2001 Toyota Celica

THIS ENGINE HAS A KNOWN OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. IT CAN CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. I HAVE HAD A MOTOR COMPLETELY FAIL WHILE ON THE FREEWAY WITH A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER DUE TO OIL LEVELS RUNNING DRY. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTAS RECALL DEPARTMENT ANT THEY SAID UNLESS NHTSA MAKES THIS A RECALL THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR OWNERS OF THESE CARS. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE AND THEY LOSE THEIR LIFE OVER A POORLY DESIGNED MOTOR. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS ISSUE BEFORE IT DOES LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE.

NHTSA ID

11268728

Incident

May 23, 2019

Mileage

85,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA CELICA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE GEAR SHIFTIER DID NOT WORK AND MADE A GRINDING NOISE. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER APPROXIMATELY SEVEN YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72,000.

NHTSA ID

11240634

Incident

Jul 30, 2012

Mileage

72,000 mi

SINCE THE RECALLS HAVE CAME OUT FOR THE CELICA OIL ISSUES MY WIFE HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET A SOLUTION FROM TOYOTA. TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT HER CAR IS NOT PART OF THE ISSUE HOWEVER TSB EG 6020 HER CAR IS A PART OF THE ISSUE. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE OF THE CARS THAT WERE RECALLED AND HERS THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME ENGINE SAME PARTS. SO BOTTOM LINE SHE SHOULD OF BEEN TAKING CAR OF BY TOYOTA AND THE ENGINE REPLACED. SHE NOW HAS A CAR THAT IS ABOUT TO CATCH ON FIRE AND NOT ABLE TO DRIVE AND FOR YEARS SHE HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET ANSWERS AND PUSHED AWAY. WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU LOOK INTO THE PARTS OF THE ENGINES THAT WERE RECALLED AND HER PARTS. YOU WILL SEE THERE ALL THE SAME. SHE PAID 22,000 FOR THIS CAR AND HAS HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. IM JUST GLAD THE CAR DID NOT CATCH FIRE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11210767

Incident

May 10, 2007

Mileage

40,000 mi

AS SOON AS I BOUGHT MY CAR IN MAY 2017, I REALIZED THAT MY CAR WAS RUNNING OUT OF OIL SUPER FAST. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY LEAKS OR PROBLEMS, BUT THERE WERE NONE. TO THIS DAY DEC 2018 I'VE SPENT ABOUT 2K ON OIL ALONE. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM IN THE CELICAS. I RECENTLY WENT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO EVEN BE CONSIDERED FOR THE RECALL. I HAD GOT INTO A ACCIDENT WITH A DEER ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND MY INSURANCE TOTALED MY CAR OUT. THERE WAS ONLY DAMAGE TO MY HOOD, HEADLIGHTS, AND MY BUMPER. I BOUGHT THE CAR BACK FROM THEM, BUT ALL IN ALL NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR INTERNALLY. I REALLY CAN'T AFFORD OIL EVERY WEEK BUT I DO LOVE THIS CAR. IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU GUYS CAN DO/HELP WITH I'D APPRECIATE IT.

NHTSA ID

11156009

Incident

May 1, 2017

Mileage

210,000 mi

NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANYTHING NOT WORKING BUT SINCE I'VE NOTICED THE FRONT AIRBAG LIGHTS ON THE CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN HAS STOPPED WORKING DON'T KNOW IF IT COULD HAVE BEEN A RELATED ISSUE TO THE AIRBAG HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES AND ALL OF THEM WAS GOOD BUT MY HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL HAS STOPPED WORKING. ONE OTHER THING I HAVE NOTICED AND ABOUT MY CELICA IS THEY CAR VIBRATIONS HAVE MADE THE DOOR BOLTS COME LOOSE DOOR STAYS SHUT BUT VERY NOTICEABLE CAUSE THE DOOR LIGHTS STAY ON AND YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS IS OFF BUT ONCE YOUR DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS START BLINKING AND HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEM UP EVER SO OFTEN SO THIS INCIDENT DON'T HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10671941

Incident

Oct 15, 2014

Mileage

150,000 mi

JUST ANOTHER BURNING OIL COMPLAINT HERE. I BOUGHT THIS CAR AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO MY TAHOE FOR WHEN I DRIVE 1.5 HOUR AWAY FOR WORK. I WASN'T EXPECTING TO HAVE TO PUT IN NEARLY A QUART OF OIL WITH EVERY TRIP. SEEMS TO ME LIKE THIS PISTON ISSUE IS WELL KNOWN, WELL DOCUMENTED, HEAVILY COMPLAINED ABOUT, AND THAT TOYOTA SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THEY HAVE A REPUTATION FOR PRODUCING ENGINES THAT GO 300,000 MILES EASILY AND OURS ARE DYING OUT AT 150,000. TURNS OUT ONE OF MY FRIENDS HAD THE SAME YEAR CELICA AND THEIR ENGINE GAVE OUT ON THEM WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN DES MOINES. THIS COULD BE FATAL. HOW MANY HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF THESE CARS OUT THERE THAT COULD JUST STOP WORKING AT ANY MOMENT, IN ANY TRAFFIC CONDITION, BECAUSE OF A KNOWN DEFECT NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT? *TR

NHTSA ID

10663264

Incident

Oct 17, 2014

Mileage

150,000 mi

THE ENGINE MAKES A HORRIBLE TICKING SOUND AND CONSUMES ALMOST 4 QUARTS OF OIL FOR EVERY FOUR HUNDRED MILES I DRIVE, SO BASICALLY EVERY TIME I FILL UP WITH GAS I'M ALSO FILLING MY CAR WITH OIL. WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THIS IN 2011 I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY SAID I COULD PAY THEM TO TAKE APART THE ENTIRE ENGINE, BUT THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THEY WOULD FIND THE PROBLEM. AT FIRST I WOULD ADD AN EXTRA QUART OF OIL EVERY TIME I FILLED UP WITH GAS, BUT NOW THIS HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE - TO FOUR QUARTS FOR EVERY FOUR HUNDRED MILES. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME AND JUST TODAY IT STARTED FLASHING. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON I SHOULD HAVE TO ADD THIS MUCH OIL EVERY SINGLE TIME AND JUST IMAGINE ALL OF THE POLLUTION GOING INTO THE ENVIRONMENT! THIS IS DEFINITELY A QUALITY RELATED ISSUE FOR TOYOTA. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THIS CAR I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE 2000-2002 CELICA GT'S ENGINES WERE MADE INCORRECTLY AND THAT ITS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. SO BECAUSE TOYOTA DECIDED TO SKIMP ON MAKING QUALITY ENGINES PRETTY MUCH ANYONE WHO HAS ONE OF THESE HAS TO BUY OIL AND GAS AND DRIVES WITH THE FEAR THAT THE ENGINE COULD POSSIBLY STOP AT ANY POINT AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10599009

Incident

Jun 1, 2011

Mileage

98,000 mi

I PURCHASED A TOYOTA CELICA 2001 WITH A 1ZZ-FE ENGINE IN MAY OF THIS YEAR 2014 AFTER ANOTHER DRIVER TOTALED MY CAR. IT GOT A FRESH OIL CHANGE FROM PEPBOYS AND CONSUMED THE OIL IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS. THIS HAS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO CREATE A LOUD CONSTANT KNOCKING SOUND OVER TIME WHICH IS ANY TIME I'M NOT GOING OVER 40 MPH AND AFTER DOING MORE RESEARCH ONLINE I SEE THAT IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE AND THE ONLY PERMANENT SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE IT WITH AN 03-05 MODEL 1ZZ-FE ENGINE. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TO A MECHANIC MULTIPLE TIMES WHO RECOMMENDED I REPLACE THE RODS TO "BUY SOME TIME" UNTIL IT DIES AND THE ANXIETY OF IT DYEING ALONG WITH THE SOUND ITS MAKING IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND OUT TOYOTA HAD USED UNDERSIZED PISTONS AND OVERSIZED RINGS TO COMPENSATE IN THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINES FROM 1999-2002COROLLAAND CELICA'S, CAUSING THEM TO DRINK THE OIL AT A VERY HIGH RATE AFTER SO MANY MILES. ALSO THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE MANY 2000-2002 CELICAS FOR SALE ONLINE WITH BLOWN MOTORS DUE TO THE SAME ISSUE. I COMMUTE TO WORK AND BACK WHICH IS LESS THAN TEN MILES AWAY. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THIS AS I AM 24 AND TAKING CARE OF MY DISABLED MOTHER AND TRYING TO GET BACK IN SCHOOL. I HAD THE CAR LESS THAN A MONTH BEFORE IT STARTED HAVING ISSUES AND HAVE RECORDS OF THE OIL CHANGES IT HAS GOTTEN SINCE THE FIRST OWNER. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND RECALL THIS ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10594508

Incident

Apr 10, 2014

Mileage

159,000 mi

Acid 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, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on the paint surface that resemble hard water spots. Unlike water spots however, acid rain damage cannot be removed by regular washing procedures. Also, because acid rain can etch and soften the paint, normal buffing or polishing repair procedures should not be attempted. This can cause further damage and result in visible depressions in the paint surface. The following are the three major categories of acid rain damage: •Minor damage: requires only buffing to repair. •Moderate damage: usually requires neutralizing, color sanding, and buffing. •Severe damage: extending beyond 1/2 mil of clearcoat on a pearl, metallic, or solid color, requires neutralization, sanding, and repainting. In cases where acid rain damage is minor, neutralization and buffing with a liquid-type paint finessing product may provide an adequate repair. Only specially formulated products outlined in this bulletin should be used for that purpose. Unfortunately, other than minor damage, there is no simple method of determining the actual extent (depth) of acid penetration other than color sanding a representative affected area until there is no visible etching or depressions, followed by measuring the amount of paint removed with either a magnetic or digital-type film thickness gauge. The procedures in this bulletin are intended for use by qualified body/paint technicians and should not be attempted by inexperienced personnel. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. Perform frequent vehicle washing, as often as daily, during high heat and humidity periods to minimize the potential for paint damage due to acid rain exposure. This is especially important in geographical areas known for high frequency and concentration of acid rain and industrial fallout.

The 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 vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage can occur. This damage is the result of actual etching of the paint and appears as pitting or water spots. As acid rain droplets on the vehicle surface evaporate, the concentration strength of the acid increases, causing deeper and more rapid damage. This evaporation and corrosive action also occur more rapidly on dark colored cars as direct sun heat increases. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. In areas known for high frequency and/or concentration of acid rain, frequent vehicle washing during high heat or humidity periods will minimize the potential for paint damage caused by acid rain. It is further recommended that either reverse osmosis or deionized water be used to prevent water spotting.

To 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 initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Consequently, the film should remain on the wheel for as long as possible.

Toyota 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 in this bulletin to remove the RapgardTM protective film within 90 days from initial application.

Acid 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, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on the paint surface that resemble hard water spots. Unlike water spots however, acid rain damage cannot be removed by regular washing procedures. Also, because acid rain can etch and soften the paint, normal buffing or polishing repair procedures should not be attempted. This can cause further damage and result in visible depressions in the paint surface. The following are the three major categories of acid rain damage: •Minor damage: requires only buffing to repair. •Moderate damage: usually requires neutralizing, color sanding, and buffing. •Severe damage: extending beyond 1/2 mil of clearcoat on a pearl, metallic, or solid color, requires neutralization, sanding, and repainting. In cases where acid rain damage is minor, neutralization and buffing with a liquid-type paint finessing product may provide an adequate repair. Only specially formulated products outlined in this bulletin should be used for that purpose. Unfortunately, other than minor damage, there is no simple method of determining the actual extent (depth) of acid penetration other than color sanding a representative affected area until there is no visible etching or depressions, followed by measuring the amount of paint removed with either a magnetic or digital-type film thickness gauge. The procedures in this bulletin are intended for use by qualified body/paint technicians and should not be attempted by inexperienced personnel. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. Perform frequent vehicle washing, as often as daily, during high heat and humidity periods to minimize the potential for paint damage due to acid rain exposure. This is especially important in geographical areas known for high frequency and concentration of acid rain and industrial fallout.

To 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 initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Consequently, the film should remain on the wheel for as long as possible.