ToyotaCressida1988Overview/toyota/cressida/1988/base/

1988 Toyota Cressida

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1988 Cressida.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1988 Toyota Cressida is defined mechanically by its four-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring 4.9 quarts of oil, delivering an EPA rating of 16 city and 22 highway mpg. Though the engine and engine cooling category tops the complaint list, the car carries zero recalls and just two total owner complaints. This low complaint count matches the minimum volume observed across the model's 1990-1992 history, placing the 1988 model at the peak of the Cressida's reliability timeline and underscoring its overall dependability for researchers.

Model year199219901989198819871986198519841983

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 API SLOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/22/18 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length187.8 in
Overall width66.5 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase104.7 in
Curb weight3307 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)53/47

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 22 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume90 cu ft
Cargo volume13 cu ft
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Cressida of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

10.5 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.50 sec — 1985 Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1985Sedan 2.8L I-610.50 sec17.10 sec116 hpRWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.9 qt of 15W-40 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 API SL engine oil, GL-5 · 80W-90 in the differential.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear OilGL-5 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.6 Pints
Engine OilABOVE 10 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity4.9 qt

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 20,000 miBody Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Weatherstrip Seal (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 40,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miFuel Evaporative Canister (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1988 model sits before the 19901992 federal window shown in the record, and its target-year data—one crash complaint and one each in Engine & Engine Cooling and Vehicle Speed Control—represents lower federal reporting than the five-to-seven complaint range seen in the documented later years. Across the generation’s recorded span, complaints rose from five in 1990 to seven in 1991 then dropped to two in 1992, while recalls and investigations held steady at zero. Because the 1988 data contains no recall or investigation flags and the record does not specify root causes for its few complaints, it lands early in a low-volume arc that predates the slight uptick seen in 1990–1991. With zero fire complaints and no recalls across the entire generation sample, the 1988 Cressida registers as a comparatively clean federal-record candidate, making it a sound year to buy on that basis.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
19
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
2
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling1
Vehicle Speed Control1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 19 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TSB0032202023-08-17Air BagsTSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or…
Toyota PRO19-022022-01-12TiresPOL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all…
T-SB-0032-20 Rev2021-02-03EquipmentTSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or…
T-SB-0304-17 Obs2020-04-07EquipmentTSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see…
T-SB-0032-202020-04-06EquipmentTSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Cressida. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1988 Cressida take?

4.9 qt of ABOVE 10 degrees F 15W-40, 20W-40 OR 20W-50 API SL, ABOVE -10 degrees F 10W-30, 10W-40 OR 10W-50 API SL, BELOW 50 degrees F: 5W-30 API SL, per the factory manual.

Does the 1988 Cressida have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Cressida get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg.