6th gen Toyota Corolla 1988–1992 E90

Overview

Engines

1.6L four-cylinder, carbureted, 1.6L four-cylinder, 1.6L twin-cam four-cylinder, GT-S

Came as

• Sedan
• Wagon
• Sport coupe 1988–1991
• All-Trac wagon
• +1 more

On record

1 warning, 1 recall

The story

The 6th gen went on sale for 1988, the last Corolla classed as a subcompact and the first with no rear-drive model. Every model had a 16-valve twin-cam engine and four-wheel independent suspension. Toyota, a published reference

NUMMI in California and Toyota's plant at Cambridge, Ontario built the sedans. NUMMI had built the FX, which never sold well in the US, so it switched to the sedan. A published reference

Rare and special

• All-Trac sedan

Colors

• Sunset Silver Metallic An owners' registry (unofficial)192, 1992
• Gray on Silver Metallic An owners' registry (unofficial)23E, 1988
• Silver on Gray Metallic An owners' registry (unofficial)27M, 1990
• Medium Brown Metallic An owners' registry (unofficial)4J5, 1989
• Light Topaz Metallic An owners' registry (unofficial)4E1, 1990

Sources: An owners' registry (unofficial)

Specs

Engines

• 1.6L four-cylinder, carbureted 4A-F A published reference, an owners' registry (unofficial)

  95 hp · 1988–1989

• 1.6L four-cylinder 4A-FE engine page Edmunds, a published reference

  Fuel-injected, 102 hp

• 1.6L twin-cam four-cylinder, GT-S 4A-GE engine page Toyota, a published reference

  115 hp for 1988–1989, 135 hp for 1990–1991 · 1988–1991

Transmissions

• 5-speed manual Edmunds
• Automatic Edmunds

Drivetrains

• Front-wheel drive Toyota, a published reference
• All-Trac four-wheel drive Toyota, Curbside Classic, a published reference

Body styles

• Sedan A published reference
• Wagon A published reference
• Sport coupe (1988–1991) Edmunds, a published reference
• All-Trac wagon Curbside Classic, a published reference
• All-Trac sedan (1989–1990) Edmunds, a published reference, an owners' registry (unofficial)

Trims

• Standard Edmunds, a published reference
• DX Edmunds, a published reference
• LE Edmunds, a published reference
• SR5 A published reference
• GT-S A published reference

Packages

• 25th Anniversary edition (1990) A published reference

Figures

• Model codes: AE92 front-drive sedan, coupe and wagon; AE95 All-Trac A published reference
• North American output: NUMMI and Cambridge built 279,000 of the 4.5 million AE92s made A published reference
• GT-S engine for 1990: A revised head and intake with higher compression and no T-VIS, 135 hp A published reference
• Frontal crash test, 1990: NHTSA gave three stars for the driver and two for the passenger Edmunds

Rare trims and options

• Rare

  All-Trac sedan Body style

  Built in very small numbers A published reference

Years and what changed

1. 1988

   New generation: sedan, wagon, Sport coupe and All-Trac wagon, all with 16-valve twin-cam engines. Toyota, a published reference

2. 1989

   No change recorded

3. 1990

   Fuel injection becomes standard across the range, and the GT-S's revised engine makes 135 hp. A 25th Anniversary edition marks the Corolla's 25 years. Edmunds, a published reference

4. 1991

   The All-Trac sedan is dropped. The grille gets Toyota's newer emblem, the taillights turn all red, and the front seat belts move to the doors. Edmunds, a published reference

5. 1992

   The Sport coupe is dropped, and the LE sedan comes only as an automatic. Edmunds

Watch out

Faults owners and the press report, and how to spot each one.

• Rust underneath, All-Trac All years

  One source so far

  Check: Put the car on a lift and look at the floor, rear suspension mounts and rockers for rust.

  Two of the seven All-Trac owners commenting on Curbside Classic's article, an unofficial source, report rust underneath. Owners' reports (unofficial)

Recalls

Newest first. Ask the seller for proof the work was done, or check the VIN with NHTSA.

• 1992 Recall 91V168000

  A computer error put some of the weight rating digits in the wrong places on the certification label on the left front door. NHTSA

Checked against NHTSA records on November 2, 2026.

Owning

What owners and buyers say

• Sought after

  The Sport coupe and All-Trac All years

  One source so far

  SlashGear ranks the 6th gen fifth of twelve, picking out the GT-S coupe's pop-up lights and twin-cam engine and the All-Trac wagon's full-time all-wheel drive. SlashGear

• Sought after

  All-Trac durability All years

  One source so far

  Of seven All-Trac owners commenting on Curbside Classic's article, an unofficial source, five praise their wagons' durability, two of them past 345,000 miles. Owners' reports (unofficial)

Maintenance

No service schedule is added yet.