AI Damage2008 Toyota Yaris H/B: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Toyota Yaris H/B filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 59% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 4 Seats 7% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 17 complaints (59% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (10% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seats: 2 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 2 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 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 | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
I haf a car accident due to break malfunction and airbag didnt deploy toyota is discriminating
And the airbags did not deploy. This was a straight on hit. !....updated 07/31/14
I had an accident on december 22, 2010 I called my insurance company and they send me to the hospital and the vehicle to the ford dealership in brownsville, tx for the reason that is the only dealership with a body shop department, the took longer than expected to fix the vehicle and they refused to provide with a…
My air bags did not deploy. My abs brakes failed to stop the car in a snow storm. My seat belt did not work correctly. Again with the same car on 10/7/2010 a woman stopped short and completely stopped in front of me. I slammed directly head on into her while at 30 miles an hour.
After tow, it was originally diagnosed as a failed fuel pump. It was subsequently discovered that, though the gas gauge read 1/3 full, the tank was actually empty. The dealership had to remove the gas tank to replace the faulty fuel sensor.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota yaris h/b. While at a stop sign, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,000.
There is a dead spot in the power steering when going straight. When you correct to maintain lane, the power steering "kicks in" and the car does a slight jerking motion in the direction of the turn. At 65 mph on the highway, it becomes a job to maintain a lane on the highway.
The car started making a clucking sound on the pass side when the brake was applied . I inspected the vehicle and found the front r/s lower control arm vertical bolt had rotted out and snapped off.
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 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Yaris H/B has 26 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 29, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Toyota Yaris H/B?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (17%), airbag warning light (10%), airbags did not deploy (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Toyota Yaris H/B?
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 2008 Toyota Yaris H/B 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 2008 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.