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1998 Toyota Celica Recalls, Complaints & Specs

1 safety recall lists the 1998 Toyota Celica, and owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

1
safety recall
5
owner complaints to NHTSA
22–23
MPG combined (EPA)

1 safety recall for the 1998 Toyota Celica

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 20V033000 Reported 138,842 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

    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…

    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.…

5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1998 Toyota Celica have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 106,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“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.”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 9, 2020 · Air bags

“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 si”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 15, 2010 · Tires

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1998 Toyota Celica (Celica Convertible). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined22–23 mpg
City / Highway19–20 / 26–27
FuelRegular
EPA classMinicompact Cars, Subcompact Cars
Engine4 cyl, 2.2 L
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd

Compare Toyota Celica model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Toyota Celica model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1972 Toyota Celica10
1973 Toyota Celica10
1974 Toyota Celica01
1977 Toyota Celica01
1978 Toyota Celica01
1979 Toyota Celica01
1980 Toyota Celica12
1982 Toyota Celica14
1983 Toyota Celica03
1984 Toyota Celica03
1985 Toyota Celica07
1986 Toyota Celica09
1987 Toyota Celica05
1988 Toyota Celica06
1989 Toyota Celica011
1990 Toyota Celica129
1991 Toyota Celica027
1992 Toyota Celica021
1993 Toyota Celica013
1994 Toyota Celica014
1995 Toyota Celica022
1996 Toyota Celica09
1997 Toyota Celica08
1998 Toyota Celica15
1999 Toyota Celica110
2000 Toyota Celica2106
2001 Toyota Celica147
2002 Toyota Celica129
2003 Toyota Celica117
2004 Toyota Celica04
2005 Toyota Celica14

Checking a specific 1998 Toyota Celica

How do I know if my 1998 Toyota Celica has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 1 campaign currently lists the 1998 Toyota Celica; your car may already have been repaired under it.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Toyota dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 20V033000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Toyota models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.