Most common 1995 Toyota Tercel problems
Share of the 51 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Tercel complaints by model year
Best Tercel years: 1997. Years to avoid: 1995. Compare all years →
What 1995 Toyota Tercel owners say
Air bags
Low speed impact accident, airbags deployed, passenger side airbag caught fire. Toyota was contacted but after inspeciton send memo that fire was not caused by a manufacturing or design defect. No assistance was offered. Car was totalled by insurance due to cost to replace airbags. If this is a "safety feature" why would it catch fire? Luckily there was no passenger in the car. Driver's side airbag also deployed and singed the jeans that my son was wearing.
While driving at approximately 55 MPH driver hit a deer head-on,without braking, and dual airbags did not deploy, causing injuires.prior to this incident, vehicle was involved in head-on collision on 11/98, and dual airbags didnot deploy at that time also.
Seat belts
I hit a curb side and my buckle unlatched after further checking I noticed with little resistance it sometimes unlatches eventhough it makes the click sound. I have to say that I noticed it in past unlatch but I thought I May have not pushed it well. But it seems part is defective.
I have a 1995 Toyota Tercel and the seat belt buckles are broken and no have a correct function. Please I need to know is this a recall I consider this issue affect a security driver and passenger safety in a crash.
1995 Toyota Tercel engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed manual | FWD | 28 / 35 / 31 |
| 1.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 27 / 35 / 30 |
| 1.5L 4-cyl | 3-speed automatic | FWD | 27 / 32 / 29 |
| 1.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 26 / 35 / 29 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1995 Toyota Tercel a good car?
Based on 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1995 Tercel rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Tercel at the same age. It is one of the Tercel years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1995 Toyota Tercel?
The air bags — 17 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the seat belts (10) and windows, wipers & sunroof (5).
How many recalls does the 1995 Toyota Tercel have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1995 Toyota Tercel. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Tercel?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995. See the full Toyota Tercel years comparison.
At what mileage do 1995 Toyota Tercel problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 100,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.