IllustrationBOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLES AREN'T WORKING PROPERLY. SOMETIMES WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE BUCKLED IN THE SEAT BELT WILL RELEASE ALL OF A SUDDEN.
1997 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: 2 of 20 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 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
4 reportsBOTH 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.
1995 CHEVROLET 1500 PICKUP RAN STOP SIGN, TERCEL BROADSIDED THE TRUCK AT 30 MPH. DESPITE HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE STRAIGHT ON, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN THE CAR. THE TERCEL WAS TOTALLED AND DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES FROM THE SEATBELT. *AK
INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY IN AN IMPACT OF A POLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *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.