2008 Toyota Corolla Problems, Recalls & Reliability
378 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Toyota Corolla, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 27/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 79,304 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all Corolla years
What owners report
“Takata recall my local toyota dealer has told me they can't get the part. In a timely fashion.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Corolla
“The engine light went on and black smoke was coming out and i went from 70 miles down to 40 miles an hour . Then it would not start had to be towed home. Was told the engine was gone. Had the engine replaced. 5-18-2015”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Corolla
“My vehicle accelerated and i hit the vehicle ahead of me despite braking as hard as i could”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Corolla
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 215 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 46,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 28,000 and 78,200 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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…
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…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Corolla, 2005-2008 Corolla Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The air bag may not unfold as…
Fix: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly or sub-assembly, free of charge. Toyota owners may contact…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured May 25, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla…
Fix: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 23, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla…
Fix: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 8, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 COROLLA AND COROLLA MATRIX VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PRODUCTION NUMBER OF THE ECM AND REPLACE THE ECM IF NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. TOYOTA WILL MAIL AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION THE MIDDLE OF…
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 10V384000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Toyota Corolla reliable?
The 2008 Toyota Corolla drew 378 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 27/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).
What are the most common 2008 Toyota Corolla problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Toyota Corolla are airbags (138 complaints), engine (54), and speed control (54).
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota Corolla problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Toyota Corolla problems around 46,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 28,000 and 78,200 miles.
Does the 2008 Toyota Corolla have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Toyota Corolla. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.