How safe is the Toyota Corolla?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Toyota Corolla died at a rate of 71 per million registered vehicle years, 88% higher than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 113th of 129 vehicles, safer than 12% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Toyota Corolla sits among all 129 vehicles
Toyota Corolla (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
Vehicles ranked near the Toyota Corolla
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | Hyundai KonaSUV · Small | 62 | 15 |
| 111 | Chevrolet MalibuCar · Midsize | 116 | 14 |
| 112 | Chevrolet CorvetteSports car · Midsize | 82 | 13 |
| 113 | Toyota CorollaCar · Small | 71 | 12 |
| 114 | Chevrolet CamaroSports car · Large | 88 | 12 |
| 115 | Nissan MaximaCar · Midsize | 105 | 11 |
| 116 | Hyundai ElantraCar · Small | 80 | 10 |
How it compares with other cars
Among the 23 cars ranked, the Toyota Corolla is 9th. The safest cars are below. See all cars.
| Cars rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Civic hatchbackCar · Small | 28 | 36 |
| 2 | Subaru LegacyCar · Midsize | 37 | 27 |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla hybrid 2WDCar · Small | 51 | 21 |
| 4 | Subaru WRXCar · Small | 51 | 20 |
| 5 | Toyota Camry hybridCar · Midsize | 51 | 20 |
| 9 | Toyota CorollaCar · Small | 71 | 12 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2020 models, the Toyota Corolla had a driver death rate of 58 (range 31–86) and ranked 98th of 127. The newer rate is higher.
Common questions
Is the Toyota Corolla a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Toyota Corolla is one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 71 per million registered vehicle years is 88% higher than the average, and it ranks 113th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Toyota Corolla compare with other cars?
It ranks 9th of 23 cars. The safest is the Honda Civic hatchback, with a rate of 28.
Why is this different from the Toyota Corolla's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.