1996 Toyota Corolla E100

Overview

Engines

1.6L four-cylinder, 1.8L four-cylinder

Came as

• Sedan
• Wagon

On record

No warnings or recalls recorded yet

What changed for 1996

Refresh

• Facelift with new front and rear fascias, wheel covers and three new colors, a revised interior and five-speed, and an optional built-in child seat. The LE is dropped. Edmunds, a published reference

Compare 1996 with 1995

Colors

• Cashmere Beige Metallic An owners' registry (unofficial)4M9, 1996–1997
• Dark Emerald Pearl An owners' registry (unofficial)6M1, 1996–1997
• Teal Mist Metallic An owners' registry (unofficial)6N1, 1995–1996
• Orchid Blue Pearl An owners' registry (unofficial)8K1, 1995–1996
• Brilliant Blue Pearl An owners' registry (unofficial)8K8, 1996–1997

Sources: Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)

Specs

Engines

• 1.6L four-cylinder 4A-FE engine page A published reference

  Base and CE sedans

• 1.8L four-cylinder 7A-FE engine page Edmunds, a published reference

  115 hp for 1993–1994, then 105 hp

Transmissions

• 5-speed manual Edmunds
• 3-speed automatic Owners' reports (unofficial)
• Automatic A published reference

Drivetrains

• Front-wheel drive Toyota, a published reference

Body styles

• Sedan A published reference
• Wagon (1993–1996) Edmunds, a published reference

Trims

• Standard A published reference
• DX A published reference

Packages

• Anti-lock brakes Edmunds
• Integrated child seat (1996–1997) Edmunds
• Power sunroof A published reference
• Gold emblem package A published reference

Figures for the whole 7th gen

• Model codes: AE101 with the 1.6L, AE102 with the 1.8L A published reference
• Wheelbase: 97.0 in A published reference
• Chassis: Fully independent suspension, front disc brakes and rear drums on every model A published reference
• Drag coefficient: 0.33 for the sedan, 0.36 for the wagon A published reference

Watch out

Faults owners and the press report, and how to spot each one.

No warning is written up yet. That means none is recorded, not that there are none.

Recalls

No recall is written up here.

No recalls are listed. Checked against NHTSA records on November 2, 2026.

Owning

What owners and buyers say

• Sought after

  Built to last All years

  SlashGear ranks the 7th gen third of twelve, crediting a quieter, more refined car. To Curbside Classic, an unofficial source, it is the best Corolla of all, well built and cheap to repair, and of ten owners commenting there, seven praise their cars' durability, three past 200,000 miles. SlashGear, Curbside Classic, owners' reports (unofficial)

• Watch for

  The three-speed automatic All years

  Less sought after One source so far

  Two owners commenting on Curbside Classic's article, an unofficial source, criticize the three-speed automatic. Owners' reports (unofficial)

Maintenance

No service schedule is added yet.