2008 Toyota Yaris Problems: 13 Known Issues

On the 2006-2010 Toyota Yaris 1NZ-FE, the springs used in the seat rails of the driver's seat, and in both front seat rails on three-door hatchback models, can fracture with age and use. The spring is what holds the seat-track locking pawl engaged after the adjustment lever is released. If it breaks, the seat may not positively lock in the selected position - the seat can slide on its rails, and in a crash it moves under load, which changes how the belt and airbag restrain the occupant and increases the risk of injury. Toyota recalled roughly 472,388 vehicles under NHTSA 14V169 on 9 April 2014: approximately 158,000 2006-2010 Yaris hatchbacks, 250,500 2007-2010 Yaris sedans and 64,000 2008-2010 Scion xD. Toyota reports no advance warning. Once springs break, the seat may fail to lock; in limited cases, a broken spring can restrict adjustment to forward movement.

On the 2006-2010 Toyota Yaris 1NZ-FE, certain 2006–2010 Yaris vehicles with a seven-channel spiral cable are covered by 14V168/E0M. Contact with an internal plastic retainer can damage the flexible cable's driver-airbag circuit. The driver airbag may become disabled. Toyota's notice lists approximately 402,500 affected Yaris vehicles; this is a campaign population, not a count of failures. The SRS lamp may indicate a problem, but the owner notice warns that this condition can exist without a warning. This electrical-circuit recall is distinct from inflator recalls.

On the 2006-2012 Toyota Yaris, yaris hatchback and sedan built in the Takata era use inflators with a non-desiccated ammonium-nitrate propellant. Long-term exposure to heat, humidity and temperature cycling degrades the propellant, so on deployment the inflator canister can over-pressurize and rupture, spraying sharp metal fragments into the cabin. Cars that spent their life in high-absolute-humidity regions (Gulf Coast, Southwest, Puerto Rico) are the highest risk. In the US this covers the front passenger inflator on the 2006-2011 Yaris hatchback and 2007-2012 Yaris sedan (Toyota-built XP90), not the Mazda-built Yaris iA.

On the 2005-2013 Toyota Yaris, this failure belongs to European-market Yaris fitted with Toyota's MMT (Multimode) automated manual transmission - an electrically operated robotised manual transmission with electric actuators for clutch and gear selection. It does not exist on the US-market four-speed automatic or on any Mazda-built Yaris. The clutch actuator can fail and lose the ability to hold or report clutch position. The gearbox then refuses to select a gear and the N on the gear position display flashes. Most owners hit it stationary, moments after switching on - the car simply will not take drive - but it also happens on the move, where the box drops out of the engaged gear and back into neutral, which is a loss of drive in traffic. UK actuator remanufacturers describe it as a frequent failure on MMT-equipped Yaris and commonly see fault codes such as P0810.

On the 2007-2018 Toyota Yaris, the U340E/U441E 4-speed automatic in the Yaris develops shudder during torque converter lockup and harsh shifts, particularly 1-2 and 2-3 shifts. Worn transmission fluid and torque converter clutch material are the primary causes.

On the 2007-2018 Toyota Yaris, the Yaris's electric power steering system can fail, causing sudden loss of power assist and very heavy steering. The EPS motor or its control module malfunctions, typically with a power steering warning light. The failure is sudden and dangerous at low speeds.

On the 2007-2008 Toyota Yaris, on 2007-2008 Yaris, grease was applied unevenly to the internal components of the driver's Power Window Master Switch during assembly at the supplier. With frequent use, unevenly applied grease can become carbonized and lose its lubricating properties, and the switch can malfunction, overheat and melt. The classic precursor is a 'notchy' or sticky feel when operating the window. Owners who tried to fix the notchiness with off-the-shelf silicone or WD-40-type lubricant made it worse - Toyota warns that applying commercially available lubricants to the switch can cause the switch assembly to melt or smoke and lead to a fire. Toyota recalled roughly 110,300 Yaris as part of a ~2.5 million vehicle US campaign in October 2012 (NHTSA 12V-491).

On the 2007-2018 Toyota Yaris, the 1NZ-FE/2NZ-FE coil-on-plug packs are a recurring failure point, and cylinder 1 - the one closest to the front of the engine and nearest the cowl drain area - fails disproportionately. Two mechanisms show up on the forums: the coil's internal windings break down with heat and age, and water gets down the plug tube (from a leaking valve cover gasket, a clogged cowl drain, or an engine bay wash) and sits on the coil boot, shorting the spark to ground. Owners describe replacing the plug and coil, getting a clean year, then having it recur if the water path was never fixed. A dying coil that is left alone dumps raw fuel into the catalyst and can eventually kill the converter.

On the 2007-2018 Toyota Yaris 1.5L 1NZ-FE I4, the Yaris front engine mount (also called the dogbone mount or torque strut) fails prematurely, typically between 60,000-100,000 miles. The rubber deteriorates and the mount collapses, allowing excessive engine movement during acceleration and braking. This causes a harsh clunk when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse, vibrations at idle, and can stress the CV axles and transmission mounts.

On the 2007-2018 Toyota Yaris, a very common Yaris electrical fault: the rear wheel speed sensor is integrated into the rear hub/bearing assembly and is not sold separately. The weather seal where the harness plugs into the hub has a gap, so road spray and winter salt wick into the connector, corrode the pins and degrade the signal. The ABS light and the red brake/'!' light come on together, often intermittently at first and worse in wet or winter weather. Dealers routinely quote a complete rear hub assembly (owners report $650-750 CAD per side) when the actual fault is frequently just a dirty, corroded connector.

On the 2006-2014 Toyota Yaris, the interior door handles on the Yaris are made of brittle plastic that cracks and breaks, particularly in cold weather. The driver's side handle fails most often due to higher use frequency. The handle mechanism is a weak point across all Yaris model years.

On the 2007-2009 Toyota Yaris, early XP90 Yaris (heavily reported on 2007-2008, and worst on the 8T0 blue and other lighter shades) suffer clear coat delamination: UV exposure degrades the adhesion between the factory primer/base and the clear layer, so the clear sheets off in large flakes rather than chalking gradually. It starts on the horizontal, sun-and-heat exposed panels - roof first, then hood - and spreads down the A-pillars, door frames and rear hatch. CarComplaints owner reports average about 84,000 miles (ranging from roughly 22,000 to 163,000), and it is not prevented by claybar-polish-wax maintenance because the failure is below the surface. Toyota's peeling-paint warranty extensions have covered other models, not the Yaris, and many US owners were told it was out of warranty.

On the 2007-2019 Toyota Yaris, the Yaris has been named in seven separate NHTSA campaigns on tire and loading information. Six concern the load carrying capacity modification (addendum) label and one concerns the spare tire's inflation. The addendum label is a separate label on the driver's side center pillar, next to the Tire and Loading Information placard. FMVSS 110 requires it when accessories above a set weight are added between factory certification and first retail sale, and it states how much those accessories reduce the vehicle's load carrying capacity. When the addendum label is missing, wrong or unreadable, a driver can overload the car without knowing it, which degrades braking, handling and tire load margin and increases crash risk. The campaigns: 09V223 (Toyota; accessories fitted at Toyota vehicle processing centers; first filed for 1,348 vehicles built from 2 June 2008, then expanded to 27,080 vehicles built 1 September 2005 to 4 May 2009, including 2007-2009 Yaris sedan and hatchback); 10V035 (Gulf States Toyota, 2008-2010 Yaris) and 10V036 (Southeast Toyota, 2007-2010 Yaris), both for vehicles sold without the required addendum label; 16V236 (Southeast Toyota, 2016, label does not reflect the weight of installed accessories); 17V295 (Gulf States Toyota, 2017: the spare tire was not inflated to the pressure stated on the Tire Pressure Label); 19V244 (Gulf States Toyota, 2019, label text may become illegible); and 19V503 (Southeast Toyota, 2017-2019 Yaris iA with factory-installed floor mats, label incorrect). Most are distributor campaigns, so they apply only to cars that passed through those distributors or processing centers.