1990 Toyota Tercel

Routine

Owners filed 19 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline › carburetor system. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System3
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic Convertor2
020
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline2
000
Unknown or Other1
100
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder1
101
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
000
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner1
101
Seats1
101
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage1
000
Power Train › Axle Assembly1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting › Headlights92V111000
Filed Jul 13, 1992360,399 vehiclesToyota Motor Co., Ltd.

Defect. THERE CAN BE INTERFERENCE WITH THE HEADLAMP HOUSING IF HEADLAMP BULBS ARE REPLACED WITH ANY BRAND OTHER THAN KOITO BRAND BULBS.

Risk. THE INTERFERENCE WITH THE HEADLAMP HOUSING CAUSED BYOTHER THAN KOITO BRAND LAMP BULBS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 108, "LAMPS,REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Remedy. TOYOTA DEALERS WILL PROVIDE A NEW KOITO BRAND BULB WITH NO CHARGE IF A NON-KOITO BRAND BULB IS NOW INSTALLED, OR SHOULD A HEADLAMP BULB BURN OUT IN THE FUTURE. "CAUTION LABELS" WILL ALSO BE PLACED ON EACH HEADLAMP HOUSING.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Feb 7, 201076,000 milesCA

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

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Aug 12, 2008IL

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

Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System
Filed Jun 30, 2002VA

CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO HAVE CARBURETOR REPAIRED. CARBURETOR FAILED IN HIGH RPM MODE, NEARLY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *JG

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic ConvertorFire
Filed Jun 24, 2001WA

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

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch
Filed Dec 5, 2000FL

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

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Nov 20, 2000NJ

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED OIL LEAK, LATER NEEDED ENGINE REPLACEMENT, THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED TWICE. *SLC

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Jul 29, 1999DC

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CAR CUT OFF. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEARLER REPLACED ELECTRICAL PARTS IN THE ENGINE. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System
Filed Aug 16, 1998ID

DUE TO CARBON BUILD-UP IN THE CARBURETOR AND INTAKE VALVES, THE CAR CONTINUOUSLY STALLS IN TRAFFIC AND WILL NOT RESTART.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Feb 17, 1997MT

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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Dec 10, 1996UT

BRAKES FAILURE, WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL BECOMES VERY HARD AND LEFT FOOT OFF PEDAL, REAPPLIED THE BRAKES AND EFFECTIVESS RETURNS. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic ConvertorFire
Filed Nov 15, 1996TX

OVERHEATING OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING VEHICLE FIRE.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System
Filed Nov 7, 1996IL

VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO CARBURETOR FAILURE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Oct 18, 1996NY

OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED.

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Oct 2, 1996AR

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE DASH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK

SeatsCrash1 injured
Filed Sep 18, 1996CA

DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED AND DETACHED FROM ANCHOR UPON REAR END COLLISION AND FELL INTO REAR SEAT. *AK

Power Train › Axle Assembly
Filed Aug 30, 1996CA

TRANSAXLE FAILURE. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jan 3, 1996NY

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT/SHOULDER HARNESS SHREDDING. *SD

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed Oct 12, 1995CA

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK. DRIVERS SEAT FAILED W/SHOULDER PORTION COLLAPSING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master CylinderCrash1 injured
Filed Sep 12, 1995NJ

POSSIBLE THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED, RESULTING IN NO STOPPING ABILITY AND AN ACCIDENT. TT

19 of 19 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20001000Routine
19991101Fatalities reported
19983100Routine
199720200Routine
199640240Routine
199551210Routine
199440032Fatalities reported
199343000Routine
199224011Fatalities reported
199117010Routine
1990 — this page19140Routine

Compare every Tercel year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jul 13, 1992. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.