Research · complaint index
Toyota Celica years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 10 model years of the Toyota Celica by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2000, 2002, 2001, 2003 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 3 | Typical |
| 2004 | 4 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2003 | 29 | 1 | 3.4 | 1 | 2 | Most complaints |
| 2002 | 55 | 2 | 6.2 | 1 | 16 | Most complaints |
| 2001 | 52 | 2 | 5.6 | 1 | 8 | Most complaints |
| 2000 | 106 | 4 | 11.0 | 3 | 13 | Most complaints |
| 1999 | 10 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | Typical |
| 1998 | 5 | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 1997 | 8 | 0 | 0.7 | 0 | 1 | Typical |
| 1996 | 9 | 0 | 0.8 | 1 | 2 | Typical |
- 20054 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 20044 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 200329 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
- 200255 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
- 200152 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
- 2000106 complaints · 3 recallsMost complaints
- 199910 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 19985 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 19978 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 19969 complaints · 1 recallTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 28, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 1998, 2004.
About this comparison
What Toyota Celica years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2000, 2002, 2001, 2003 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 10 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.