1988 Toyota Celica Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1988 Toyota Celica. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“I currently own an 87 and 88 toyota celicas and both heaters do not work. *ak”
“Engine problem after warm up shifting from 1st to 2nd grinding like the gears are not meshing correctly. So try and skip 2nd while driving.”
“Engine problem after warm up shifting from 1st to 2nd grinding like the gears are not meshing correctly. So try and skip 2nd while driving.”
“Ring gear behind the starter teeth started slipping, which made loud noises, dealer not aware of the problem, mechanic did repair work, consumer had to pay expenses to get repairs. Provide further information. *ak”
“Brakes failed.”
“Muffler failed.”
“Front end repaired.”
“Driver's seat belt retractor failed. *sd”
Defect investigations
THROTTLE STICKING
There is no summary currently available
THROTTLE STICKING
There is no summary currently available
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Toyota Celica as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.