1997 Toyota Tercel problems
The 1997 Toyota Tercel has 25 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (36%) concerns air bags. After that come seat belts (16%) and engine (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 25 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 36% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 10 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What the data shows
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 10 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 99% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1997 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Toyota Tercel with enough data (16 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Involved in an accident and the driver's side air bag and seat belt failed to operate correctly in an impact of a pole. Please describe details.
Consumer was traveling on a main road and another vehicle ran stop sign and hit consumer's vehicle. Upon impact, and dual airbags didn't go off, consumer sustained minor injuries. Also vehicle had previously been in accident where the airbags did not deploy. *slc
While I was adding oil to the engine of my 1997 toyota tercel, I noticed a bolt attaching the belt assembly to the engine was sticking out 4 or 5 inches past the belt assembly, rubbing against a hose. It didn't look right, so I took it to a mechanic who tightened it back up. He said the bolt had just "worked itself loose". My concern is that this loose bolt is indicative of a more serious problem, or that someone has been tampering with my car. The car has around 159,000 miles on it.
Both the driver and passenger side seat belts stopped working about the same time. I would buckle myself up and my passenger would the seat buckle pop's right out of the anchor. I am breaking the law every time I get in my car. I can not go on highways or freeways. I can not have a passenger ride in the front seat.