Selling a dead or worn-out Toyota Echo

Toyota sold the Echo here for six model years, 2000 through 2005, as a two-door or four-door sedan with a 1.5-liter four. Its NHTSA file is short and lopsided: 173 of its 196 complaints are on the first three years, and all five recalls cover 2000-2002 cars.

The Echo's record in one table

NHTSA data, pulled October 10, 2026. "Brakes" is NHTSA's hydraulic service brake category; "Speed control" covers pedal and acceleration complaints.

The file also holds nine fire reports and one death, on a 2001. Two campaigns span 2001 and 2002, so they show in both rows.

One generation, built in Japan

Every US Echo came from the Takaoka plant in Toyota City, which built it from August 1999 to November 2005. In Japan the car was the Platz. North America got a two-door sedan that other markets did not, and buyers chose between five-speed manual and four-speed automatic gearboxes. Canada sold an Echo hatchback from 2004; the US never did. The EPA rated a 2000 Echo with the manual at 29 mpg city and 37 highway.

What went wrong, 2000-2002

Brakes: four recalls in four years

Most of the Echo's recalls are about stopping, and three of the four involve winter driving.

• 00V256 (September 2000), 2000 cars: moisture from the crankcase vent port could seep toward the brake vacuum port and cut power assist, so the pedal took more force. It targeted cars sold or registered in 19 cold states, Alaska through Wyoming, and Toyota urged owners elsewhere to have it done if they drive in winter. 4,530 vehicles.
• 01V326 (October 2001), 2000 automatics: right after a cold start, with the air conditioning and other loads running, engine vacuum could fall short of what the brake booster needs. Dealers fitted a new booster and front pads. 42,198 vehicles.
• 02V268 (October 2002), 2001-2002 cars: stop-and-go driving in deep snow could pack the rear wheels with ice that rubs the rear brake line until it leaks. Dealers replaced the lines. 59,394 vehicles.
• 04V455 (September 2004), 2000 cars: a rubber seal ring in the brake master cylinder could corrode, letting fluid out or air in. Dealers inspected it and replaced the master cylinder and booster where needed. The campaign's 109,056 vehicles include 2000 Celicas.

Some owners told NHTSA the dealer had no parts when the rear brake line letter arrived.

Air bags that owners say stayed shut

Air bags are the Echo's most-named component, with 41 complaints. In the complaint listing, 14 of 20 air bag complaints on the 2000 report no deployment in a front-end crash. These are owner reports, and none of the Echo's five recalls involves the air bags.

Stalling from the crankshaft sensor

Recall 06V266 (July 2006) covers 2001-2002 Echos whose crankshaft position sensor was molded badly enough to let engine oil reach its connector. The connector could come apart, and the engine could stall on the road and not restart. Dealers replaced the sensor free of charge. The 34,771 vehicles in that campaign include 2001-2002 Priuses.

Pedals and floor mats

In the listing for the 2000, 11 of 13 speed control complaints mention surging, a stuck pedal or lurching. One owner freed a pedal stuck open by pulling it back up. A 2001 owner reported a floor mat holding the accelerator down on a ramp at 50 mph. No Echo recall covers either.

Fix it or let it go?

Price the repair, then price a running Echo of the same year and mileage. A repair bill near that second figure is your sign to sell the car unrepaired.

1. Look up the VIN at NHTSA's recall site. We found no Toyota warranty extension or service campaign for the Echo, so open recalls are the thing to look for.
2. Pedal gone soft or hard? Three of the brake recalls touch the vacuum port, booster or master cylinder, so ask a dealer whether they were done.
3. Stalls on a 2001-2002 and won't restart? Rule out recall 06V266 before you treat the engine as finished.

For an Echo that hasn't moved in months or years, our guide to a car sitting for years lists what to check.

Selling the Echo whole

1. Gather the VIN and mileage, and say whether it's the two-door or the four-door.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where it's parked, such as a driveway, a street or a garage, and whether it rolls and steers.
4. Don't strip it. Engine, wheels and converter stay on; list anything that's already been pulled.
5. Title and ID: sign the Echo's title over when the driver comes, and show your ID. Some states want the plates back and some let you keep them; after you sell explains each one.