Toyota Tercel Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 308 consumer complaints across the 13 model years of the Toyota Tercel (1984–1997) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 51. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (74 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Tercel model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 20 | 154,500 | 0 | 29 | — | Stable |
| 1996 | 40 | 122,525 | 0 | 26 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 51 | 99,700 | 0 | 26 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 40 | 127,043 | 0 | 25 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 43 | — | 0 | 25 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 24 | 90,000 | 0 | 24 | — | Stable |
| 1991 | 17 | 218,800 | 0 | 24 | — | Stable |
| 1990 | 19 | 76,000 | 1 | 25 | — | Stable |
| 1989 | 22 | — | 1 | 20 | — | Stable |
| 1988 | 8 | — | 1 | 20 | — | Not enough data |
| 1987 | 13 | — | 1 | 18 | — | Not enough data |
| 1986 | 6 | 150,000 | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
| 1984 | 5 | — | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags74 28%
- Seat belts51 19%
- Engine cooling43 16%
- Brakes26 9.7%
- Fuel system23 8.6%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)18 6.7%
- Electrical system18 6.7%
- Tires15 5.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1997: “Both the driver and passenger side seat belts stopped working about the same time. I would buckle myself up and my passenger would the seat buckle pop's right out of the anchor. I am breaking the law every time I get in my car. I can not go on highways or freeways. I can not have a passenger ride in the front seat.”
NHTSA complaint #10995326, filed 2017-06, 150,000 miles1992: “On 12/29/2015 at approximately 10am, my 84 year mother was leaving a walgreen's parking lot located in sunrise, florida. After backing up, she put the car into drive where sudden acceleration occurred. As a result the car struck a retaining wall causing extensive damage. The police and ems were called and provided transportation to the hospital. My mother passed away as a result of her injuries at approximately 12pm on 12/29/2015.”
NHTSA complaint #10678246, filed 2015-01, 90,000 miles1995: “This is a recount of events in which my tire failed. I began my commute to work by entering onto a good condition state highway and began driving 65 MPH around 6:30 am edt. Approximately 5 minutes into the drive with lite traffic, I decided to change from the middle lane into the right hand lane. During this lane change the car steering wheel began to vibrate and then violently shake. I applied my breaks to slow down and pull over, but I could not stop nor control the direction of car. The car began to pulling to the left and started to spin. …”
NHTSA complaint #11149486, filed 2018-11, 3,000 milesOther Toyota models
18,207 complaintsToyota Prius
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11,738 complaintsToyota RAV4
9,401 complaintsToyota Sienna
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8,476 complaintsToyota Tundra
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5,900 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology