FaultScore report
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1999 Toyota Celica with NHTSA between 1999 and 2020. The largest single group is the tires. Across this model's run it ranks 10 of 10 worst.
FaultScore 15/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Toyota Celica.
How this is worked out11
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
100,000 mi
Median mileage at failure
Half of reported failures happened before this
20%
Failed under 36,000 miles
Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 155,000 miles
Median failure at 100,000 miles
Median failure at 60,000 miles
Median failure at 5,500 miles
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
ENGINE SEIZURE
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, exposure to moisture over time could cause the driver-front airbag not to inflate properly in a crash. In some cases, this could cause an airbag not to fully inflate, while in others it could cause it to deploy with more force than normal. It could also cause the inflator to rupture. If the airbag inflator ruptures, small pieces of metal could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag and prevent its proper function. Safety Risk: In a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the driver-front airbag may not inflate properly or the inflator could rupture. This could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Toyota will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect, and if necessary, replace the front driver airbag inflator.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
AIR BAGS
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.
NHTSA complaint #11321189 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
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.
NHTSA complaint #10726660 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
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
NHTSA complaint #10726661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
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.
NHTSA complaint #10237708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
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.
NHTSA complaint #10193732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
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.
NHTSA complaint #10089193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS WHEN WASHED. ALSO THE PINS THAT HOLD THE TOP TOGETHER HAVE COME APART.
NHTSA complaint #764636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
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)
NHTSA complaint #785745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
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)
NHTSA complaint #785745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
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
NHTSA complaint #890334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
SUN ROOF LEAKS IN A HEAVY RAIN STORM OR IF VEHICLE IS TAKEN THROUGH A CAR WASH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.
NHTSA complaint #839500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.