Is the Toyota Corolla more reliable than the Honda Civic?

Yes, but only by a slight margin. The Corolla stands at excellent and the Civic at good. The Corolla's main advantage is a lower chance of a major repair, 7% against 10%. The Civic counters with fewer unscheduled shop visits and fewer complaints per car sold.

Which has more recalls, the Corolla or the Civic?

The Corolla has more. Federal recall records show 44 recalls across nine model years for the Corolla and 37 for the Civic. Recall counts do not show how serious each one was, so check any car's VIN for open recalls before buying.

Which costs less to repair, the Corolla or the Civic?

The Corolla costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $362 a year against $368 for the Civic. Over five years that is about $30, so cost should not decide your choice. The Civic visits the shop less often, though.

What is the biggest problem with the Honda Civic?

Steering. It makes up over half of all Civic complaints. Owners describe a wheel that feels stiff, sticky, or notchy at highway speed, then breaks free and overshoots. Some cars would not turn and left the road. Many owners also reported long waits for steering recall parts.

Why do some Corollas stall at red lights?

Owner complaints tie the stalling to auto start/stop, usually in rain with the wipers running. The engine shuts off at a stop, a low power steering warning appears, and the car will not restart until shifted to park. Dealers often found no fault or stored codes.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla: Reliability Compared

Honda Civic

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Corolla

Excellent

On reliability, the Toyota Corolla edges out the Honda Civic by a slim margin. A Corolla repair is less likely to be major, 7% against 10% for the Civic. Yearly repair costs are nearly the same, and the Civic needs fewer shop visits.

How Do the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla Generations Compare?

Model years 2018 and 2019 put Corolla shoppers in the eleventh generation, which began in 2014 and received a refresh for 2017. The twelfth generation began with the 2020 model year, and that first year is one of the Corolla's two weakest. The 2023 model year, also weak, closed out the twelfth generation's listed run. For the Civic, the 2018 to 2021 years sit in the tenth generation, which started in 2016. The eleventh generation began with the 2022 model year, and that first year is the Civic's weakest alongside 2018. Generation data in the records ends at 2023 for both.

Verdict

The Toyota Corolla is more reliable than the Honda Civic, scoring 81/100 vs 78/100.

The edge goes to the Corolla, but only slightly. The deciding fact is the chance that a repair turns out major: 7% for the Corolla against 10% for the Civic. Annual repair cost is nearly the same. The Civic does better on shop visits and on complaints per car sold, so this is not a runaway. The Civic's record is also lopsided, with steering making up more than half of its complaints, while the Corolla's problems spread across several systems.

Key Differences

1Honda Civic has 7 fewer total recalls
2Toyota Corolla costs $6 less per year to repair
3Toyota Corolla scores 3 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

3Honda Civic

—

3Toyota Corolla

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla
Reliability Score	78/100	81/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	37	44
Complaints per 10k Sold	4.8	5.6
Annual Repair Cost	$368/yr	$362/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	10%	7%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	2 (3 tied)	4 (3 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla?

Steering dominates the Civic's complaints. The wheel turns stiff, sticky, or notchy at highway speed, and some cars would not turn and left the road. Its fuel pump recall also left owners waiting on parts, with a few reports of sudden power loss. The Corolla's pattern is different: engines stall at red lights with auto start/stop on, usually in rain, followed by a low power steering warning. Airbag non-deployment appears on both. Crash-linked engine and power train complaints show up among the Corolla's main problem areas but not the Civic's. Crash-linked fuel system complaints show up only for the Civic.

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla
STEERING	2.5Low	0.5Very Low
ENGINE	0.1Very Low	0.8Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.3Very Low	0.6Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.3Very Low	0.6Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.6Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.1Very Low	0.6Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	0.2Very Low
SEAT BELTS	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
PARKING BRAKE	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla?

Repair costs are nearly identical. The Corolla runs an estimated $362 a year and the Civic $368, a gap of $6 that adds up to about $30 over five years. The Civic needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.2 a year against 0.3. The Corolla has the lower chance that a repair is major, 7% against 10%. Expect similar budgets, with the Corolla carrying less risk of a costly surprise.

How Does Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Edge
2026	94/1000R / 7C	94/1000R / 0C	Tie
2025	84/1005R / 49C	84/1002R / 37C	Tie
2024	81/1005R / 131C	81/1008R / 97C	Tie
2023	74/1007R / 315C	73/10015R / 243C	Honda Civic
2022	66/1003R / 935C	82/1002R / 120C	Toyota Corolla
2021	81/1003R / 118C	83/1001R / 160C	Toyota Corolla
2020	78/1008R / 405C	74/1007R / 290C	Honda Civic
2019	75/1002R / 356C	77/1006R / 190C	Toyota Corolla
2018	71/1004R / 605C	80/1003R / 137C	Toyota Corolla

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Civic scored 81/100 and the 2021 Toyota Corolla scored 83/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Civic vs the Toyota Corolla?

Pick the Corolla if you want the lower chance of a big repair bill and can live with an occasional odd stall. Its stalling reports center on auto start/stop in rain, and dealers often could not find a fault. Skip the 2023 and 2020 model years, which are its weakest. If you are eyeing the manual GR Corolla, know that early clutch failure is the clearest power train complaint. Pick the Civic if you want fewer unscheduled shop visits. Avoid the 2022 and 2018 model years, its weakest. Before you buy any Civic, check the VIN for open steering and fuel pump recalls, since owners reported long waits for parts. Test drive on a highway and watch for a wheel that sticks during small lane corrections. The 2025 and 2026 years rate strongest for both models, but they have had little time to collect complaints, so treat that as unproven.

Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla: Common Questions

Is the Toyota Corolla more reliable than the Honda Civic?: Yes, but only by a slight margin. The Corolla stands at excellent and the Civic at good. The Corolla's main advantage is a lower chance of a major repair, 7% against 10%. The Civic counters with fewer unscheduled shop visits and fewer complaints per car sold.
Which has more recalls, the Corolla or the Civic?: The Corolla has more. Federal recall records show 44 recalls across nine model years for the Corolla and 37 for the Civic. Recall counts do not show how serious each one was, so check any car's VIN for open recalls before buying.
Which costs less to repair, the Corolla or the Civic?: The Corolla costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $362 a year against $368 for the Civic. Over five years that is about $30, so cost should not decide your choice. The Civic visits the shop less often, though.
What is the biggest problem with the Honda Civic?: Steering. It makes up over half of all Civic complaints. Owners describe a wheel that feels stiff, sticky, or notchy at highway speed, then breaks free and overshoots. Some cars would not turn and left the road. Many owners also reported long waits for steering recall parts.
Why do some Corollas stall at red lights?: Owner complaints tie the stalling to auto start/stop, usually in rain with the wipers running. The engine shuts off at a stop, a low power steering warning appears, and the car will not restart until shifted to park. Dealers often found no fault or stored codes.

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Decided between Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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