"How reliable is the 1993 Toyota Tercel?"

"Based on 50 NHTSA complaints, the 1993 Toyota Tercel has a median complaint mileage of 0 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL."

"What are common problems with the 1993 Toyota Tercel?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1993 Toyota Tercel is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, accounting for a significant portion of the 50 total complaints filed."

1993 Toyota Tercel: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 50 complaints

Total Complaints

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Top Issue

Crash Reports

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

AIR BAGS

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"VEHICLE STRUCK ON THE PASSENGER FRONT QUARTER PANEL AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT"

"THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND HAS CONTINUED TO STAY ON. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT"

"UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH, AT APPROX. 30MPH, 12:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, AIRBAG FAIL TO DEPLOY. TT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 9 NY: 6 FL: 5 NC: 3 MA: 3 CO: 3 LA: 2 PA: 2 00: 2 RI: 2

Who Files Complaints?

30%

Original Owners

70%

Second+ Owners

Toyota Tercel — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	23	-	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM	4
1992	27	-	SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING	4
1994	45	123,625	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	18
1995	58	99,700	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	25
1996	45	121,500	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	12
1997	25	-	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	7

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28