Total Complaints
4 filings
TOYOTA CELICA · model year
2004 TOYOTA CELICA
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2004TOYOTACELICA carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 2004 CELICA is service brakes, hydraulic with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and power train:manual transmission (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 2004 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
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20160408SEAT BELTS
MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT EASILY. IF I EXTEND IT OUT TO PUT IT ON WITH SLACK, AND LET GO, IT STAYS SLACKED. I HAVE TO MOVE IT IN AND OUT A FEW TIMES BEFORE IT FEELS "SNUG". POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE LUBRICATION GUMMING UP THE GEARS AND THE FUNCTION OF THE SEAT BELT. BEFORE GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, I HIT THE BUTTON TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT AND IT JUST SITS THERE AND NEVER RETRACTS BACK IN.
20121008POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
AT AROUND 70,000 MILES (AROUND JAN 2012), MY CELICA (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) BEGAN SLIPPING OUT OF 3RD GEAR, SPORADICALLY. I CONSULTED WITH A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THEY TOLD ME THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF FIXING THE PROBLEM WAS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION (GIVEN HOW LABOR-INTENSIVE OPENING THE TRANSMISSION IS). GIVEN THE LOW MILEAGE (I'M NOW AT 79,000), I'M OUTRAGED! I CALLED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN REPAIRS BECAUSE I WAS PAST THE 60,000 WARRANTY. I ASKED THE PERSON WHO TOOK MY CALL IF HE WOULD AGREE THAT IT WAS RIDICULOUS THAT MY CAR COULD FALL APART AT 60,001 WITH NO RECOURSE, AND HE SAID, "I WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S RIDICULOUS." IT COSTS $2288.82 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION, PLUS AROUND $1036 TO INSTALL. THE CAR NOW WON'T STAY IN 3RD GEAR AT ALL NOW. SO, I'VE BEEN BYPASSING THE 3RD GEAR, KNOWING THAT I'M ON BORROWED TIME. *TR
Mileage: 70,000
20090930VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA CELICA. WHILE DRIVING FLOOR-MAT INTERFERENCE CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND A REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED HER THAT THE DEALER COULD INSTALL A NEW CLIP TO SECURE THE FLOOR-MAT. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
20051210SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
2/5 HAD CALIPERS, ROTORS, BRAKE PADS REPLACED. 11/30/05 TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP SAID I NEEDED ALL THIS REPAIRED AGAIN. I SPOKE TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION STATED TO MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER I DRIVE TO FAST. SO THEREFORE IT WAS DEEMED AS WEAR AND TEAR. I THEN SPOKE OVER THE PHONE TO TOYOTA NEW ENGLAND REP AND SHE SAID IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AS WELL. I HAD 2 OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS TELL ME THAT ITS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BECAUSE OF THE WAY I DRIVE. *JB
Mileage: 14,000
Compare 2004TOYOTACELICA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2004 TOYOTA CELICA have?▼
The 2004 TOYOTA CELICA has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 TOYOTA CELICA?▼
The most-complained component for the 2004 TOYOTA CELICA is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2004 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.