RoadVitals

1986 Toyota MR2 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
6
Latest Feb 7, 2010
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since May 7, 1996

What this page shows

Our database holds 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Toyota MR2. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–6 of 6

BrakesInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Feb 7, 2010

SEAT BELTS ARE CONTROLLED FROM A PLASTIC PIECE WHICH MAKES CONTACT WITH DOOR. OUT OF ALL THREE MR2'S I OWN AND ONES THAT I'VE SEEN NONE OF THEM ARE INTACT. MAKING ALL THE SEAT BELTS USELESS. I'VE SOLVED THIS PROBLEM BY BUYING A FIVE POINT RACE HARNESS'. EMERGENCY BRAKES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR BREAKING. SO FAR I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF MY EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES. ALSO ALL NONE OF THE TRUCK LATCHES WORK. I'VE EVEN REPAIRED MY DAD'S FRIEND TOYOTA SIERRA VAN'S REAR SLIDING DOOR MECHANISM. THIS IS ALL BECAUSE THE CABLES BECOME LONGER AFTER USE. *TW

NHTSA ID
10307138
Incident
Jun 23, 2006
Mileage
250,000 mi
Driver assistanceOther / unspecified
Filed Feb 7, 2010
Fire reported

I OWN AN 1986 TOYOTA MR2 WITH A 4 AGE ENGINE AND MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I WAS DRIVING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN I APPROACHED A NEIGHBORHOOD INTERSECTION. THE ENGINE STARTED TO "REV" REALLY HIGH AND I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. I SAT AT THE INTERSECTION FOR A WHILE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME. SO I STARTED TO JIGGLE THE LIMP GAS PEDAL. SOON AFTER I LOOKED IN THE ENGINE BAY AND HAD SEEN THAT A RUBBER PIECE WAS JAMMED UNDER THE THROTTLE LINKAGE. THE PIECE OF RUBBER WAS A CAP TO PREVENT WATER FROM GOING INTO AND RUINING THE THROTTLE LINKAGE. I DROVE HOME AND LATER ON WENT TO A SPECIALIST THAT TOLD ME TO REMOVE THE RUBBER PIECE FROM LETTING THAT HAPPEN TO ME. I HOPE THIS INFORMATION CAN HELP, MAYBE THE NEWER TOYOTAS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER INCIDENT WAS WHEN I BROUGHT THE SAME VEHICLE TO GET IT SMOGED. ME AND MY MOM FINISHED AND LEFT TO GO HOME. WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF INTERSECTIONS I LOOKED BACK AND NOTICED SPARKS SHOOTING UP FROM THE ENGINE BAY. I TOLD MY MOTHER WHOM DIDN'T BELIEVE ME TO STOP. THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION, THEN MY MOTHER AND I EVACUATED THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE BAY BURST INTO FLAMES AND LUCKY THERE WAS A FIRE DEPARTMENT NEAR BY. WE FOUND OUT THAT THE HOOD PROP HAD FALLEN ONTO THE BATTERY WHICH SHORTED OUT THE ELECTRICS AND CAUSED NEAR BY PLASTIC TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE REAR HOOD WAS RUINED, PAINT, WINDOW, WIREHARNESS, AND OTHER PIECES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID WE WERE LUCKY THAT THE FLAME DIDN'T RUPTURE THE FUEL IN THE CAR. HE SHOWED THAT THE FLAME WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLACE YOU FILL YOUR CAR WITH GAS. THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY AND AN OFFICER WROTE UP A REPORT. *TW

NHTSA ID
10307137
Incident
Mar 20, 2007
Mileage
250,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 2, 1999

THE FLANGE OF THE EXHAUST PIPE HEAT SHIELD IS LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO THE OUTLET END OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE FLANGE HAS WORN THROUGH THE OIL PAN, CAUSING AN OIL LEAK. *AK

NHTSA ID
834383
Incident
Dec 12, 1998
BrakesTransmission
Filed Oct 17, 1996

PARKING BRAKE FREEZES IN LOCKED POSITION EVERYTIME THE WEATHER GETS BELOW FREEZING, ALSO TRANSMISSION GEARS GRIND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT AT RPM OVER 4000. *AK

NHTSA ID
509811
Engine
Filed Jun 11, 1996

THE OUTLET END OF THE EXHUAST PIPE FLANG WEARS THROUGH, CAUSING OIL TO LEAK RECALL #93E021001. *AK

NHTSA ID
985505
Suspension
Filed May 7, 1996
Crash reported2 injuries reported

VEHICLE ROLLED OVER IN AN ACCIDENT. *DH

NHTSA ID
503975
Incident
May 7, 1996

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .