When was the last car built with a carburetor?

The last carburetor-equipped passenger cars in major markets were built around the 1990 model year, with a broader transition to fuel injection by the early 1990s. In some developing markets, carburetors persisted a bit longer, but today virtually all new cars use electronic fuel injection.

Carburetors once powered every gasoline engine, but tighter emissions standards, stricter fuel-management rules, and the efficiency gains of electronic fuel injection accelerated their demise. This article outlines the regional timelines, notes notable exceptions, and explains what this means for today’s car landscape.

Regional timelines: when carburetors disappeared from new cars

The following timeline provides a snapshot of typical cutoffs by region for mass-market passenger cars. Individual models or imports may diverge from these dates.

• United States and Canada: by the 1990 model year, with many lines switching to throttle-body or multi-point injection around 1989–1990; carbureted passenger cars largely disappeared by 1990–1991.


• Europe: fuel injection became standard in the late 1980s to early 1990s; most new cars were fuel-injected by the early 1990s, with very few exceptions into the mid-1990s.


• Asia-Pacific (Japan, Korea, Australia, Southeast Asia): transition generally occurred in the late 1980s to early 1990s; some markets saw carbureted models linger into the mid-to-late 1990s, but not in mainstream new-car lines.


• Latin America and Africa: later transitions occurred, with carburetors persisting in some local models into the late 1990s or early 2000s, depending on local production and import patterns.

These dates refer to new-car production in the listed regions and may not reflect the status of used-car imports, specialty builds, or vintage restorations.

In short, the global shift away from carburetors happened over a period of years, with the clearest break in major markets around the early 1990s. Some regions and niche scenarios extended carburetor use a bit longer, but the mainstream automotive industry has not relied on carburetors for new production in decades.

Exceptions and lingering usage

Even as new-car production moved away from carburetors, a few contexts still reflect their presence. These include vintage and collector vehicles, certain off-road or agricultural applications, and occasional regional imports where emissions requirements are less stringent or where costs favor simpler hardware.

• Vintage and collector cars: carburetors remain common in restored or period-authentic vehicles and race cars that aim to preserve historical accuracy or performance characteristics.


• Off-road and small-engine markets: some engines used in off-road, agricultural, or specialized equipment continue to employ carburetors for their simplicity and ease of tuning.

Despite these pockets, the mainstream global market for new cars is carburetor-free as of 2025, with modern engine management, direct injection, and advanced fuel systems defining today’s standards.

What this means for the modern car market

The shift from carburetors to electronic fuel injection represents a broader move toward precise fuel metering, onboard diagnostics, and tighter emissions control. The carburetor’s decline tracks with improvements in fuel efficiency, emissions regulations, and manufacturing efficiencies that favored modern fuel-injection systems and engine-management electronics.

Summary

There isn’t a single "last car" worldwide, but major markets stopped building carburetor-equipped cars around 1990–1991, with some regional exceptions into the mid-to-late 1990s or early 2000s. Today, virtually all new vehicles rely on fuel injection and sophisticated engine-control systems, while carburetors survive mainly in vintage, niche, or off-road contexts.

What was the last car with a carburetor?

The last car with a carburetor sold new in the United States was the 1994 Isuzu Pickup, specifically models with the 2.3-liter engine, rear-wheel drive, and a five-speed manual transmission. While most cars switched to fuel injection earlier, basic, low-end models like this one continued to use carburetors to meet emissions standards until they were phased out.
 

• 1994 Isuzu Pickup: This truck is widely cited as the last new vehicle sold in the U.S. with a carburetor. 
• Engine: The carbureted engine was the 2.3-liter inline-four. 
• Why it lasted: It was a basic, rear-wheel-drive model, and manufacturers continued to use carburetors in certain very basic vehicles until they were no longer able to due to stricter emissions regulations. 

Which is better, fuel injected or carbureted?

Yes, fuel injection is better than a carburetor for most applications due to superior performance, fuel efficiency, and emissions control. Carburetors are simpler, cheaper, and easier to modify, but fuel injection provides more precise control over the air-fuel mixture, leading to better drivability, reliability, and adaptability to changing conditions.
 
This video explains the differences between carburetors and fuel injection systems: 58sMotorcyclist MagazineYouTube · Jan 12, 2018
Fuel injection (EFI) 
You can watch this video to learn how fuel injection works: 1mEngineering ExplainedYouTube · May 6, 2020

• Performance: Delivers a more precise air-fuel mixture, resulting in higher power and torque, and a broader power curve. 
• Efficiency: Better fuel economy because it can adjust fuel delivery in real-time based on engine demand. 
• Reliability: More reliable for daily driving and easier to start in cold weather. 
• Emissions: Produces lower emissions, making it better for meeting environmental regulations. 
• Adaptability: Unaffected by changes in temperature and altitude. 

Carburetor
This video discusses the pros and cons of carburetors: 59sFortNineYouTube · Oct 30, 2021

• Cost: Cheaper to purchase and repair, and its parts are often less expensive. 
• Simplicity: Older, mechanical system that is less complex than EFI. 
• Modifiability: Easier to modify for specific power or mileage needs. 
• Electronics: Does not rely on electronics, making it less susceptible to electrical issues. 

This video provides a concise comparison between carburetors and fuel injection: 1mSummit RacingYouTube · Sep 13, 2013
Which is right for you?

• Choose fuel injection if: You want the best performance, fuel economy, and reliability for a modern vehicle, or for a daily driver. It's also the standard for meeting emissions requirements.
• Choose a carburetor if: You are working on a classic car, a simple race vehicle, or a high-horsepower build where the cost and simplicity of a carburetor are more important than efficiency or emissions compliance. 

Are any modern cars carbureted?

No, modern cars do not use carburetors; they have been replaced by electronic fuel injection (EFI) systems since the late 1980s and early 1990s due to better fuel economy, reduced emissions, and increased precision. EFI systems use a computer to precisely control the amount of fuel injected, while carburetors, which mix fuel and air mechanically, are now only found in older cars or some small engines and specialized vehicles like certain race cars.
 
Why modern cars use fuel injection instead of carburetors

• Precision and efficiency: EFI systems use sensors and an engine control unit (ECU) to calculate and inject the exact amount of fuel needed, which leads to better fuel economy and more consistent performance. 
• Reduced emissions: Stricter government regulations on emissions led to the switch to fuel injection, as it provides a more complete and cleaner burn than carburetors. 
• Better performance: EFI systems can optimize the air-fuel mixture for various driving conditions, resulting in smoother running, more consistent power, and better performance across a wider range of temperatures and altitudes. 
• Elimination of manual adjustments: Unlike carburetors, which often required manual adjustments, EFI systems are self-adjusting and require much less maintenance. 

Where you might still find carburetors

• Older vehicles: Many cars on the road from before the mid-1990s still have carburetors, say Universal Technical Institute and CarBuzz. 
• Some small engines: Carburetors are still common in small engines for equipment like lawnmowers, chainsaws, and other tools because the cost and complexity of fuel injection isn't necessary for their simple function, according to Quora. 
• NASCAR and other racing: Some racing leagues, like NASCAR, require carburetors to limit technological advantages and keep the competition more accessible. 
• Some international markets: A few manufacturers in certain markets still produce new cars with carburetors, notes Gili's Automotive and Reddit users. 

What year did cars stop using carburetors?

Cars stopped using carburetors primarily in the early 1990s as electronic fuel injection became standard due to its superior efficiency, emissions control, and performance. While most automakers made the switch in the late 1980s, some specific models continued to use carburetors into the early 1990s. The last few vehicles with carburetors included certain 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneers, 1991 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors, and even a 1994 Isuzu pickup, though the final passenger car model with a carb was the 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria.
 

• General transition: The vast majority of car manufacturers phased out carburetors between the late 1980s and early 1990s, with electronic fuel injection systems becoming the new standard. 
• Last passenger sedans: The 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria is cited as the last new passenger sedan to be sold with a carburetor. 
• Other last hold-outs:
  • 1991: Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. 
  • 1994: Isuzu pickup was the last model sold in the US with a carburetor. 
• Reasons for the change: Fuel injection offered significant advantages, including better fuel efficiency, more reliable starting, improved performance, and the ability to meet stricter emissions regulations by providing a more precise fuel-air mixture for the catalytic converter.