Toyota Yaris years to avoid
Toyota Yaris years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2007 (296 complaints, led by the airbags at 132 and the suspension at 24) and the 2008 (218, led by the airbags at 107 and the brakes at 22) drew the most of the 2006–2020 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used Yaris, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
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The 2007 (296) and 2008 (218) drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA of the 2006–2020 Toyota Yaris model years on record, as of November 10, 2026.
2006 and 2011–2020 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
Fewest complaints: not named. Fewer than three of the Toyota Yaris model years from 2006 to 2020 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Half of the 468 NHTSA owner complaints on the Toyota Yaris that list mileage came after 54,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Toyota Yaris last? →
Toyota Yaris complaints and recalls by model year, 2006–2020
This table lists the 15 Toyota Yaris model years NHTSA holds records for between 2006 and 2020, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 23 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Sep 28, 2021.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Yaris | 5 · too few to compare | airbags (4), brakes (2) | 5 | May 23, 2016 |
| 2007 Yaris | 296 · most | airbags (132), suspension (24), body structure (23) | 10 | Oct 17, 2019 |
| 2008 Yaris | 218 · most | airbags (107), brakes (22), speed control (20) | 10 | Oct 17, 2019 |
| 2009 Yaris | 103 | airbags (48), speed control (13), electrical system (12) | 10 | Oct 17, 2019 |
| 2010 Yaris | 90 | airbags (45), seats (8) | 9 | Oct 17, 2019 |
| 2011 Yaris | 25 · too few to compare | airbags (21), suspension (2) | 3 | Oct 17, 2019 |
| 2012 Yaris | 35 · too few to compare | airbags (18), body structure (5) | 5 | Oct 17, 2019 |
| 2013 Yaris | 9 · too few to compare | airbags (3), brakes (2), body structure (2) | 1 | Mar 9, 2015 |
| 2014 Yaris | 3 · too few to compare | — | 1 | Mar 9, 2015 |
| 2015 Yaris | 15 · too few to compare | airbags (5), brakes (3), speed control (3) | 4 | Apr 23, 2019 |
| 2016 Yaris | 5 · too few to compare | airbags (2), brakes (2), body structure (2) | 2 | Apr 23, 2019 |
| 2017 Yaris | 15 · too few to compare | airbags (4), speed control (3) | 3 | Jun 28, 2019 |
| 2018 Yaris | 4 · too few to compare | airbags (2) | 1 | Jun 28, 2019 |
| 2019 Yaris | 26 · too few to compare | electrical system (8), engine (8), fuel system (7) | 3 | Sep 28, 2021 |
| 2020 Yaris | 10 · too few to compare | engine (4), fuel system (3) | 1 | Sep 28, 2021 |
Toyota Yaris by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Toyota Yaris only. It says nothing about how the Yaris compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Toyota Yaris year-by-year questions
Which Toyota Yaris years should I avoid?
Toyota Yaris years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2007 (296 complaints, led by the airbags at 132 and the suspension at 24) and the 2008 (218, led by the airbags at 107 and the brakes at 22) drew the most of the 2006–2020 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. 2006 and 2011–2020 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
What are the best Toyota Yaris years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. This page names none: fewer than three of the Toyota Yaris model years from 2006 to 2020 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Do complaint counts mean the Yaris is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Yaris before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.