The 1999 Toyota Celica has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 138,842 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the tires. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS20V0330002020-01-22138,842 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
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.
Remedy
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,…
Complaints by component
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
3
SEAT BELTS
2
AIR BAGS
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
1
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
1
TIRES
1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
1
Total complaints11
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 1999 toyota celica. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v03300 (air bags), however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 toyota celica. The contact stated that the driver side seat belt failed to retract, which caused the seat belt to become loose. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate…”
“The seat belt stopped rolling and loose. This shouldn't be happening regardless of age. My son brought it to my attention on june 21, 2015.”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1999 toyota celica. The vehicle has cooper lifeliner touring sle tires, size 205/55r16. While driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle began to wobble on the rear passenger side. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the metal belt busted through and the tread…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1999 toyota celica. While driving 55 mph, the contact heard a clicking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle stopped and the engine shut off without warning. The dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. As of june 19, 2007, the transmission has not been…”
“Vehicle sputters while driving when gears shift. This occurs because the 1st cylinder is only operating at 1/2 its pressure capacity. A mechanic indicated that this may be caused by a cracked o-ring. *ak”
“The convertible top leaks when washed. Also the pins that hold the top together have come apart.*ak”
“Original manufactured equipment on a 1999, toyota, celica ,tire size p20555r15. While driving 65 mph on the highway tread completely separated from sidewall. No collision and no injuries. *ak consumer states that the goodyear eagle gt tire tread on the left rear launched 50 feet onto the highway…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP02004 Opened 2002-04-30 · closed 2002-06-20
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1999 Toyota Celica as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.