AI Damage2002 Toyota Celica: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Toyota Celica filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 38% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 14% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 11 complaints (38% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (14% of all).
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (14% of all).
- Structure: 4 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 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.
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Both are bruised from the seat belts & both driver and passenger have whiplash. I am thankful they were wearing seat belts but very concerned the airbags didn't perform as expected. Both the clean-up crew & officer at the seen were shocked that the airbags did not deploy....updated 07/23/14
When struck on my front/driverside fender at a high speed approximate 60mph, my car is totaled, or will be totaled in the next few days, my airbag did not deploy making my injuries worse than they should be. Im trying to figure out why my airpad didn not deploy when the car was struck at those speeds.
It has had to have 4 sets of tires in 85,000 miles. At the last alignment the technician could not get the 2 rear tires in alignment with the front 2 tires. The problem were the rear tie rods. He got a set of adjustable tie rods & replaced the factory tie rods and was able to get all 4 tires in proper alignment.
Air bags did not deploy. I hit a snow bank at 50mph and the air bags did not deploy, I needed to be towed/pulled out of the snow bank. Also engine light keeps coming on, with a catalytic converter code but cat is still good.
Consumer noticed while traveling on wet roads 30-35 mph and making a sudden stop brakes locked, tires did not grape, vehicle started sliding under another vehicle ,resulting in a crash. Vehicle is now on 2nd repair.
Twice when coming to a stop at a stop light, my toyota celica continued to idle at about 4000 rpm. I tried pulling the car mat toward the seat to be sure it wasn't interfering with the accelerator pedal. I also tried jiggling the accelerator pedal to be sure nothing was stuck.
Tl contact owns a 2002 toyota celica. Every time the contact finishes pumping fuel, the gas tank overflows. The previous owner of the vehicle had it repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 03v074000 (fuel system :gasoline), but the failure still persists.
2002 toyota celica gt sudden standard transmission failure.
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 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Celica has 14 complaints (30 years in the data). This year has 29, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
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 199910 sources
- Celica 2000106 sources
- Celica 200147 sources
- Celica 200317 sources
- Celica 20044 sources
- Celica 20054 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota Celica?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (34%), seat belts (14%), vibration (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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 2026-11-05.