Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
11
Latest Feb 15, 2010
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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.
1
Overview
Our database contains 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Toyota Supra, most frequently naming the engine, seat belts and visibility categories. 17 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Monthly complaints peaked at 2 in Jan 1996. Most recent month: 1.View as table
Monthly owner complaints for the 1989 Toyota Supra
Month
Complaints filed
Cumulative
Jul 1995
1
1
Sep 1995
1
2
Jan 1996
2
4
May 1996
1
5
Feb 1997
1
6
Feb 1998
1
7
Sep 1999
1
8
Jul 2000
1
9
Aug 2002
1
10
Feb 2010
1
11
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Engine640.0%
Seat belts213.3%
Visibility213.3%
Brakes16.7%
Steering16.7%
Other / unspecified16.7%
Heating & air conditioning16.7%
Driver assistance16.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
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. I THREW THE FLOOR MATS AWAY, AND MADE SURE TO REPLACE THEM WITH ONES THAT WERE FASTENED DOWN. I NEVER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR
NHTSA ID
10310661
Incident
May 1, 1997
Mileage
95,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 18, 2002
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
NHTSA ID
765828
Engine
Filed Jul 4, 2000
BLOWN HEAD GASKET, BLOWN PISTON DUE TO OVERPRESSURE, STALLED.
NHTSA ID
724896
Incident
Apr 18, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Sep 9, 1999
DRIVER'S SEATBELT FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, WILL NOT RETRACT AND TIGHTEN, CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK
NHTSA ID
847366
Engine
Filed Feb 24, 1998
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
NHTSA ID
821158
Incident
Feb 4, 1998
Visibility
Filed Feb 11, 1997
POWER WINDOW BUTTON FELL OFF.
NHTSA ID
514668
Incident
May 18, 1996
Engine
Filed May 22, 1996
Fire reported
CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERHEATED, RESULTING IN UNDER BODY FIRE INTO THE INTERIOR. *AK
NHTSA ID
984758
Incident
May 8, 1996
Engine
Filed Jan 9, 1996
HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING COOLANT RECOVERY BOTTLE TO OVERFLOW. (SECOND VEHICLE ON 490785, 601407) *DSH
NHTSA ID
601406
Incident
Jan 9, 1996
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.
T-SB-0304-17 Obs
EQUIPMENT
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
PG004-97-Obsolet
EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Technical Service Bulletin: OBSOLETE NOTICE: July 31, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0304-17.
PG006-01-Obsolet
EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Technical Service Bulletin: OBSOLETE NOTICE: July 31, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0304-17.
T-SB-0304-17_Rev
EQUIPMENT
TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 31, 2018 Rev2: ? The Supersession Notice has been updated. January 11, 2018 Rev1: ? The Supersession Notice has been updated. Any previous printed versions of this bulletin should be discarded. SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, and T-SB-0144-08. Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, and T-SB-0144-08 are obsolete and any printed versions should be discarded. Vehicle replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) may be available from Toyota, provided the request meets one of the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Replacement Certification Label and VIN Plate Criteria A replacement certification label and/or VIN plate may be requested if: ? The vehicle was in an accident and the label and/or plate is damaged or attached to a part that will be replaced during the repair. ? The label and/or plate was stolen.
T-SB-0304-17_Rev
EQUIPMENT
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, and T-SB-0144-08. Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, and T-SB-0144-08 are obsolete and any printed versions should be discarded. Be sure to review the entire content of this bulletin before proceeding. REVISION NOTICE January 11, 2018 ? The Supersession Notice has been updated. Any previous printed versions of this bulletin should be discarded. Vehicle replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) may be available from Toyota, provided the request meets one of the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.