RoadVitals

1986 Toyota Tercel Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
6
Latest Feb 27, 2010
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Sep 11, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Toyota Tercel. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–6 of 6

Driver assistance
Filed Feb 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 FIND NO APPARENT CAUSE (SUCH AS RUST) OR FIX FOR THE STICKING GAS PEDAL. WE CONSEQUENTLY SIMPLY ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO THE "OLD AGE" OF THE AUTO -- WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DISCONTINUED DRIVING AND LATER JUNKED BECAUSE IT HAD BECOME UNSAFE FOR DRIVING. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENTLY-REPORTED SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH LATER TOYOTA MODELS, I'D ADVISE LOOKING INTO WHETHER THE 1980'S TOYOTA TERCEL GAS PEDAL USED THE SAME, OR A SIMILARLY SUSCEPTIBLE, TYPE OF PEDAL ASSEMBLY AS THOSE OF THESE LATER TOYOTA MODELS; IF SO, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT THE PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA'S PEDAL ASSEMBLIES GOES BACK FURTHER THAN CURRENTLY PRESUMED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10314752
Incident
Aug 1, 2006
Mileage
150,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Mar 1, 1999

BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND CLOSING DOOR HAS CRACKED BUCKLE. THE SAFETY RELATED DEFECT CONSISTS OF THE RETRACTING MECHANISM FAILING TO FULLY RETRACT THE BELT, AND THE PLASTIC BUCKLE CRACKING WHEN THE DOOR CLOSED ON IT. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO WAY TO REMEDIATE THIS OTHER THAN TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BELT ASSEMBLY -- BELT, RETRACTOR, BUCKLE -- AT A COST OF $160.

NHTSA ID
703895
Incident
Jan 15, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Feb 18, 1999

DRIVER SIDE SHOULDER BELT AND TRACK FAILS TO RETRACT PROPERLY. AS A RESULT SEAT BELT BUCKLE GETS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR, AND BUCKLE IS BROKEN, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO MALFUNCTION. DEALER WILL ONLY REPAIR AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
834992
Incident
Feb 2, 1999
Fuel system
Filed Aug 28, 1997

VEHICLE LEAKS FUEL , AND IT LEAKS ALL THE TIME. OWNER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT FUEL TANK HAD RUSTED OUT. OWNER ALSO NOTES THAT DEALER NOTED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK

NHTSA ID
815818
Brakes
Filed Oct 3, 1995

ABS: RIGHT SIDE CALIPER BROKE INTO PIECES, BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING EFFECT; BRAKE PAD WAS LYING ON GROUND;PRIOR, HEARD SQUEAKING NOISE

NHTSA ID
972841
Incident
Oct 2, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Sep 11, 1995

THE DRIVERS SEATBELT BUCKLE WILL NOT RELEASE. PLEASE DESCRIBBE. TT

NHTSA ID
971839
Incident
Jul 12, 1995

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .