1998 Toyota Celica Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Celica years
- Not enough data 9th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Toyota Celica. That ranks 9th out of 11 Celica model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (2 complaints, 40%). There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 5owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Toyota Celica problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 2 | 40% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 20% | 188,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 20% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 20% | 188,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 20% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 20% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Toyota Celica recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 1998-2000 RAV4, 1998-1999 RAV4 EV and Celica and 1997-1998 Supra vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant, and increases the risk of serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and owners will have the option to self-inspect, or have a dealer inspect the steering wheel on their vehicle to determine if their vehicle may be equipped with an affected inflator. Potentially affected steering wheel serial numbers will be inspected by a dealer. Based on the inspection, dealers will replace the front driver air bag inflator with an alternate one, as necessary. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 28, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall is 20TB01 and 20TA01.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine seizure (DP02004) — opened Apr 30, 2002, closed Jun 20, 2002.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Toyota has failed to notify me of the faulty airbag recall and has failed to fix the faulty airbag and in addition, my car is stalling without cause.
Tl* the contact owns cooper life liner sle tires p205/55r 15 on a 1998 toyota celica. The contact stated while driving 65 mph the vehicle started shaking randomly, so the contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact looked at the tires and saw no damages. The contact rubbed her hand on…
The rear window of the convertible was designed such that raising and lowering the automatic top was not given enough clearance. As a result the back window of the vehicle repeatedly rubs against the sharp top of the rear seat upon opening and closing. This causes the rear window to disengage from…
Driving for 10 minutes in the car threw a rod, cracked the block, sheards of metal thru oil pan & water coolant system. Also rod dented hood so body work being required. Over $5500 damage on a 4 year old car! Mr
Windshield motor was working but the wiper blades were not operable. Consumer contacted the dealership, and they told her that warranty had expired. *ak
Other Toyota Celica years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Celica | 4 | 1 |
| 2004 Celica | 4 | 0 |
| 2003 Celica | 17 | 1 |
| 2002 Celica | 29 | 1 |
| 2001 Celica | 47 | 1 |
| 2000 Celica | 106 | 2 |
| 1999 Celica | 10 | 1 |
| 1998 | 5 | 1 |
| 1997 Celica | 8 | 0 |
| 1996 Celica | 9 | 0 |
| 1995 Celica | 22 | 0 |
See all Toyota Celica problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Toyota Celica?
Owners most often report structure, air bags, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 2 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Toyota Celica?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Toyota Celica a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Celica model years, the 1998 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.