Total Complaints
4 filings
TOYOTA CELICA · model year
1982 TOYOTA CELICA
4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1982TOYOTACELICA carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1982 CELICA is seat belts:front:anchorage with 1 filings, followed by structure:body (1) and seat belts:front:retractor (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 1982 CELICA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
4
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100222POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
IN 1984, I OWNED A TOYOTA CELICA AND WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING WHEN I HAD THE CAR SPED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO SLOW DOWN. WELL AHEAD OF RECENT COMPLAINTS. AS I CAME DOWN A BUSY OFF-RAMP, I COULD DO NOTHING BUT TO TURN THE CAR OFF. I FINALLY CAME TO A STOP WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND STRESSED OVER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AT THAT MOMENT WITH HAZARD LIGHTS FLASHING TO ALERT OTHERS. THE CAR STARTED FINE AND I DROVE TO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT. I CALLED TOYOTA WHO SENT A SERVICE REP TO MY LOCATION AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I HAD NO OTHER INCIDENTS LIKE THIS, IN THAT CAR, BUT IT GOES BACK SOME TIME AND TO A TIME WHEN COMPUTERS WERE LESS A PART OF VEHICLE MONITORING. *TR
Mileage: 30,000
20040730SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED AND AS A RESULT THE PASSENGER WERE NOT RESTRAINED. *AK THE CONSUMER HAD SEAT BELT CAMPAIGN SSC 604 COMPLETE BUT IT DID NOT HELP. THE SET BELTS HAVE NOW BECOME BROKEN BECAUSE THEY HANG OUT OF THE DOOR WHEN IT IS BEING SHUT. *NM
Mileage: 230,000
20031030CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY
SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL OFF. [XXX] THERE ARE PENALTIES FOR FILING A FALSE POLICE REPORT. MY NAME IS [XXX]. ON 23 OCT 03 1530 HRS I WAS DRIVING E ON W. WASH. BLVD. AND INTO THE L T/L INTO THE INTERSECTION WHILE THE ARROW WAS G. TRAFFIC KEPT ME FROM TURNING UNTIL THE LIGHT WAS R. WHILE TURNING THE LIGHT FLASHED FROM ONE OF 4 CAMERAS AND A WEST BOUND DRIVER RAN THE RED LIGHT AT 70 MPH, DIDN'T TRY TO STOP AND B/S MY CAR BEHIND THE PASS. D/P, SPINNING MY CAR UNTIL IT WAS FACING THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THAT INTERSECTION. THE S B/L OF BEETHOVEN ST. WAS OCC. BY A 1 TN VAN THAT WAS STOPPED, WAITING TO TURN R AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED G. IT WASN'T DAMAGED. THE DRIVER LEFT HIS VAN, APPROACHED ME AND SAID "GET YOUR [XXX] OUT OF MY WAY!". I SAID I HAD TO STAY THERE UNTIL THE POLICE ARRIVED. WHEN THEY DID THE OFF ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED. I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING I STARTED THIS MESSAGE WITH. THE OFF TOLD THE PM I'M A VET (WITHOUT LOOKING IN MY WALLET) AND TAKE ME TO THE VA. HE DIDN'T ASK ME WHERE I WA
19990119SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
BOTH THE PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER SEAT BELTS STOPPED WORKING. THEY DO NOT ADJUST OR STOP WHEN PULLED ON QUICKLY TO SIMULATE AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED THREE LOCAL DEALERS AND THEY ALL SAY THAT THE SEAT BELTS ARE ONLY WARRANTIED FOR 60,000 MILES. I THOUGHT THAT SEAT BELTS CARRIED A LIFETIME WARRANTY. CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION ON THIS. THANK YOU.
Compare 1982TOYOTACELICA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1982 TOYOTA CELICA have?▼
The 1982 TOYOTA CELICA has 4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1982 TOYOTA CELICA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1982 TOYOTA CELICA is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1982 TOYOTA CELICA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.