Total Complaints
15 filings
TOYOTA CRESSIDA · model year
1989 TOYOTA CRESSIDA
15 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989TOYOTACRESSIDA carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 CRESSIDA is equipment:appliance:air conditioner with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (2) and fuel system, gasoline (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1989 CRESSIDA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
15
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 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 |
|---|---|
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030119ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT GEARS FOR NO REASON, NO-ONE REALIZE WHAT'S THE CAUSES. THE CAR DIES WHEN MAKING TURNS VERY OFTEN, AGAIN, NO ONE CAN FIND OUT THE REASONS.
20030119EQUIPMENT
THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT GEARS FOR NO REASON, NO-ONE REALIZE WHAT'S THE CAUSES. THE CAR DIES WHEN MAKING TURNS VERY OFTEN, AGAIN, NO ONE CAN FIND OUT THE REASONS.
20020130ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20000208ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED FOUR TIMES, CYLINDER HEAD/HEAD GASKET CRACKED, TWO OXYGEN SENSORS REPLACED WITHIN 10,000 MILES, BRAKES GRIND, VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS
20000208EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED FOUR TIMES, CYLINDER HEAD/HEAD GASKET CRACKED, TWO OXYGEN SENSORS REPLACED WITHIN 10,000 MILES, BRAKES GRIND, VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS
20000208ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED FOUR TIMES, CYLINDER HEAD/HEAD GASKET CRACKED, TWO OXYGEN SENSORS REPLACED WITHIN 10,000 MILES, BRAKES GRIND, VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS
20000208SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED FOUR TIMES, CYLINDER HEAD/HEAD GASKET CRACKED, TWO OXYGEN SENSORS REPLACED WITHIN 10,000 MILES, BRAKES GRIND, VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS
19991026EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
WHENEVER THE AIR CONDITIONER IS TURNED ON, IT WOULD LEAK UNDER THE DASHBOARD. BEEN TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED THE EVAPORATOR CORE WAS DEFECTIVE. ITS BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST 6 TIMES, BUT IT KEEPS LEAKING. *AK
19971003TIRES:TREAD/BELT
GOODYEAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATION.
19970609POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT IMPROPERLY, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL AND BUCK IN TRAFFIC. *AK
19961029CrashSEAT BELTS
MOTORBELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN DRIVER DURING COLLISION, CAUSING INJURY.
19960730CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. *AK
19960730CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. *AK
19960411SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVERS SIDE LAP/SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY, WILL SLID BEHIND THE LATCH. *AK
19950427FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED; FIRE CAME FROM UNDER REAR OF VEHICLE; NO WARNING; CAUSE UNKNOWN. TT
Compare 1989TOYOTACRESSIDA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 TOYOTA CRESSIDA have?▼
The 1989 TOYOTA CRESSIDA has 15 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 TOYOTA CRESSIDA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 TOYOTA CRESSIDA is EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.
Is the 1989 TOYOTA CRESSIDA 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.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.