ToyotaPickup1987Overview/toyota/pickup/1987/base/

1987 Toyota Pickup

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

The 1987 Toyota Pickup carries a 4-quart oil capacity specified for 15W-40, 20W-40, or 20W-50 API SL viscosity grades. Reliability data shows a sparse record of just 8 owner complaints and a single recall, with seat belts representing the primary reported issue. This positions the model year favorably against the 1990-2002 complaint window, which saw volumes spike to 105 for the 1994 model year, indicating substantially lower documented reliability concerns than those recorded in later production years.

Model year198919881987198619851984198319821981

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 API SLOEM · verified

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

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

10.0–14.3 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.02 sec — 1989 SR5 Xtracab V-6
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1989SR5 Xtracab V-6 3.0L V610.02 sec17.69 sec150 hpRWD
1979Regular Cab 2.2L I-414.30 sec19.80 sec90 hp4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4 qt of 15W-40 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 API SL engine oil, GL-5 · 80W-90 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilGL-5 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.8 Pints
Engine OilABOVE 10 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Engine OilAPI · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity5.1 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 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 15,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate) · Steering Knuckle (lubricate) · Transfer Case Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 20,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Weatherstrip Seal (inspect)
At 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 40,000 miWheel 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) · Oxygen Sensor (replace)
At 120,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (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 federal record for this generation begins in 1990, so 1987 falls just outside the documented arc, meaning we cannot directly compare it to adjacent model years or place it precisely within the generation's trend. What the record does show is a clear complaint arc from 1990 onward: complaints climb steadily from 30 in 1990 to a peak of 105 in 1994, then drop sharply to 52 in 1995 before collapsing to single digits (1–7) from 1996 through 2002, with recalls following a similar pattern—3–4 per year through 1995, then zero thereafter. For the 1987 model year specifically, federal data captures only 7 complaints total, led by Seat Belts (3) and Tires (2), with 2 crash-related complaints and zero fire complaints; the data does not specify root causes for any of these. The low complaint count for 1987 is comparable to the quiet tail end of the generation (1996–2002), though this likely reflects limited reporting volume for a pre-1990 vehicle rather than superior build quality. Given the sparse but benign federal record for 1987—no recalls, no investigations, no fire complaints, and a modest complaint profile—this appears to be a reasonable model year to buy, provided a pre-purchase inspection addresses the seat belt and tire areas flagged in the data.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
17
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
8
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 8 complaints on record, top 5 components.

Seat Belts3
Tires2
Steering,Suspension1
Suspension1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06E026000Exterior LightingReported 23/03/2006

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL… Remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 17 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 Pickup. 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 Pickup take?

4 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 1987 Pickup have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.