Total Complaints
35 filings
TOYOTA CELICA · model year
1991 TOYOTA CELICA
35 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991TOYOTACELICA carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 2 fires, 4 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 1991 CELICA is air bags:frontal with 9 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (4) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (3). 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 1991 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.
35
Complaints
9
Crashes
2
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
9 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 9 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20150116SERVICE BRAKES
VEHICLE STARTED MAKING SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THAT OF ONE DRAGGING A METALLIC OBJECT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME LOOSE. *TR
Mileage: 165,000
20150116SUSPENSION
VEHICLE STARTED MAKING SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THAT OF ONE DRAGGING A METALLIC OBJECT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME LOOSE. *TR
Mileage: 165,000
20150116ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
VEHICLE STARTED MAKING SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THAT OF ONE DRAGGING A METALLIC OBJECT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME LOOSE. *TR
Mileage: 165,000
20040524SUSPENSION:FRONT:STABILIZER BAR
FRONT STABILIZER BAR SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. CONSUMER STATED THAT A 1990 TOYOTA, CELICA EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT. *AK BOTH VEHICLES HAD THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE STABILIZER BAR BRACKET MOUNT FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. *SC *JB
Mileage: 154,000
20010913CrashAIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
VEHICLE TRAVELING AT APPROX. 40 M.P.H., REAR ENDED STOPPED VEHICLE CAUSING FRONT END IMPACT TO CELICA, DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, DRIVER'S HEAD STRUCK WINDSHIELD CAUSING INJURY. *AK
20010605SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT FASTEN. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. *AK CONSUMER PAID FOR REPLACEMENT. *SLC
20010410SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT WAS PULLED ALL WAY OUT AND WOULD NOT RETRACT AFTER CONSUMER WAS PUTTING ON BELT. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THEY WILL REPLACE SEAT BELT FOR $196.00.*AK
20010123AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVERS FRONTAL AIR BAG DURING VEHICLE COLLISION (FARMER INSURANCE AGENCY CLAIM NUMBER N9089425). *MJS
20000804TIRES:TREAD/BELT
REAR RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. CONSUMER HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD, AND IT HAPPENED WITHOUT A WARNING. *AK
19991115CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AT APPROX. 30-35 MPH VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WHY AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
19990808SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I WANT TO KNOW GENERAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND WHERE I CAN FIND IT ON THE INTERNET.
19990618AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING AT NO MORE THAN 10 MPH CONSUMER HIT AN BUMP, AND AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
19990316SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
NO SUMMARY
19990316EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
NO SUMMARY
19981005SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT TENSIONER FAILED.
19980603SEAT BELTS:FRONT
SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION.
19980526ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
EXHAUST SYSTEM CRACKED TWICE IN THREE YEARS.
19980526ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
SEAT BELTS FAILED ONCE.
19980526SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELTS FAILED ONCE.
19980526ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
SEAT BELTS FAILED.
Compare 1991TOYOTACELICA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 TOYOTA CELICA have?▼
The 1991 TOYOTA CELICA has 35 NHTSA complaints, 9 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 TOYOTA CELICA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 TOYOTA CELICA is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Is the 1991 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.