are its common problems?

Let's get started!

What year Corolla is the most durable?

We will be speaking mostly about the new generations of Toyota Corolla. But at first, we want to look at the history of this model to understand whether it's still a good car or not. The Corolla is now presented in the twelfth generation. It was first offered in 2018. Now, the vehicle is still up-to-date, but it's going to go to the next generation soon.

By the way, the Corolla has been in production since 1966. We will not take the old generations into consideration because the comparison will take us a lot of time. We will only speak practically about those Corolla generations that you can buy now used.

So, here's what we can say:

  • the eighth generation Corolla (1995-2000) is thought to be the most durable, but we don't recommend buying it because it's now very old and actually problematic;
  • we would go for a 2006-2012 model which is the tenth generation - it's very durable (about 320,000 miles of longevity) and not expensive to buy;
  • if you want to choose a 10-generation Corolla, you should know that both 1.8 and 2.0 engines are good, but the hybrid version is not that durable;
  • this model has wonderful body protection and you will not have any problems with rust unless the vehicle was involved in accidents and had body repair;
  • most Corollas were equipped with CVT transmissions which are not that great because these transmissions need repair at 150,000 miles approximately;
  • interior materials are of high quality, so even a high-mileage Corolla may still look and feel like new and this adds to the overall longevity of the vehicle.

You should know that a Toyota Corolla started dropping its average longevity after 2012 when the 11th generation arrived. It's not only about Corolla, it's the general trend in the automotive market. There are basically two problems: ecology and business.

EPA requires more eco-friendly engines and manufacturers need to come up with some technologies that improve ecology but shorten the lifespan of vehicles. Also, car manufacturers want to sell more cars, so they start making less durable vehicles to sell you more parts and to sell you a new vehicle earlier than if you own a 2006 Toyota Corolla that can last for ages.

The new Toyota Corolla - how many miles can it last?

We've been often asked about the new Corolla. How many miles can you go without problems and expensive repairs? So, we decided to investigate this. The fresh generation of the Corolla has been here for some years, since 2018, so it's not hard to gather some information on its longevity.

First of all, we should say that the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with 139 horsepower is still here and it's available with the base version. This engine is thought to be one of the best Toyota engines in the modern lineup, so it's a big luck. But it's not the only good surprise you can find in a new Corolla.

Here are some great things about its longevity:

  • the base engine can easily go 300,000 miles if you maintain and repair it properly;
  • the CVT transmission isn't as good as the engine, but it still can go over 150,000 miles without repairs;
  • 2-liter engine with 169 horsepower will be great for people who love active driving, but this engine is less durable - about 220,000 miles;
  • you can go for the 6-speed manual transmission which is hard to kill, it will go much longer than the engines;
  • the vehicle has no problems with rust, the body is protected from damages and problems;
  • all other parts are pretty reliable and they don't cause a lot of problems for owners.

Yes, some parts will need replacement or repair like the CVT transmission, for example. It's not a cheap thing. A remanufactured transmission will cost about $2000, while a new one will cost over $5000. If you want to go over 220,000 miles without any expensive repairs, then the manual transmission is your choice. But who wants a manual?

Just keep in mind that CVT transmission is the biggest enemy of good longevity. So, you will have to save up some money to replace this transmission somewhere near 150,000 miles. Better buy a new one and get another 100,000 miles of driving without problems.

How can you drive your Corolla longer?

Improving the longevity of the vehicle is a hard task, but we'll give you some tips. So, to drive your Corolla for more years and miles, you should do the following:

  1. Oil change and other maintenance procedures on time. Better change the oil even more frequently than required.
  2. Careful driving. This is a compact family car that is not made for sports, so you shouldn't expect cool active driving from this vehicle.
  3. Proper repair. If something breaks, you should repair it immediately. Otherwise, a small problem can grow into a disaster.
  4. Good parts. Buy original parts or at least find good aftermarket parts and liquids. This is the most important factor that influences longevity.

What are the main problems of Toyota Corolla?

We want to talk about the problems of the last generation of Corolla. Each generation has its own issues, so it will take a lot of time to speak about Corolla in general. We just want to talk about the latest vehicle and warn you about which problems you may get. Unfortunately, some of these problems are inevitable, but most of them are easy to get rid of.

Here is the list:

  1. Numerous suspension problems. These issues don't influence the vehicle's longevity much because you can replace all suspension parts. But you would expect more quality from a Toyota.
  2. CVT problems. Unfortunately, the CVT transmission is pretty hard to repair. In most cases, once the vehicle hits the 150,000-mile mark, you will need to replace the transmission which is not a cheap thing to do.
  3. Airbag problems. In this vehicle, a lot of airbag problems have been registered. We don't know why, but the safety system in this car is not the most reliable and durable.
  4. Fuel injection system issues. Fuel injectors get clogged and need some cleaning. Also, the vehicle starts losing power because of this, and the gas mileage drops. This leads to an expensive repair and cleaning.
  5. Engine cooling system problems. Quite often owners of the last-gen Toyota Corolla come to dealers with antifreeze leaks and other problems connected with the cooling system. This may also influence engine longevity because of overheating.

A lot of minor problems can happen. You will just need to pay attention to them and deal with them immediately. If you just keep driving your Corolla with these problems, you may get a bigger problem that will be much more expensive to repair.

Bear in mind that the Corolla is not the most reliable vehicle in the world. It can still show some problems and you will need to deal with them from time to time. But it's still a good vehicle with a lot of advantages, so sometimes you just need to compare good and bad things to decide whether you want to buy this car or not.

Final words

We know for sure that you will love driving a Toyota Corolla because it's one of the best cars in the class. But we warn you that the vehicle is not ideal. It still has some problems and always shows some issues with technical parts. You will need to pay attention to the transmission, fuel injection, safety systems, etc.

Remember that a Corolla needs proper care to show its best longevity. You will probably get a lot of problems with it if you don't change the oil or don't buy new filters when they are needed. Be careful with all the service requirements to keep your Toyota on the go.

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CarAraC Research

About the authors

The CarAraC research team is composed of seasoned auto mechanics and automotive industry professionals, including individuals with advanced degrees and certifications in their field. Our team members boast prestigious credentials, reflecting their extensive knowledge and skills. These qualifications include: IMI: Institute of the Motor Industry, ASE-Certified Master Automobile Technicians; Coventry University, Graduate of MA in Automotive Journalism; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, MS Automotive Engineering; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Mechanical University in Skopje; TOC Automotive College; DHA Suffa University, Department of Mechanical Engineering

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