ToyotaCorolla1998Overview/toyota/corolla/1998/base/

1998 Toyota Corolla

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 Corolla.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1998 Toyota Corolla is a passenger car equipped with a 3-speed automatic transmission and powered by an engine requiring 3.9 quarts of 5W-30 API oil, achieving EPA fuel economy ratings of 24 city, 30 highway, and 26 combined mpg; positioned within Toyota's Corolla lineage spanning model years 1990 to 2026, this generation recorded 248 total owner complaints with Air Bags as the leading concern across five recalls, a figure that falls well below the model's peak complaint year of 2009 (1,533 complaints) yet remains notably higher than the lowest recorded in 2026 (11 complaints), suggesting a middle-ground reliability position in the model's evolution.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020191998

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy24/30/26 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 360 CCA battery, OE oil filter 90915YZZN1. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 360 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turn7OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter90915YZZN1
Engine air filter1780102030
Fuel filter233000D010
Spark plug9091901192
Front wiper blades8521202121 alt 8522202030
Serpentine belt900809113583 alt 900809113483
Thermostat9091603107 alt 1632562010

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length174 in
Overall width66.9 in
Overall height54.7 in
Wheelbase97.2 in
Curb weight2524 lb
Track (front / rear)57.5 / 57.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined24 / 30 / 26 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume88 cu ft
Cargo volume12 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Corolla of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

10.0–10.3 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.00 sec — 1998 LE Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1998LE Sedan 1.8L I-410.00 sec17.40 sec120 hpFWD
1998LE Sedan 1.8L I-410.30 sec17.60 sec120 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3.9 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, ATF in the differential. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear OilATF
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3 Pints
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.9 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts102 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance9700-16,700 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerDenso
Spark Plug Gap0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing8-12, Not adjustable degrees

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.54 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeND 8 oil
Oil Capacity7.61 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance360 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test17 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief11-15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature165-173 °F
Injector Primary Resistance13.4-14.2 na 4WD Wagon ohms
Injector Primary Resistance12-16 na ohms
Engine Compression145-215 psi
Intake Valve Lash0.006-0.010 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.010-0.014 in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket65 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle76 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.866 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.866 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.787 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Final Drive (inspect fluid level) · Rack & Pinion Assembly (inspect) · Suspension Ball Joint (inspect)
At 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 60,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Fuel Evaporative Canister (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Within the surrounding 1990s Corolla model years, 1998 is a pronounced outlier: federal complaints hit 248, up sharply from 144 in 1997 and 159 in 1999, and TSBs climbed to 86 versus 59 the year before and 79 the year after. Recall activity held steady at five campaigns, matching 1999 and sitting close to the six recalls recorded in 1996, 1997, and 2000, with no federal investigations opened for 1998. The broader arc shows relatively stable, low-level activity from 1996 through 2002 except for the 1998 spike in owner reports and service bulletins, implying that year carried higher reported irritants without triggering a corresponding safety escalation. The leading complaint categories were air bags (51), structure (19), suspension (16), and engine/cooling (16), along with 37 crash-related and 8 fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify root causes. Because 1998 is the most reported-on year in this immediate group yet recall exposure is unchanged, a prospective buyer should confirm all recalls are closed and pay particular attention to air-bag and structural inspections; it is a usable but less clean choice than 1997 or 1999–2002.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
86
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
248
Owner complaints
37 involved a crash · 8 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 248 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags51
Structure19
Suspension16
Engine & Engine Cooling16
Vehicle Speed Control14
Service Brakes, Hydraulic14
Seat Belts13
Steering13

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E050000Exterior Lighting:HeadlightsReported 11/08/2008

K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF… Remedy: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.

09E012000Exterior LightingReported 07/04/2009

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE… Remedy: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 86 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
T-SB-0043-142024-01-22EquipmentOBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2024: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0057-18.
TSB0032202023-08-17Air BagsTSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or…
TTT0636202022-03-17Back Over PreventionTT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake…
Toyota PRO19-022022-01-12TiresPOL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all…
Toyota Safety Re2021-03-17Air BagsToyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Corolla. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 Corolla take?

3.9 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 Corolla have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Corolla get?

EPA figures are 24 city / 30 highway / 26 combined mpg.