Total Complaints
9 filings
TOYOTA VAN · model year
1987 TOYOTA VAN
9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987TOYOTAVAN carries 9 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, 1 injury, 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 1987 VAN is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc (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 1987 VAN, 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.
9
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20011120FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING, HE HEARD A SMALL THUD COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, HE ALSO STATES THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, TOYOTA STATED FIRE WAS CAUSED DUE TO REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR. *JB
19990820SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
THE FRONT BRAKE PADS / ROTORS FRONT & REAR ARE PREMATURELY WEARING, CAUSING FAILURE. *YC.ET.
19990820SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
THE FRONT BRAKE PADS / ROTORS FRONT & REAR ARE PREMATURELY WEARING, CAUSING FAILURE. *YC.ET.
19980504FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
UPON TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START. NOTHING ELECTRICAL WAS WORKING. SINCE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED BEHIND THE SEAT IN THE VEHICLE, WHEN CHECKING , NOTICED THE CARPET ON THE INSIDE WAS BURNED, AND THE TOP HALF OF THE BATTERY WAS MELTED DOWN. RESIDUE APPEARED AROUND THE TOP OF BATTERY COVER. BATTERY WAS PURCHASED AT AUTO ZONE ABOUT THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO INCIDENT WITH NO PROBLEMS. AUTO ZONE WAS NOTIFIED AND REFERRED CONSUMER TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. NO ONE HAS RESPONDED TO CONSUMER'S CALLS TO R EMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK
19960809CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, OWNER HAD JUST PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE, THEN STEPPED LIGHTLY ON GAS PEDAL, VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHOT OUT LIKE A BULLET, HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS TRAVELING IN ANOTHER DIRECTION ON THE SAME STREET.*AK CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *SLC
19960603SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS FAILED. *AK
19960603SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS FAILED. *AK
19960603SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
FRONT BRAKE PADS FAILED. *AK
19950613SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
HAD TO REPLACE FRON BRAKE PADS/ROTORS FOUR TIMES IN ONE YEAR. TT
Compare 1987TOYOTAVAN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 TOYOTA VAN have?▼
The 1987 TOYOTA VAN has 9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 TOYOTA VAN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 TOYOTA VAN is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC.
Is the 1987 TOYOTA VAN 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.