2010 Toyota Yaris Problems

What owners report

Most of what owners of the 2010 Yaris report in this sample is not about mechanical breakdown but about the Takata airbag inflator recall — notices received, parts unavailable, repairs delayed for months. Beyond that, complaints describe window switch and glass failures, seat rail recall parts, and smaller clusters involving electrical gremlins, steering wander and unintended acceleration surges. Many reports are filed at low mileage, often in the first few thousand miles of ownership.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Takata airbag inflator recall — parts unavailable

   • 37 complaints (41%)
   • median 32,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2019

   Owners describe receiving Takata airbag recall notices and then being unable to get the repair done: dealers tell them the inflator is on order, appointments are made and then cancelled because the part has not arrived, and no date is given. Several say they were advised not to carry a passenger in the front seat until the passenger inflator is replaced. A few describe airbags that did not deploy in a collision. Reported across a wide mileage range, from low-mileage cars to examples past 100,000 miles, mostly filed 2014-2018.

   Recall 19V741000Recall 18V024000Recall 18V025000Recall 16V3400002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask the seller for documentation that the driver and passenger inflator recalls were completed, and confirm with a dealer using the VIN before buying. An open recall should be repaired at no charge.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had accident on driver side front with other car. My front bumper, fender, hood, under hood, body frame every thing in front has been crushed. Insurance declared total my car. But no air bag did not deployed. Seatbelt also was not tight. I was injured due to heat on steering wheel and went to emergency. Still I have pain on my body. I found that Toyota recalled my car last may 2014 but they did not informed me...updated 10/27/14”

   NHTSA complaint #10644141, filed 2014-10, 30,000 miles

   “Takata inflators--front passenger side. We have received a recall notice that advises our 2010 Yaris 4 door vehicle is not to have passengers in the front passenger seat until inflator is replaced. No date for replacement is currently scheduled. This is going on 90 days and is most inconvenient.”

   NHTSA complaint #10892973, filed 2016-08
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Power window switches and glass failures

   • 10 complaints (11%)
   • median 13,000 mi at 2.2 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2018

   Owners report door window switches that stop working, and windows that shatter or crumble without an impact. In one report the driver side window broke apart into small pieces while driving on the highway; another describes a rear window breaking shortly after leaving the dealer. The power window master switch is covered by a recall, and some owners note they were told the remedy part was not yet available. Spread across the range, from about 13,000 to 63,000 miles, with some reports on near-new cars.

   Recall 15V689000

   What to check: Test every window switch from both the driver and passenger doors, and ask whether the power window switch recall has been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We were driving on the highway late in the evening when all of a sudden, the drivers side window imploded. The glass literally crumbled into tiny pieces and fell into the car, front left and rear left side. I contacted the dealership service department, and was told that nothing like this has ever happened before, nobody had ever heard of anything like this. My own google research has proven that this has happened to other people, and perhaps the dealership was being less than honest with me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10440239, filed 2011-12, 13,000 miles

   “Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Yaris. The dealer scheduled two appointments for the recall repairs concerning NHTSA campaign number: 16v340000 (air bags). When the contact arrive at the dealer twice, the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. In addition, the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v689000 (visibility). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10958438, filed 2017-03
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration or surging

   • 5 complaints (6%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2018

   Owners describe the car accelerating on its own — one reported a stuck accelerator pedal with the engine racing after parking, another a surge forward at low speed that ended in a crash, and one a brake pedal pressed while the vehicle accelerated. Others report a gradual, unnoticed speed rise with cruise control engaged. Some owners said the dealer found the vehicle operating as designed or could not diagnose the cause. Reported from near-zero mileage up to around 94,000 miles, filed across 2010-2018.

   What to check: During a test drive, check that the pedal returns freely and that idle speed is steady; on cars with cruise control, confirm it holds a set speed rather than creeping upward.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Speed control (cruise control) set to 60 MPH. After a while I noticed the car car seemed to be going faster than I felt comfortable with and was passing another car. I looked down and saw the speedometer indicating above 87 MPH. Disconnected cruise control and regained normal operation. This was such a slow and gradual increase that it was not noticeable for a while. This has happened on this car on several occasions.”

   NHTSA complaint #10749038, filed 2015-08, 85,000 miles

   “2010 Toyota Yaris. Consumer states vehicle became dysfunctional while driving consumer sent additional correspondence the consumer stated she pulled into a parking space, put the vehicle in park, and when she went to remove the keys, the vehicle would not shut off, the motor continued to race, as the accelerator pedal was stuck. The vehicle knocked over some bushes and signs and there was damage to the vehicle. Updated 10/18/11.”

   NHTSA complaint #10430928, filed 2011-10, 2,200 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: lighting, locks, ignition and door wiring

   • 5 complaints (6%)
   • median 8,500 mi at 1.2 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2021

   Owners describe interior and exterior lights cutting out on their own while driving, door locks that fail to lock or unlock by themselves, and an ignition key and tumbler that become very hot in normal driving. One report describes a fire that started at the driver door shortly after starting the engine. Dealers in several cases said they could not reproduce or find the cause. Mostly on low-mileage cars, from a few hundred to about 9,000 miles, with door lock reports at higher mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that all lights work steadily, cycle the power locks several times, and feel the ignition key and surrounding column after a drive for unusual heat.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “All exterior and interior lights turn off on their own. They have done this twice. This is a brand new car that my 18 year old son bought. He drives to college and work and cannot be driving a vehicle that has lights that do not work in the dark. The dealership has looked at the car but cannot find the problem so they are asking us to come back and pick it up. I refuse to let anyone drive this vehicle until it is safe to drive. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10367194, filed 2010-11, 8,000 miles

   “I got in my car, started the engine, immediately I started smelling strong burning smell. Than started seeing smoke from the driver door. Within few seconds I started seeing flames. Since I was already on the road, I couldn't just stop the car. The flame got bigger and bigger, in the car cabin, it was fill with burning smoke. I tried to roll down the window, it didn't want to work. I has a cup of coffee in the car, I poured it on the flame and it subsided a little. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10716356, filed 2015-05, 58,290 miles
5. 5
   Seats

   Front seat rail recall and seat hardware

   • 7 complaints (8%)
   • median 44,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014

   Complaints center on the front seat rail recall on three-door models, with owners saying the replacement parts were not available for weeks or months after notice. A few reports tie the same recall to airbag work done at the same visit. Reported at various mileages, mostly around 32,000 to 55,000 miles, filed 2014-2015.

   Recall 14V169000

   What to check: For a three-door model, ask whether the seat rail recall was completed, and check that both front seats lock firmly in each position.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In the affected vehicles, the springs used for the seat rails on the driver's seat and the seat rails of the front passenger seat of three-door models may break. Consequences: if the spring breaks, the seat may not lock in position. In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat could move increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant. Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat rail, and replace it with a new one, if necessary, free of charge. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10605760, filed 2014-06, 44,000 miles

   “Recall on the inner and outer seat track of the 2010 Toyota 4 door Yaris. The parts were not available on 7-14-14 and still do not have part available on 8-11-14. This should be a concern.”

   NHTSA complaint #10621284, filed 2014-08, 55,000 miles

Buying note. Check the VIN with a dealer for open airbag, seat rail and power window switch recalls and confirm they were completed, since parts shortages left many of these cars waiting. Beyond recalls, verify window switches, lighting and locks work consistently, and pay attention to pedal feel and idle behavior on the test drive.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.