TOYOTA MR2 · model year

1991 TOYOTA MR2

14 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1991TOYOTAMR2 carries 14 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 2 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 1991 MR2 is air bags with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (3) and steering (3). 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 51 investigation files overlapping the 1991 MR2, and 1 remain open. 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.

14
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

14 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
AIR BAGS3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
STEERING3
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:SPRINGS1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20210131STEERING

TOLD BY PATT LOBB TOYOTA IN MCKINNEY, TX THAT TOYOTA NA WILL BE REACHING OUT TO ME. "UNABLE TO REPLACE STEERING WHEEL" UNDER RECALL 91V223

20191029UNKNOWN OR OTHER

FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE FROM TOYOTA EVERY FEW MONTHS. I THINK IT IS FOR AIRBAGS, BUT I'M NOT SURE. THE NOTICE ALWAYS SAYS TO CALL MY LOCAL DEALER, WHICH I HAVE DONE A FEW TIMES WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION. THE LAST TIME I PURSUED THE REPAIR MORE VIGOROUSLY, AND TOYOTA TOLD ME THEY NO LONGER HAVE THE REPAIR KITS AND SO CANNOT FIX MY CAR. NOW I HAVE JUST RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE FOR THE SAME ISSUE, WHICH IS CLEARLY AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE. I WANT THE CAR REPAIRED.

Mileage: 63,909

20171106AIR BAGS

I WAS CHECKING FOR THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL AND FOUND THIS RECALL WHICH INCLUDES STEERING WHEEL AND AIRBAG(91V223) AND THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS TO OLD OF A RECALL TO FIX.

Mileage: 130,000

20171106STEERING

I WAS CHECKING FOR THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL AND FOUND THIS RECALL WHICH INCLUDES STEERING WHEEL AND AIRBAG(91V223) AND THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS TO OLD OF A RECALL TO FIX.

Mileage: 130,000

20170824STEERING

NHTSA REFERENCE ID 91V223. ESCONDIDO TOYOTA SAYS THEY CAN'T REPLACE THE STEERING WHEEL.

Mileage: 176,000

20060707VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:SPRINGS

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ONE OF THE TWO THROTTLE BODY SPRINGS FRACTURED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE TO 80 MPH. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF SEVERAL TIMES SO THE VEHICLE COULD BE SAFELY MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED AND DETERMINED THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY MUST BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

Mileage: 117,000

20050329LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH HOOD FLEW UP AND SHATTERED WINDSHIELD AND T-TOP GLASS. SECONDARY LATCH FAILED TO CATCH HOOD FROM FLIGHT AND RESULTED IN HOOD, HOOD LATCH, WIPER COWL, WINDSHIELD, AND T-TOP DAMAGE. NO ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT FAILURE. SOME REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO GLASS. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN THE SAME MODEL OF VEHICLE, 3 DIFFERENT CARS.

Mileage: 136,000

20020912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, CONSUMER HEARD A FLAPPING TYPE NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A BELT HAD COME LOOSE. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY DIED. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HAD FROZEN IN THE EVENT THE VEHICLE HAD RAN OUT OF OIL, HOWEVER THERE WAS FRESH OIL IN THE VEHICLE AND NO SIGNS OF LACK OF OIL. DEALERSHIP ADDED THAT THE ENGINE COULD FREEZE IF THE VEHICLE HAD AT ANY TIME RUN LOW ON OIL. ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT

20020514FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, LOCATED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACTUAL BODY OF THE CAR,THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE UNIT WAS TO THE ENGINE, (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *TT

20020125FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, LOCATED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACTUAL BODY OF THE CAR,THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE UNIT WAS TO THE ENGINE, (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *TT

19991222LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM EITHER SIDE OF VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WOULD NOT REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK

19970325AIR BAGS

DRIVELINE FLIPPED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE AHEAD, WENT UNDERNEATH PLAINTIFF'S VEHICLE, IMPACTED ON THE UNDER CARRIAGE, CAUSING AIR BAG TO FALSELY DEPLOY, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT, MULTIPLE BRUISES AND HEARING LOSS.

19970325CrashAIR BAGS

AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS VIOLENT, CAUSING MULTIPLE BRUISES, HEARING LOSS IN BOTH EARS,CERVICAL STRAIN, SEVERE BRUISING TO BOTH THUMBS, AND LOOSENED LOWER BRIDGE IN MOUTH.

19960923TIRES:TREAD/BELT

BRIDGESTONE TIRES WEAR PREMATURELY, CAUSING INSTABILITY.

Compare 1991TOYOTAMR2 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1991 TOYOTA MR2 have?
The 1991 TOYOTA MR2 has 14 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 TOYOTA MR2?
The most-complained component for the 1991 TOYOTA MR2 is AIR BAGS with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and STEERING.
Is the 1991 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 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.