2001 Toyota Celica Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 11%of 47 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 96,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2001 Toyota Celica, 11% of the 47 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 96,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I purchased my Celica new in 2001. This year I had a new clutch and transmission put in. In the past 6 months I noticed that I was putting oil in on a regular basis, no leaks and no smoke form the exhaust. I have 128 thousand miles on the car. I have changed the oil on schedule. I contacted Toyota in jacksonville and was told I somehow must have abused the motor or not changed the oil regularly. Long story short, now I am looking for a replacement motor and Toyota wants almost $6000.00. I have shopped around and the cheapest way to go would be a used motor. …”
NHTSA complaint #10347278, filed 2010-08, 128,614 miles“Driving home at approx. 70 MPH the engine began to miss...causing a loss in rpms and a loud knocking coming from the engine followed by a high pitch squealling (almost like the fan belt was going out)...after pulling off the road and turning the car off to inspect the noises...no signs where showing that there was a problem...check engine light did not come on...assuming the problem had worked itself out...we continued to get back on the highway...it started again...the rpms dropped throwing the car out of gear several times until we could get off the road again...the car was taken to the…”
NHTSA complaint #10129423, filed 2005-07, 74,837 miles“The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Celica. While driving at any speed, the gear shiftier did not work and made a grinding noise. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the transmission; however, the failure recurred after approximately seven years. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11240634, filed 2019-07, 72,000 miles“The contact stated while driving various speeds, a loud noise was heard. The vehicle was driven to the dealer who determined the transmission needed to be replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #10169524, filed 2006-09, 96,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10164330Jul 1, 2019TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 01, 2019 Rev2: ? Applicability has been updated to 2019 ? 2020 model year Toyota vehicles. ? The Techstream Preparation and Process Overview sections…
- 10109404Oct 16, 2014TSB: The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide information regarding the installation of the correct torque converter bolts during automatic transmission/transaxle…
- 10109492Sep 30, 2014TSB: The purpose of this bulletin is to provide precautions to follow when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly to avoid MIL "ON" shifting issues and/or…
- 10132084Oct 1, 2013The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide precautions to follow when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly to avoid MIL ?ON,? shifting issues, and/or…
- 10061578Jun 13, 2011Summary to be provided on a future date.
- 10016638Aug 1, 2005U340e/u341e transmission solenoid identification.
- 10015464Jun 24, 2005Automatic transaxle repair manual correction. 0040-rm818-u1.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 | 6% |
| 2002 | 3 | 10% |
| 2001 | 5 | 11% |
| 2000 | 20 | 19% |
| 1999 | 1 | 10% |
| 1995 | 2 | 9% |
| 1994 | 2 | 14% |
| 1993 | 1 | 8% |
| 1990 | 1 | 3% |
| 1987 | 1 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2001 Toyota Celica
14 complaintsEngine
8 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsTires
4 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Toyota Celica
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology