VehicleVerdict

2006 Toyota Yaris problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2006 Toyota Yaris carries two red flags at once: 9 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). It is one of the Yaris years to avoid.

9

NHTSA complaints

5

Recalls

1

Investigations · 1 open

6

Crash-involved

2

Fires reported

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

—

NCAP overall

How does 2006 compare to other Yaris years?

Yaris NHTSA complaints by model year, 2006 highlighted331 complaints2006: 9 complaints2007: 331 complaints2008: 289 complaints2009: 134 complaints2010: 123 complaints2011: 31 complaints2012: 47 complaints2013: 11 complaints2014: 3 complaints2015: 22 complaints2016: 8 complaints2017: 21 complaints2018: 7 complaints2019: 43 complaints2020: 16 complaints
Yaris NHTSA complaints by model year, 2006 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Yaris years to avoid →

What are the most common 2006 Toyota Yaris problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Airbags444%
Brakes333%
Steering111%
Tires & Wheels111%

Does the 2006 Toyota Yaris have recalls?

5 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

16V340000AirbagsMay 23, 2016 · 1,754,517 units

Defect

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 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2007-2008 Toyota Yaris, 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350 and 2007-2008 Lexus ES350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Vehicles of these model years and models that were not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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 charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for interim notification for this campaign are G1P (Toyota Zone A), G1R (Toyota Zone B), G2G (Lexus Zone A), and G2H (Lexus Zone B). Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), GLG (Lexus Zone A), and GLH (Lexus Zone B).

15V689000Visibility & WipersOctober 22, 2015 · 1,814,284 units

Defect

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. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.

Consequence

If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

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. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.

14V168000AirbagsApril 9, 2014 · 1,486,413 units

Defect

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 assembly, which includes a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC). Due to the shape and location of the FFC's retainer, the FFC could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned.

Consequence

If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. The failure of the driver's air bag to deploy in the event of a crash that typically necessitates deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver.

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. Toyota will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. General Motors sent Pontiac Vibe owners an Interim letter on June 20, 2014 notifying them that parts are currently unavailable. General Motors sent notices to the Pontiac Vibe owners on September 15, 2014, that a remedy is available. The recall began on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-762-2737.

14V169000SeatsApril 9, 2014 · 472,388 units

Defect

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. In the affected vehicles, the springs used for the seat rails on the driver's seat and the seat rails of the front passenger seat of three-door models may break.

Consequence

If the spring breaks, the seat may not lock in position. In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat could move increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.

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.

09V031000Seat BeltsJanuary 29, 2009 · 134,895 units

Defect

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. WHEN THE SENSOR DETECTS A SEVERE FRONTAL IMPACT, THE FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE QUICKLY DRAWN BACK BY THE RETRACTORS SO THAT THE BELTS SNUGLY RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANTS. THE INVOLVED VEHICLES CONTAIN A CENTER PILLAR SOUND INSULATOR LOCATED UNDERNEATH EACH FRONT SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER.

Consequence

IN THE EVENT OF SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER DEPLOYMENT, THE GAS GENERATED MAY AFFECT THE SOUND INSULATORS. IN THE WORST CASE, IF THE SOUND INSULATORS IGNITE, THIS CONDITION WILL RESULT IN A POST-COLLISION FIRE.

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. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA21002

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. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“TL*THE 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…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · May 14, 2006 · crash · fire

“TL*THE 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…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Brakes · May 14, 2006 · crash · fire

“TL*THE 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…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Steering · February 7, 2009 · crash

“TL*THE 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…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Tires & Wheels · February 7, 2009 · crash

2006 Toyota Yaris — common questions

Is the 2006 Toyota Yaris reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 9 complaints put the 2006 model at #12 of 15 Yaris years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Yaris years to avoid.

Does the 2006 Toyota Yaris have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns affecting the 2006 Toyota Yaris. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2006 Toyota Yaris under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Toyota Yaris years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Yaris years to avoid are 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2019, 2011, 2006. The cleanest record among Yaris years belongs to 2014.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.