SuzukiSamurai1987Overview/suzuki/samurai/1987/base/

1987 Suzuki Samurai

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Samurai.

Transmission Manual 5-spd

The 1987 Suzuki Samurai paired its manual 5-spd transmission with an engine requiring 3.9 quarts of 20W-50, 15W-40, or 15W-50 API oil, delivering EPA ratings of 23/27/25 mpg. Reliability records for this model year show zero recalls and six total owner complaints, with tires cited as the top concern—a complaint volume that matches the highest annual tally in the model’s subsequent 1990–1998 history, where yearly grievances peaked at six in 1992 and bottomed at one in 1998. That parity with the later peak indicates the 1987 generated a proportionally significant share of owner feedback within the Samurai’s documented reliability arc, even as it carries no recall exposure.

Model year199519941993199219911990198919881987

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-50 / 15W-40 / 15W-50 APIOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy23/27/25 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionManual 5-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length135 in
Overall width57.5 in
Overall height66.1 in
Wheelbase79.9 in
Curb weight2094 lb

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 27 / 25 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 3.9 qt of 20W-50 / 15W-40 / 15W-50 API engine oil, 75W-80 · 75W-90 · GL-5 in the differential.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear Oil75W-80 · 75W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.2 Pints
Engine OilABOVE 14 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity3.9 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 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.

At 7,500 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Suspension Shock or Strut (inspect) · Throttle Cable (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 7,500 miBody Fasteners (torque) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Frame Fasteners (torque) · Suspension System (inspect)
Every 15,000 miCV Joint Boot (inspect) · Distributor Cap (inspect) · Distributor Rotor (inspect) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate) · Fuel System (inspect) · Suspension Shock or Strut (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAir Injection System (inspect) · Choke System (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)
Every 50,000 miEGR System (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Ignition Timing (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (replace)
Every 80,000 miOxygen Sensor (replace)
Every 100,000 miFuel Evaporative Canister (replace)

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 provided federal record for model years 1990 through 1998 indicates that regulatory investigations and recalls were active only in 1990 and 1991, ceasing entirely for the remainder of the documented generation. In contrast, the 1987 target year presents specific safety data including three crash complaints and one fire complaint, with additional issues logged in tires, structure, engine and engine cooling, and suspension. Although complaint counts in later years fluctuated, peaking at six in 1992 before falling to one by 1998, the 1987 model predates the period where investigations and recalls were implemented to address identified issues. This chronology implies the 1987 vehicle does not benefit from the corrective actions associated with the 1990 and 1991 recall campaigns. Given the presence of fire and crash complaints alongside structural concerns without associated recall data, this is not a good year to buy.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
2
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
6
Owner complaints
3 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 6 complaints on record, top 5 components.

Tires2
Structure1
Engine & Engine Cooling1
Suspension1
Steering1

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 2 of 2 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
N-Q-G-0452018-11-20SuspensionThis Service Bulletin was sent by Suzuki Motor Corporation to its authorized Suzuki…
0104145Engine And Engine CoolingCORRECT COOLANT USAGE. *EH

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 Samurai. 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 1987 Samurai take?

3.9 qt of ABOVE 14 degrees F: 20W-50 API, ABOVE 0 degrees F: 15W-40 OR 15W-50 API, ABOVE -4 degrees F: 10W-40 OR 10W-50 API, -4 degrees F TO 86 degrees F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 86 degrees F: 5W-30 API (STARBURS, per the factory manual.

Does the 1987 Samurai have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the Samurai get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 27 highway / 25 combined mpg.