1990 Toyota Cressida review from North America

This model of Cressida was abandoned by Toyota, even though they knew about the problem, which is notorious, and you can find the answer for your inherent problem all over the Web from disgruntled Cressida owners.

I own a '90 and a '91, and BOTH engines have been rebuilt because of the head gasket factory DEFECT. The '91 blew the HG and I had to rebuild the engine, TWICE. The '90 (purchased in mint condition) just required a gasket replacement - I didn't have to rebuild the engine because I caught it BEFORE the engine blew. Toyota used an asbestos gasket with the incorrect torque, and even after they found the problem they refused to honor the hundreds of claims from blown engine owners.

The fix - The coolant enters your engine from a blown head gasket - If the head (and engine) isn't/aren't damaged you MAY be able to get away with replacing the head gasket without rebuilding the engine. When you do, make sure you use the NON-Toyota gasket and the correct torque, which is about 10 lbs. tighter than factory.

Also check the inline relays and fuses, which control the condensor fans. I troubleshot my circuits and they all came up OKAY, BUT the fans weren't coming on. But the fans DID come on when I applied direct power to them. I had to change each fuse and relay one-by-one before I found the defective fuse - The fans came on when the engine was in traffic (as designed) and all was well with the world. Toyota also has a weird default - If there is NOT enough Freon in the system, the pressure won't allow the fans to engage. You'll get a little cooling in the cabin, but you will overheat eventually.

Also check the fan clutch which is in the center of the BIG fan cooling the radiator. This fan will turn just great and you THINK it's working, but the silicone IN the clutch MAY have dried up and you can pretty much stop the fan with your Hand. DON'T DO IT.! But you can remove the fan, replace the silicone for a couple of bucks and the difference will be HEARD immediately. You DO require a special (hammer-type) tool to remove the bolts. Once replaced, you will hear a strong wind sound as soon as you turn on your engine.

You can do all the 'other' basic checks - T/Stat, system pressure test, oil cap inspection (if it's milky under the cap, your engine and cooling system has been compromised).

I am a buyer of ALL makes of vehicles for export, and because of Toyota's total disregard for this inherent factory-built and designed problem, I DON'T sell Toyotas and I recommend ALL my clients to buy ANYTHING BUT. Because of this Toyota has lost over TWO HUNDRED vehicle sales to their competition.

Good luck to all you loyal Cressida owners.

Doc.