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.
19
Latest Feb 7, 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.
8
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 12, 1995
What this page shows
Our database holds 19 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1990 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 1–19 of 19
Filed Feb 7, 2010
Crash reported
IN APRIL 2004, MY TOYOTA TERCEL ACCELERATED FROM 05 TO APPROXIMATELY 90MPH IN A PARKING LOT, CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND TOTALED MY CAR. ANOTHER PROBLEM WAS THE BRAKE PEDAL. EVEN AFTER CHANGING TO NEW BRAKE PADS, SHOES, BRAKE DRUMS AND ROTORS, THE BRAKE PEDAL STILL DROPPED LOW TO THE FLOOR THAT IT FELT THAT I WAS PUSHING THE FLOOR WHEN I BRAKE. I HAD SEVERAL ACCELERATION INCIDENTS. EVEN WHEN I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL FIRMLY AND CONTINUOUSLY, THE CAR KEPT GOING. THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM AND STICKY BRAKE PEDAL PROBLEMS WERE NEVER SOLVED. I WROTE THE TRIPLE A/AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SO. CA INSURANCE ABOUT THESE ISSUES REGARDING MY ACCIDENT BUT WAS IGNORED. *TW
NHTSA ID
10307131
Incident
Apr 17, 2004
Mileage
76,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 12, 2008
1990 TOYOTA TERCEL ENGINE BLEW. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ENGINE BLEW AND HAD ANOTHER ENGINE PUT IN BUT IT DID NOT LAST VERY LONG. *NJ
NHTSA ID
10238210
Incident
Jan 1, 1901
EngineFuel system
Filed Jun 30, 2002
CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO HAVE CARBURETOR REPAIRED. CARBURETOR FAILED IN HIGH RPM MODE, NEARLY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *JG
NHTSA ID
566403
Incident
Aug 15, 2001
Engine
Filed Jun 24, 2001
Fire reported
THE FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS WHICH LEAD TO MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVER-HEATING AND CATCHING MY CAR ON FIRE. ON 6-18-01, I SMELT A BURNING SMELL AND PULLED OVER TO TRY TO FIND WHAT WAS CAUSING THE SMELL. AFTER A SERIES OF LOOKS I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING ANY WHERE, HOWEVER, I COULD FEEL A LITTLE HEAT BETWEEN MY SHIFT AND EMERGENCY BRAKE. ON MY HOME SMOKE STARTED TO EMERGE FROM THE STICK/EMERGENCY BRAKE AREA. BEFORE I COULD PULL OVER OUT OF TRAFFIC, FLAMES BEGIN SHOOTING OUT OF THE CENTER OF THE CAR (EMERGENCY BRAKE AND STICK-SHIFT AREA). I IMMEDIATELY TURNED UPON THE CURB AND PARKED THE CAR WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE 10 MINUTES LATER AND EVALUATED THE SITUATION, STATING MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER IGNITED THE CAR AND THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. THE FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE FLOOR AND MOST OF MY INTERIOR.*AK
NHTSA ID
747304
Incident
Jun 18, 2001
Brakes
Filed Dec 5, 2000
CUSHION BROKE OFF BRAKE LIGHT PEDAL ARM ASSEMBLY, CAUSING BRAKE LIGHTS TO STAY ON PERMANENTLY. THERE IS NOTHING ON BRAKE PEDAL ARM TO RETRACT SWITCH'S TRIGGER. *CJ
NHTSA ID
557880
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical+2 more
Filed Nov 20, 2000
PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW INOPERABLE. *SLC
NHTSA ID
557830
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
Electrical
Filed Jul 29, 1999
Fire reported
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CAR CUT OFF. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEARLER REPLACED ELECTRICAL PARTS IN THE ENGINE. *AK
NHTSA ID
843713
Incident
Jul 28, 1999
Fuel system
Filed Aug 16, 1998
DUE TO CARBON BUILD-UP IN THE CARBURETOR AND INTAKE VALVES, THE CAR CONTINUOUSLY STALLS IN TRAFFIC AND WILL NOT RESTART.
NHTSA ID
539926
Incident
Sep 1, 1990
EngineSeat belts
Filed Feb 17, 1997
VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY OR EASILY AND LOSES ACCELERATION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS. DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT HARNESS HAS SHREDDED OVER TIME AND IS NO LONGER USABLE.
NHTSA ID
546747
Incident
Oct 1, 1990
Brakes
Filed Dec 10, 1996
BRAKES FAILURE, WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL BECOMES VERY HARD AND LEFT FOOT OFF PEDAL, REAPPLIED THE BRAKES AND EFFECTIVESS RETURNS. *AK
NHTSA ID
806088
Incident
Jan 1, 1995
Engine
Filed Nov 15, 1996
Fire reported
OVERHEATING OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING VEHICLE FIRE.
NHTSA ID
511399
Incident
Jul 29, 1994
Fuel system
Filed Nov 7, 1996
VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO CARBURETOR FAILURE. *AK
NHTSA ID
511082
Incident
Sep 11, 1996
EngineFuel system
Filed Oct 18, 1996
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED.
NHTSA ID
510247
Incident
May 29, 1996
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 2, 1996
Fire reported
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE DASH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK
NHTSA ID
803124
Incident
Aug 14, 1996
Interior & seats
Filed Sep 18, 1996
Crash reported1 injury reported
DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED AND DETACHED FROM ANCHOR UPON REAR END COLLISION AND FELL INTO REAR SEAT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK. DRIVERS SEAT FAILED W/SHOULDER PORTION COLLAPSING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
NHTSA ID
973351
Incident
Oct 4, 1995
Brakes
Filed Sep 12, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported
POSSIBLE THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED, RESULTING IN NO STOPPING ABILITY AND AN ACCIDENT. TT
NHTSA ID
971972
Incident
Jul 14, 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.