Total Complaints
6 filings
TOYOTA CELICA · model year
1987 TOYOTA CELICA
6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987TOYOTACELICA carries 6 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, 1 injury, 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 1987 CELICA is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by seats:front assembly:recliner (1) and vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal (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 1987 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.
6
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040407SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE BRAKES LOCKED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN A HILL. CONSUMER DOWN SHIFTED, AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
20040407STEERING
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE BRAKES LOCKED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN A HILL. CONSUMER DOWN SHIFTED, AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19980929VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
WHILE CONTROLLING THE PASSENGER'S WINDOW ELECTRONICALLY THE PASSENGER'S DOOR OPENS WIDE UNEXPECTEDLY. IF THE OCCUPANT WAS NOT SEAT BELTED, THE OCCUPANT MAY FALL OUT. *AK VEHICLE DOOR OPENS WHEN PUTTING THE WINDOW DOWN VEHICLE UNSAFE TO OPERATE AT THIS TIME. *YH
19980829VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
TRAVELING SOUTH ON THE INTERSTATE, DRIVER PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR FULLY DOWN TO PASS ANOTHER CAR WHEN THE ACCELERATOR STUCK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. WHEN STANDING ON THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE STILL ACCELERATED. THE DRIVER FINALLY TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE DRIVER RESTARTED THE CAR AND FINALLY ACCELERATOR BECAME UNSTUCK. *AK
19960724CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND THE DRIVERS SEATBACK COLLAPSED. *AK
19951212POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION TWO TIMES. TT
Compare 1987TOYOTACELICA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 TOYOTA CELICA have?▼
The 1987 TOYOTA CELICA has 6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 TOYOTA CELICA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 TOYOTA CELICA is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Is the 1987 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.