Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 98 of 417 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
55 crash reports8 fire reports44 injury reports
What owners actually said
417 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 14, 2002
Steering
POWER STEERING RACK & PINION GEAR AND HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE BEGAIN TO LEAK AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES. DEALER SAID THESE ITEMS NEED TO BE REPLACED. NOW TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A NEW PART NUMBER FOR THE POWER STEERING GEAR, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THEY REALIZED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINAL PART. 70,000 IS WAY TO EA…
Read full complaint
POWER STEERING RACK & PINION GEAR AND HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE BEGAIN TO LEAK AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES. DEALER SAID THESE ITEMS NEED TO BE REPLACED. NOW TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A NEW PART NUMBER FOR THE POWER STEERING GEAR, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THEY REALIZED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINAL PART. 70,000 IS WAY TO EARLY FOR SUCH A FAILURE. THE REPAIR IS VERY COSTLY. PARTS ALONE FOR THE REPAIR ARE ABOUT $1400. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COMPENSATE.
NHTSA ODI #758239
Mileage unknown · Feb 12, 2002
Seat Belts
CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS DO NOT RELEASE FROM TRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING SEAT BELTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE.*AK *JG
NHTSA ODI #8003923
Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2002
Seat Belts
SEATBELT RETRACTORS IN THE VEHICLE DON'T WORK PROPERLY. SOMETIMES BELT DOESN'T RETRACT ALL THE WAY OR SOMETIMES IT WON'T RETRACT AT ALL. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE IT MAY NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK *YH
NHTSA ODI #8003901
Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 2002
Exterior Lighting
WHEN COMING TO A STOP LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT WOULD FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. TOOK VEHICLE TO PRIVATE MECHANIC, AND COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ODI #8003433
Mileage unknown · Jan 20, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
SLUDGE BUILDUP IN ENGINE. HUGE PUFFS OF BLACK SMOKE ON STARTING. *AK
NHTSA ODI #757103
Mileage unknown · Dec 5, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE ENGINE DOES NOT HEAT SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH FOR THE OIL TO CLEAN THE ENGINE, MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THE SLUDGE BUILDS UP IN THE ENGINE DUE TO THE OWNERS FAILURE TO GET REGUALAR OIL CHANGES OR THE OWNER USING THE WRONG OIL, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE ENGINE REACHES 165 DEGREES AROUND TOWN WHEN IT SHOULD REACH 195 DEGREES, C…
Read full complaint
THE ENGINE DOES NOT HEAT SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH FOR THE OIL TO CLEAN THE ENGINE, MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THE SLUDGE BUILDS UP IN THE ENGINE DUE TO THE OWNERS FAILURE TO GET REGUALAR OIL CHANGES OR THE OWNER USING THE WRONG OIL, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE ENGINE REACHES 165 DEGREES AROUND TOWN WHEN IT SHOULD REACH 195 DEGREES, CONSUMER FEELS THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ENGINE OR THE THERMOSTAT. *SLC
NHTSA ODI #785807
Mileage unknown · Nov 13, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
VEHICLE STALLS IN TRAFFIC WHEN RELEASING GAS PEDAL, THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER STATED THAT HAS TO HAPPEN WITH THEM BEFORE VEHICLE CAN BE CHECKED. *AK *SLC
NHTSA ODI #899040
Mileage unknown · Oct 25, 2001
Air BagsSeatsCrashInjury
DURING AN ACCIDENT ON 10/15/01 MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BROKE AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
NHTSA ODI #753672
Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2001
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingEquipment
UPON STARTING VEHICLE AT IDLE SPEED, THE CONTROL VALVE STICKS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK BRAKES EXPERIENCE GRINDING, SQUEAKING, AND VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES. CONSUMER …
Read full complaint
UPON STARTING VEHICLE AT IDLE SPEED, THE CONTROL VALVE STICKS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK BRAKES EXPERIENCE GRINDING, SQUEAKING, AND VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A SUSPENSION PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SEVERAL ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS, MOTOR MOUNTS WERE WEAK CAUSING STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION, 16 VALVE SEALS CAME APART DUE TO BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, WATER PUMP LEAKED, TIMING BELT FAILED, VALVE COVER LEAKED, AND CAM SEAL WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS, RIGHT OUTER AXLE BOOT WAS SPLIT AND LEAKING GREASE, CV BOOTS FAILED TWICE, SHIFTER WAS HARD AND WAS MAKING NOISES, DEALER FOUND THE SHIFTER LEVER PLATE WAS BROKEN, TRANSMISSION PAN GASKET WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR WHEN GOING IN REVERSE. THE CAR JACK WAS MISSING FROM THE TRUNK AND THE ANTENNA WAS INOPERABLE. DEALER FOUND AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BATTERY. CONSUMER NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, DEALER SECURED SEAT SLIDE ADJUSTER HOOK, TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FUEL RELATED PROBLEMS, THE EGR VALVE ASSEMBLY, EGR MODULATOR, IDLER CONTROL VALVE, IDLE AIR SPEED CONTROL, DISTRIBUTOR O-RING, IDLER BEARING, ISC VALVE, AND VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED, BLUE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST, DEALER CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY, FUEL INJECTION, AND RECALIBRATED THE FUEL SENSOR, VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND STALLING DUE TO FAULTY EGR VACUUM MODULATOR, DEALER STATED THAT THE VALVE WOULD DEFAULT IF THERE WAS TOO MUCH OIL ADDED, THE VALVE IS TOO SMALL SO IT WILL STICK OR BECOME CLOGGED UP WITH CARBON BUILD UP. *SLC
NHTSA ODI #897821
Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2001
Structure
PASSENGER SIDE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE CRACKED . HANDLE WAS RARELY USED. TWO MONTHS LATER, DRIVER SIDE EXTERIOR HANDLE CRACKED. THE PART COST OVER $90, INSTALLATION ABOUT $90. TOTAL FOR 2 HANDLES ALMOST $400. I'M THE ONLY DRIVER OF THE CAR, 55 YRS OLD, TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF IT.*AK
THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE BULB HOLDERS OF THE REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT HEAT RESISTANCE. WHEN THE BULB IS ILLUMINATED, THE RESULTING HIGH TEMPERATURE CAN CAUSE THE BULB HOLDER TO DEFORM.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AS THE BULB HOLDER DEFORMS, THE BULB CAN LOSE ELECTRICAL CONTACT, RESULTING IN AN INOPERATIVE LAMP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR COMBINATION LAMP BULB HOLDER TO SEE IF IT IS THE DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. THE DEFECTIVE BULB HOLDER TOGETHER WITH THE WIRING HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH A CORRECT BULB HOLDER AND HARNESS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2
DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.
PE01024 · Suspension Coil Spring
Opened Jul 18, 2001 · Closed Jan 29, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension