TOYOTA MR2 · model year

2000 TOYOTA MR2

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2000TOYOTAMR2 carries 3 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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2000 MR2 is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (1) and engine (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 51 investigation files overlapping the 2000 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

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

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20140422ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA MR2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONSUMED OIL AT AN ALARMING RATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

Mileage: 122,000

20120328ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SIMILAR TO THE HUNDREDS OF OTHER EARLY AFFECTED 1ZZ ENGINES (MR2, COROLLA, MATRIX, VIBE AND OTHERS) MY ENGINE IS CURRENTLY BURNING 1 QUART EVERY 400 MILES. MY MECHANIC HAS NOTED THAT IT IS DUE TO PISTON RINGS OR THE OFF SHAPED BORE IN EARLIER 1ZZ ENGINES. SO THE ENGINE IS BURNING OIL AND MY HEAD IS ALSO BEING STARVED FOR MUCH NEEDED OIL. I AM NOW JEOPARDIZING THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH WERE JUST REPLACED. *TR

Mileage: 70,000

20061129ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

IN JUNE OF 2006 I HEARD A TICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE OF MY 2000 MR2 SPYDER. WHEN I BROUGHT T TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD MY I HAD SPUN A BEARING DUE TO OIL STARVATION, EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BEARINGS AND CRANK AND THE NOISE WAS GONE. 2 MONTHS LATER, AFTER DRIVING 4000 MILES AND HAVING THE OIL CHANGED AFTER 2500, THE TICKING NOISE RETURNED. THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN STATED THAT I HAD A SPUN BEARING DUE TO OIL STARVATION. WHEN INVESTIGATED FURTHER THE TECH SAID THAT THE SMALL BLOCK OF THE ENGINE ISN'T ALLOWING OIL TO REACH THE PISTONS. WHEN I SEARCHED ONLINE I FOUND THAT MULTIPLE OTHER MR2 SPYDER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS. *JB

Mileage: 65,618

Compare 2000TOYOTAMR2 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 TOYOTA MR2 have?
The 2000 TOYOTA MR2 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 TOYOTA MR2?
The most-complained component for the 2000 TOYOTA MR2 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and ENGINE.
Is the 2000 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.