Total Complaints
8 filings
TOYOTA TERCEL · model year
1986 TOYOTA TERCEL
8 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986TOYOTATERCEL carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1986 TERCEL is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 2 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 1986 TERCEL, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100227VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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,
Mileage: 150,000
19990301SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
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.
19990218SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
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
19990218SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
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
19970828FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
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
19951003SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
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
19951003SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
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
19950911SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVERS SEATBELT BUCKLE WILL NOT RELEASE. PLEASE DESCRIBBE. TT
Compare 1986TOYOTATERCEL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL have?▼
The 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER.
Is the 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.