1997 Toyota Celica

Routine

Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the visibility › glass, side/rear. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear2
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Rear Window1
010
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Structure › Frame and Members › Underbody Shields1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator1
000
Air Bags1
101

What owners reported

Newest filings
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Rear WindowFire
Filed Feb 13, 2013175,000 milesGA

MY REAR DEFROST HAS NOT WORKED IN YEARS. I LOOK AT THE CONNECTION WHERE THE HATCH MEETS THE CAR AND FIND THAT THE CONNECTOR HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED THE CONNECTOR AND THE WIRE. I AM HAVING TO RECONNECT THE 2 WIRES TO GET MY REAR DEFROST WORKING AGAIN. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Oct 22, 2012108,000 milesNY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CELICA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000. UPDATED 02/13/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS DRIVING 45 MPH AND WHEN APPROACHED SOME CURVES IN THE ROAD, HE APPLIED THE BRAKE. HE SOON REALIZED THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AND PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE . THE REAR WHEELS LOCKED AND HE SPUN OUT TO A STOP. THE CONSUMER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THERE WAS NO BRAKE FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR, WHICH LEAKED OUT ONTO THE BRAKE LINES, WHICH HAD ROTTED. UPDATED 02/14/13

Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear
Filed Jan 11, 2005CA

WHILE LOWERING CONVERTIBLE TOP UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS, BACK GLASS EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON.*AK

Structure › Frame and Members › Underbody Shields
Filed Jun 2, 2004CO

CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PAINT SHOP FOR A PAINT JOB. TECHNICIAN INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE TWO PILLAR ATTACHMENTS FOR THE ROOF WERE BONDED TOGETHER BY GLUE. TECHNICIAN WOULD NOT TOUCH THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT WAS FIXED. *AK

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 26, 200366,490 milesFL

MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A VERY MINOR ACCIDENT, AND THERE WAS AN APPROXIMATELY 10-15 SECOND DELAY AFTER THE CAR WAS PLACED IN PARK WHEN HER AIRBAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED, CAUSING MINOR INJURY TO HER, AND MORE DAMAGE THAN THE ACCIDENT ITSELF CAUSED TO HER VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED TO KNOW WHY THEY DEPLOYED AT ALL CONSIDERING HER SPEED OF APX 5 -7 MPH,. AND IF THERE HAD BEEN A HIGH SPEED ACCIDENT IF THEY WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IN TIME TO PROTECT HER AS THEY ARE DESIGNED. THE PERSON SHE BUMPED INTO AND PASSENGER ARE WITNESSES TO THE DELAYED DEPLOYMENT, AS WELL AS THE OFFICER ON SCENE.*AK

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Sep 27, 2000CA

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH RIGHT FRONT TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. TIRE WAS A CONTINENTAL GT8000, TOURING, P205/55R15. TIRE WAS A REPLACEMENT TIRE PURCHASED AT A PRIVATE OWNED TIRE DEALERSHIP. TIRE'S MILEAGE WAS 27,000. *AK CONSUMER STATED ANOTHER TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION AND THE OTHER TIRES HAVE CRACKED SIDEWALLS, VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE DUE TO FAULTY TIRE.. *SLC

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Nov 18, 1998CA

THE SAME EVENING THAT I PURCHASED MY CELICA AND EVERY EVENING SINCE THEN I NOTICE THAT MY HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS DIM WHEN I APPLY MY BRAKES. ONLY WHEN I RELEASE MY BRAKES DO THEY BRIGHTEN BACK-UP. I'VE TAKEN MY CELICA IN TWICE TO HAVE IT TESTED BUT TOYOTA SAID THAT EVERYTHING TESTED NORMAL BOTH TIMES. IS THIS NORMAL ON THESE CARS.

Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear
Filed Sep 30, 1997CT

DURING NORMAL CONDITIONS WHILE LOWERING CONVERTABLE TOP OF CAR THE REAR WINDOW GLASS SHATTERED. THERE WAS NOTHING OBSTRUCTING THE LOWERING OF TOP, SO THERE WAS NO REASON FOR IT TO BREAK. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK

8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20054100Routine
20044000Routine
200317100Routine
200229100Routine
200147100Routine
2000106323Fatalities reported
199910100Routine
19985100Routine
1997 — this page8010Routine
19969100Routine
199522001Fatalities reported
199414000Routine
199313110Routine
199221120Routine
199127120Routine
199029220Routine

Compare every Celica year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.