Comments: 1-15, 16-17
Blown head gasket at 125,498. Blown piston. Toyota should make a recall on their faulty head gasket and fix the damage caused to the engine due to this defect. If you already have a Supra contact Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and establish a claim under your name. Or, call 1-800-331-4331. Support a Toyota Supra recall effort and pressure them to take responsibility for their defective head gasket. Don't wait until this happens to you.
Search the Net for inside information on the Supra's problem with its head gasket.
This could save you a lot of money.
Thanks a lot for warning other would-be buyers and drivers...
...Your information sure helps.
I think Supra owners and buyers alike should try to keep in touch with you...
I own a 1988 Toyota Supra. I had hard time driving this car due to over heating. I changed water pump and radiator fan all the time. As I thought that might be the problem. But with no luck I changed head gasket and head three times already. One time one burnt piston.
I contracted to Toyota Motor about it. They informed me that there is no recall on Toyota Supra. Only they have recall on 1988 Land Cruiser / 4 Runner. Most probably Land Cruiser / 4 Runner has same kind of engine as Supra.
Friends please post if you are having same kind of problems. So we can have Toyota Motor fix our problem. There number is 1-800-331-4331 Thank you.
Concerned Consumer:
I have replaced the head gasket on my supra at 62,000 miles (symptoms: leaking externally). I now have a blown head gasket or cracked head at 217,000 miles (symptoms: initial fluctuations in temperature, now smoke and steam). Are these cars prone to these problems?
I too, have replaced the head gasket on my Supra, as well as the clutch fan and radiator at under 187,000 miles. This was done not 2 months ago, and it is beginning to act up again, but not overheating, just using a lot of oil. Despite these problems, I still love my car, but will call the 800 number, because I can't afford the $800.00 head job again.
Thanks.
Lorrie
Northern California.
I had an 87 Toyota Supra and the head gasket blew at 168K. Up until that problem, this car was really reliable.
I read that this problem is because they didn't tighten the head bolts enough, and they used a composite head gasket instead of metal. It's really disappointing, but even more so is that they didn't acknowledge this problem and perform a recall.
My 84' Celica also had a serious over-heating problem that I couldn't solve (after replacing everything in the cooling system). It seems like it had the same problem.
Honestly, I don't think I'll buy Toyota ever again. Bad head gasket design, and no recall.
Here's my full experience: http://www.codelayer.com/toyota_headgasket.html
Well on a 150k mile engine you can expect something to go wrong...
They never went when the cars where new hence why there was never a recall...
I think having an engine that has done 100k miles and having a head gasket go ain't too bad considering it's a turbo engine.. yes there are design faults.. The engine was later revised with the 1jz and the 2jz in the later supras.. The old M series engine was finished with..
Head gaskets are notorious on all 7mge and 7mgte series engines. This engine is also found in the rarer Cressida. You can bet that if your supra overheats mysteriously, good chance it's a leaking head gasket!
On my car, the engine ran very well, no misfires or any symptom of head gasket issues, however you could only drive the car 30 minutes before you had a boilover!
After the head gasket and head were re-worked, the car was just fine afterwards. To have a major problem with a japanese engine at 100k (that has had good maintenance) is un-acceptable!
Hey, I just bought a Supra that had the same head problems you all described guess what I did to fix it. Tighten it down to about 120 pounds on each bolt. that fixed the water mixing with the oil, but, I still can't get it to stop over heating, but it only happens on the freeway.
My 2001 Celica with only 68000 miles is leaking/burning oil. I took it to a Toyota dealership for service and they verified it is burning oil, but also informed me there has been no recall. Could it be a leaking head gasket problem like other comments read about the Supra? There is no oil on the floor, but it is going somewhere else. Any suggestions?
I ahave a 1989 toyota supra in the past 1 year time I change head gasket twice please advise.
You guys must be joking. Your complaining about cars that are old and worn. Your expectations are head gaskets are to last forever??? It is a thin piece of material between two very hot pieces of metal. Also you are very quick to assume it is the car. I am a 1984 and 1988 Supra owner. The 1988 was bought new and has almost 200,000 miles. Yes I've replaced gaskets, belts, etc... It is called maintenace people. Gaskets will wear out just like tires and brakes.
I love the Supra and have had three of them. The issue is the BHG happens regardless of the miles. Its just the luck of the draw. I purchased single owner 1987 Supra last year that has 50K original miles on it. The car is perfect throughout and was barely driven. It has a BHG but still driveable, just buying time until it can get in the shop for overhaul. My other cars have made it much longer, 80K and 100K miles, before new BHG. 50K is just not acceptable.
100K miles on a car is not that much either. When the MKIII was first introduced Japanese cars had reputation for exceeding this benchmark by twice that before catastrophic failure.
Think about it, commuting to work, weekend trips, and running errands all add up. It does not require that much time to put 75-125K miles on car. That's only around 50 miles average miles driven per day. Toyota left the Supra owners, possibly the most dedicated Toyota patrons, out in the cold with this one.
I just picked up a 1989 Toyota Supra Turbo. It has 155000 on the car, but it only has about 40000 on a JDM moter, the BHG problem has got me worried. I love this car, I think that Toyota should do somthing about the problem, I also have a 1990 Pontiac Firbird with over 190000 on a stock 305, and factor head gaskets, no problems. I am going to pull the valve cover off and retork the head bolts and go from there.
I am thinking about buying an '89 Supra that is in need of a new head gasket. It is going for $500.
I love doing my own work on cars (previously only my friends because this will be my first car) but don't know what the price of this fix could be.
Advice anyone? Should I buy the car? Should I keep looking? I'm not made of money but have a steady income for a high schooler.
Hi, Brought a Supra 1989 with 39599 miles, in perfect condition, almost new, every thing is perfect and the HG is good nothing wrong with it,Decided to changed the HG want with the best HG in the market, know I added few stuff on the motor, bigger turbo and and and, I have reached to 432HP, and i'm done, this what I want,
don't go with cheap HG, it won't work. and you have to get new bolts to, good luck guys.