AI Damage1994 Toyota Previa: common problems
Owners of the 1994 Toyota Previa filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 32% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 16% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (32% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (5% 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
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 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.
Driver's side airbag didn't deploy during frontal impact, driver sustained jaw bone fracture.
I put it into reverse and started to back up when the passenger side airbag deployed, spiderwebbing the windshield and filling the cabin with a smoke that smelled intensely of the bad smell from before. There was no collision nor even contact with any thing else by the vehicle.
Vehicle catches on fire due to oil leak. Manufacturer designed inherent flaws.
Dt: the consumer ha a problem with right side sliding van door handle. Upon pulling open the door handle it broke off. The vehicle was taken to an auto shop for repair but due to the cost the handle was never repaired. The handle was made of poor quality plastic that was very fragile.
(figures are just for reference) (2)failure and its consequences: female, receptacle for seat belt somehow broke and split its casing to release the strap. Resulting in the 6 year old in booster seat flying from back seat into front passenger seat and starts crying, scared but receiving only a bump on his head.
While driving cruise control went out, and could have lost steering control which could have caused an accident. Cause unknown. Dealer notified.
Driver's side door had a catastrophic failure to open door with no warning signs. Consumer states that in an accident it could be deadly. Toyota failed to respond to the urgency of the situation, failed to take responsibility.
I noticed a bump-bump-bump like running over rough road when I decided to slow down from 70 to about 55 and then it blew. I still have the last tire. Two months ago, a sister tire blew under similar circumstances and we returned it to the local goodyear service center and the credited us some part of the cost of a new…
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 8,437 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Previa has 21 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 19, about average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1994 Toyota Previa?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, structure, air bags. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (26%), smoke, burning smell, fire (16%), airbags did not deploy (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1994 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 1994 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 1994 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.