AI DamageToyota Previa: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Toyota Previa across 11 model years: 226 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 7% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 25 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 25 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 24 complaints (11% of all).
- Air bags: 22 complaints (10% of all), 13 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 19 complaints (8% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl 1991–1995
- 2.4 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl 1995–1997
- automatic, 4-speed 1991–1997
- manual, 5-speed 1991–1993
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 226 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 22 | 13 | 0 |
| Tires | 19 | 5 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 16 | 4 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 7 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
If there had been a car next to me or a car behind me or a tree on the side of the highway, there might have been serious injuries or death with that type of inside wall tire separation. Again, let
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota previa. The contact was attempting to park the vehicle. She placed the vehicle in park and proceeded to shut off the engine, when the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into a building. The contact was not injured.
I was a few blocks from work in my 1997 toyota previa with my daughter. We started up a steep hill when at the crest my van suddenly accelerated to 50 mph and increasing. I stood on the brake but it had no effect at all. Then I tried to shift into park.
Air bag did not deploy in car on a 45 mph crash front drivers side crash.
Vehicle's passenger rear tire blew out. While changing lanes the vehicle passenger side rear tire blewout. The driver lost control of the vehicle went off the roadway and struck the concrete divider wall.
Discolored headlight lenses cause the lights to become very dim. Can't see because of such dim lights.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.