Problems · NHTSA complaints
2004 Toyota Celica problems
Owners filed 4 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Celica with NHTSA between Dec 2005 and Apr 2016. The most-cited component is seat belts (1).
Complaints
4
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Seat belts1
- Power train1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
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 Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Seat belts
1 report
“MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT EASILY. IF I EXTEND IT OUT TO PUT IT ON WITH SLACK, AND LET GO, IT STAYS SLACKED. I HAVE TO MOVE IT IN AND OUT A FEW TIMES BEFORE IT FEELS "SNUG". POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE LUBRICATION GUMMING UP THE GEARS AND THE FUNCTION OF THE SEAT BELT. BEFORE GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, I HIT THE BUTTON TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT AND IT JUST SITS THERE AND NEVER RETRACTS BACK IN.”
Power train
1 report
“AT AROUND 70,000 MILES (AROUND JAN 2012), MY CELICA (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) BEGAN SLIPPING OUT OF 3RD GEAR, SPORADICALLY. I CONSULTED WITH A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THEY TOLD ME THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF FIXING THE PROBLEM WAS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION (GIVEN HOW LABOR-INTENSIVE OPENING THE TRANSMISSION IS). GIVEN THE LOW MILEAGE (I'M NOW AT 79,000), I'M OUTRAGED! I CALLED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN REPAIRS BECAUSE I WAS PAST THE 60,000 WARRANTY. I ASKED THE PERSON WHO TOOK MY CALL IF HE WOULD AGREE THAT IT WAS RIDICULOUS THAT MY CAR COULD FALL APART AT 60,001 WITH NO RECOURSE, AND HE SAID, "I WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S RIDICULOUS." IT COSTS $2288.82 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION, PLUS AROUND $1036 TO INSTALL. THE CAR NOW WON'T STAY IN 3RD GEAR AT ALL NOW. SO, I'VE BEEN BYPASSING THE 3RD GEAR, KNOWING THAT I'M ON BORROWED TIME. *TR”
Vehicle speed control
1 report
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA CELICA. WHILE DRIVING FLOOR-MAT INTERFERENCE CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND A REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED HER THAT THE DEALER COULD INSTALL A NEW CLIP TO SECURE THE FLOOR-MAT. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.”
Service brakes, hydraulic
1 report
“2/5 HAD CALIPERS, ROTORS, BRAKE PADS REPLACED. 11/30/05 TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP SAID I NEEDED ALL THIS REPAIRED AGAIN. I SPOKE TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION STATED TO MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER I DRIVE TO FAST. SO THEREFORE IT WAS DEEMED AS WEAR AND TEAR. I THEN SPOKE OVER THE PHONE TO TOYOTA NEW ENGLAND REP AND SHE SAID IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AS WELL. I HAD 2 OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS TELL ME THAT ITS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BECAUSE OF THE WAY I DRIVE. *JB”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.