Toyota Celica Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 395 consumer complaints across the 19 model years of the Toyota Celica (1985–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 106. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (77 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Celica model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 17 | 47,800 | 1 | 88 | — | Falling |
| 2002 | 29 | 35,000 | 1 | 83 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 47 | 85,000 | 1 | 80 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 106 | 68,000 | 2 | 66 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1999 | 10 | 100,000 | 1 | 41 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 5 | 106,000 | 1 | 41 | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 8 | 108,000 | 0 | 36 | — | Not enough data |
| 1996 | 9 | — | 0 | 33 | — | Not enough data |
| 1995 | 22 | 92,000 | 0 | 31 | — | Stable |
| 1994 | 14 | 108,000 | 0 | 31 | — | Not enough data |
| 1993 | 13 | 161,396 | 0 | 27 | — | Not enough data |
| 1992 | 21 | 69,256 | 0 | 27 | — | Stable |
| 1991 | 27 | 159,500 | 0 | 27 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 29 | 109,000 | 1 | 27 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1989 | 11 | — | 0 | 19 | — | Not enough data |
| 1988 | 6 | — | 0 | 19 | — | Not enough data |
| 1987 | 5 | — | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
| 1986 | 9 | — | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
| 1985 | 7 | — | 0 | 17 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags77 23%
- Engine cooling71 21%
- Seat belts40 12%
- Transmission and drivetrain37 11%
- Vehicle speed control36 11%
- Body and structure29 8.6%
- Brakes27 8.0%
- Electrical system22 6.5%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2001: “Never had a problem with anything not working but since I've noticed the front airbag lights on the cruise control and horn has stopped working don't know if it could have been a related issue to the airbag have checked the fuses and all of them was good but my horn and cruise control has stopped working. …”
NHTSA complaint #10671941, filed 2015-01, 150,000 miles1990: “Takata recall I have a 1990 Toyota Celica gt, my airbag light came on back around 2003, I took it to the local Toyota dealership to have it fixed. A service member came out to my car with a handheld device and plugged it into the car. Bottom line, he tried several times to reset the airbag with no success. My airbag light is still on and I have not received any recalls or notices. How do I get this problem fixed?”
NHTSA complaint #10819220, filed 2016-01, 109,000 miles2000: “I was driving down the road in the vehicle I just bought and was going the speed limit and the engine literally broke into pieces and oil went everywhere”
NHTSA complaint #11413894, filed 2021-04, 228,298 milesOther Toyota models
18,207 complaintsToyota Prius
12,519 complaintsToyota Corolla
11,738 complaintsToyota RAV4
9,401 complaintsToyota Sienna
8,831 complaintsToyota Tacoma
8,476 complaintsToyota Tundra
6,944 complaintsToyota 4RUNNER
5,900 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology