TOYOTA MR2 · model year

1987 TOYOTA MR2

5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. 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

The 1987TOYOTAMR2 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 MR2 is power train with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (1) and latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 1987 MR2, and 1 remain open. 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.

5
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

Recent Complaints

20100204CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

IN 1987 I HAD A TOYOTA MR2 AND WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE GAS PEDAL STUCK. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH ON A CALIFORNIA INTERSTATE. *TR

20020308ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

I HAVE 12 PAGES OF SUPPOTING DOCUMENTS. THE SHORT VERSION IS THAT I PURCHASED AN ENGINE FROM THE ABOVE-MENTIONED COMPANY THAT WAS DEFECTIVE. I FILED A CLAIM ON 11/16/01, ONLY EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE ENGINE WAS INSTALLED. THEY SENT ME A NEW PART AFTER MANY WEEKS AND MANY DAYS OF ACCRUED RENTAL CAR EXPENSES, FOR WHICH THEY PROMISED TO PAY. AFTER THE PART WAS INSTALLED, THEY ONLY AGREED TO PAY FOR A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT THEY HAD PROMISED, AND, THEN, WITHIN LESS THAN 2,000 MILES AND TWO MONTHS, THE PART FAILED AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, MY MECHANIC ADVISED ME OF 10 ENGINES PURCHASED FROM THIS COMPANY THAT HAD TO BE RETURNED BECAUSE THEY, TOO, WERE DEFECTIVE, AND HE SUGGESTED THAT I RETURN MY ENGINE FOR A COMPLETE REFUND OF PARTS AND LABOR IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,998.60.*AK

20010306SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT RELEASE FROM LOCKING MECHANISM. *AK

20010306LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

WHILE DRIVING HOOD LATCH RELEASED, CAUSING HOOD TO FLY UP, BLOCKING DRIVERS VISION, AND CRACKING THE WINDSHIELD. *AK THE CRUMPLED HOOD DAMAGED THE SUS ROOF AS WELL. *YH

20001013POWER TRAIN

BOUGHT CAR WITH 97,800 MILES CARFAX REPORTS MUCH HIGHER MILES THAN THAT. ODOMETER WAS TAMPERED WITH.*AK

Compare 1987TOYOTAMR2 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1987 TOYOTA MR2 have?
The 1987 TOYOTA MR2 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 TOYOTA MR2?
The most-complained component for the 1987 TOYOTA MR2 is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH.
Is the 1987 TOYOTA MR2 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 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 MR2; 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.