Toyota Supra MK4 Reliability – Is The Supra A Perfect Car?

So, you are on the market for a used mk4 Supra and you want to learn more about it. What are its specs? And most importantly the Toyota Supra MK4 reliability record?

• Toyota Supra MK4 Specs
• Toyota Supra MK4 Engine
• Why is The Supra Heavy?
• Is The Supra Twin Turbo?
• What Is The Best Year For Supra?
• Is the MK4 Supra Reliable?
• Why Are MK4 Supras So Expensive?
• Why Is The MK4 Supra So Popular?
• Conclusion

When you are getting a new Supra these are the things you need to focus on. Because you don’t want to get a basket case. You should know what specs this car has and what to expect from it.

The prices of the mk4 Supra have skyrocketed recently and my oh my they are so high. Some Supras even went above the $100,000 tag. Can you imagine that? 100,000 for a Supra? That’s crazy money.

But, that’s how the market works these days and you should know what to expect right from the start. Supras aint cheap. The cheapest Supras at the moment are the naturally aspirated versions. These cars come with a N/A 2JZ engine and an automatic transmission. They produce less power because there isn’t a turbo under the bonnet. But there is still that bulletproof 2JZ engine, so you can modify it in any way possible.

In this article, we are going to cover everything about the mk4 Supra. What are the specs? Then we are going to talk about the engine that is under the hood of the Supra. Then we are going to discuss the Toyota Supra mk4 Reliability. We are also going to answer some common questions when it comes to getting a used mk4 Supra. So, if you want to learn more about the mk4 Supra reliability, follow along.

Toyota Supra MK4 Specs

The Toyota Supra mk4 specs are pretty decent when it comes to sport coupes. And that’s why it became such a hit. The incredible Toyota engineering was a guarantee that the Supra mk4 is going to make the Toyota Supra mk4 reliability record be impeccable.

The A80 program for the mk4 Supra was started back in 1989 and was led by Isao Tsuzuki. In 1990 the design for the mk4 Supra was approved for production. The first prototypes were assembled by hand in 1991 and the engineers at Toyota have begun their testing phase.

By 1993 the Toyota Supra mk4 has entered into production and the production car was based on the Lexus SC300 platform. This platform was already proven so Toyota knew that their car is going to be reliable and well-engineered.

The wheelbase of the car was 100.4 in, which is pretty decent for a coupe and had an overall length of 177.8 in. The curb weight of the Supra was 3,109lb -3,329lb for the naturally aspirated model and 3,285-3,461lb. for the turbo version of the Supra.

The Supra was offered with the same 2JZ engine for both N/A and turbo versions. We are going to cover the 2JZ engine in the next chapter more in detail.

In the transmission department, there were three options, a 5-speed manual, 4 speed automatic, and a 6 speed Getrag 233. The 6-speed manual cars are one of the most desired and valued cars on the market right now. They can cost double or even triple compared to an automatic version.

The production of the Supra lasted until 2002, but the last models in the USA came in 1998. Since the sales of the model were declining imports were stopped.

Toyota Supra MK4 Engine

The engine in the MK4 Supra is the 2JZ. It is a 3.0-liter belt-driven dual overhead camshaft engine with variable valve timing. The 2JZ is an inline six-cylinder engine that comes in either a naturally aspirated version or in a turbocharged version.

The standard 2JZ-GE naturally aspirated engine was rated at 212-227 horsepower and 200-220lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. Considering that the GE was a naturally aspirated 212 horsepower for the time was plenty. The GE versions usually came with the automatic transmission, and that’s why some of these Supras are a bit undervalued compared to the twin-turbo Supras.

The 2JZ-GTE was basically the same engine but turbocharged. It came with two turbochargers and was producing 276 horsepower at 5600 rpm. It also made 320 lb. ft of torque. The horsepower ratings were later bumped to 320 horsepower for the US model.

The 2JZ is regarded as a legend in the car world and has been praised as one of the best engines ever made. This is the case because this engine can handle so much power.

This engine with the stock engine components can easily make more than 600 horsepower with an aftermarket turbo. If you want to mess up and upgrade the pistons, rods, bearings and head. You can easily reach 1000 horsepower.

Many of these Supras are used for drag racing and easily are stealing the show on the dragstrips from Hellcats, GTR’s, and Camaros.

Why Is The Supra Heavy?

The early Supras were heavier by around 200 lb., this was because they used heavier materials during the first years. And started to use aluminum in the newer Supras and many of the components were better engineered. There were aluminum hoods, aluminum targa top, aluminum, front cross member, and oil and transmission pans. Other improvements were the use of lighter materials inside of the car and also a plastic gas tank. All this resulted in a reduction of the weight by 200 lb.

Is The Supra Twin Turbo?

Yes, the mk4 Supra is twin-turbo. The mk4 Supra is incorporating two sequential turbochargers that work in tandem. One of the turbochargers is smaller and the other is a bit bigger. The smaller turbo spools first in order to give you that low-end torque and then the big turbo goes into action at a higher speed. This makes the 2JZ-GTE super-efficient for the time this car was in production.

The turbos delivered a lot of torque that was launching this car from 0-60 in 4.9s. These times for the 90s were really respectable and the Supra was one of the fastest cars on the road, along with the Nissan GTR which was even illegal to import in the USA because of its speed.

What Is The Best Year For Supra?

The best Supras were made in 1998. This is only if you are looking for a US market Supra. If you want to import from Japan you can go for the later models beyond 1998.

So, why the 1998 model? Because it was the best in any way possible. The later models past 1996 came with lower weight and came with bigger power. The last models for the twin-turbocharged variant had 320 horsepower.

Along with that, there were a ton of other improvements in the driving ability and improvements in technology such as the OBD2 certification, ABS system, redesigned headlights, taillights, and redesigned front end.

Also, the later models are rarer and that’s why they are holding a higher price compared to the early versions of the Supra.

So, if you want a collector’s car, the 1998 model will be perfect, and most of these Supras cost more than $100,000 for pristine examples.

If you want a car that you can modify, you can get an automatic Supra with a N/A motor or the twin-turbo motor. You can do a Supra manual swap and make your Supra the same as the original manual cars.

Installing a bigger turbo is also a good option if you want to make big power. With small tweaks, you can hit 600 hp easily. But is the Toyota Supra mk4 reliability level good? We are going to find out in the next chapter.

Is The MK4 Supra Reliable?

The mk4 Supra is a reliable vehicle. Considering that is well above 20 years old, there are plenty of Supras that have 200,000+ miles on the odometer.

The 2JZ is a powerhouse that offers a lot of reliability and is almost a bulletproof engine. Some of these engines are modified at well above 150,000 miles and are pushing more than 600-wheel horsepower. And that tells a lot about Toyota Supra mk4 reliability.

Also, the manual Getrag 233 transmission is considered to be quite good and durable. It is able to handle a lot of torque. There were some reports on the automatic transmission not shifting correctly and in cars that have more than 150k miles on the odometer, the gearbox starts to slip gears. This can be frustrating, but that’s how it goes with older transmissions. The best way is to do a manual swap and increase the fun element of your Supra. Personally, I would go this way without a doubt if I had one.

The interior of the Supra stood the test of time and is still in good shape. Even though some air vents may crack and break but that’s nothing.

The body of these Supras is also very durable and doesn’t have many corrosion problems. Although it is a good thing to have a detailed inspection before getting a Supra. For you to know what you are getting yourself into.

So, are mk4 Supras reliable? Yes, they are, they are very good vehicles and the aftermarket has plenty of parts for them. Even if something breaks you will be able to replace it for a good price.

Common Supra Questions

Since we have covered the Toyota Supra reliability now, we can discuss some questions that bother people when it comes to the mk4 Supra. So, let’s begin.

Is The MK4 Supra A Good Frist Car?

If you consider yourself a car guy then you can bet that the Supra is a good first car, but I personally would get a car that is more affordable for a first car.

Since you are still learning, it is not recommended to drive fast cars. Even though the Supra has 320 horses, it is still fast and can get you in trouble.

And especially if you get a modified Supra that had many components replaced and is making well beyond the stock power ratings. This can also put your life at risk. If you are not experienced you can crash your car, and potentially damage your health.

That’s why beginners should drive an ordinary small power car in order not to get themselves into trouble that will potentially have tragic consequences.

Why Are MK4 Supras So Expensive?

Well, because they are enjoying big popularity. The increase in price is caused by many factors and the biggest factor is the popularity of the Supra. Since the late 2000s with the fast and furious movies, these cars have gained a lot of traction inside the car community. This traction is in a continuous climb until this day.

This popularity will not go away anytime soon, so you can expect that the Supra prices will get even higher. This climb in prices is also affected by another factor and that is the global market. Cars tend to get more expensive because of the lack of computer chips.

This chip shortage has also affected the price of used cars and cars recently have went up in value.

Why Is The MK4 Supra So Popular?

The Supra is popular because of its representation in pop culture. Namely movies and also with the development of the car community in the last years the popularity even increased by a lot. This has been reflected in the price of the Supra and the Supra became more expensive.

Why Is Supra Hated?

The Supra is hated because it’s popular. Everything that is popular has also had a group of people that don’t like this popularity and this is the case with the Supra. People just think that the Supra is an overvalued car.

Conclusion

In this article, we have covered a lot when it comes to the mk4 Toyota Supra, we have covered all of the history of this model and the specs.

We have discussed the engine and transmission options. Now we know how much power do they make and how they are handling this power.

We also covered the main topic and that is the Toyota Supra mk4 reliability. The reliability of the Supra is impeccable and deserves to be considered as an option for your next purchase.

And lastly, we have answered some common Supra questions that car guys want an answer to. We have also covered reliability problems with the Ford Crown Vic and we shared some cool mods that you can do to your Charger. Soon we are going to cover the best Supra mods. Once again, thanks for reading, and please share the article if you enjoyed it.