Skip to content
Toyota PreviaModel year report

1994 Toyota Previa Problems

Complaints
19filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
136,500miles, 4 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl RWD · 17 city / 21 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1994 Toyota Previa (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints for the 1994 Toyota Previa. The part named most often is seat belts, with 6 complaints (32% of the total), followed by body and structure (3) and air bags (2). 4 of the complaints include a mileage, and 0% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 136,500 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 27 technical service bulletins for this model year. Body and structure complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Seat belts: “(1) events leading up to the failure: while driving vehicle and approaching intersection. Light turns yellow and driver decided to stop for the red light. Stop was from somewhere around 30 MPH over maybe 100 feet. (figures are just for reference) (2)failure and its consequences: female, receptacle for seat belt somehow broke and split its casing to release the strap. Resulting in the 6 year old in booster seat flying from back seat into front passenger seat and starts crying, scared but receiving only a bump on his head. …”

NHTSA complaint #10124958, filed 2005-06, 143,000 miles

Body and structure: “Dt: the consumer ha a problem with right side sliding van door handle. Upon pulling open the door handle it broke off. The vehicle was taken to an auto shop for repair but due to the cost the handle was never repaired. The handle was made of poor quality plastic that was very fragile. This was the first and only incident with the door handle. No repairs or corrections have been made. The plastic did injured the consumer's hand when the incident occurred.”

NHTSA complaint #10140324, filed 2005-10, 110,000 miles

Air bags: “I started the car and noticed that it smelled strange. I put it into reverse and started to back up when the passenger side airbag deployed, spiderwebbing the windshield and filling the cabin with a smoke that smelled intensely of the bad smell from before. There was no collision nor even contact with any thing else by the vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #11242055, filed 2019-08, 130,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “Accelerator sticks, making it very difficult to accelerate gradually. When this occurs you must push down on the accelerator very hard. This leads to the car abruptly lunging forward, making it very difficult to drive in bumper to bumper traffic or tight spaces. This problem was identified within the first 8 months. The problem was corrected, however its occurring again. I think this should be a recall item on this vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #707228, filed 1999-06

Mileage when problems were reported

0% of the 4 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 130,000 and 143,000 miles.

0%0–100%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–10075%100–15025%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (4 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 136,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

199641998200020052019
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 1994 Toyota Previa. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Previa · 3 DR not rated4 / 3———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1994 Toyota Previa version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Previa RWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic172118$3,700
Previa RWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic152017$3,950
Previa All-Trac 4WD/AWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic151917$3,950

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1994 Toyota Previa in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 27 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 27 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Previa

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
19979130,7501—17—Not enough data
199611113,0900—17—Not enough data
199530149,0000—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199419136,5000—18—Stable
199341234,0000—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199235100,0000—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199174200,0002—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Toyota Previa model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1994 Toyota Previa have?

NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints for the 1994 Toyota Previa as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1994 Toyota Previa is reported most often?

Seat belts is named most often, in 6 complaints (32% of the total), followed by body and structure with 3.

Has the 1994 Toyota Previa been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1994 Toyota Previa get?

The EPA rates the 1994 Toyota Previa (Previa, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 17 city and 21 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1994 Toyota Previa reported?

Among the 4 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 136,500 miles and the middle half falls between 130,000 and 143,000 miles; 0% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.