Toyota Cressida Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 27 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Toyota Cressida (1986–1991) that have at least 5 complaints. 1989 has the most, with 10. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (10 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Cressida model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7 | — | 0 | 25 | — | Not enough data |
| 1989 | 10 | — | 0 | 20 | — | Not enough data |
| 1987 | 5 | 45,000 | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
| 1986 | 5 | — | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling10 34%
- Equipment5 17%
- Seat belts4 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain3 10%
- Vehicle speed control2 6.9%
- Tires2 6.9%
- Steering2 6.9%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)1 3.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1987: “Rapid & uncontrollable acceleration in Toyota models Toyota Cressida model should be added to recall list. Here is my experience. Having just finished pulling into a parking spot, I attempted to shift the car into park, but instead, the car rapidly accelerated to top speed. The car was blocked from movement by three objects. These were in order of contact: a tall curb, a landscaped medium about 4 feet deep, with a small tree and finally, across the medium (on the opposite side of my parking spot, facing my front) a parked volvo sedan. …”
NHTSA complaint #10314998, filed 2010-02, 45,000 miles1991: “Driving southbound on a fl turnpike. The temp. Was 85 deg. F. Traveling at about 80 MPH (general traffic was traveling at that speed). A couple on in a truck was indicating that something was wrong with our car (they acually stated that our car was on fire). The car was handling ok at the time and there were no unusual smells. I pulled over into an exit as soon as the way was clear, and when I went to apply brakes, the break pedal went to the floor - the car gradually came to a stop on the shoulder. …”
NHTSA complaint #762093, filed 2002-051989: “The transmission fails to shift gears for no reason, no-one realize what's the causes. The car dies when making turns very often, again, no one can find out the reasons.”
NHTSA complaint #10002956, filed 2003-01Other Toyota models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology