Toyota Yaris: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Toyota Yaris: 10 model years scored from 121 NHTSA owner complaints and 21 recall campaigns. Worst year 2019, best year 2015.
Toyota Yaris: which years to avoid
Across 9 scored model years the Toyota Yaris ranges from 65/100 in 2019 to 93/100 in 2013 — a 28-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (8 of them).
Safest years: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the Yaris changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2013–2018
Mean score 90/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Air Bags more than anything else (16 complaints). 3 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2019–2020
Mean score 76/100, about 3 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (11 complaints). 2 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2015 (score 85). Worst: 2019 (score 65, CAUTION).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 87 | BUY | $3,008 | 9 | 1 |
| 2019 | 65 | CAUTION | $3,190 | 26 | 3 |
| 2018 | 93 | BUY | $3,420 | 4 | 1 |
| 2017 | 84 | BUY | $3,582 | 15 | 3 |
| 2016 | 90 | BUY | $3,700 | 5 | 2 |
| 2015 | 85 | BUY | $3,856 | 15 | 4 |
| 2014 | 93 | BUY | $3,974 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | 93 | BUY | $4,123 | 9 | 1 |
| 2012 | 66 | CAUTION | $4,398 | 35 | 5 |
| 2011 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,490 | 0 | 0 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Yaris, through the years →
Yaris sub-models & family
What goes wrong on the Toyota Yaris
Across every Yaris model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Air Bags34 complaints across all Yaris years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Vehicle Speed Control18 complaints across all Yaris years · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement$520–$1,150
- Electrical System18 complaints across all Yaris years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine13 complaints across all Yaris years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Structure12 complaints across all Yaris years · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair$1,070–$2,920
- Service Brakes12 complaints across all Yaris years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Toyota Yaris years to buy?
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2013 at 93/100, on 9 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
Which Toyota Yaris years should I avoid?
The 2019 is the weakest year we score, at 65/100 (CAUTION), on 26 complaints and 3 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Toyota Yaris problem?
34 of the complaints filed against the Yaris across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04