MotorDeets

2009 Toyota Yaris: Recalls, Problems & MPG

Here are the deets on the 2009 Toyota Yaris: 10 recalls, 92 owner complaints and up to 32 mpg combined.

10vehicle recalls
92owner complaints
21mention a crash
32best combined mpg
2009 Toyota Yaris
Photo: DestinationFearFan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Representative photo of this generation; trim may differ.

Recalls

10 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.

Equipment Vehicle recall #09V223000 · 2009 · 27,080 vehicles

What's wrong: These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."

Why it matters: Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall began on August 18, 2009.

Equipment Vehicle recall #10V035000 · 2010 · 271,417 vehicles

What's wrong: 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Why it matters: This does not meet the standard requirements.

The fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on May 27, 2010.

Equipment Vehicle recall #10V036000 · 2010 · 153,418 vehicles

What's wrong: 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Why it matters: A driver May overload a vehicle which May increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on May 27, 2010.

Airbags Vehicle recall #14V168000 · 2014 · 1,486,413 vehicles

What's wrong: 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.

Why it matters: 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.

The fix: 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…

Seats Vehicle recall #14V169000 · 2014 · 472,388 vehicles

What's wrong: 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.

Why it matters: 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.

The fix: 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.

Visibility (wipers, glass) Vehicle recall #15V689000 · 2015 · 1,814,284 vehicles

What's wrong: During the manufacturing of the power window master switch (pwms), grease lubricant May have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.

Why it matters: 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.

The fix: 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.

Airbags Vehicle recall #16V340000 · 2016 · 1,754,517 vehicles

What's wrong: 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…

Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: 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.

Airbags Vehicle recall #17V006000 · 2017 · 577,875 vehicles

What's wrong: S. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, yaris hb, Scion xb, Pontiac vibe, Lexus, es350, is250, is350, and is-f vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new…

Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion 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 February 1, 2017.

Airbags Vehicle recall #18V024000 · 2018 · 628,018 vehicles

What's wrong: S. Vi or "zone a." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, 4runner, Lexus is250, is350, is250c, is350c, es350, is-f, gx460, and Pontiac vibe vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of az, ar, de, dc, il, in, ks, ky, md, mo, ne, nv, nj, nm, nc, oh, ok, pa, tn, va, and wv or "zone b." Toyota is also recalling certain 2009 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix,…

Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018.

Airbags, Airbags Vehicle recall #19V741000 · 2019 · 928,220 vehicles

What's wrong: These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators May explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019.

Most-reported problems

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 2 mention a fire, 15 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.

Airbags44
Electrical10
Seats10
Speed control / throttle9
Brakes8
Body & structure7
Suspension6
Other / unknown5

What owners describe

The 2009 Toyota Yaris has 92 owner complaints, ranking #3 of 15 Yaris model years for complaints (1.7× the average Yaris year). Complaints peaked in 2016 (14 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 6 years old, at a median of 39,200 miles. Neighboring years: 2008 (218 complaints, 10 recalls), 2010 (90 complaints, 9 recalls).

Engines & fuel economy (EPA)

EngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyComb.Fuel
1.5 L 4-cylManual 5-spdFront-Wheel Drive293632Regular
1.5 L 4-cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive293531Regular

Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.

Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2009 Toyota Yaris.

eManualOnline Download (PDF), keep forever

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Mitchell 1 DIY Online access, factory-level data

Pro-shop repair procedures, wiring diagrams and TSBs for your exact car.

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ALLDATAdiy Online access, factory OEM info

OEM procedures, specs and recall/TSB info, the same source many shops use.

From $19.99/mo · $59.99/yr
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Haynes Print book or AllAccess online

Step-by-step photos written from a real teardown. Great for first-timers.

Books ~$30–$40 · AllAccess $34.99/mo
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FAQ

Does the 2009 Toyota Yaris have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 10 vehicle recalls for the 2009 Toyota Yaris. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common 2009 Toyota Yaris problems?

Owners have filed 92 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (44), electrical (10), seats (10).

What gas mileage does the 2009 Toyota Yaris get?

EPA ratings run up to 32 mpg combined (1.5 L, Manual 5-spd), across 2 engine and transmission combos.

Where can I get a 2009 Toyota Yaris repair manual?

eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.

Other Yaris years

200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020