Both the driver side and passenger side seat belt buckles aren't working properly. Sometimes when you think you're buckled in the seat belt will release all of a sudden.
The worst 1997 Toyota Tercel problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags8
- Seat belts4
- Engine3
- Brakes2
- Suspension2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags8
- Seat belts4
- Engine3
- Brakes2
- Suspension2
- Tires2
- Seats1
- Visibility1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Toyota Tercel 36
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN...
- POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground...
- Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign
- Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN...
- Obsolete notice
- Supersession notice
- Obsolete notice
- Revision notice
- Supersession notice
- Obsolete notice
1997 Toyota Tercel fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4‑cyl | FWD | 25-28 | 31-35 | 27-31 |
What 1997 Toyota Tercel owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Both the driver and passenger side seat belts stopped working about the same time. I would buckle myself up and my passenger would the seat buckle pop's right out of the anchor. I am breaking the law every time I get in my car. I can not go on highways or freeways. I can not have a passenger ride in the front seat.
While I was adding oil to the engine of my 1997 toyota tercel, I noticed a bolt attaching the belt assembly to the engine was sticking out 4 or 5 inches past the belt assembly, rubbing against a hose. It didn't look right, so I took it to a mechanic who tightened it back up. He said the bolt had just "worked itself loose". My concern is that this loose bolt is indicative of a more serious problem, or that someone has been tampering with my car. The car has around 159,000 miles on it.
While backing out of the driveway and without prior warning another vehicle was passing through and both vehicle collided.upon impact air bags didn't deploy.
While traveling on the highway the vehicle is leaking oil from underneath the vehicle.
The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision while driving 30 MPH. The air bags deployed after impact.
All windows vehicle get foggy all the time for no reason at all. Ts.
The entire tire just blew apart. Both sidwalls came away from the tread. I have pictures I can email if anybody wants them.
Tracking is gone on front seat. Latch will not hold and seat will slide back and forth when coming to a stop. Contacted dealer, and dealer checked seat, and stated nothing they can do because its out of warranty.
The consumers vehicle bumped an empty construction barrel, as a a result the air bag deployed causing loss of visibility causing the driver to strike a construction vehicle, the consumer feels the air bag should not have deployed with just slight impact. Nlm
Compare the 1997 Toyota Tercel
Other model years
Questions about the 1997 Toyota Tercel
Is the 1997 Toyota Tercel reliable?
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 1997 Toyota Tercel, close to a typical Tercel model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Toyota Tercel?
Airbags, with 8 complaints. Next is seat belts (4).
How many recalls does the 1997 Toyota Tercel have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Toyota Tercel have bad airbags?
The Toyota Tercel model years with the most airbags complaints are 1993 (24 complaints), 1994 (18 complaints) and 1995 (17 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1997 Toyota Tercel get?
Official estimates for the 1997 Toyota Tercel range from 27 to 31 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.5L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 25-28 city and 31-35 highway.
VIN decoder
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