Total Complaints
16 filings
TOYOTA SUPRA · model year
1989 TOYOTA SUPRA
16 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989TOYOTASUPRA carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1989 SUPRA is engine and engine cooling:engine with 4 filings, followed by visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:catalytic convertor (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 1989 SUPRA, 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.
16
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 | 4 |
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100215EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
I OWNED A 1989 TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO FROM 1989 TO 1999. IN THE MID- TO LATE-1990'S I EXPERIENCED ONE INSTANCE IN WHICH MY GAS PEDAL GOT PINNED TO THE FLOOR BY AN AFTERMARKET FLOOR MAT THAT HAD SHIFTED OUT OF POSITION. THIS OCCURRED AT A LARGE INTERSECTION ON THE FAR NORTH SIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS, AS I WAS APPROACHING A LEFT-TURN ARROW. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO MAKE THE TURN, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE FULL-THROTTLE. I QUICKLY DETERMINED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN SAFELY, SO I VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THEN I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT, VERY FRIGHTENED BY WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND LOOKED DOWN, AND IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT THE FLOOR MAT HAD SHIFTED FORWARD AND SNAGGED THE BOTTOM OF THE GAS PEDAL WHEN I PRESSED IT DOWN TO ACCELERATE. THROUGH SHEER LUCK THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN THE INTERSECTION AT THE TIME, AND MY QUICK REACTION AVOIDED ANY ACCIDENT.
Mileage: 95,000
20100215VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I OWNED A 1989 TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO FROM 1989 TO 1999. IN THE MID- TO LATE-1990'S I EXPERIENCED ONE INSTANCE IN WHICH MY GAS PEDAL GOT PINNED TO THE FLOOR BY AN AFTERMARKET FLOOR MAT THAT HAD SHIFTED OUT OF POSITION. THIS OCCURRED AT A LARGE INTERSECTION ON THE FAR NORTH SIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS, AS I WAS APPROACHING A LEFT-TURN ARROW. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO MAKE THE TURN, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE FULL-THROTTLE. I QUICKLY DETERMINED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN SAFELY, SO I VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THEN I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT, VERY FRIGHTENED BY WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND LOOKED DOWN, AND IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT THE FLOOR MAT HAD SHIFTED FORWARD AND SNAGGED THE BOTTOM OF THE GAS PEDAL WHEN I PRESSED IT DOWN TO ACCELERATE. THROUGH SHEER LUCK THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN THE INTERSECTION AT THE TIME, AND MY QUICK REACTION AVOIDED ANY ACCIDENT.
Mileage: 95,000
20020821ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A USED CAR LOT AND PAID TO GET THE DMV PROCESSED AND THE SMOG CHECK WAS DONE PRIOR TO PURCHASE. AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE OWNER TOLD ME HE WAS SUING THE AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS NEXT DOOR BECAUSE HE WAS FALSIFYING THE SMOG CHECKS ON CAR THE USED CAR DEALER TOOK TO HIM. MY VEHICLE, I LEARNED WAS NOT OWNED BY HIM WHEN HE SOLD IT TO ME. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO PINK SLIPS WITH THE ORGINAL BEING IN MISSISSIPPI. AS A POLICE OFFICER I INVESTIGATED IT WITH DMV FROM JUNE OF 2000 TO FEBRUARY OF 2002 WHEN I WAS ABLE TO TALK THE GUY IN MISSISSIPPI INTO RELEASING THE VEHICLE. I NEVER NEEDED A SMOG CHECK UNTIL JULY 2002. MY VEHICLE FAILED BECAUSE OF HIGH HC. I WAS TOLD THAT MY ENGINE NEEDED REBUILTING AND I AM CURRENTLY GETTING MY ENGINE REBUILT. I THINK HYARCS AUTO REPAIRS AH190682 ALSO FORGED MY SMOG CHECK. THE OWNER OF PASADENA AUTO SALES HAD A FALLING OUT DURING THE YEAR AND A HALF IT TOOK ME TO GET THE OWNERSHIP TITLE TO THE CAR HE SOLD ME.*AK
20000725ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BLOWN HEAD GASKET, BLOWN PISTON DUE TO OVERPRESSURE, STALLED.
19990909SEAT BELTS
DRIVER'S SEATBELT FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, WILL NOT RETRACT AND TIGHTEN, CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK
19980224ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET STARTED LEAKING AROUND 60 MILES AND LEAKED AGAIN AROUND 181000 MILES. HAD GASKETS FAILED BOTH TIMES, CAUSING THE COOLING SYSTEM TO BECOME OVERPRESSURIZED DURING ENGINE OPERATION, AND SUCKING WATER INTO CYLINDER AFTER ENGINE IS SHUTDOWN. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA SUPRAS. *AK
19970325VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
POWER WINDOW BUTTON FELL OFF.
19970325UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FAULTY OIL PRESSURE SENDER GAUGE.
19960601EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. *SD
19960601SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC
POWER BRAKES FAILED. *SD
19960601STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING FAILED. *SD
19960601SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAULTY. *SD
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING COOLANT RECOVERY BOTTLE TO OVERFLOW. (FIRST VEHICLE ON 601406, 601407) *DSH
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING COOLANT RECOVERY BOTTLE TO OVERFLOW. (SECOND VEHICLE ON 490785, 601407) *DSH
19960522FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERHEATED, RESULTING IN UNDER BODY FIRE INTO THE INTERIOR. *AK
19950927VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
MOLDING ON BOTH SIDEVIEW MIRRORS CRACK BETWEEN VEHICLE AND MIRROR, CAUSING MIRRORS TO FALL OFF, DEALER'S REPLACED TWICE, ONCE UNDER WARRANTY. TT
Compare 1989TOYOTASUPRA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 TOYOTA SUPRA have?▼
The 1989 TOYOTA SUPRA has 16 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 TOYOTA SUPRA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 TOYOTA SUPRA is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR.
Is the 1989 TOYOTA SUPRA 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.