VIN REPORT

JT2AW15C2J01440391988 TOYOTA MR2

0of 100
Low Risk
Buyer Risk Score
Recalls
Clear
No open recalls
Safety Grade
B-
80/100 composite
Complaints
1
NHTSA filed
Vehicle Age
38 yrs
Made in JAPAN
BUYPurchase Verdict

1988 TOYOTA MR2 was analyzed across NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, crash test data, and public auction records. 1 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA — review the complaint section for the most common failure patterns.

24 MPG
Verdict & Risk Assessment
📄

Executive Summary

1988 TOYOTA MR2

1988 TOYOTA MR2 was analyzed across NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, crash test data, and public auction records. 1 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA — review the complaint section for the most common failure patterns.

  • Complaints describe critical safety events (fire, fatality, loss of control) — language severity is in the highest tier
Owner Complaint Intelligence

1 owner complaints filed — top areas: Engine/Powertrain (100%).

Critical Alerts

Title Brand Check

Mined from auction damage fields and listing titles — not a DMV title history pull

No auction records available. Title brand status could not be verified — request title history from seller or state DMV.

Vehicle

Vehicle Specifications

Decoded from NHTSA vPIC database

Make
TOYOTA
Model
MR2
Year
1988
Trim / Series
GT(MR2)
Body Style
Coupe
Vehicle Type
PASSENGER CAR
Fuel Type
Gasoline
Engine
4-cyl 1.6L
Doors
2
Manufacturer
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
Assembly
SAGAMIHARA, AICHI, JAPAN
GVWR
Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Assembly Plant Quality

Plant: SAGAMIHARA, AICHI

CQuality55/100
Standard📍 SAGAMIHARA, AICHI

No specific quality data available for this plant. No documented recall or complaint concentrations on record.

Safety

Safety Intelligence

Composite analysis from NHTSA recall, complaint, and crash data

B-
Score: 80/100
Crash Test Rating20/40
Recall Safety30/30
Complaint History30/30
0/100Clear

✓ No high-risk recall components found

0/100
Basic
0 of 20 safety features detected
Missing: Automatic Emergency Braking, Pedestrian AEB, Forward Collision Warning, Electronic Stability Control
Low
  • 1 complaint(s) involved a fire
Recalls

NHTSA Safety Recalls

CLEAR
0found
No Recall Campaigns Found
NHTSA has no active or historical recalls for this 1988 TOYOTA.
Complaints1

Complaint Intelligence

1 complaints analyzed across 1 system categories

Engine/Powertrain
1
Fire/smoke1

Owner Complaints

1 safety complaint filed with NHTSA

1found
1
Fire
ODI #480711ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGFIRE

VEHICLE FIRE. *AK

Complaint Severity Analysis

NLP analysis of complaint language — not all complaints are equal

100/100
Critical Severity
1 of 1 complaints use high-severity language

1 of 1 complaints describe critical safety events (fire, fatality, loss of control) — language severity is in the top tier.

fire
Details & Analysis
Financial

5-Year Ownership Cost Estimate

Based on EPA fuel data, standard depreciation, and US average insurance/maintenance costs

$2,550
Annual Fuel
EPA estimate
$1,800
Annual Insurance
US average
$2,400
Annual Maintenance
38-yr-old vehicle avg
$0
Annual Depreciation
Current period
Estimated 5-Year Total Cost
Fuel + Insurance + Maintenance + Depreciation
$33,750

Estimates use EPA fuel economy data, AAA 2024 national averages for insurance and maintenance, and a standard depreciation curve. Actual costs vary by location, driving habits, and vehicle condition.

5-Year Total Cost of Ownership

Estimated based on EPA fuel data, risk-adjusted maintenance, and depreciation

$35,864
~$598/mo over 5 yrs
$0.1/mi
cost per mile
Fuel
$12,750
Insurance (est.)
$7,500
Maintenance
$9,000
Repair Risk Buffer
$1,500
Depreciation
$5,114

Estimated 5-year cost of ownership: $35,864 (~$598/mo). Repair risk buffer is standard due to vehicle risk profile.

Negotiation Ammunition

Use these data-backed findings to negotiate the price down

Critical-severity owner complaints (fire, fatality, loss of control)−$1,500
Total recommended deduction−$1,500

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Tailored for the 1988 TOYOTA MR2 — specific failure modes your mechanic must check, not a generic list

MEDIUM
Test drive and inspect: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Multiple owner complaints filed for this component — verify it functions correctly during test drive.
MEDIUM
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic
For any used vehicle with a risk score above Low, a $100–$150 independent inspection is always worth it.
MEDIUM
Run a VIN check on NHTSA.gov to confirm all recalls are closed
Free at nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/recalls — enter the VIN and confirm all campaigns show as completed.
MEDIUM
Verify title is clean and check for salvage/rebuilt brands at your state DMV
Title washing across state lines is common — confirm with your state DMV before finalizing purchase.

Recall Probability Forecast

Estimated likelihood of a new recall in the next 18 months based on NHTSA signals

5%
18-month
10%
2-year
Low Probability
Cumulative 2-year risk: 10%

5% baseline recall probability — no strong indicators of an imminent recall.

Maintenance Schedule

OEM-specified service intervals for this vehicle

Maintenance intervals vary significantly by make, model, year, engine, and driving conditions. Always follow the manufacturer's official schedule — not generic industry estimates.

Tip: Request the seller's service records and compare against the manufacturer schedule. Missing intervals are a negotiation point.

History & Auctions

Auction History

Public sale records from Copart, IAAI, and auction aggregators

Searching Public Auction Records

Checking Copart, IAAI, BidFax, and other sources for JT2AW15C2J0144039. Results appear automatically when found.

Insurance Cost Estimate

Estimated annual premiums based on vehicle profile, theft data, and NHTSA safety ratings

Full Coverage
$1,270–$1,620/yr
~$106–$135/mo
Liability Only
$560–$710/yr
~$47–$59/mo
Category: Standard Vehicle
38-year-old vehicle: −28% (lower ACV reduces comprehensive/collision cost)

Based on 2024 national avg ($2,011/yr full coverage). Individual rates vary by driver, location & insurer. Always compare 3+ quotes.

Manufacturer NHTSA Penalty History

Federal fines issued for recall delays and safety violations

TOYOTA has been fined $1217M+ by NHTSA. Most recently in 2014: Criminal settlement — concealed unintended acceleration defects for years before recall.

2014$1200MCriminal settlement — concealed unintended acceleration defects for years before recall
2012$17MFailure to promptly notify NHTSA of power window defect

State-Specific Legal Protections

What consumer laws apply to this vehicle purchase in your state

Select your state to see what consumer protection laws, lemon law coverage, and title disclosure requirements apply to this vehicle purchase.

Complete Data Table

All decoded fields in a single flattened view

Vehicle Identity

VINJT2AW15C2J0144039
Model Year1988
MakeTOYOTA
ModelMR2
SeriesGT(MR2)
Vehicle TypePASSENGER CAR

Body & Configuration

Body StyleCoupe
Doors2
Fuel TypeGasoline

Engine

Engine Cylinders4
Displacement (L)1.6

Manufacturer

ManufacturerTOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
Assembly CitySAGAMIHARA
Assembly CountryJAPAN

VIN Structure

WMI (Chars 1–3)JT2
Check Digit (Char 9)2
Model Year Code (Char 10)J
Plant Code (Char 11)0
Sequence (Chars 12–17)144039

Safety Data

NHTSA Recall Count0
NHTSA Complaint Count1

VIN Structure Decode

ISO 3779 character-by-character breakdown of this Vehicle Identification Number

J
1
T
2
2
3
A
4
W
5
1
6
5
7
C
8
2
9
J
10
0
11
1
12
4
13
4
14
0
15
3
16
9
17
WMI (1–3)
VDS (4–8)
Check Digit (9)
Model Year (10)
Serial (11–17)
J
World Manufacturer
Country & region of manufacture
Position 1
T
Manufacturer
Specific manufacturer identifier
Position 2
2
Vehicle Type
Division or vehicle type
Position 3
AW15C
Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)
Body style, engine type, restraint system
Position 4–8
2
Check Digit
Mathematical validation character
Position 9
J
Model Year
Year of manufacture
Position 10
0
Assembly Plant
Where the vehicle was assembled
Position 11
144039
Production Sequence
Unique serial number for this vehicle
Position 12–17
Country of Manufacture
Japan
From VIN position 1 (J)
Model Year Character
"J" → 1988
Could also be 2018
Check Digit (Pos 9)
✓ Valid
ISO 3779 weighted-sum algorithm
Research This Model

Disclaimer: Data sourced from NHTSA public APIs and scraped auction listings. For informational purposes only. Not a substitute for a paid vehicle history report. Retrieved: 8/2/2026, 9:22:18 AM.