--- title: "How to Reset Oil Life on a 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla" description: "Reset the oil life or maintenance reminder on the 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla in 5 steps, using only the controls already in the car. No scan tool needed." url: "https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/oil-reset" updated: "2026-08-20" --- # How to Reset the Oil Life Indicator on a 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla Reset the oil life or maintenance reminder on the 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla in 5 steps, using only the controls already in the car. No scan tool needed. ## Reset procedure, 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla (High confidence) 1. Turn the ignition to ON (do not start) and press the ODO/TRIP knob until the plain odometer (ODO) is displayed, not Trip A or Trip B 2. Turn the ignition OFF 3. Press and hold the ODO/TRIP knob, and while holding it, turn the ignition back to ON (engine off) 4. Keep holding (~5-10 seconds): the display shows dashes, then zeros, then the normal odometer reading 5. Release the knob, the MAINT REQD light is reset Note: Classic Toyota trip-meter hold method. The light is a simple 5,000-mile mileage counter, not an oil-condition sensor. If it doesn't reset, confirm the display was on ODO before you switched off. ## Which Toyota Corolla model years does this cover? These oil life reset specifications apply to every Toyota Corolla built from 2012 through 2013, the E140 (10th generation), compact sedan. Nothing in this specification changes between those model years. - [2012 Corolla](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012) - [2013 Corolla](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2013) ## What changed during the 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla | Years | What changed | | --- | --- | | 2012 | Carryover year for the 2011-facelifted E140; the 2.4L XRS was already discontinued (2010), so all cars are 1.8L 2ZR-FE | | 2013 | Final E140 year; Special Edition package added. All specs carry over. | ## 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla oil life reset: common questions ### How do you reset the oil life on a 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla? 5 steps, using only the controls in the car, the full sequence is above. ### Do you need a scan tool to reset the oil light on a 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla? No. The procedure above uses the vehicle's own controls. A scan tool is only necessary if the reset does not take, which usually points at a different fault. ### Why won't the oil light reset on a 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla? Almost always a timing problem in the sequence, a step held too briefly, or the ignition in the wrong position. Repeat it exactly, with the engine off and the key in accessory rather than run, unless the steps say otherwise. Classic Toyota trip-meter hold method. The light is a simple 5,000-mile mileage counter, not an oil-condition sensor. If it doesn't reset, confirm the display was on ODO before you switched off. ## Sources - [Toyota technical data, Corolla E140 US fluids & capacities (toyota-club.net)](https://toyota-club.net/files/techdata/ttx/corolla_140u.htm) - [Toyota Genuine Battery application chart 2023 (toyotapartsandservice.com)](https://www.toyotapartsandservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/03_Batteries2023_hi.pdf) - [Toyota Genuine Spark Plug application chart 2020 (toyotapartsandservice.com)](https://www.toyotapartsandservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/09_SparkPlugs2020_hi.pdf) - [Toyota Genuine Oil Filter application chart 2020 (toyotapartsandservice.com)](https://www.toyotapartsandservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/06_OilFilters2020_hi.pdf) - [TirePressure.org, 2012 Toyota Corolla placard pressures](https://tirepressure.org/toyota/corolla/2012) - [fueleconomy.gov, 2012 Corolla EPA ratings](https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2012_Toyota_Corolla.shtml) - [NHTSA recalls by vehicle, 2012/2013 Toyota Corolla](https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls) ## Other Toyota Corolla generations - [2020-2025 Toyota Corolla oil life reset](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2020-2025/oil-reset) - [2014-2019 Toyota Corolla oil life reset](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2014-2019/oil-reset) Or [compare all generations](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/oil-reset). ## More for the 2012-2013 Toyota Corolla - [Oil & filter](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/oil) - [Battery](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/battery) - [Tires & wheels](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/tires) - [Wiper blades](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/wipers) - [Air & cabin filters](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/filters) - [Bulbs](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/bulbs) - [Brakes](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/brakes) - [Fluids](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/fluids) - [Service schedule](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/service-schedule) - [Problems & reliability](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/common-problems) - [Key fob battery](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/key-fob-battery) - [Specs](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/toyota/corolla/2012-2013/specs) Specifications vary with engine option, production date, and market.