FaultScore

Worst years for a Toyota Tercel

Owners have filed 389 complaints about the Toyota Tercel with NHTSA across model years 1982 to 2000. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

1993 Toyota Tercel

50 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

1997 Toyota Tercel

25 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Toyota Tercel year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2000 1 0 0 Steering
1999 1 1 0 Airbags
1998 4 1 0 Engine & Cooling
1997 C 25 7 0 Airbags
1996 C 45 12 4 121,500 Airbags
1995 D 58 25 1 99,700 Airbags
1994 C 45 18 3 123,625 Airbags
1993 D 50 23 0 Airbags
1992 27 4 1 Seat Belts
1991 18 2 1 Seat Belts
1990 23 4 4 Engine & Cooling
1989 32 4 0 Fuel & Propulsion
1988 9 0 2 Electrical System
1987 15 2 2 Fuel & Propulsion
1986 8 0 0 Seat Belts
1985 5 0 0 Brakes
1984 12 2 0 Engine & Cooling
1983 9 0 0 Electrical System
1982 2 0 0 Suspension

What breaks on a Toyota Tercel

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Airbags 82 21.1%

Worst in 1993

Seat Belts 53 13.6%

Worst in 1992

Engine & Cooling 52 13.4%

Worst in 1990

Brakes 31 8.0%

Worst in 1996

Electrical System 24 6.2%

Worst in 1983

Fuel & Propulsion 24 6.2%

Worst in 1989

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 19 4.9%

Worst in 1995

Tires 18 4.6%

Worst in 1995

Suspension 16 4.1%

Worst in 1996

Acceleration & Cruise Control 14 3.6%

Worst in 1989

Transmission & Drivetrain 11 2.8%

Worst in 1995

Seats 9 2.3%

Worst in 1990

Steering 7 1.8%

Worst in 1996

Body & Structure 7 1.8%

Worst in 1989

Exactly what failed on a Toyota Tercel

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Frontal 59 33.9%
Gasoline 22 12.6%
Engine 19 10.9%
Carburetor System 15 8.6%
Retractor 15 8.6%
Foundation Components 13 7.5%
Anchorage 10 5.7%
Front 8 4.6%
Webbing 7 4.0%
Buckle Assembly 6 3.4%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Toyota Tercel, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 17 Jan 2019

Compare the Toyota Tercel

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.