2020 Toyota Yaris Problems and Recalls (9 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2020 Toyota Yaris is Fuel system (33% of 9 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 9 complaints · 1 recalls

What problems show up on the 2020 Toyota Yaris?

3 of 9 filings named Fuel system (33% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (1 reports).

There are 1 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2019 has 26 reports on file; this year has 9. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2020 Toyota Yaris

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 1 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Fuel system 3 complaints · 33.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 0
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 3 of 9 owner complaints (33.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 33.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 3 · 33.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 · 11.1% Engine (ENGINE): 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 · 11.1% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 1 complaints, 11.1% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 · 11.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 7 complaints, 77.8% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 7 · 77.8% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 3 33.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 11.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 1 11.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 11.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 7 77.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2020; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 2021. 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2020 Jul 2024 Recall campaign 21V617000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V617000
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 3
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 21V617000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (1)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 21V617000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB05 and 21TA05.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 7 of 9 complaints · page 1 of 1
2024-09-25Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11616413
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle do unnecessary abrupt breaking in the highway when the road are reduced due to reparation. In addition in two times, when I tried to park to my garage in the back of other vehicle the breaking system related to collision is activate. This area of my garage is an inclined drive way zone and I put the vehicle back to other. In occasions when I go out to my residence, I need to go thru a control system that content a electrical barrier (electric arm), and around 4 or 5 times, when I close to this area the car did a hard stop, and the collision red light turned on with a beep sound, the same indication when the car activate the breaking system in the highway and when I try to park in some times to my garage. The most critical issue is when hard stooping in the highway due to in these times the other vehicles claimed me why reason I stopping without any reason, and them are very close to collision the back of my car. When this happen the sound of the tires of my car can be ear clearly the hard stopping. I very disappointment and very scare this defect was and will be in danger my life, due to the dealer retailer that I buy my car don't found any issue after my notification and I had no choice open a case directly with the Toyota, and now the dealer retailer will do an a correct inspection but I need to pay for this, is incredible due to my 2020 car only have 18,000 used miles.
2023-09-13Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11544389
CrashFireInjuryDeath
This 2020 Yaris is registered to me but driven by my daughter to her workplace less that 3 miles away. The first incident involved the engine laboring to start and when she came home, the battery was dead. I was able to re-charge the battery at home but 2 days later, the car would not start at home. I have an auto engine scanner that registered a P2610 code stating "an Engine Control Module, ECM/PCM Engine Off Timer Performance". The battery had been completely drained of its liquid. This is a safety hazard that could have stranded my daughter as she sometimes drives to Houston which is about 30 miles away. I researched this code and found that the NHTSA has previously issued notices on these problems. We need help getting it resolved.Car is available for inspection.
2021-12-16Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11444019
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Yaris. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V617000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall and the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2021-12-08Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11443092
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Yaris. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V617000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but informed the contact they did not know when parts would be available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2021-10-28Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11438478
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Yaris. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V617000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle was bucking and jerking while driving at slower speeds. The contact stated that also that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, while depressing the accelerator pedal to the flooring, the vehicle made an abnormal growling sound. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
2021-09-21Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11433853
CrashFireInjuryDeath
i was at a stop light waiting for a left turn. there was a truck in front of me. the light turned green. the truck drove forward and was beginning to turn. there was a car space between me and the truck. i accelerated to turn and within a few seconds i felt the anti lock brakes activate, car stopped the engine shut off. i had to put the car in park and restart the engine. its a good thing there wasnt a car behind me.
2021-03-26Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11405045
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE OWNERS MANUAL CAPACITIES FOR AN OIL CHANGE WITH FILTER CALLS FOR 4.4QTS. WHEN THIS AMOUNT OF OIL IS USED AND THE PROPER INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED AS PER THE SAME MANUAL TO CHECK THE LEVEL WITH THE DIPSTICK IT SHOWS THAT IT IS OVERFILLED BY CLOSE TO 1QT. THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T EXPLAIN IT NOR CAN TOYOTA. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD CAUSE EITHER PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE OR POSSIBLY AN ENGINE FIRE BECAUSE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2020 Toyota Yaris?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 3 of 9 reports (33%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2020 Toyota Yaris?

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2020 Toyota Yaris?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources