Total Complaints
7 filings
TOYOTA PICKUP · model year
1988 TOYOTA PICKUP
7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988TOYOTAPICKUP carries 7 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 1988 PICKUP is engine and engine cooling:engine with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (2) and tires:tread/belt (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 1988 PICKUP, 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.
7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010913ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20010214ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
FACTORY DEFECTIVE ENGINE BLOCK. ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED INTERNALY CAUSING THE DRIVERS SIDE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET TO BLOW . FORCED OIL INTO THE RAIDIOR AND OUT ONTO THE BREAKING SYSTEM ON DRIVERS SIDE ONLY. THIS HAPPENED AT 4:30PM WHILE SLOWING ON A TURN TO STOP AT A FAIRLY NBUSY INTERSECTION. CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT DUE TO LOSS OF BREAKING CONTROL. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TRYING TO GET THE HEAD GASKET ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF SINCE 3-30-99. I HAVE NEVER RECIVED A RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRENTY NOTICE. MY MECHNIC TOLD ME THAT I HAD A RECALLED ENGINE. WHEN I CONTACTED CARSON CITY TOYOTA "ED" TOLD ME THAT I MISSED THE RECALL BY 3 DAYS. SINCE "ED" HAS TOLD ME THAT IN ALL THE TOYOTAS FROUGHT IN FOR HEAD GASKET NOTICES HE HAD ONLY SEEN 2, ALL THE REST ARE FACTORY DEFECTIVE BLOCKS. A DESING PROBLEM IN CASTING.
20000927TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE FROM TIRE (CRACK EXTENDS AROUND ENTIRE CIRCUMFRENCE OF TIRE).*AK( DOT NUMBER: W2 TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )
20000822ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TOYOTA HAD A SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR BLOWN HEAD GASKETS. *AK
19990803SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
TRY TO CLICK TO SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE.WAS NOT ABLE TO UNLATCH. HAD TO CLIMB OUT. THEN WITH MUCH FORCE PRIED IT OPEN.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
19960830ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
REPLACED LOOS EGROUND WIRE CONNECTING TO ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD FROM WIRING HARNESS. *AK
19950706SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE LOCKED DRIVER IN THE SEAT BELT. *AK
Compare 1988TOYOTAPICKUP to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 TOYOTA PICKUP have?▼
The 1988 TOYOTA PICKUP has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 TOYOTA PICKUP?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 TOYOTA PICKUP is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1988 TOYOTA PICKUP 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.