Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 Toyota Tercel problems
Owners filed 11 complaints about the 1998 Toyota Tercel with NHTSA between Jan 1999 and May 2003. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (4).
Complaints
11
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Air bags2
- Seat belts2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Equipment1
- Power train1
- Structure1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
10
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 10 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Service brakes, hydraulic
4 reports
“NOISEY BRAKES REPLACED.”
Air bags
2 reports2 crashes
“WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED, I TRIED TO STOP, BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. I HIT A POLE AND TWO OTHER CARS, CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND THE CAR NEXT TO ME. ALSO, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB”
Seat belts
2 reports
“SEAT BELT FAILURE. *YC”
Vehicle speed control
1 report1 crash
Equipment
1 report
“AIR CONDITION INSTALLED AND IS CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. MJS”
Power train
1 report
“CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FAILED.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.