Total Complaints
15 filings
Toyota Corolla · model year
1987 Toyota Corolla
15 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 15
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1987 Toyota Corolla posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 24%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1987ToyotaCorolla carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1987 Corolla is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (2) and electrical system:ignition (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1987 Corolla. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
15
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1987 Toyota Corolla
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100313VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I AM NOT LOOKING FOR DAMAGES AND HAD NEVER OFFICIALLY REPORTED THIS, BUT ABOUT 23 YEARS AGO I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA COROLLA THAT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 90-100 MPH LIKE RESENT COMPLAINTS ABOUT TOYOTA VEHICLES ARE DOING. IN SPITE OF STANDING ON THE BRAKE, TRYING TO GET THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND PUTTING MY TOE UNDERNEATH THE GAS PEDAL TO SEE IF IT WAS STUCK I WAS IN DANGER OF RUNNING UNDER THE REAR OF A SEMI. MY 15 YEAR OLD SON REACHED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM GOING TO GET OFF THE ROAD. RECENTLY DIVORCED, I WAS SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN AND RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER WHO INSISTED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR! I TRADED IT IN AND TOOK A BIG MONETARY LOSS BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NEW. I WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED AT THE TIME. NOW I AM WONDERING IF TOYOTA HAS BEEN COVERING UP THESE INCIDENTS A VERY LONG TIME AND IF ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AS LONG AGO AS I DID AND WHETHER OR NOT THE INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED. I DO NOT BELIEVE TOYOTA INCIDENTS ARE NEW
Mileage: 10,000
20020531EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE ONCOMING, BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS OF OTHER PARTIES' AUTO. I'VE BEEN DISTRACTED BY ONCOMING BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS AND FROM MY REARVIEW MIRROR IN THE EVENING.*AK
20001219SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
UPPER PORTION OF THE FEMALE CONNECTOR OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS BROKEN. *CJ
20000817TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE. THEN, AFTER PASSING THAT SPEED VIBRATION WILL STOP. FOUND OUT THAT FRONT TIRES HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. GOOD YEAR WHEATHER HANDLER 7JJ. *AK
19990514VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WHEN PUTTING THE HEAT ON, WINDSHIELD CRACKS, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT PARK LIGHT HAS A LITTLE OPENING IN THE LENS. *AK
19990514EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHEN PUTTING THE HEAT ON, WINDSHIELD CRACKS, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT PARK LIGHT HAS A LITTLE OPENING IN THE LENS. *AK
19990107SEATS
DRIVER'S SEAT BOLTS TO THE FLOOR PAN BROKE, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY. COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19981223PARKING BRAKE
EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSEMBLY (DISK BRAKES) REFUSED TO RELEASE AND SEIZED CAUSING EXTREME HEAT AT RIGHT REAR WHEEL NEARLY CAUSING A FIRE.
19970530POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
VEHICLE JUMPS OUT OF 5TH GEAR WHILE MOVING, CAN CAUSE ACCIDENT.
19970113SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
ALL THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE REAR ARE STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION. PROBLEM NOT REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP. *AK
19960618SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVERS SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO DISENGAGE, TRAPPING OWNER INSIDE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
19960425SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
REAR STRUTS WELD FAILED, CAUSING METALLIC BRAKE LINE TO BREAK, RESULTING IN LOSS OF BRAKES/CONTROL. *DSH
19951113VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, IT WAS AT HIGH IDLE, SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. TT
19950113ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY STALLS GENERALLY IN DAMP WEATHER/COLD ENGINE; USUALLY WHEN MAKING TURNS, 20 MPH OR LESS; NO PRIOR WARNING. TT
19950106VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL. TT
Compare 1987ToyotaCorolla to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 Toyota Corolla have?▼
The 1987 Toyota Corolla has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Toyota Corolla?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 Toyota Corolla is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1987 Toyota Corolla safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1987 Toyota Corolla; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.