Toyota TERCEL problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
189 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
122,525 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1980 to 2000 model years. Data snapshot: . 28 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags:Frontal is the most frequently named component, appearing in 38 of 189 complaints (20.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 23 | 12.2% |
| Engine operation | 7 | 3.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 6 | 3.2% |
| Steering behavior | 4 | 2.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 3 | 1.6% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags:Frontal | 38 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 13 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 9 |
| Air Bags | 8 |
| Tires | 8 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System | 7 |
| Seat Belts | 7 |
Air Bags:Frontal: 38; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 13; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 9; Air Bags: 8; Tires: 8; Vehicle Speed Control: 8; Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System: 7; Seat Belts: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 3 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 5 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 10 |
| 150,000 and above | 9 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 10; 150,000 and above: 9
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (10). 161 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 47 |
| 1996 | 45 |
| 2000 | 25 |
| 2001 | 15 |
| 2002 | 10 |
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 7 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
1995: 47; 1996: 45; 2000: 25; 2001: 15; 2002: 10; 2003: 11; 2004: 4; 2005: 7; 2007: 3; 2008: 4; 2009: 1; 2010: 7; 2011: 1; 2013: 2; 2014: 1; 2015: 3; 2017: 1; 2018: 1; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Air Bags:Frontal leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 23 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 7 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 6 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 723773 · 2000-06-08 (June 8, 2000)
THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WHEN BRAKE HANDLE DOWN. OWNER'S MANUAL DOESN'T SAY SO, BUT THE LIGHT IS ALSO OPERATED BY LOW BRAKE FLUID LEVEL. NOT KNOWING THIS IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD TO THE DRIVER.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 723773 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10314752 · 2010-02-27 (February 27, 2010)
IN 2006-2007, MY 20 YEAR-OLD 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL STATION WAGON BEGAN EXHIBITING SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND/OR FAILURE TO DECELERATE, CAUSED BY A STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL -- CAUSING NO INJURIES BUT REQUIRING ME TO BRAKE, SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, AND/OR STOMP REPEATEDLY ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO LOOSEN IT AND ALLOW IT TO RISE BACK UP. THERE WERE AT LEAST 4-5 OCCASIONS WHEN THIS OCCURRED OVER 6 MONTHS -- WITH NONE OF THE INCIDENTS INVOLVING A FLOOR MAT. THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEM WAS CONFIRMED ON A TEST DRIVE BY MY LOCAL (NON-TOYOTA) CAR MECHANIC, WHO COULD…
Owner-reported narrative. 150,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10314752 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 505601 · 1996-06-25 (June 25, 1996)
VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE REPORT)
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 505601 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 894645 · 2001-08-17 (August 17, 2001)
VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND VEHICLE WILLNOT START UP. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 894645 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10143631 · 2005-11-25 (November 25, 2005)
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON MY 91 TOYOTA TERCEL SEEMS TO HAVE A DEFECT. OCCASIONALLY, WHEN I TURN ON MY TURN SIGNAL, OR MY HEATER FAN, THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS, AS WELL AS THE RADIO WILL TURN OFF FOR ABOUT HALF A SECOND, AND THE CAR WILL STUTTER A BIT. SO FAR, THE LIGHTS AND EVERYTHING HAVE COME BACK ON WITH NO PROBLEM, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THEM STAYING OFF AT SOME POINT AND LEAVING ME UNABLE TO SEE OR BE SEEN. IT DID IT TONIGHT AFTER I HEARD A LOUD CLICKING AND TURNED OFF MY HEATER TO SEE IF IT WAS COMING FROM THERE, …
Owner-reported narrative. 218,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10143631 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 506598 · 1996-07-24 (July 24, 1996)
BRAKE LIGHT WIRING SHORTED OUT, CAUSING FIRE IN REAR OF VEHICLE. *AW
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 506598 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11149486 · 2018-11-05 (November 5, 2018)
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.…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11149486 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10201845 · 2007-09-04 (September 4, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 1996 TOYOTA TERCEL. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE SMOKE TURNED INTO A FIRE THAT WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE CONTACT. THE FIRE MELTED A HOLE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED BY A SEPARATED WIRE IN THE AIR BAG. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 188,602. UPDATED 01-16-08. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED WHITE SMOKE WAS EMITTING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, THEN THE CONSUMER…
Owner-reported narrative. 188,602 miles reported. Look up ODI 10201845 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 554255 · 2000-09-01 (September 1, 2000)
VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE, PRIOR TO FIRE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 554255 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10314458 · 2010-02-25 (February 25, 2010)
MY 1995 TOYOTA TERCEL EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION EPISODE NEARLY 2 YEARS AGO. I WAS ENTERING A MAIN ROAD WHEN I NOTICED THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I REPEATEDLY PRESSED THE BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME AT THE TIME, AND WHEN I TOTALLY REALIZED THAT THE SPEED WAS INCREASING FROM ABOUT 30 MPH TO ABOUT 45 OR 50 MPH, AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, I PUT IN PARK, (IT HAS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) IT MADE A STRONG NOISE, AND THE CAR SUDDENLY HALTED. I TOOK TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 98,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10314458 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1984 | 0 |
| 1985 | 0 |
| 1986 | 0 |
| 1987 | 1 |
| 1988 | 1 |
| 1989 | 1 |
| 1990 | 1 |
| 1991 | 0 |
| 1992 | 0 |
| 1993 | 0 |
| 1994 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
1984: 0; 1985: 0; 1986: 0; 1987: 1; 1988: 1; 1989: 1; 1990: 1; 1991: 0; 1992: 0; 1993: 0; 1994: 0; 1995: 0; 1996: 0; 1997: 0; 1999: 0; 2000: 0