1999 Toyota Celica

Routine

Owners filed 10 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the tires › tread/belt. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires › Tread/Belt2
000
Seat Belts2
000
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly1
000
Tires1
000
Structure › Body › Roof and Pillars1
000
Power Train › Manual Transmission1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System1
000
Air Bags1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module20V033000
Filed Jan 22, 2020138,842 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 1998-2000 RAV4, 1998-1999 RAV4 EV and Celica and 1997-1998 Supra vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant, and increases the risk of serious injury or death.

Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and owners will have the option to self-inspect, or have a dealer inspect the steering wheel on their vehicle to determine if their vehicle may be equipped with an affected inflator. Potentially affected steering wheel serial numbers will be inspected by a dealer. Based on the inspection, dealers will replace the front driver air bag inflator with an alternate one, as necessary. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 28, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall is 20TB01 and 20TA01.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Apr 15, 2020CA

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CELICA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V03300 (AIR BAGS), HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. HAMER TOYOTA (11041 SEPULVEDA BLVD., MISSION HILLS, CA 91345, (818) 365-9621) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE REMEDY PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Seat Belts
Filed Jun 22, 2015100,000 milesTN

THE SEAT BELT STOPPED ROLLING AND LOOSE. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING REGARDLESS OF AGE. MY SON BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION ON JUNE 21, 2015.

Seat Belts
Filed Jun 22, 2015100,000 milesTN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CELICA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT, WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO BECOME LOOSE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 09/03/15*LJ UPDATED 12/16/2015 *JS

Tires
Filed Aug 11, 2008155,000 milesTN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CELICA. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER LIFELINER TOURING SLE TIRES, SIZE 205/55R16. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO WOBBLE ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE METAL BELT BUSTED THROUGH AND THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRES. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE FAILED AS WELL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 156,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Jun 19, 20075,500 milesFL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CELICA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AS OF JUNE 19, 2007, THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 6,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,500.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System
Filed Aug 18, 200460,000 milesTN

VEHICLE SPUTTERS WHILE DRIVING WHEN GEARS SHIFT. THIS OCCURS BECAUSE THE 1ST CYLINDER IS ONLY OPERATING AT 1/2 ITS PRESSURE CAPACITY. A MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY A CRACKED O-RING. *AK

Structure › Body › Roof and Pillars
Filed Jul 23, 2002GA

THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS WHEN WASHED. ALSO THE PINS THAT HOLD THE TOP TOGETHER HAVE COME APART.*AK

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Oct 19, 2001PA

CONSUMER STATES TREAD ON TIRES IS VERY UNSTABLE AND ROCKY, VEHICLE CONSTANTLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT EVEN AFTER A WHEEL ALIGNEMENT, VEHICLE SHAKES UNCONROLLABLY AT 80 MPH, AND THERE IS NO PICK UP WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS FLOORED, CONSUMER HAS COMPLAINED TO DEALERSHIP AND NO ONE IS ABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.(MICHELIN TIRES P2055R15)*JB

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Jun 13, 2001MA

ORIGINAL MANUFACTURED EQUIPMENT ON A 1999, TOYOTA, CELICA ,TIRE SIZE P20555R15. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY TREAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM SIDEWALL. NO COLLISION AND NO INJURIES. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE GOODYEAR EAGLE GT TIRE TREAD ON THE LEFT REAR LAUNCHED 50 FEET ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND ALL THAT REMAINED WERE THE TWO SIDEWALLS. *SLC

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Jun 11, 1999NY

SUN ROOF LEAKS IN A HEAVY RAIN STORM OR IF VEHICLE IS TAKEN THROUGH A CAR WASH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

10 of 10 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20054100Routine
20044000Routine
200317100Routine
200229100Routine
200147100Routine
2000106323Fatalities reported
1999 — this page10100Routine
19985100Routine
19978010Routine
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.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jan 22, 2020. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.