1991 Toyota Tercel 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 1991 Toyota Tercel, 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 belts847.1%
- Engine423.5%
- Interior & seats317.6%
- Heating & air conditioning15.9%
- Electrical15.9%
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
DRIVER SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THE SEAT BEALT THREADS ARE ALL LOOSE, IS ALL TORNED APART. WEARING THE SEAT BELT IS NOT PROVIDING ANY PROTECTION AT ALL. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE IT, NOT EVEN IN OLDER AND MORE USED CARS.
DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT IS JAMMED WITHIN THE RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING THE SHOULDER BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAIL. *AK
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
DUE TO A DEFECTIVE THEROMOSAT, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND OIL LEAKED, DAMAGING THE ENGINE WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN #. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
A PART OF THE DOOR MECHANISM THAT CONTROLS THE LATCH BECOMES DISENGAGED TO WHERE THE DOOR CAN NOT BE OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. *AK
THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH (THE ONE OPERATED BY HAND FROM OUTSIDE) SEEMS TO STICK IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE SPRING DOES NOT RETURN IT BACK TO THE SECURE POSITION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED, WETTING FRONT FLOOR ON PASSENGER'S SIDE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON MY 91 TOYOTA TERCEL SEEMS TO HAVE A DEFECT. OCCASIONALLY, WHEN I TURN ON MY TURN SIGNAL, OR MY HEATER FAN, THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS, AS WELL AS THE RADIO WILL TURN OFF FOR ABOUT HALF A SECOND, AND THE CAR WILL STUTTER A BIT. SO FAR, THE LIGHTS AND EVERYTHING HAVE COME BACK ON WITH NO PROBLEM, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THEM STAYING OFF AT SOME POINT AND LEAVING ME UNABLE TO SEE OR BE SEEN. IT DID IT TONIGHT AFTER I HEARD A LOUD CLICKING AND TURNED OFF MY HEATER TO SEE IF IT WAS COMING FROM THERE, AND THEN TURNED THE HEATER BACK ON. *NM
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 .