2023-2024 Toyota GR Corolla 1.6L Turbo Engine (G16E-GTS): Problems, Longevity, and Specs

The all-new Toyota GR Corolla appeared on the market in 2023 and we've only seen one car live. We don't usually write about something that we can't get our hands on to make sure we are writing relevant and precise information. But this time, we couldn't wait. The GR Corolla is something so special in terms of technologies that we just had to prepare this article!

Today, we'll tell you about the 1.6L 3-cylinder G16E-GTS engine in the Toyota GR Corolla - the first ever L3 engine that can develop 300 horsepower and still be considered relatively durable. The engine is one of the reasons why the new GR Corolla appeared in our blog sooner than potential buyers could actually test drive this car and form their opinion.

Key features and my opinion about the engine

• Production years:2020-now
• Average lifespan of G16E-GTS:110,000-130,000 miles
• Fuel supply type:combined injection D4-S (direct + port)
• Power range:257-300 hp
• Fuel efficiency:bad
• Engine block material:aluminum
• Engine reliability score:low
• The most common problems:weak head, potential oil pump issues, VVTi problems, zero chance for safe upgrades.

Key facts about the 1.6L Performance engine in the GR Corolla

The vehicle belongs to the hot-hatch class and will compete with the Civic Type R in the US. With a starting price of about $37K, the vehicle is going to have a very limited circle of potential clients. And if you are a person who wants comfort and traditional safety when driving, the GR Corolla is certainly not for you. It's designed for crazy driving!

The heart of the vehicle is the 1.6L engine codenamed G16E-GTS. The same engine is used in the GR Yaris but in that model, it gives much less power. The engine is small and is equipped with a large turbocharger. At this point, you should understand that if you already bought this car, read the "longevity" section carefully and better get ready for some frustration.

So, here's what you should know about this engine:

• this is a 3-cylinder 1.6-liter engine that develops 300 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque - it's just one of the most powerful straight-3 engines ever made;
• the engine is turbocharged, and the turbocharger blows in between 1.4 and 1.8 bar of pressure which is quite a lot;
• the engine is equipped with a direct/port injection system protecting the intake valves from getting clogged with carbon buildup;
• specially designed oil jets are all over the cylinder block to cool down and lubricate the engine when it works at high RPM;
• exhaust valves are of abnormally large diameter which helps this engine to breathe and develop superpower;
• the engine may go 21 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on highways, but this is for calm driving, so your gas mileage depends on many things and will be much worse, on average;
• also, this engine was one of the projects to establish hydrogen-powered engines by Toyota, but we still didn't hear any good news;
• the engine had several modifications for pure racing use, so this is a sport-oriented machine with the only priority - the performance.

Well, now you see that Toyota achieved something almost impossible. This 3-cylinder engine is the most powerful engine ever made by Toyota in terms of power from 1 liter of displacement. Its insane power is felt and heard once you start the GR Corolla. And we should warn you once again - the vehicle is certainly not for everyone.

You will only like the GR Corolla in that case if you love speed and crazy emotions when driving. The G16E-FTS engine will take your hot-hatch from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds. By the way, the model comes only with all-wheel drive to help you hold this beast on the road and improve handling.

How long will the 1.6 Turbo engine last in the GR Corolla?

Well, if you still consider this car and aren't afraid of its temper, you may want to know how many miles and years you are going to drive it. This depends on so many factors that estimating the average lifespan is almost impossible.

Now, in some idyllic conditions when this engine is driven carefully and with the understanding of its nature of a three-cylinder small-displacement machine, it can last up to 120,000 miles, in our opinion. After that, the huge power and torque will still destroy the head and/or the cylinder block and make it just impossible to repair the machine.

But we understand that all owners of the GR Corolla are going to forget about TLC and will hit that gas pedal as hard as the vehicle allows them to. So, according to our view of driving style, these engines are going to last about 50,000 to 60,000 miles. Not a lot, but there is nothing to be surprised by.

Performance engines are not going to last long because of crazy revs and also constant overheating. We believe though that Toyota will sell blocks and heads to repair these engines because these are the parts that will suffer most of all.

What are the potential problems with the 1.6 Turbo engine in the GR Corolla?

Well, we can't say that these engines are extremely problematic. They are not going to live long, that's true. But they will not bother you with tons of minor problems like the Type R engine will in a Civic. Although the Civic performance engine looks a little better in terms of durability, it's going to have more minor issues.

So, here's what we expect to break in the GR Corolla engine up until it reaches its death mileage:

1. The head

Cylinder heads in 3-cylinder engines usually don't last long. But in this engine, you will probably need to replace the head gasket several times within its lifespan. Also, it may destroy the head because of overheating. In order to avoid this, change the oil more often than Toyota requests and also choose exactly the same oil that is recommended by the manufacturer.

2. The lubrication system

A lot of nozzles are going to sprinkle oil in different parts of the engine under high pressure. It means that the oil pump may go bad after some time and the oil injectors may clog with metal shaves that will inevitably gather in the oil pan. To avoid these issues, change the oil very often - just after each session of high-rev driving.

3. VVT issues and oil leaks

Variable valve timing is not just like the VVT system in other Toyota engines. Everything in the G16E-GTS is made for better performance. So, the VVT will work at the edge of its possibilities and will eventually fail much sooner than some other parts of this engine.

Also, VVT and some seals will be the reason for internal and external oil leaks. We believe it's not necessary to explain to you how bad your GR Corolla engine will feel when the oil level becomes too low. Keep an eye on it and repair every oil leak you are aware of.

4. The problems you may bring

Toyota GR Corolla owners are quite special drivers who will want even more power. We've been just reading a Toyota forum where a GR Yaris owner was proudly reporting about their tuning results saying that up to 500 horsepower is OK without any changes in the engine - just ECU tuning and some exhaust modifications.

Well, yes, it's possible. But how can you believe a three-cylinder 1.6-liter engine can hold that much power? We don't recommend tuning this engine and we believe it works at the edge of its power possibilities. Even a couple of horsepower over the limit can lead to a much sooner death of this engine.

How can you prolong the life of the GR Corolla engine?

While some owners of other Toyota cars start thinking about the durability of their engines after those hit 100K miles or more, you, as a Toyota GR Corolla owner, should start thinking about it from day one. The strong performance engine is killable and you can kill it for a couple of months if you don't know what you are doing.

Here are some key tips that will help you drive your G16E-GTS engine much longer than average:

• check the oil level just as often as possible - every day is just fine;
• deal with any leaks you locate in your engine immediately;
• regular maintenance should be done much more often than Toyota says;
• all filters and liquids should be OEM, no aftermarket options are good;
• only drive the GR Corolla aggressively after it's fully warmed up;
• get some training with an experienced racing driver.

We believe the GR Corolla engine can last up to 100K miles if you know what to do with this vehicle. But, on average, these great engines will, unfortunately, die much earlier. The proper maintenance and understanding of how to care about your super performance-oriented engine are the key things you should remember.