Selling an old Toyota Van

What the Toyota Van is

Toyota sold this van in the US for the 1984 through 1989 model years. Elsewhere it was the TownAce or MasterAce Surf, built at the Kariya plant in Aichi, Japan. It has a front mid-engine layout, with the driver and front passenger sitting directly over the front axle, and drive goes to the rear wheels. Much of the hardware, suspension included, came from Toyota's pickup.

The EPA lists a 2.0-liter four for 1984 and 1985, then a 2.2-liter four from 1986. Transmissions were a manual with five gears or an automatic with four. Four-wheel-drive passenger and cargo vans appear in the EPA's lists from 1987. The Previa took its place.

Steering: two recalls

Two of the van's three recalls are about steering. Recall 86V060, from May 1986, covered 103,700 vans from 1984-1985. The center control arm in the steering linkage could crack if the wheel was turned again and again with the van parked. Toyota swapped in a redesigned arm. One 1985 owner told NHTSA the arm snapped in half at about 55 mph and steering was gone at once. A 1984 owner described a steering wheel that spun freely.

Recall 89V089, from May 1989, covered 110,217 vans from 1986-1988. Water could get into the steering bevel gear and rust it, which could make the steering erratic. The gear assembly was replaced and its sealing improved.

If you don't know whether this work was done, don't drive the van to find out.

Fire reports on the 1986

NHTSA's file holds 31 complaints in all, and 8 report a fire. Five of those are on the 1986, its busiest year with 9 complaints. Owners describe fires in the engine compartment and in the wiring. In one, a hot wire shorted out while the owner was cutting the ground cable to shut off power. Most reports name no cause.

The van's only electrical recall, 83V133, came before any of that. Toyota swapped the voltage regulator on 48,737 vans from 1984 because it might overcharge the battery. It does not cover the 1986.

Complaints and recalls by model year

NHTSA data as of October 10, 2026. A single complaint sits under model year 1990, after the last year the EPA lists.

Seat belts come up on the 1985, where 3 of 6 complaints name them. One owner wrote that the belt would not lock unless the van tilted more than 15 degrees.

Repair or sell?

Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, and if a recall shows open, ask a Toyota dealer whether it can still be done. We have no sourced parts prices to quote. If the steering, the wiring or the body needs real work, compare a written estimate with what the van is worth running. A van that burned is a different sale; see our fire-damaged car guide.

How to sell it

1. Locate the VIN plate and the title. Title lost? Read the no-title guide.
2. Ask for an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it sits, in a yard, a barn or a driveway, and whether the wheels turn.
4. Leave it complete. Missing parts lower the offer.
5. When it is picked up, sign over the title and show ID. Each state's plate rule is in after you sell.

Related Toyotas: the Previa and the Pickup.