Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Toyota Celica problems

Owners filed 52 complaints about the 2001 Toyota Celica with NHTSA between Sep 2000 and Oct 2019. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (15).

Complaints
52
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
3
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling15
  2. Engine8
  3. Vehicle speed control7
  4. Power train6
  5. Structure5
  6. Air bags5
  7. Tires5
  8. Seat belts3
  9. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  10. Seats1
  11. Visibility1
  12. Suspension1
  13. Other / unknown2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20002
20014
20026
20032
20044
20054
20061
20072
20082
20093
20107
20112
20120
20134
20144
20151
20160
20170
20181
20193

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

15 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA CELICA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS SHE HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO ADVISED HER THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH A REBUILT ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 15, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10406994

Engine

8 reports1 crash
“THIS ENGINE HAS A KNOWN OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. IT CAN CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. I HAVE HAD A MOTOR COMPLETELY FAIL WHILE ON THE FREEWAY WITH A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER DUE TO OIL LEVELS RUNNING DRY. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTAS RECALL DEPARTMENT ANT THEY SAID UNLESS NHTSA MAKES THIS A RECALL THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR OWNERS OF THESE CARS. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE AND THEY LOSE THEIR LIFE OVER A POORLY DESIGNED MOTOR. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS ISSUE BEFORE IT DOES LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 15, 2019EngineODI 11268728

Vehicle speed control

7 reports1 crash
“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. ONE OTHER THING I HAVE NOTICED AND ABOUT MY CELICA IS THEY CAR VIBRATIONS HAVE MADE THE DOOR BOLTS COME LOOSE DOOR STAYS SHUT BUT VERY NOTICEABLE CAUSE THE DOOR LIGHTS STAY ON AND YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS IS OFF BUT ONCE YOUR DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS START BLINKING AND HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEM UP EVER SO OFTEN SO THIS INCIDENT DON'T HAPPEN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 12, 2015Air bags, Vehicle speed controlODI 10671941

Power train

6 reports
“TL* 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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 30, 2019Power trainODI 11240634

Structure

5 reports1 crash
“AS SOON AS I BOUGHT MY CAR IN MAY 2017, I REALIZED THAT MY CAR WAS RUNNING OUT OF OIL SUPER FAST. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY LEAKS OR PROBLEMS, BUT THERE WERE NONE. TO THIS DAY DEC 2018 I'VE SPENT ABOUT 2K ON OIL ALONE. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM IN THE CELICAS. I RECENTLY WENT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO EVEN BE CONSIDERED FOR THE RECALL. I HAD GOT INTO A ACCIDENT WITH A DEER ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND MY INSURANCE TOTALED MY CAR OUT. THERE WAS ONLY DAMAGE TO MY HOOD, HEADLIGHTS, AND MY BUMPER. I BOUGHT THE CAR BACK FROM THEM, BUT ALL IN ALL NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR INTERNALLY. I REALLY CAN'T AFFORD OIL EVERY WEEK BUT I DO LOVE THIS CAR. IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU GUYS CAN DO/HELP WITH I'D APPRECIATE IT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2018Structure, EngineCrash reportedODI 11156009

Air bags

5 reports4 crashes
“I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 TOYOTA CELICA GT WHEN I HIT A PATCH OF ICE AND SLID OFF THE ROAD, I SLID OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND HIT A FIRE HYDRANT HEAD ON AT ABOUT 45 MPH, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY FACE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE ENTIRE LOWER HALF OF MY BODY JAMMED INTO MY SPINE, CAUSING PERMANENT DAMAGE. WHEN FURTHER INSPECTED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN AWAY FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHETHER THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE 2000+ YEAR MODELS OF THE TOYOTA CELICA'S. THE CONDENSER, AND RADIATOR AND FRAME WERE DAMAGED. THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED, THE CONDENSER WAS NOT. THE FRAME IS STILL CRUSHED. AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON OCCASIONALLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SEAT BELT WAS PROPERLY FASTENED AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 17, 2010Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10311395
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.