Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age, so 100% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine and Engine Cooling, with 7 complaints, typically at 9.3 years.
Toyota Cressida years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6 | 5 | yes | |
| 1989 | 4 | 4 | yes |
Among the 2 Toyota Cressida years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 1991, 1989; the three worth hunting are 1989, 1991.
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | 16.7% | you pay | |
| 6 years | 33.3% | you pay | |
| 7 years | 50% | you pay | |
| 10 years | 83.3% | you pay | |
| 14 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 0% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 100% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 39% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
What waits further out is Engine And Engine Cooling at 9.3 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 9.3 yrs | — | 2 | |
| Seat Belts | — | 1 | — | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | — | 3 | — | |
| Suspension | — | — | — | |
| Power Train | 5 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Electrical System | 10 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Equipment | 14 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Tires | 10 yrs | — | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the Cressida's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Corolla draws 5.16, the Lexus IS 1.31 and the BMW M3 1.49, against 1.05 for the Cressida. That is the fewest complaints of the group.
| Same class as the Cressida | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Corolla | 219 | 1981–2026 | |
| Lexus IS | 118 | 2001–2026 | |
| BMW M3 | 78 | 1988–2026 | |
| Acura TLX | 41 | 2015–2026 | |
| Ford Focus | 138 | 2000–2026 | |
| Subaru WRX | 17 | 2015–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
Is the Toyota Cressida reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.05 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.
When do Cressida problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age. The most reported system is Engine and Engine Cooling, typically at 9.3 years, followed by Seat Belts.
Will the warranty cover Cressida problems?
Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 0% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 39% of the complaints here.
Is the Cressida more reliable than the Toyota Corolla?
Yes: 1.05 complaints per production run for the Cressida against 5.16 for the Toyota Corolla.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.