1988 Toyota SUPRA: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
6 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
35,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1988 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 6 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 33.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 |
| Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars | 2 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood | 1 |
| Structure:Body | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars: 2; Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood: 1; Structure:Body: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 5 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2013 | 1 |
1998: 1; 2000: 1; 2002: 3; 2013: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10535671 · 2013-08-15 (August 15, 2013)
I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT IN 1991, SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED MY USED 1988 SUPRA, MY TARGA TOP ALSO HAD DEVELOPED A LEAK (OVER THE DRIVERS SIDE) BY DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR. DURING HEAVY RAINS, IT WAS QUITE BAD AND I HAD TO CARRY SEVERAL TOWELS AS A PRECAUTION. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY INSTALLED NEW RUBBER SEALS WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEY DID IT FOR FREE AS A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION! IT IS NOW 2013 (22 YEARS LATER) AND I AM STILL DRIVING THE CAR WITHOUT A LEAK IN A RAINSTORM. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 146,00 ORIGINAL. I OCCASIONALL…
Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10535671 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 527753 · 1998-01-05 (January 5, 1998)
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE FOR UNKNOWN REASON WHILE IN MOTION ON FREEWAY.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 527753 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 567446 · 2002-09-06 (September 6, 2002)
THE RADIATOR WAS SERVICED FIVE TIMES. THE HEAD GASKET FAILED DUE TO FLAW IN ENGINE DESIGN. *YH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 567446 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 759540 · 2002-03-19 (March 19, 2002)
HERE'S MY COMPLAINT, THE TARGA TOP ON MY 88 TOYOTA SUPRA, HAS LEAKED EVER SINCE I GOT THE CAR IN 1990. EVERYONE WHOM I HAVE SPOKE TO WITH A TARGA TOP, HAS TOLD ME THAT THEIR TARGA TOPS LEAK. SO, WITH THIS BEING THE CASE I'M SURE IF YOU DO SOME RESEARCH YOU WILL FIND OUT WHAT I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE TARGA TOP, ALONG WITH ITS GASKETS ARE DEFECTIVE FROM THE PLANT. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU FIND OUT IF THERE IS ALREADY A RECALL ON THESE TARGA TOPS AND THEIR GASKETS, AND IF NOT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD POST A CONCERN, OR LET ME KNO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 759540 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 759544 · 2002-03-19 (March 19, 2002)
I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME PREVENT POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS CAUSED FROM ENGINEERING ERROR ON IN THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE TARGA TOP ON THE 1987-1992 TOYOTA SUPRAS, EVERYONE WHOM I SPOKEN TO WHOM OWNS A SUPRA WITH THE TARGA TOP HAS TOLD ME THEY ALL LEAK. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR THE LEAK WAS SMALL, BUT ITS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, AND AS OF NOW, I ONLY USE IT AS A WEEKEND CAR WHEN IT IS NOT RAINING, BUT FOR THOSE SOULS WHOM DO NOT HAVE THIS OPTION, THEY ARE PUTTING THEMSELVES, AS WELL AS OTHERS AT RISK IN CONTINUING TO DRIVE THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. B…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 759544 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 863004 · 2000-06-05 (June 5, 2000)
AFTER TAKING VEHICLE FOR A SAFETY CHECK CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 200 MILES AND HEARD TWO BANGS. THEN, TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HIGH. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE, AND ENTIRE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED TO THE GROUND.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 863004 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
6 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System | 425.0%ODI 11455413There was a beep and then my dashboard went completely blank (was just dark) so I couldn't see any information such as how many miles per hour I was driving or how much gas I had or my navigational information or what gear I was in. Then the dashboard came back on and it said there was reduced driver assitance (but did not say what was wrong). The dealer says my dashboard should not have gone blank but they can't fix it since not sure why. This is very dangerous and should be addressed. | 735.0%ODI 11490226I own a new 2021 Toyota Supra and along with other owners of this new model, there is a safety issue that has been identified. There is a repeating issue with unresponsive/unpredictable throttle behavior for me and other Toyota Supra owners. It only happens on a cold start, when going in reverse on a slope (exiting the garage) and when traction control gets engaged (the wheel gets in the air for a second due to the curb/slope). After this maneuver either the engine gets stalled or the throttle starts to behave unpredictably. Specifically about… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11672811 · 300 miThe contact owns a 2025 Toyota Supra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment screen intermittently darkened and remained inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the receiver and the infotainment system control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 300. |
| Unknown Or Other | 425.0%ODI 11296771 · 150 miEXTREME WIND BUFFETING DRIVING OVER 45MPH WITH 1 OR BOTH WINDOWS DOWN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HEAR WARNINGS OR ANYTHING WHEN THIS OCCURS. CAR & DRIVER RECENTLY PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ABOUT IT AS WELL. HTTPS://WWW.CARANDDRIVER.COM/NEWS/A30380806/TOYOTA-SUPRA-WIND-NOISE-PROBLEM-FIXED/ | 210.0%ODI 11525442I am not sure what components or systems failed or malfunctioned. I just know that randomly when I am at a complete stop and proceed to try to go onto oncoming traffic, the vehicle hesitates as if it is about to die out and then moves at a crawl for roughly 3-4 seconds and then kicks in and accelerates back to normal. I have taken the vehicle to be serviced 4 times but nothing has being resolved. Service department at the dealer says they can't find anything wrong. The last time I took it to the dealer they kept the vehicle for about 5 days to … | 1100.0%ODI 11455923My windshield glass cracked while I wasn’t even driving it. I was told it was due to a rock chip, but I could find no evidence of it. Toyota refused to cover under warranty, so I had it replaced at a total cost of over $900. | 120.0%ODI 11568591Parking brake is releasing on its own. I would press the clutch in when starting the car and as soon as i release or press down again it will release. Car is also in neutral when I am doing this so it has nothing to with it being in gear and releasing. The parking brake should on release when I pull the button or if i am in gear and want to pull off. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine | 318.8%ODI 11721032I am reporting a safety concern involving BMW and Toyota Supra vehicles equipped with the B58 Technical Update (B58TU) engine, commonly found in model years 2019–2021. These vehicles utilize a variable-displacement engine oil pump containing an internal thermoplastic adjusting component responsible for regulating oil pressure. Field failures are increasingly being reported in which this internal component fractures, resulting in sudden loss or instability of engine oil pressure. The failure frequently occurs during cold-start operation in low… | 630.0%ODI 11468260Oil consumption of 1qt at 2800 miles and another one at 5800 miles. Warning message prompted at each time to add a quart. contacted dealer and tech. advised same thing with no further assistance. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16.3%ODI 11329047 · 1,495 miI WAS STOPPED IN THE LEFT TURN LANE AT A RED LIGHT. THE TURN ARROW SWITCHED TO GREEN SO I TOOK THE U-TURN. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE U-TURN GOING ABOUT 15 MPH, WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE CAR OVERSTEERED, AND THE REAR PORTION OF THE CAR KICKED OUT TO THE RIGHT SIDE. I CORRECTED BY COUNTERSTEERING AND REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, CAUSING ME TO OVERSTEER TO THE LEFT SIDE THIS TIME. IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE CAR, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES WHILE OVERSTEERING. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO… | 15.0%ODI 11706699This 2021 Toyota Supra, subject to Toyota’s own “Original Brake System Defect” recall, exhibited chronic braking noise from delivery. Despite multiple dealership visits, the core issue was never resolved. The defect escalated in late 2025, with the vehicle intermittently displaying the most critical “STOP DRIVING” brake warning. In mid-December 2025, it experienced a catastrophic “Sudden Unintended Steering and Acceleration” event during a low-speed turn, where the steering wheel autonomously jerked side-to-side accompanied by uncommanded accel… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes | 16.3%ODI 11439404I scheduled an appointment to get an oil change and recall issue taken care of by a Toyota dealership near me. I dropped it off in the morning and when I called to check up on it in the afternoon they did not even begin to work on the car. I had picked it up because they said they were unable to get to it. Keep in mind they were still working on other cars that were simply pulling in. I had scheduled my appointment a week prior to get this issue taken care of. Now I am putting my safety at risk because they failed to take care of the issue. | 210.0%ODI 11372651 · 1,375 miI WAS ABOUT 8 MILES INTO MY DRIVE AND CAME UP ON A RED LIGHT AND WENT TOP PUSH THE BRAKES AND THERE WAS NO ASSIST, I HAD TO SWERVE INTO ANOTHER LANE AND STAND ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO AVOID REAR ENDING THE STOPPED CARS. THE CARS BRAKES STILL HAVE NO ASSIST AND THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR MALFUNCTION INDICATORS | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 480.0%ODI 11517143This vehicle (in particular the new manual transmission equipped one) has a system which automatically disengages the electronic parking brake when you try to drive away with it applied, and that system does not have enough interlocks or "rules" that govern when it activates. In certain circumstances, the car will automatically disengage the parking brake with as little user input as simply letting the clutch pedal out - even if you've just come to a stop and applied the parking brake immediately before letting the clutch pedal out. Given tha… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11636007The issue appears to be related to the vehicles electronic parking brake for manual transmission vehicles only. When stopping the car and with the car in neutral and engine running, the parking brake is applied per standard operating procedures. However sometimes the parking brake will disengage itself, seemingly at random. This caused a rollaway issue for me twice thinking that the car was in "park" when it wasn't. This was also verified by a Toyota technician during a routine service appointment who documented the issue. There appears to be… |
| Steering | 318.8%ODI 11253592 · 1,100 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TOYOTA SUPRA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK AND A MESSAGE APPEARED, WARNING THE CONTACT NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO A STEERING MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT WAS TOWED TO UNIVERSAL TOYOTA (12102 I-35, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78233, [phone removed]). THE DEALER INITIALLY STATED THAT SINCE THE ENGINE HAD BEEN MODIFIED, THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. THE CONTACT ALSO SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY PROVIDED THE DEALER WITH ANOTHER REASON NOT … | 210.0%ODI 11472341 · 1,700 miDrivers side tie rod has completely broken in half. This happened whilst just backing the car out of my garage and just starting down the drive at 1 mph. Had vehicle picked up and taken to the local dealer where I purchased the vehicle. Toyota refused to cover repair under warranty, saying I would have to pay for a $5000+ repair | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure:Body | Too few reports for a range | 35,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10535671 · 35,000 miI JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT IN 1991, SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED MY USED 1988 SUPRA, MY TARGA TOP ALSO HAD DEVELOPED A LEAK (OVER THE DRIVERS SIDE) BY DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR. DURING HEAVY RAINS, IT WAS QUITE BAD AND I HAD TO CARRY SEVERAL TOWELS AS A PRECAUTION. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY INSTALLED NEW RUBBER SEALS WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEY DID IT FOR FREE AS A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION! IT IS NOW 2013 (22 YEARS LATER) AND I AM STILL DRIVING THE CAR WITHOUT A LEAK IN A RAINSTORM. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 146,00 ORIGINAL. I OCCASIONALL… |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2022: 1 complaints · 2023: 3 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling | Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars | Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood | Structure:Body | Unknown Or Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | — | 0 | 1ODI 863004AFTER TAKING VEHICLE FOR A SAFETY CHECK CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 200 MILES AND HEARD TWO BANGS. THEN, TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HIGH. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE, AND ENTIRE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED TO THE GROUND.*AK | 0 | 0 |
| Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood | 1ODI 863004AFTER TAKING VEHICLE FOR A SAFETY CHECK CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 200 MILES AND HEARD TWO BANGS. THEN, TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HIGH. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE, AND ENTIRE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED TO THE GROUND.*AK | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Structure:Body | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.