1994 Toyota Previa Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1994 Toyota Previa, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts631.6%
- Body & structure315.8%
- Driver assistance210.5%
- Airbags210.5%
- Powertrain (other)15.3%
- Tires & wheels15.3%
- Visibility15.3%
- Engine15.3%
- Fuel system15.3%
- Exterior lighting15.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
(1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND APPROACHING INTERSECTION. LIGHT TURNS YELLOW AND DRIVER DECIDED TO STOP FOR THE RED LIGHT. STOP WAS FROM SOMEWHERE AROUND 30 MPH OVER MAYBE 100 FEET. (FIGURES ARE JUST FOR REFERENCE) (2)FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: FEMALE, RECEPTACLE FOR SEAT BELT SOMEHOW BROKE AND SPLIT ITS CASING TO RELEASE THE STRAP. RESULTING IN THE 6 YEAR OLD IN BOOSTER SEAT FLYING FROM BACK SEAT INTO FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND STARTS CRYING, SCARED BUT RECEIVING ONLY A BUMP ON HIS HEAD. (3) WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: HAD THE SEAT BELT LOOKED AT BY ROYAL MOORE TOYOTA IN HILLSBORRO, OR. THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE AND THAT WOULD BE $180 TO REPLACE. I DID NOT REPLACE THE SEATBELT->RECEPTACLE YET AND STILL HAVE THE BROKEN PART.
REAR LAP BELT ISN'T WORKING DUE TO THE CASING WITHIN THE SEAT BELT CRACKING, AND THE SEAT BELT IS CATCHING IN THE CRACK, AND WON'T COME OUT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: THE CONSUMER HA A PROBLEM WITH RIGHT SIDE SLIDING VAN DOOR HANDLE. UPON PULLING OPEN THE DOOR HANDLE IT BROKE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO SHOP FOR REPAIR BUT DUE TO THE COST THE HANDLE WAS NEVER REPAIRED. THE HANDLE WAS MADE OF POOR QUALITY PLASTIC THAT WAS VERY FRAGILE. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY INCIDENT WITH THE DOOR HANDLE. NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE PLASTIC DID INJURED THE CONSUMER'S HAND WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO OPEN DOOR WITH NO WARNING SIGNS. CONSUMER STATES THAT IN AN ACCIDENT IT COULD BE DEADLY. TOYOTA FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION, FAILED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT, AND COULD HAVE LOST STEERING CONTROL WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
ACCELERATOR STICKS, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE GRADUALLY. WHEN THIS OCCURS YOU MUST PUSH DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR VERY HARD. THIS LEADS TO THE CAR ABRUPTLY LUNGING FORWARD, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC OR TIGHT SPACES. THIS PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE FIRST 8 MONTHS. THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED, HOWEVER ITS OCCURRING AGAIN. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM ON THIS VEHICLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I STARTED THE CAR AND NOTICED THAT IT SMELLED STRANGE. I PUT IT INTO REVERSE AND STARTED TO BACK UP WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, SPIDERWEBBING THE WINDSHIELD AND FILLING THE CABIN WITH A SMOKE THAT SMELLED INTENSELY OF THE BAD SMELL FROM BEFORE. THERE WAS NO COLLISION NOR EVEN CONTACT WITH ANY THING ELSE BY THE VEHICLE.
DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY DURING FRONTAL IMPACT, DRIVER SUSTAINED JAW BONE FRACTURE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE CATCHES ON FIRE DUE TO OIL LEAK. MANUFACTURER DESIGNED INHERENT FLAWS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I NOTICED A BUMP-BUMP-BUMP LIKE RUNNING OVER ROUGH ROAD WHEN I DECIDED TO SLOW DOWN FROM 70 TO ABOUT 55 AND THEN IT BLEW. I STILL HAVE THE LAST TIRE. TWO MONTHS AGO, A SISTER TIRE BLEW UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND WE RETURNED IT TO THE LOCAL GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER AND THE CREDITED US SOME PART OF THE COST OF A NEW ONE (THEY SAID IT STILL HAD 15-20,000 MILES STILL LEFT IN TREAD).( DOT NUMBER: MKVF5BHR03 TIRE SIZE: P215/65R15 )
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
SLIDE SUN ROOF FAILED. *SKD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE CATCHES ON FIRE DUE TO OIL LEAK. MANUFACTURER DESIGNED INHERENT FLAWS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
GAS TANK FAILURE RESULTING IN FIRE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
HEAD LIGHT DOES NOT SHINE BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE WHEN POSITION ON DIM. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .