When it comes to reliability, Toyota it is unsurpassed. The Japanese automaker prides itself on building some of the most reliable and durable vehicles on the new and used car market. Toyota has been in the business of building cars that stand the test of time for over 8 decades. There aren’t many vehicles that can outlast the Toyota Highlander, Land Cruiser, 4Runner, Expedition and Sequoia.
You don’t have to worry about too many problems if you drive a Toyota. In fact, according to iSeeCars, the 4Runner is one of the top ten cars with the fewest owner complaints. But make no mistake, Toyota vehicles are far from perfect. Like most cars, Toyota’s main issues are engines, transmissions and interior fittings.
10 Sudden Power Loss and Battery Fires – RAV4 2013-2018
The 2013-2018 RAV4 comes with a 12-volt battery that tends to short out when there is contact between the positive battery terminal and the battery retaining frame. These sudden electrical short circuits can shut down the vehicle’s entire electrical system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received about 11 reports of fire incidents and more than half of them occurred while the vehicle was in motion. Owners of the fourth-generation RAV4 m have filed a class-action lawsuit against Toyota, which they believe concealed alleged battery problems for years, causing the RAV4’s value to drop.
9 Oil Sludges: Toyota Avalon 1997-2005, Highlander 2001-2005
Many Toyota vehicles are prone to oil sludge problems, which occur when the engine oil thickens, causing friction and even engine failure. In 2007, Toyota agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit over engine sludge that affected approximately 2.5 million vehicles, including the 2001-2005 Avalon, Camry, Celica, Sienna and Highlander.
However, Toyota strongly maintained that the “oil ice” problems were due to owners’ poor maintenance culture, but the Japanese automaker giant eventually established a refund mechanism.
8 Defective airbags: Toyota Avalon 2012-2018, Corolla 2011-2019
There are reports of excess voltage in the airbag control units (ACUs) and this can disable the airbags. The ACU is supposed to determine when to deploy the airbags and activated seat belt pretensioners. When the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) receives too much voltage, it will disable the ACU and by extension the airbags and pretensioners.
This air bag problem affected the 2011-2019 Toyota Corolla, 2012-2017 Sequoia, 2012-2018 Avalon, 2012-2017 Tundra, and 2012-2019 Tacoma. Problems with the ZF-TRW airbag control unit are believed to have caused eight deaths.
7 Premature Frame Corrosion: Tacoma 2005-2010, Sequoia 2005-2008
According to Car Complaints, bodywork issues make up about 9% of all Toyota complaints, with rust being one of the biggest issues. The owner of a 2006 Tacoma expressed concern that his vehicle was rusting at all joints with only 12,000 miles on the odometer.
For a vehicle to have rusted so badly at such an early stage, it was probably not properly treated with anti-corrosion chemicals at the factory. Toyota had to issue a recall of approximately 690,000 Tacoma pickup trucks due to rust, and agreed to an impressive $3.4 billion settlement after a class action for Sequoia, Tacoma and Tundra owners.
6 Unwanted Acceleration: Toyota Avalon 2005-2012, Toyota Tundra 2007-2021
Some Toyota vehicles tend to accelerate suddenly on their own, and the Japanese manufacturer blamed driver error and accelerator pedals sticking to out-of-place carpets. This problem forced Toyota to recall about 3.8 million vehicles.
Toyota’s unintended acceleration problem is believed to have caused at least 89 deaths over the past decade. An Oklahoma City jury ordered Toyota to settle $3 million for customers affected by the sudden, unintended acceleration of its vehicles. The problem has been reported in Toyotas including the 2005-2012 Avalon, 2002-2006 Camry, 2004-2009 Prius, and 2005-2015 Tacoma.
5 Fusion Dash: Toyota 4Runner 2003-2005, Sienna 2004-2010
An annoying problem faced by owners of the 2003-2005 Toyota 4Runner, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2011 Camry and 2004-2010 Sienna is the dashboard fusion. But Toyota fully acknowledged the problem in a 2011 technical service bulletin, offering repairs for the vehicles under warranty.
If you leave these Toyota vehicles in the heat of the sun, the dashboard melts and the plastic cracks and warps. The surface becomes shiny and sticky, and the reflection can be quite dangerous under certain driving conditions.
4 Excessive Oil Consumption – 2007 Toyota Camry, RAV4
Excessive oil consumption is one of the biggest problems faced by Toyota vehicles, and it is caused by faulty piston rings. While Toyota seems to believe that burning a quart of oil every 1,200 miles is not abnormal, many customers disagree.
Owners of the 2006-08 Toyota RAV4, 2007-2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid, 2007-09 Scion tC, 2009 Toyota Corolla, and 2009 Toyota Matrix have to contend with the annoying situation of having the “oil pressure” light come on halfway way service program and be told that the problem is covered under warranty.
3 Raw Transmission Changes: 2001-2003 Toyota RAV4
Transmission problems make up about 12% of all Toyota owner complaints, so the chance of having to deal with this problem is quite high, especially if you have older models. In fact, it’s hard to find a vehicle with more transmission complaints than the 2001-2003 Toyota RAV4.
Aside from the RAV4, Toyota vehicles like the Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Sienna, and Tacoma also move a lot and are hesitant to shift. The culprit behind this problem is the Electronic Control Module (ECM), which sends signals to the transmission about when and how to shift.
2 Defective brakes: 2007 Toyota Camry, 2001 Toyota Sequoia
Brake problems make up about 6% of all Toyota owner complaints. The most common brake related problem is the ABS and/or brake light staying on, which is very common in the 2007 Camry and 2008 Highlander Hybrid.
There are several reports of brake boosters malfunctioning in the 2007 Camry, causing owners to apply much more pressure than usual to engage the brakes. This problem increases the braking distance and emergency braking will not be very effective.
1 Headlight Malfunction: Toyota Prius 2005-2010, Tacoma 2009-2011
Light problems make up about 6% of all complaints filed by Toyota owners, with the Prius having the highest number of complaints. If you own a 2005-2008 Prius, it’s not uncommon to see your headlights randomly turn off while driving.
Aside from the Prius, the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Sienna, and Tacoma also have a fair amount of light problems. With the headlights going out without warning, driving a Toyota at night or in the morning can be an extreme sport.
Sources: Car Complaints, iSeeCars
