AI Damage1999 Toyota Celica: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Toyota Celica filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 30% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 20% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 10% of all complaints
- Tires: 3 complaints (30% of all).
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
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 updated 12/16/2015
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.
Tl 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.
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.
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.
The convertible top leaks when washed. Also the pins that hold the top together have come apart.
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…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,921 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Celica has 14 complaints (30 years in the data). This year has 10, below average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
- Celica 19824 sources
- Celica 19833 sources
- Celica 19843 sources
- Celica 19857 sources
- Celica 19869 sources
- Celica 19875 sources
- Celica 19886 sources
- Celica 198911 sources
- Celica 199029 sources
- Celica 199127 sources
- Celica 199221 sources
- Celica 199313 sources
- Celica 199414 sources
- Celica 199522 sources
- Celica 19969 sources
- Celica 19978 sources
- Celica 19985 sources
- Celica 2000106 sources
- Celica 200147 sources
- Celica 200229 sources
- Celica 200317 sources
- Celica 20044 sources
- Celica 20054 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Toyota Celica?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, seat belts, air bags. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (20%), stalls while driving (10%), vibration (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Toyota Celica?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Toyota Celica from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.