AI Damage1998 Toyota Tercel: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Toyota Tercel filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 3 Equipment 33% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 33% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 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.
Was traveling approximately 35mph when another vehicle was rearended by the tercel. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy.
Engine noise and hesitation, several repair attempts, however unable to rectify. Mjs
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tercel has 17 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Toyota Tercel?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, equipment. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (33%), hesitation when accelerating (33%), seat belts (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Toyota Tercel?
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 1998 Toyota Tercel 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 1998 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.