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Toyota CelicaModel year report

2000 Toyota Celica Problems

Complaints
106filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
68,000miles, 39 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
26 mpgcombined, 1.8L 4-cyl FWD · 23 city / 31 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2000 Toyota Celica (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2000 Celica most often report excessive oil consumption, frequently on the 1.8L four-cylinder in the GT, with many describing adding a quart or more between fill-ups and no visible leak. A second cluster involves noise and wear from the serpentine belt tensioner, and a third covers shifting problems with the manual gearbox, including unintended downshifts. Complaints arrive across a wide mileage range, from under 40,000 miles to well past 150,000.

  1. Engine

    High oil consumption (burning oil, no leak)

    • 19 complaints (18%)
    • median 81,685 mi at 7.5 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2014

    Owners describe the engine using large amounts of oil with no visible drips or smoke, sometimes a quart every few hundred miles, and having to check and top up constantly. Some report low oil lights coming on between changes, sooty spark plugs, smoke from the exhaust, and oil gelling under the valve cover; a few describe knocking and engine failure after oil loss. According to the complaints, dealers performed oil consumption tests, in some cases confirmed the problem, and often offered a rebuild or replacement engine; several owners say the cause was never clearly identified. Reported from roughly 25,000 miles upward, with many at 80,000 to 130,000 miles and a few near 200,000.

    What to check: Check the oil level and condition on a cold engine, look for a fuel or burnt smell, and ask for records of oil consumption tests, rebuilds, or engine replacements.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Problem: my engine is burning excessive amounts of oil. Eventually I will have to replace the engine. On october 2007 I bought a used 2000 Toyota Celica gt. In december 27, 2007 the check oil light went on. In november 2008, engine would not start in the morning. I had just had an oil change about 1,000 miles before this day. This morning I found out all the oil burned out and there was no oil in the car, so I added oil. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10262662, filed 2009-03, 92,772 miles

    “2000-02 Toyota Celica 1zz-fe engine suffers from excessive oil burning which can cause engine damage at highway speeds which can lean do accident. I own a 2000 Celica and my car burns a lot of oil, I have to add oil every time I fill up my car, its not good for the engine, my wallet and the environment Toyota issued a service bulletin in europe but does not want to fix the same problems in USA. Please, we need you help very much. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10247196, filed 2008-10, 110,000 miles
  2. Engine cooling

    Belt tensioner noise and belt squeal

    • 14 complaints (13%)
    • median 25,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2001–2010

    Owners report loud squealing or rattling from the engine compartment at idle and while driving, traced to the serpentine belt and its tensioner. Several describe having the belt and tensioner replaced repeatedly, only for the noise to return within weeks or a few thousand miles, and one describes a tensioner bolt shearing and requiring engine work. Complaints say dealers replaced the parts, sometimes under warranty and sometimes at owner cost, without a lasting fix. Often reported between 20,000 and 75,000 miles, and recurring roughly every 30,000 miles in some accounts.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Listen for squeal or rattle at idle on a cold start, and ask whether the belt and tensioner have been replaced and how recently.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 2000 Celica gt-s (bought new) has exhibited a squealing from the engine compartmrnt since about 12,000 miles. A pulley belt tensioner and the belt have been completey replaced at least 5 times (I lost count), as well as repaired by Toyota at least 3 additonal times. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10062602, filed 2004-03, 12,000 miles

    “My 2000 Toyota Celica has been in the shop 3 times within the last 4 months due to the serpentine belt and tensioner. Both were replaced and within a month the problem has recurred. After researching this on the internet I have found that this is a ongoing problem with the toyotas. I feel there should be a recall on these vehicles to properly fix this issue before it causes serious injuries or fatal accidents. Thank you for you consideration.”

    NHTSA complaint #10360175, filed 2010-10, 25,000 miles
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Manual gearbox mis-shift (downshift into 2nd)

    Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners of manual cars describe the shifter slipping from fifth or third gear into second instead of the intended gear, causing a sudden drop in speed and, in some accounts, engine damage from over-revving. Some also mention a clutch pedal that stuck to the floor, grinding when changing gears, and squeaking from the shifter linkage that returned after lubrication. Complaints describe dealers denying the problem or saying they could not reproduce the noise, and one owner reports being told the problem was known. Reported across a broad range, mostly on cars with higher mileage, with several accounts filed in the first couple of years of ownership.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Drive the car through all gears, including deliberate 3rd-to-4th and 5th-to-4th shifts at speed, and check that the clutch pedal returns fully.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While changing gears noticed grinding noise. Dealer has contacted dealer. A technician changed transmission fluids. While traveling home and when shifting to 5th gear noticed a noise. Consumer stated that shif gear traveled to left when vehicle hit 3rd gear, causing front tires to lock up . Please provide further information.”

    NHTSA complaint #888515, filed 2001-05

    “The transmission is too easy to shift from 5th into 2nd and I almost blew the engine. This problem is known by Toyota but they are not willing to fix the problem. As for the cruise control, every 2000 Celica has the same problem. The cruise control slows down without warning up to 20mph. With no brake lights activated to indicate deceleration of the car an accident could easily happen.”

    NHTSA complaint #725091, filed 2000-07
  4. Vehicle speed control

    Cruise control disengaging or surging

    • 10 complaints (9%)
    • median 77,800 mi at 8.6 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2000–2014

    Owners report the cruise control dropping out after some minutes of use, slowing the car noticeably before gradually recovering, and in some accounts acceleration continuing after the system was switched off or the brakes were tapped. Others describe a sticky accelerator pedal. Complaints say the behavior was intermittent and repeated, and that dealers did not resolve it. Reported mostly on cars between roughly 65,000 and 125,000 miles, and sometimes on much lower-mileage cars.

    What to check: Test cruise control at highway speed, including resume and cancel, and check that the accelerator pedal returns freely.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “On may 3rd, 2008 I had an incident with my 2000 Celica gts. I was using cruise control at 65mph. I tapped my brakes to disengage the cruise control as I exited one highway onto another. When I clicked resume on my cruise control my car accelerated past 65mph and continued climbing. I tapped my brakes but my car continued to accelerate. I turned off the cruise control but the car continued to accelerate past 85mph. I pushed my clutch petal in and the engine rev'd near redline. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10228201, filed 2008-05, 123,003 miles

    “Transmission is too easy to shift into wrong gears. Same four valves have been bent twice, once as a result of clutch sticking to floor causing a mis-shift. Cruise control disengages after a few minutes of use causing the car to slow down abruptly.”

    NHTSA complaint #729078, filed 2000-08
  5. Air bags

    Airbags not deploying in a collision

    • 9 complaints (8%)
    • median 110,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2001–2006

    Owners describe frontal impacts, including center-of-bumper and guardrail or tree strikes, in which the airbags did not deploy. Several complaints note the vehicle was totaled and that insurers or adjusters expected deployment. These accounts come from accident reports rather than routine service visits, so they do not describe a dealer diagnosis or repair. Reported in vehicles ranging from low mileage to around 110,000 miles, in collisions at roughly 40 to 60 mph.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the airbag warning light behaves normally at start-up, and have the SRS system scanned for stored codes before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Daughter lost control of vehicle and hit a tree at approximately 40 MPH, dead center in the front of the vehicle. Vehicle is totaled, but airbags never deployed. Insurance adjuster stated that the airbags should have deployed. Daughter has sore neck and is being treated by a physician.”

    NHTSA complaint #10141419, filed 2005-11, 112,018 miles

    “My son was sideswiped by eighteen wheeler where he spun and regained control of the car. He ended up hitting a light pole on the freeway at an estimated speed of 40 MPH plus. The contact was with the light pole was in the dead center of the front bumper and the airbags did not deploy.”

    NHTSA complaint #10031062, filed 2003-08, 50,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection include an oil consumption check and a listen for belt-tensioner noise, since both are repeatedly reported on this model year. Confirm the condition of the airbag system with a scan and drive a manual car through all gears before deciding.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 106 consumer complaints for the 2000 Toyota Celica. 39 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 68,000 miles. Of all complaints, 13 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 8 an injury, 3 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 66 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Equipment (2), Latches, locks and linkages (2), Steering (2), Suspension (2), Tires (2), Fuel system (1), Other or unknown (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Engine cooling: “(1). - my 2000 Toyota Celica burning 5qt of oil every week - eventually the engine built oil sludge. (2). The third valve doesn't have any compression due to the sludge problem (3). I have to get a new engine to be put in my car.”

NHTSA complaint #10212363, filed 2007-12, 112,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “This vehicle has ( according to all sources available ) burned oil from the time it left the plant brand new,most 2000 to 2002 Toyota Celica gt's have this issue as the rings were bad. Toyota has never produced a recall for this issue and it has effected thousands of vehicles.Toyota did change the rings out for the 2003 models and newer, so they did know the problem existed.this has caused many Celica's to experience blown motors.”

NHTSA complaint #10662493, filed 2014-12, 190,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “Past incident that I thought you should be made aware of. 2000 Toyota Celica accelerator stuck and car ended up going through a building. I reported incident to Toyota, but their response of 11-6-03 simply stated airbags are designed to provide protection for driver and they sent me a brochure on air bags. The consumer stated she pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car. Suddenly, the vehicle shifted gears and the accelerator became stuck. Updated ivoq 04/02/10”

NHTSA complaint #10314600, filed 2010-02

Air bags: “Vehicle went of shoulder, frontend sank and the car catapulted head over end1 and 1/2 times ending upside down....no airbags deployed at all...our daughter died instantly....no other contributing factors. Car was total loss”

NHTSA complaint #10127743, filed 2005-07, 110,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 39 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 32,000 and 109,000 miles.

8%0–1010%10–2515%25–5023%50–7513%75–10026%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (39 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 68,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’0018’03’06’09’13’20’24
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2000 Toyota Celica version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Celica FWD1.8L 4-cyl5-speed manual243127$2,500
Celica FWD1.8L 4-cyl4-speed automatic233126$2,600
Celica FWD1.8L 4-cyl4-speed automatic202723$3,550
Celica FWD1.8L 4-cyl6-speed manual202923$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2000 Toyota Celica → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 66 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 66 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Celica

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20031747,8001—26—Falling
20022935,0001—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20014785,0001—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200010668,0002—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199910100,0001—22—Not enough data
19985106,0001—22—Not enough data
19978108,0000—22—Not enough data
19969—0—22—Not enough data
19952292,0000—23—Stable
199414108,0000—25—Not enough data
199313161,3960—22—Not enough data
19922169,2560—22—Stable
199127159,5000—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199029109,0001—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198911—0—25—Not enough data
19886—0—25—Not enough data
19875—0—26—Not enough data
19869—0—22—Not enough data
19857—0—22—Not enough data

All Toyota Celica model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Toyota Celica?

Owners of the 2000 Celica most often report excessive oil consumption, frequently on the 1.8L four-cylinder in the GT, with many describing adding a quart or more between fill-ups and no visible leak. The issues reported most often: High oil consumption (burning oil, no leak); Belt tensioner noise and belt squeal; Manual gearbox mis-shift (downshift into 2nd).

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2000 Toyota Celica have?

NHTSA recorded 106 consumer complaints for the 2000 Toyota Celica as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2000 Toyota Celica is reported most often?

Engine cooling is named most often, in 41 complaints (39% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 20.

Has the 2000 Toyota Celica been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2000 Toyota Celica get?

The EPA rates the 2000 Toyota Celica (Celica, 1.8L 4-cyl) at 26 mpg combined, 23 city and 31 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,600 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2000 Toyota Celica reported?

Among the 39 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 68,000 miles and the middle half falls between 32,000 and 109,000 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.