AI Damage1991 Toyota Previa: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Toyota Previa filed 74 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 74
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 23% of all complaints
- 2 Equipment 11% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- Visibility: 17 complaints (23% of all).
- Equipment: 8 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (9% of all).
- Structure: 7 complaints (9% of all).
- Tires: 6 complaints (8% of all).
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
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 74 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Discolored headlight lenses cause the lights to become very dim. Can't see because of such dim lights.
Consumer was involved in a front end collision and there was no deployment of the drivers frontal air bag during collision, accident resulted in injury to the driver.
Abs:because of size of driver's feet (15 aaa), causes overlap of the foot going to brake pedal from gas pedal;foot hit gas pedal;power of engine overtook brake.
The distributor o-ring and valve cover gaskets were leaking oil, and they leak right onto the hot exhaust manifold. I repaired these problems, and all is well, however, I have since seen many instances in various forums online where this has happened to others, and has resulted in a major vehicle fire.
Tl contact owns a 1991 toyota preva. While driving at 55 mph in heavy rain, the windshield wipers hit each other, flipped, scrap the glass and stop functioning. The failure occurred on more than one occasion.
After examining the brake pads he noticed that the squeal shims where cutting through the rotors. Updated 1/4/10 updated 01/06/10.
1991 toyota previa and driver noticed a burning smell. Driver pulled over where his vehicle caught fire and was totaled. Ohio traffic crash report # 10-90-0947.
While backing out of the driveway consumer's child opened the door to let the pet in and the door fell completely off. Manufacturer offered no assistance. The door is now tied on.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,291 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Previa has 21 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 74, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Toyota Previa?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, equipment, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 74. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), infotainment or screen glitches (8%), headlights and tail lights (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Toyota Previa?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Toyota Previa from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
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.