The 2002 Toyota Celica has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 15,048 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK CHECK VALVE, LOCATED IN THE FUEL TANK INLET PIPE, MAY BECOME SEPARATED FROM THE INLET PIPE AND FALL INTO THE FUEL TANK. IF THE CHECK VALVE FALLS INTO THE TANK, FUEL MAY SPILL FROM THE FUEL INLET PIPE WHEN THE FUEL PUMP AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF DURING FUELING.
Consequence
THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT A FIRE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPAIR THE FUEL TANK CHECK VALVE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 4, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
6
6crashes3injuries
AIR BAGS
5
5crashes3injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
2
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
1
1crashes
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
1
1crashes
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
1
Total complaints37
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Car was traveling @ 50 mph ( posted speed for the road). He sneezed, when he looked up the cars suddenly stopped in front of him. He rear ended the car in front of him going 50 mph. No airbags deployed. The entire front end was crushed. The engine was shoved in. The car is totaled. But not 1…”
“Daughter (17) lost control of car in a curve due to wet roads and speed. The car spun then struck a tree head on. The car was a total loss. The impact was great enough to bust the radiator and kill the motor but neither air bag deployed. My younger daughter (15) was in the passenger's seat. Both…”
“Daughter (17) lost control of car in a curve due to wet roads and speed. The car spun then struck a tree head on. The car was a total loss. The impact was great enough to bust the radiator and kill the motor but neither air bag deployed. My younger daughter (15) was in the passenger's seat. Both…”
“Daughter (17) lost control of car in a curve due to wet roads and speed. The car spun then struck a tree head on. The car was a total loss. The impact was great enough to bust the radiator and kill the motor but neither air bag deployed. My younger daughter (15) was in the passenger's seat. Both…”
“Was turning out on a highway out of a side road. When struck on my front/driverside fender at a high speed approximate 60mph, my car is totaled, or will be totaled in the next few days, my airbag did not deploy making my injuries worse than they should be. Im trying to figure out why my airpad…”
“Twice when coming to a stop at a stop light, my toyota celica continued to idle at about 4000 rpm. I tried pulling the car mat toward the seat to be sure it wasn't interfering with the accelerator pedal. I also tried jiggling the accelerator pedal to be sure nothing was stuck. Neither of these…”
“We own 2002 celica gt-s. It has had to have 4 sets of tires in 85,000 miles. At the last alignment the technician could not get the 2 rear tires in alignment with the front 2 tires. The problem were the rear tie rods. He got a set of adjustable tie rods & replaced the factory tie rods and was able…”
“We own 2002 celica gt-s. It has had to have 4 sets of tires in 85,000 miles. At the last alignment the technician could not get the 2 rear tires in alignment with the front 2 tires. The problem were the rear tie rods. He got a set of adjustable tie rods & replaced the factory tie rods and was able…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 Toyota Celica as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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