IllustrationDURING A RAIN STORM CAR SLID OUT OF CONTROL, THEN DOWN EMBANKMENT WITHOUT AIR BAGS EVER DEPLOYING. BUSHES, TREES, ETC WERE HIT, BUT CAR LANDED ON DRIVERS SIDE. DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD INJURY.
1995 Toyota Tercel
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tercel years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 51 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
21 crash reports1 fire reports14 injury reports
What owners actually said
51 reportsCAR REAR-ENDED BY VEHICLE TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 30MPH. CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, INCLUDING FAILURE OF DRIVER'S SEAT WHICH FELL COMPLETELY BACK, EXPOSING DRIVER'S HEAD TO IMPACTED CRASH ZONE. BRACKET ON SEAT WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY (APPARENTLY METAL WAS WEAK AND WARPED OUT OF SHAPE UPON IMPACT) AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED BY BODY SHO…
Read full complaint
CAR REAR-ENDED BY VEHICLE TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 30MPH. CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, INCLUDING FAILURE OF DRIVER'S SEAT WHICH FELL COMPLETELY BACK, EXPOSING DRIVER'S HEAD TO IMPACTED CRASH ZONE. BRACKET ON SEAT WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY (APPARENTLY METAL WAS WEAK AND WARPED OUT OF SHAPE UPON IMPACT) AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED BY BODY SHOP. TOYOTA CANADA WAS INFORMED AND SAID THEY WOULD CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION. ALL PERTINENT DATA WAS PROVIDED FOR THEM. NO ONE EVEN LOOKED AT THE CAR. FINALLY RECEIVED LETTER FROM TOYOTA STATING THAT TOYOTA HAS "UTMOST CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THE SEATS" IN MY CAR! LETTER. ALSO, DOWN PLAYED FACT THAT REPAIR WORK WAS DONE TO FIX FAULTY SEAT BRACKET (EVEN THOUGH I HAVE REPAIR REPORT AVAILABLE). I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR IN EVENT OF ACCIDENT AND TOYOTA HAS NOT BOTHERED TO EXAMINE CAR, REPAIR REPORT ETC..OR CONSIDER A RECALL OF SIMILAR MODELS TO CHECK INTEGRITY OF METAL BRACKET SEAT SUPPORTS! HAD IMPACT BEEN EVEN SLIGHTLY HARDER IN THIS CASE. DRIVER WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED SERIOUS HEAD INJURY OR BEEN KILLED INSTANTLY.
CONSUMER WAS COMING OFF HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. *AK
WHILE MAKING A TURN AT 25 MPH VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE, CREATING A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT IN WHICH THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVERS OR PASSENGERS SIDE AIRBAGS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
AFTER AN ACCIDENT, OWNER WANTS TO KNOW IF BOTH AIR BAGS HAVE TO BE REINSTALLED.
THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT PROPERLY SEALED AND HAD A STRESS FRACTURE.
FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELTS ARE TOO SHORT. LOCAL DEALER WILL PROVIDE EXTENSIONS BUT REQUIRES A SIGNED LEGAL WAIVER.
SEAT BELT LOCKS.
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN CAR ACCIDENT, HIT A TREE AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK
OFFENSIVE ODOR ENTERED INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.