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1986 Toyota TercelProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 6 owner complaints about the 1986 Toyota Tercel, most often about the seat belts. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints60 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem3Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 27, 2010. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1986 Toyota Tercel has problems

6 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts30
Fuel system, gasoline10
Service brakes, hydraulic10
Vehicle speed control10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

1986 Toyota Tercel recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Best & worst years

1986 vs. every other Tercel year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Tercel median. How we score

'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1986 Toyota Tercel, and the recalls they led to.

  1. IGNITER ASSEMBLY FAILUREPE87057 · closed Mar 30, 1988
    No recall
  2. BROKEN STABILIZER BARPE89134 · closed Sep 22, 1989
    No recall
In owners' words

What Tercel owners report

Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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
Complaint 834992 · Feb 18, 1999
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…
Complaint 703895 · Mar 1, 1999

Own a 1986 Tercel?

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