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1990 Toyota Celica

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →
29Owner complaints

Model-year median: 7

1Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
5
19876
198811
198929
199027
199121
199213
1993
Compare all Celica years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
11Seat Belts
5Electrical System
3Engine And Engine Cooling
2Equipment
2
All reported categories
Structure
2Vehicle Speed Control
2Fuel System, Gasoline
1Power Train
1Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1Tires
1Unknown Or Other
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 5 of 29 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

11 reports
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109,000 miles · Jan 10, 2016
Air Bags

"TAKATA RECALL" I HAVE A 1990 TOYOTA CELICA GT, MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON BACK AROUND 2003, I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED. A SERVICE MEMBER CAME OUT TO MY CAR WITH A HANDHELD DEVICE AND PLUGGED IT INTO THE CAR. BOTTOM LINE, HE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO RESET THE AIRBAG WITH NO SUCCESS. MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS …

Read full complaint

"TAKATA RECALL" I HAVE A 1990 TOYOTA CELICA GT, MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON BACK AROUND 2003, I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED. A SERVICE MEMBER CAME OUT TO MY CAR WITH A HANDHELD DEVICE AND PLUGGED IT INTO THE CAR. BOTTOM LINE, HE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO RESET THE AIRBAG WITH NO SUCCESS. MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS STILL ON AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RECALLS OR NOTICES. HOW DO I GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED?

NHTSA ODI #10819220

200,000 miles · Jun 10, 2011
Air BagsCrashInjury

MY 1990 TOYOTA CELICA ST WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN SAN LEANDRO FEB 22, 2003. I WAS STAYING IN FREMONT, CA. MY AIR BAG BURST OPEN AND THE CHEMICALS BURNED MY FACE AND ARMS. I WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT WASHINGTON HOSPITAL, FREMONT,CA. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10405915

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2003
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT YET NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN THE PASSENGERS. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10020138

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 1997
Air Bags

NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG DURING FRONTAL COLLISION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #513871

Mileage unknown · May 8, 1997
Air BagsCrash

DRIVING AT SPEED OF 25MPH, VEHICLE IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #812107

Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 1997
Air BagsCrashInjury

VEHICLE WAS SITTING AT STOP SIGN AND ANOTHER CAR CRASHED INTO IT, HITTING BOTH SIDES AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. 2ND TIME INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND ALSO NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG. *AK

NHTSA ODI #810510

Mileage unknown · Jan 30, 1997
Air BagsCrashInjury

AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY DURING FRONTAL CRASH. *AK

NHTSA ODI #808363

Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 1996
Air BagsCrash

DURING FRONTAL IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #806404

Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 1995
Air BagsInjury

WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER AIR BAG DEPLOYED, HITTING THE DRIVER AND INJURING HER. TT

NHTSA ODI #976849

Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 1995
Air BagsCrashInjury

NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG DURING ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN INJURIES. *SKD

NHTSA ODI #481979

Official recalls

1

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.