The Toyota Corolla is legendary for its longevity. With few major problems to look out for and low annual maintenance costs, it’s not unusual for dedicated owners to hit 400,000 miles or higher.
Key Points
- The Toyota Corolla is estimated to get about a quarter-million miles at a minimum, with well-kept units typically making it to around 300,000.
- There are few major issues to watch out for with the Corolla, but if you drive a 2009, you’ll want to keep an eye open for excessive oil consumption, which can result in premature wear on the engine and transmission.
- Toyota switched the Corolla over to CVT for 2017, which can be just as reliable as a conventional automatic transmission, but requires more frequent fluid changes at 25,000 miles, where a four-speed would only need changes very 60,000 to 100,000 or so.
Hitting 300,000 Miles should be no Big Deal for a Well-kept Corolla
Just about anyone will tell you that a Toyota Corolla should last you around 300,000 miles. That’s assuming excellent maintenance, of course. You’re not going to get there if you don’t follow your service schedule, change your oil and transmission fluid regularly, and drive safely.
When it comes to life expectancy, Toyota make up six out of ten of the leading vehicles in a 2020 study of still-running cars with more than 200,000 miles on the odometer. If the Corolla itself didn’t make the top ten, it may simply be that the nameplate has always been an affordable, low-maintenance daily-driver.
Someone who drives a Land Cruiser is probably investing a lot of time and effort into keeping it running, so more than 16% of those have topped 200k. The Corolla, on the other hand, is a car you might drive to work for seven, eight years, and then gift to a nephew when they head off to college.
Of course, if you hold onto your Corolla and treat it with the same tender love and care you’d give a classic, you might hit 390,000, like one driver did in a 2006. You might even beat that. A dealership down in Florida proudly display a 1991 they call the Million Mile Corolla. The actual mileage is 939,037, but hey, close enough.
Check any car forum and you’ll find Corolla owners bragging about their first 300k. Not every Corolla is going to go the distance.
The previous owner might have been lax on maintenance, or yours might have some defect you don’t know about, and there’s always the chance of a random fender bender right before you cross the finish line.
But the bottom line is that it’s not at all unusual for a Corolla to hit 300,000 with its original engine and transmission intact. If you’re keeping score, that’s twice what Consumer Reports cites as the industry-average.
2009 and 2014 Owners will Want to Look out for Engine Issues Like Excessive Oil Consumption
With proper care, you’ll be passing your Corolla down to your grandkids. But that doesn’t mean that these are 100% guaranteed problem-free cars. The 2014 in particular, and especially the 2009, had a major issue with excessive oil consumption.
On the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, the 2009 has 1,518 complaints total, hundreds of them relating directly to the vehicle’s excessive oil use. To put that number into perspective, the 2012 has just over 400 complaints. 1,518 complaints is a lot for any car, but it’s astronomical for a Corolla.
For 2014, the Corolla skates by with just 226 complaints total. Among them: involuntary acceleration, transmission getting stuck, and instances where the transmission needed to be totally replaced. These issues are worrying, but thankfully far less common than in the 2009.
Your best bet may be to avoid the 2009 entirely, and don’t buy a 2014 without a thorough test drive.
Of course, if you’ve got your heart set on seeing the odometer roll over to 300k, the wisest course of action is to buy brand new so that you won’t be inheriting a previous owner’s engine and transmission problems.
The Corolla Switched to CVT for 2017, Which Requires More Frequent Fluid Changes Than a Typical Automatic Transmission
Buying any compact car these days, you’ll want to have a basic understanding of what to expect with a continuously variable transmission. If you’d rather not be bothered, or if you just plain don’t like one-speeds, the 2016 was the last Corolla with a conventional four-speed automatic transmission. And it’s a fine model year for the vehicle, with just one recall and 180 complaints on record.
If you’re buying anything newer, you’re going to be driving a CVT, which comes with a different service schedule than a conventional automatic or manual transmission.
In a 2016, you’d likely be changing the transmission fluid every 60,000 to 100,000 miles, depending on what your owner’s manual says. CVT fluid is typically changed every 25,000 miles.
So in a 2017 or a 2021, you could be coming into the dealer for transmission fluid changes four times as often as you would in a 2015 or a 2016. Many compact owners are unaware of this difference, so, if buying used, you’ll want to feel the car out for rough shifting during the test drive.
Toyota are the Longest Lasting Automaker in the Game Today, and the Corolla is no Exception
Here’s the final verdict: if you follow your service schedule and you buy new or certified pre-owned, there’s no reason your Corolla can’t last you fifteen, twenty years of regular driving.
But, neglect your regular maintenance, or buy from someone who did, and you might be lucky to crack 200,000 miles.
Photos: Toyota
