Toyota Corolla vs Dodge Dart: which is more reliable?
The Toyota Corolla is ahead of the Dodge Dart on the federal record, 77/100 against 71/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Toyota Corolla
- 15 model years scored
- 3,218 owner complaints on record
- about 27 complaints per year on the road
- 46 recall campaigns, 32 safety-critical
- best year 2015 (87/100) · worst 2020 (47/100)
Dodge Dart
- 4 model years scored
- 2,315 owner complaints on record
- about 48 complaints per year on the road
- 16 recall campaigns, 3 safety-critical
- best year 2016 (84/100) · worst 2013 (47/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Corolla against Dart
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Toyota Corolla
- Air Bags — 1,263 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 357 complaints
- Engine — 266 complaints
Dodge Dart
- Power Train — 907 complaints
- Engine — 483 complaints
- Service Brakes — 446 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Corolla's complaints concentrate in Air Bags, the Dart's in Power Train. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Toyota Corolla — avoid: 2020.
Dodge Dart — avoid: 2013.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Toyota Corolla prices at about $24,100 and a Dodge Dart at about $10,800 — the Dodge Dart is roughly $13,300 less, and they return 34.0 against 30.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Toyota Corolla or the Dodge Dart more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Toyota Corolla scores 77/100 against the Dodge Dart's 71/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Toyota Corolla and Dodge Dart years should I avoid?
Toyota Corolla: 2020. Dodge Dart: 2013. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Toyota Corolla and the Dodge Dart?
The largest complaint group on the Toyota Corolla is Air Bags (1,263 complaints); on the Dodge Dart it is Power Train (907).
Is the Toyota Corolla or the Dodge Dart cheaper to own?
A recent used Toyota Corolla prices at about $24,100 and a Dodge Dart at about $10,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.