ToyotaVan1986Overview/toyota/van/1986/base/

1986 Toyota Van

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1986 Van.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1986 Toyota Van is a compact multi-purpose vehicle equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission and an engine requiring 3.2 quarts of oil with viscosity ratings of 15W-40, 20W-40, or 20W-50 meeting API SL standards, with EPA fuel economy ratings of 19 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined. In terms of reliability, the 1986 model year recorded 10 total owner complaints with the most frequent issue area being Engine and Engine Cooling, alongside a single recall issued. This complaint level places the 1986 Van among the lower-complaint years in the model's history, suggesting relatively better reliability compared to later iterations that would see increased problem reports.

Model year198919881987198619851984

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 API SLOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy19/22/20 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length175.6 in
Overall width66.5 in
Overall height71.7 in
Wheelbase88.2 in
Curb weight3012 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined19 / 22 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainRear-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 3.2 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 Capacity4 Pints
Engine OilABOVE 10 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity3.2 qt
Power Steering FluidATF
Transfer Case Fluid75W-90 · 80W-90 · GL-4 · GL-5
Transfer Case Fluid Capacity2.6 Pints

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 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.

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) · 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) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed)
Every 40,000 miWheel Bearing (inspect)
At 60,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miFuel Evaporative Canister (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect) · Oxygen Sensor (replace) · Spark Plugs (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.

For the 1986 Toyota Van, the federal record shows six fire complaints and zero crash complaints, with the most frequent complaint categories being Engine & Engine Cooling (5), Electrical System (3), Service Brakes, Hydraulic (1), and Seat Belts (1). However, the supplied year-by-year federal record contains data only for 1990 and 1994, not for 1986 or the immediately adjacent model years, so a direct before-and-after comparison or generation-wide trend analysis for this target year cannot be performed from this dataset. The available 1990 and 1994 entries each show zero recalls and modest complaint counts, but they are too distant from 1986 to infer any arc around the target year. The data does not specify root causes for the 1986 fire or engine-cooling complaints. Given the six fire complaints and the concentration of engine/electrical issues—and because the provided record does not include 1986 recall or investigation counts to clarify those risks—a prospective buyer should treat this as a cautionary year and budget for thorough pre-purchase mechanical and electrical inspections.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
17
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
10
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 6 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 10 complaints on record, top 4 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling5
Electrical System3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
Seat Belts1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

89V089000Steering:Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion)Reported 30/05/1989

THE STEERING BEVEL GEAR ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE WATER CONTAMINATION WHICH COULD LEAD TO RUST/CORROSION. Remedy: REPLACE STEERING BEVEL GEAR ASSEMBLY; COVER LIQUID GASKET MATERIAL WITH IMPROVED MATERIAL.

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

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Recalls
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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 1986 Van take?

3.2 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 1986 Van have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the Van get?

EPA figures are 19 city / 22 highway / 20 combined mpg.