TOYOTA SOLARA · model year

1997 TOYOTA SOLARA

2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1997TOYOTASOLARA carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 SOLARA is visibility:windshield with 1 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 1997 SOLARA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

2
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1

Recent Complaints

20030220CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE DRIVER AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB

20011002VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

WHEN SHUTTING PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR WINDOW SHATTERED. GLASS FELL INSIDE OF VEHICLE,CUT SEAT, AND DID SOME DAMAGE TO OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS HAPPENED. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

Compare 1997TOYOTASOLARA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 TOYOTA SOLARA have?
The 1997 TOYOTA SOLARA has 2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 TOYOTA SOLARA?
The most-complained component for the 1997 TOYOTA SOLARA is VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 1997 TOYOTA SOLARA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.