Total Complaints
18 filings
TOYOTA TERCEL · model year
1991 TOYOTA TERCEL
18 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991TOYOTATERCEL carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 1 fire, 3 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 1991 TERCEL is seat belts:front:retractor with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (2) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2). 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 1991 TERCEL, 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.
18
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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:RETRACTOR | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20051125ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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
Mileage: 218,800
20010618LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
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
20000125LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
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
19990309SEAT BELTS
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.
19990128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
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
19990128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
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
19981207SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT IS JAMMED WITHIN THE RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING THE SHOULDER BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAIL. *AK
19980828CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 5-10 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE RESTRAINTS DID NOT RETRACT, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S HEAD TO GO INTO THE WINDSHIELD . THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTFIED. *AK *ML
19980408SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE DRIVING THE SEAT BELT BROKE AND THE DRIVER WAS NOT RESTRAINED IN THE SEAT. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THE OWNER HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE BELT CORRECTED. OWNER THINKS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
19971212SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT IS RIPPING APART. THE OWNER HAS MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER . *AK
19971204EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED, WETTING FRONT FLOOR ON PASSENGER'S SIDE.
19970324SEAT BELTS
THE DRIVER'S SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SHOULDER BELT WOULD FREQUENTLY NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER TO LEAN FORWARD IN SEAT; DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO PRESS HIS BODY BACK AND FORTH AGAINST THE SHOULDER BELT TO REGAIN SOME SLACKNESS IN THE SHOULDER BELT. ALSO, SHOULDER BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT FULLY, SHOULDER BELT WOULD GET CAUGHT WHEN DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY RESTRAIN. *AK
19960815SEATS
SEAT DESIGN DOES NOT ACCOMMODATE CHILD SAFETY SEATS. *AW
19960712FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960702CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
TERCEL WAS HIT HEAD ON; SHOULDER BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER & PASSENGER. *AK
19960603SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
HEAD RESTRAINTS INOPERATIVE, DUE TO HEADREST RESTAINTS INTERNAL BOLT BREAKING, CAUSING DETACHMENT FROM SEAT, SECOND OCCURRENCE. *AK
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED TWICE. *DSH
19960214ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE MOUNTS BROKE ON VEHICLE, UNABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE. TT
Compare 1991TOYOTATERCEL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 TOYOTA TERCEL have?▼
The 1991 TOYOTA TERCEL has 18 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 TOYOTA TERCEL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 TOYOTA TERCEL is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1991 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 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.