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2001 Toyota Celica

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

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

What owners reported most

All reported categories

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

31 reports with mileage · 16 unknown

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.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

7 reports
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150,000 miles · Jan 12, 2015
Air BagsVehicle Speed Control

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 …

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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

NHTSA ODI #10671941

121,000 miles · May 27, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW TOYOTA CELICA IN 2001. IN 2006 IT BEGAN SOUNDING STRANGE WHEN ACCELERATING AND ALSO WHEN I WOULD BACK UP AND USE THE BRAKES. IT WOULD MAKE A VERY STRANGE SOUND AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK THE SAME AS THEY USED TO. I REPORTED THIS TO MECHANICS AT TOYOTA BUT THEY SAID THE CAR WAS FINE MECHANICALLY. ON DE…

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I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW TOYOTA CELICA IN 2001. IN 2006 IT BEGAN SOUNDING STRANGE WHEN ACCELERATING AND ALSO WHEN I WOULD BACK UP AND USE THE BRAKES. IT WOULD MAKE A VERY STRANGE SOUND AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK THE SAME AS THEY USED TO. I REPORTED THIS TO MECHANICS AT TOYOTA BUT THEY SAID THE CAR WAS FINE MECHANICALLY. ON DECEMBER 24, 2008 WHEN MERGING ON TO A EXIT SAN JOSE BLVD FROM 295 IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA MY CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN IT ACTUALLY ACCELERATED. THE RPM GAUGE WENT UP INSTEAD OF DOWN AND THE PRESSURE WAS HIGH. MY CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP. IT WAS ACCELERATING WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. I TRIED TO PUT THE BRAKES ON AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I WAS MERGING TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON A BUSY ROAD NEARING A CRASH. I THEN TRIED TO PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT STILL WOULD NOT STOP. I THEN PUT IT IN PARK AND IT STILL KEPT GOING DRIVING. I THEN PULLED THE KEY OUT BECAUSE IT WAS MY LAST ATTEMPT TO STOP THE CAR AND THANK GOD MY CAR STOPPED JUST MISSING A COLLISION. SO TO SUM IT ALL UP, MY CAR ACCELERATED, HAD HIGH PRESSURE AND THE BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. THE ENGINE WAS REVVING. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND IF NOT FOR MY PULLING THE KEY OUT I WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD OR SERIOUSLY INJURED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO ERNIE PALMER TOYOTA. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR SENSOR. I SOLD MY CAR TO THEM BECAUSE I NEVER WANTED TO GET IN OR LOOK AT THAT CAR AGAIN. I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT. I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW IT WAS FIXED BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE IT FIXED, I SOLD IT. HOWEVER THE MECHANICS LATER AT TOYOTA TOLD ME IT WAS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR SENSOR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OTHER THAT MY NECK BEING HURT FROM BEING THROWN TO SUCH A QUICK STOP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10332573

44,300 miles · Mar 7, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

2001 TOYOTA CELICA GTS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY I ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHEN I TRIED TO DISENAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL BY STEPPING ON THE BREAK PEDAL THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL. I TRIED TURNING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL WITH THE SWITCH BUT THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BREAKS, PUT THE CAR …

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2001 TOYOTA CELICA GTS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY I ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHEN I TRIED TO DISENAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL BY STEPPING ON THE BREAK PEDAL THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL. I TRIED TURNING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL WITH THE SWITCH BUT THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BREAKS, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF TO STOP THE CAR. WHEN I TURNED THE ENGINE BACK ON IT REV'D UP AND ALMOST PEGGED OUT THE RPM GAUGE. I HAD TO TURN THE ENGINE ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE CRUISE CONTROL TO DISENGAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10317444

72,400 miles · Nov 25, 2009
Vehicle Speed Control

I WAS DRIVING WEST BOUND ON I-10 NEAR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, TX WHEN I WENT TO PASS A TRUCK AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING AND THE ENGINE WENT TO THE REDLINE. I TRIED THE BRAKES WHICH WORKED A LITTLE BIT BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL SCREAMING AT THE REDLINE. FORTUNATELY THE FREEWAY WAS…

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I WAS DRIVING WEST BOUND ON I-10 NEAR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, TX WHEN I WENT TO PASS A TRUCK AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING AND THE ENGINE WENT TO THE REDLINE. I TRIED THE BRAKES WHICH WORKED A LITTLE BIT BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL SCREAMING AT THE REDLINE. FORTUNATELY THE FREEWAY WAS QUITE CLEAR AS I JUST KEPT GOING FASTER AND FASTER. I'M A "CAR-GUY" AND I'M ALSO A MECHANIC AND SINCE THIS WAS MY FIRST NEW CAR I EVER BOUGHT, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE ENGINE BLOWING UP MORE THAN I WAS ABOUT HITTING SOMEONE SINCE THE FREEWAY WAS PRACTICALLY EMPTY. I DID GET UP PAST 110 MPH THOUGH BEFORE I DECIDED TO PUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN THE KEY TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I COASTED FOR A LITTLE WHILE TO REDUCE SPEED AND THEN STARTED THE ENGINE WHILE STILL COASTING. EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL AND I PUT THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO "DRIVE" AND WENT ABOUT MY WAY. I HAD JUST HAD MY FLOORMATS THOROUGHLY WASHED SO THEY WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME SINCE THEY WERE DRYING. THERE WERE NO FLOORMATS IN THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NEVER REPORTED THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A FREAK INCIDENT BUT NOW AS I'M HEARING MORE REPORTS ON SIMILAR ISSUES I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO KNOW OF THIS INCIDENT AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10293482

61,055 miles · Aug 6, 2007
Air BagsSeat BeltsVehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY PARKING SPOT IN THE RAMP, MY CAR 'UNEXPECTEDLY' LURCHED FORWARD INTO A CONCRETE PILLAR ON THE LEFT AND A WIRE BARRIER AND CONCRETE WALL AHEAD. DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS $5,647.92. MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID MY SEAT BELT HOLD ME. MY HEAD FLEW FORWARD ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND I REQUIRED 14 STITCHES…

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AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY PARKING SPOT IN THE RAMP, MY CAR 'UNEXPECTEDLY' LURCHED FORWARD INTO A CONCRETE PILLAR ON THE LEFT AND A WIRE BARRIER AND CONCRETE WALL AHEAD. DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS $5,647.92. MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID MY SEAT BELT HOLD ME. MY HEAD FLEW FORWARD ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND I REQUIRED 14 STITCHES BELOW MY MOUTH AND CHIN ON THE OUTSIDE AND 12 ON THE INSIDE. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10198680

32,330 miles · Aug 7, 2004
Vehicle Speed Control

AFTER ONLY 32000 MILES, I HAD A SUDDEN AND SEVERE LOSS OF POWER IN ENGINE ALMOST LEADING TO STALLING. THE ENGINE WENT TO HIGH REVVING ABOUT 8K RPMS AND A BURNING OIL SMELL. WITH THIS, CLIMBING HILLS, EVASIVE MANUEVERS, AND OTHER ACCELERATION ISSUES ALMOST CAUSED CRASHES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO SUYDDEN AND SEVERE. THE DEALER SIA…

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AFTER ONLY 32000 MILES, I HAD A SUDDEN AND SEVERE LOSS OF POWER IN ENGINE ALMOST LEADING TO STALLING. THE ENGINE WENT TO HIGH REVVING ABOUT 8K RPMS AND A BURNING OIL SMELL. WITH THIS, CLIMBING HILLS, EVASIVE MANUEVERS, AND OTHER ACCELERATION ISSUES ALMOST CAUSED CRASHES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO SUYDDEN AND SEVERE. THE DEALER SIAD THE CLUTCH WAS BURNT, BUT IT WAS SO SUDDEN AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10086362

Mileage unknown · Oct 25, 2002
Vehicle Speed Control

THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE IN HOT OR INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM THE MECHANIC OF THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T REPEAT THE PROBLEM. TS

NHTSA ODI #8021651

Official recalls

1

04V566000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Nov 29, 2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, 'LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.' THE LUMINOUS INTENSITY OF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP (DRL) WILL BE MODIFIED TO MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Not supplied

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RESISTOR, WHICH WILL DECREASE THE LUMINOUS INTENSITY OF THE DRL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 16, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

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.