Motor Almanac

Toyota / Celica / 2000

2000 Toyota Celica

Family: Celica · filed with NHTSA as CELICA

Summary

  • Of the 106 complaints that name a component, 43% concern Engine (46).
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
106
Recalls
3
Investigations
1
NCAP overall
Not rated
Combined MPG
23–27
Annual fuel cost
$2,300–$3,350
Median mileage at complaint
68,000 mi (n = 39)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
13 / 2 / 8 / 3

What owners report

Engine

46 complaints · 43% of complaints that name a component · median 64,000 mi (n = 23)

Owner report I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN THE VEHICLE I JUST BOUGHT AND WAS GOING THE SPEED LIMIT AND THE ENGINE LITERALLY BROKE INTO PIECES AND OIL WENT EVERYWHERE
Owner report THIS IS A 3RD ENGINE !!!!! WHEN I GOT THIS CAR IN 2008 IT WAS ALREADY KNOCKING FROM DEALERSHIP. SOON ROD BEARINGS BLEW OUT AND ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED, THESE ENGINES ARE VERY POOR DESIGN THAT OIL STARVE TO DEATH. AFTER REPLACING ENGINE THEY ONLY LAST YA FEW YEARS. 2010 SECOND ENGINE SAME THING STARTED LOOSING …

Powertrain

20 complaints · 19% of complaints that name a component · median 190,000 mi (n = 1)

Owner report THIS VEHICLE HAS ( ACCORDING TO ALL SOURCES AVAILABLE ) BURNED OIL FROM THE TIME IT LEFT THE PLANT BRAND NEW,MOST 2000 TO 2002 TOYOTA CELICA GT'S HAVE THIS ISSUE AS THE RINGS WERE BAD. TOYOTA HAS NEVER PRODUCED A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND IT HAS EFFECTED THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES.TOYOTA DID CHANGE THE RINGS OUT FOR THE 20…
Owner report WHILE SHIFTING FROM 6TH TO 5TH GEAR TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO A LOWER GEAR, CAUSING ENGINE TO BLOWOUT. *AK *YH

Accelerator & Cruise Control

11 complaints · 10% of complaints that name a component · median 100,000 mi (n = 4)

Owner report PAST INCIDENT THAT I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF. 2000 TOYOTA CELICA ACCELERATOR STUCK AND CAR ENDED UP GOING THROUGH A BUILDING. I REPORTED INCIDENT TO TOYOTA, BUT THEIR RESPONSE OF 11-6-03 SIMPLY STATED AIRBAGS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR DRIVER AND THEY SENT ME A BROCHURE ON AIR BAGS. THE CONSU…
Owner report TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA CELICA. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND OBSERVED THAT THE PEDAL WAS STICKY WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION EXTREME PRESSURE WAS ALSO APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CLUTCH IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED O…

Across the generation (2000–2005)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
200010643not compared
20014711not compared
20022917not compared
2003178not compared
200441not compared
200541not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

06E049000 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Filed 2006-05-24 · 27,176 vehicles

Defect: CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.

04V566000 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Filed 2004-11-29 · 92,577 vehicles

Defect: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, 'LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.' THE LUMINOUS INTENSITY OF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP (DRL) WILL BE MODIFIED TO MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RESISTOR, WHICH WILL DECREASE THE LUMINOUS INTENSITY OF THE DRL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 16, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

04V455000 · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

Filed 2004-09-17 · 109,056 vehicles

Defect: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE RECESS RETAINS A RUBBER SEAL RING, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE CYLINDER BODY, AND MAY BE CORRODED DUE TO AN IMPROPER WASHING PROCESS.

Risk: IN THIS CONDITION, BRAKE FLUID MAY LEAK FROM THE SEAL, OR A SMALL AMOUNT OF AIR MAY ENTER THE MASTER CYLINDER, WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN INCREASE OF VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND BOOSTER. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
DP02004ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING2002-04-302002-06-20

DP02004: ENGINE SEIZURE

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
Celica1.8L 4cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive233126$2400
Celica1.8L 4cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive202723$3350
Celica1.8L 4cylManual 5-spdFront-Wheel Drive243127$2300
Celica1.8L 4cylManual 6-spdFront-Wheel Drive202923$3350

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

no NCAP model matches this name

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 96 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about structure.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYThe condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-12-05STRUCTURE:BODYToyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure …
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYThe condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-07-12STRUCTURE:BODYThe condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Celica, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Celica model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.