Most common 2006 Toyota Yaris problems
Share of the 5 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Yaris complaints by model year
Best Yaris years: 2006, 2016, 2013. Years to avoid: 2008, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012. Compare all years →
2006 Toyota Yaris recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of…
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge.
Seats
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 22, 2005, through May 12, 2010, and 2008-2010 Scion xD vehicles manufactured April 4, 2007, through May 12, 2010.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat rail, and replace it with a new one, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on July 3, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall.
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Toyota is recalling 134,895 my 2006-2007 yaris vehicles equipped with driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners, which are designed to be activated in response to a severe frontal impact.
Remedy: Dealers will modify the vehicle free of charge. The modification will entail removal of the small urethane center pillar sound insulators (sponge) underneath the driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2006 Toyota Yaris:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2006 Toyota Yaris owners say
Air bags
Tl contact owns a 2006 Toyota Yaris . While driving approximately 50 MPH approaching a traffic light and attempting to stop, the contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. The brakes were applied; however, they failed to stop the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the vehicle caught fire. The contact was injured. A police and fire report was taken. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota investigator who advised the him by mail that nothing was wrong with the vehicle and also stated that the air bags dont deploy unless the contact was not applying the brakes. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was at 12160.
I purchased this car in December 2006 in puerto rico. I needed a car to visit my father who currently lives there. During 2007 through 2012, I visited him approximately five times and drove the car. In 2013, I decided to bring the car to virginia, us. I bought the 2006 Yaris Toyota to the us with approximately 6K miles in March 2013. In May 2013, the sensor controlling the air bags turned on and I it was unable to pass state inspection. The week after, while I was driving to work, the car lost all of the brakes functionality. I had to pull the emergency brakes in this car or else have an accident. Overall between the sensor and new brakes it is costing over $1300. In two months of driving the car from fredericksburg virginia to springfield virginia, the mileage used was about 4K extra. In essence; the car with only 10K, and is at home while I think of what to do with this car. …
Brakes
Tl contact owns a 2006 Toyota Yaris. While driving approximately 70 MPH on normal road conditions, the brakes failed to respond when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle failed to slow down and spun three to four times uncontrollably into the median. The driver stopped the vehicle and observed that the front and rear passenger side tires were flattened. The tire warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. There were no warnings or injuries and the vehicle was not damaged. The vehicle was towed to the authorized dealer for inspection and they stated that the front and rear passenger tires were punctured, which caused excessive air pressure leakage. In addition, the rims were damaged. The tires and rims were replaced; however, the technician was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The current and failure mileages were 5,000.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Toyota Yaris . While driving approximately 50 MPH approaching a traffic light and attempting to stop, the contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. The brakes were applied; however, they failed to stop the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the vehicle caught fire. The contact was injured. A police and fire report was taken. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota investigator who advised the him by mail that nothing was wrong with the vehicle and also stated that the air bags dont deploy unless the contact was not applying the brakes. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was at 12160.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Toyota Yaris a good car?
Based on 5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Yaris rates better than average: 80% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Yaris at the same age. It is one of the best Yaris years by this measure. 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 2006 Toyota Yaris?
The air bags — 4 complaints, 80% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the brakes (3) and steering (1).
How many recalls does the 2006 Toyota Yaris have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2006 Toyota Yaris, the most recent from May 23, 2016 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Yaris?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 2016 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012. See the full Toyota Yaris years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota Yaris problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 12,000 miles; 100% 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.