There are 12 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2008 Toyota Yarisin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
My brakes have failed me many times. I had to eventually get those change in the brakes still aren’t working completely correct
THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAY ON / AC KNOB NOT WORKING.
WHEN I TRIED TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN, BY CLICKING ON THE BUTTON, THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE THAT CAUSED SMOKE INSIDE THE CAR. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO VERIFY MY BREAKS AND AIRBAGS. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY CAR IN EITHER MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, OR FRIDAY.
THE KEYS CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. POSSIBILITY OF THE KEYS FALLING OUT IN AN ACCIDENT AND UNABLE TO TURN OFF ENGINE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA YARIS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FAILURE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,401.
PERIODICALLY MY ABS BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ON DURING WINTER WEATHER AND THEN IT WILL JUST GO AWAY WHEN IT IS DRY. ON SNOW ROADS MY BRAKES SOMETIMES WILL NOT WORK. ONE DAY DRIVING I DROVE THROUGH A RED LIGHT BECAUSE MY BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP EVEN THOUGH I WAS GOING AROUND 30 AND BRAKED WHILE IN ADVANCE. LUCKY, FOR ME OTHER DRIVERS STOPPED. MY MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT MY ABS WIRING HAS TO BE REPLACED AND THE HUB. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE FOR YARIS AND TOYOTA ADMITTED THEY KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A RECALL. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY COST MY LIFE OR MY 18 MONTH OLD SON'S LIFE. *TR
SINCE I BUY THE CAR SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN IGNITION ON IT MAKES THE NOISE THAT IS STARTING ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD TURN ON FOR A ALMOST A 20 TO 30 SEC. THEN SOMETIMES WHEN I'M DRIVING THE SPEED GEAR DROPS WITH OUT ME BRAKING ALSO WHEN I TURN RIGHT SIGNAL ON SOMETIMES THE REVERSE LIGHT ON DASHBOARD ALSO TURN ON. ONE TIME ALL LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD WERE BLINKING WENT I TURN SIGNAL ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE PERSON THERE TOLD ME THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RECALLS AND NO COMPLAIN THEN CAN'T DO ANYTHING IF THEY DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE A VIDEO THIS. NOW WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE THE RIGHT SIGNAL CANES ON. SECOND TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THE IGNITION CALL HAD A FAILURE THEY REPLACE COIL 3 AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS DIAGNOSTIC CAME NORMAL AND VEHICLE LIGHTS STILL DO THE SAMETHING. AND IGNITION STILL DOES THE SAMETHING AND IF I GO BACK TO THE DEALER TO DO ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC THEY WILL CHARGE ME 124 DOLLARS IF NOTHING IS FOUND WRONG. THE PROBLEM IS THERE BUT THEY CAN'T FIND IT I SHOW THE VIDEO TO THE GUY IN THE DEALER AND STILL NOTHING. *TR
OUR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 44 IN MISSOURI AT OR NEAR GREY SUMMIT MISSOURI WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET ON, WHEN OUR 2008 TOYOTA YARIS STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN. OUR DAUGHTER HAD TO SWERVE TO MISS HITTING OTHER VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. SHE ATTEMPTED TO STOP AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE. TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE SHE STEERED THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO TREES. TOYOTA HIRED BOSCH TO HAVE THE "BLACK BOX" ANALYZED. THE COMPANY AND BOSCH CLAIM NO MALFUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE. OUR DAUGHTER CONTINUES TO DISPUTE THEIR CLAIMS AND WE HAVE LOST THE VEHICLE IN AN INSURANCE CLAIM TO AAA OF MISSOURI. IN ADDITIONAL WE HAVE LOST VALUE IN THE VEHICLE, WE ARE PAYING INSURANCE ACCIDENT PENALTIES AND LOST $1000 IN DEDUCTIBLES. WE CONTINUE TO DISPUTE TOYOTA AND BOSCH'S CLAIM THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. SINCE OUR ACCIDENT THERE HAS BEEN ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF "TIN WHISKERS" AS POTENTIAL CAUSE OF ELECTRONIC FAILURE. WE BELIEVE WE HAVE BEEN THE UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF TOYOTA NEGLIGENCE AND NEED TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN FIGHTING THIS ISSUE WITH TOYOTA. *TR
OUR CAR DOOR PANEL CAUGHT ON FIRE 12/7/2011 . TOYOTA DID AND INVESTIGATION AND FOUND THE DOOR CONTROL SWITCH WAS AT FAULT ,THEY REPLACE IT AT NO COST TO US .THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE ?? *TR
MY VEHICLE HAS INTERMITTENTLY EXHIBITED A FAILURE TO ACCELERATE ONCE A DAY OR ONCE EVERY OTHER DAY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE UNTIL THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE THROTTLE BODY WHICH HE REPLACED WITH NO IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A TSB RELATED TO THE FAULT RECORDED IN THE ENGINE COMPUTER. P0121 IS ONE OF THE CODES MENTIONED IN THE TSB WHICH WAS ALSO THE CODE RECODED IN MY ENGINE COMPUTER, HOWEVER THE TSB DOES NOT MENTION THE FAILURE TO ACCELERATE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSIS. THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS PER THE TSB AND THAT THE COST WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY TOYOTA BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS OVER 58000 MILES ON IT AND IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER THIS REPAIR CONSIDERING THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCE ONE COULD FIND THEMSELVES IN WHEN A VEHICLE CANNOT ACCELERATE. TO MY DISMAY THIS REPAIR COST ME 1000 DOLLARS AND ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A 2008 MODEL VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED. *TR
THE ABS BRAKE SENSOR CONNECTOR ON THE REAR WHEELS HUBS IS NOT SEALED AND ALLOWS WATER AND ROAD SALTS TO CORRODE THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION, WHICH CAUSES THE ABS SYSTEM TO BE DEACTIVATED.THE VEHICLE STILL HAS BRAKES BUT NO ABS BRAKES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO TOYOTA FOR DIAGNOSTICS THEY SAID THAT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND THAT THERE WAS NO PERMANANT FIX AS OF YET. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD BE $600.00 PER WHEEL TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN THE NEXT WINTER. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX IT. *TR
THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF SEVERAL TIME WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE CAR HAS SHUT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS INJURED OR HURT. *TR ANOTHER ISSUES: MY CURRENT 2008 YARIS HAS ONLY 23,382 MILES ON IT, SO THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE HIGH MILEAGE. I HAVE INSTALLED A TOTAL OF 2 DIFFERENT AFTERMARKET ALARMS ON THE CAR BOTH BY PROFESSIONAL BUSINESSES ONE BEING BEST BUY. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP BECAUSE OF VARIOUS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON THE CAR NOT WORKING. I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE 2008 YARIS. I'VE HAD TO REMOVE THE FIRST ALARM AFTER 3 MONTHS OF PURCHASE BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THE ALARM WAS THE ISSUE. THE SECOND ALARM REPLACEMENT CAUSES THE SAME PROBLEM. IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH INSTALLING AFTERMARKET ALARMS ON THE 2008 YARIS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026