The Huge Lie About The 1994 Toyota Supra You Should Stop Believing
The 1994 Mk IV Toyota Supra is rightfully in the pantheon of the greatest cars of the 1990s. Mentioning the Supra name brings back memories of other automotive greats like the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mazda RX-7, and the Acura Integra Type R. Production for the fourth-gen A80 Toyota Supra began in 1993. It came to market with either a naturally-aspirated 3.0-liter 2JZ-GTE inline-six with 220 horsepower (and a five-speed manual transmission) or a twin-turbocharged 2JZ-GTE inline-six pumping out 276 horsepower to the rear wheels using a six-speed manual stick.
The 1994 Toyota Supra gained more notoriety for its starring role in "The Fast and the Furious" in 2001. Because of that movie, Brian O'Conner's (played by the late Paul Walker) Mk IV Supra became a vital part of automotive folklore. We don't care if Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 5.4 out of 10 — that movie was all about the cars, anyway. Who could forget O'Conner's orange Mk4 Toyota Supra "10-second car" humiliating a Ferrari F355 Spider in an impromptu drag race on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu? That scene fortified Supra's reputation as a world-class beater, given a judicious slew of aftermarket parts and expert tuning.
While we can't blame you for wanting the Mk IV Supra, it's commonly held among car enthusiasts that the 1994 Supra was banned for "reliability issues." It's been written about plenty of times, but — curiously — there's no record on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.
The 1994 Supra Mk IV was fast and furious but not banned
We dug around to get to the bottom of the issue and what we found out will bring tears to your eyes — tears of joy. While it's true that the 1994 Supra did have 10 complaints on the NHTSA website, according to an NHTSA email to SlashGear, it never banned the 1994 Supra for reliability issues. Some of the complaints had to do with transmission failure, accelerated wear on the headlight housings, and tire issues. In addition, there were problems with the electrical system retarding the engine timing in hot weather, leading to power loss and poor acceleration. But, again, no ban.
We know what you're thinking: if the NHTSA did not ban the Supra, is it legal to import one to America? The answer is yes, according to the NHTSA's FAQ: "A motor vehicle that is at least 25 years old can be lawfully imported into the U.S. without regard to whether it complies with all applicable FMVSS." If Brian O'Conner can have one, so can you. Hopefully the rumors of the NHTSA banning the 1994 Toyota Supra can be laid to rest.