Shifterati

Toyota

Toyota Celica 1971–2005

This page is a draft. It has not been approved yet, so read it with care.

Walk away from a rusty 1st gen: buy the most rust-free one you can find. Hunt a 1988–1989 All-Trac Turbo, and ask how hard its engine was run. On a 2000–2002 GT-S, ask whether the lift bolts were replaced, and on a 2000–2001 GT, find out how much oil it burns.

Learn

Generations

Timeline

  1. 1st gen 1971–1977

    What changed, year by year (7)
    1. 1971 The first Celica sold in North America, an ST coupe with a 1.9L four and a 4-speed.1,3
    2. 1972 A 2.0L four replaces the 1.9L; the fuel tank moves behind the rear seats.1
    3. 1973 Three-colour tail lights replace the one-piece lights, and an automatic becomes optional.1,3
    4. 1974 The LT and the GT arrive, the GT with a 5-speed and tighter suspension, and flared wheel arches.1,3
    5. 1975 A 2.2L four becomes standard, with 5-mph bumpers, larger wheel flares and a hood bulge.1,3
    6. 1976 The car is stretched and widened, with a new dash and 14-inch wheels, and a liftback joins the coupe.1,3
    7. 1977 The last year of the 1st gen.3,5

  2. 2nd gen 1978–1981

    What changed, year by year (3)
    1. 1978 New generation, as a coupe or a GT liftback, with the 2.2L four.1,5
    2. 1980 A mild refresh with square headlights, a new grille and hood, and revised tail lights; the US Grand Prix GT Liftback is offered.2,1
    3. 1981 A 2.4L four replaces the 2.2L, and the GTA marks ten years of the Celica.1,6

  3. 3rd gen 1982–1985

    What changed, year by year (4)
    1. 1982 New generation, with the 2.4L four in every US Celica.1,5
    2. 1983 Fuel injection becomes standard, and the GT-S joins the range.1,7
    3. 1984 A facelift brings fully retracting headlights, a new grille and tail lights, and the GT-S convertible arrives.1,8
    4. 1985 The last rear-drive year; the convertible is built in larger numbers.6,8

  4. 4th gen 1986–1989

    What changed, year by year (4)
    1. 1986 New front-drive generation as a coupe or liftback, with a 2.0L four on the ST and GT and a 135 hp twin-cam on the GT-S.9,1
    2. 1987 A twin-cam 3S-FE replaces the 2S-E on the ST and GT, an automatic becomes optional on the ST, and the GT convertible arrives.1,9
    3. 1988 The All-Trac Turbo arrives, with 190 hp and all-wheel drive, the first 77 as IMSA GTO editions. ABS becomes optional on the GT-S.6,1
    4. 1989 The last year of the 4th gen.5

  5. 5th gen 1990–1993

    What changed, year by year (4)
    1. 1990 Completely redesigned, with a larger engine for the GT-S and upgraded audio; the All-Trac Turbo carries on with 200 hp.10,1
    2. 1991 A driver's airbag is added, says Edmunds.11
    3. 1992 A subtle restyle, larger wheels and tyres, and wider availability of ABS; the GT gets standard fog lights.12,1
    4. 1993 ABS becomes standard on the All-Trac Turbo and optional on the GT convertible. The last year of the GT-S and the All-Trac Turbo.13,1

  6. 6th gen 1994–1999

    What changed, year by year (6)
    1. 1994 Redesigned coupe and liftback. The All-Trac Turbo is dropped, and dual airbags and power mirrors are standard.14,1
    2. 1995 The GT convertible returns, in red, white, blue or black.15
    3. 1996 Front and rear styling tweaks, a new spoiler, new wheel covers, two new colours and revised fabrics; the 25th Anniversary editions are offered.16,1
    4. 1997 The GT coupe is dropped, and Fiesta Blue Metallic can be had with the black sport cloth interior.17,1
    5. 1998 The ST is dropped, leaving the GT with more standard equipment, and Caribbean Green Metallic is new.18,1
    6. 1999 Every coupe is dropped, leaving the GT liftback and convertible, and Galaxy Blue Metallic is discontinued.19,1

  7. 7th gen 2000–2005

    What changed, year by year (6)
    1. 2000 All-new, shorter and on a longer wheelbase, as a liftback only, with a 180 hp GT-S and its 6-speed.20,1
    2. 2001 No changes, says Edmunds.21
    3. 2002 The Action Package is offered. Hagerty says Toyota programmed a lower rev limiter into the 2002 models.1,6
    4. 2003 Freshened front and rear, a clearer centre dash, HID headlights on the GT-S, JBL audio standard on the GT-S, and two new colours, Solar Yellow and Zephyr Blue Metallic.22,1
    5. 2004 HID headlights become optional on every Celica, a cabin air filter is added, and the Action Package is restyled.23,1
    6. 2005 The last US model year. The cassette player is no longer standard, and Hagerty says the 2005 models got a lower rev limiter.24,1,6

Buy

Rare catches

Rare options, colors and interiors to look out for, and whether finding one is good news.

  • Rare IMSA GTO edition Package · 4th gen

    One for each of the 77 Toyota dealers in California1,6

    77 sold in California1

  • Rare US Grand Prix GT Liftback Package · 2nd gen

    A limited edition for 19801

  • Rare GTA 10th Anniversary Package · 2nd gen

    The Celica's 10th anniversary edition, for 1981 only1

  • Rare Griffith Sunchaser Package · 2nd gen

    Over 2,000 converted, by Wikipedia1

  • Rare GT-S convertible Package · 3rd gen

    200 or 250 built for 1984, by different sources1,25,8

  • Rare 25th Anniversary Trim · 6th gen

    Marked 25 years of the Celica1,16

Recalls 8
  • 78V017000 1972–1973

    The heater hoses may have been damaged when fitted, shortening their life. They are replaced.26,27,28

  • 80V045000 1980

    The alternator pulley can crack and break, which stops the battery charging and can scatter pieces. The pulley is replaced.29,30

  • 86V132000 1982

    Solder joints in the cruise control computer can crack, which can make the engine race and the car speed up suddenly. The computer is replaced if needed.31,32

  • 90V078000 1990

    The driver's airbag inflator case was machined wrongly, so the airbag may not deploy in a crash. The inflator is replaced.33,34

  • 03V074000 2002–2003

    A check valve in the fuel filler pipe can come loose and fall into the tank, so fuel can spill while refuelling, a fire risk. The valve is inspected and repaired.35,36,37

  • 04V455000 2000

    A seal ring in the brake master cylinder can corrode, letting fluid leak or air in, which can lengthen stopping distances. The master cylinder and booster are inspected and replaced if needed.38,39

  • 04V566000 2000–2001

    The daytime running lights are brighter than the federal lighting standard allows. A resistor is fitted to dim them.38,40,41

  • 20V033000 1998–1999

    The driver's airbag inflator can absorb moisture, which may make it rupture and throw metal fragments, or under-inflate the airbag. The inflator is replaced.42,43,44

Checked against NHTSA records on 21 October 2026.

Before you pay

A buyer's checklist for each generation: every warning and recall, with a box to tick.

Sources

The specs and year changes here are facts from Edmunds, Wikipedia, Car and Driver and the motoring press, with generation years from Toyota's US newsroom and colours for 1991–2005 from Edmunds' specs pages for single model years. Few figures come from Toyota itself, and the generation codes rest on Wikipedia and one buyer's guide. The claims and issues are reputation, from Hagerty, Collector Car Market, Goodwood, Curbside Classic, a parts maker, a buyer's guide written for Japanese cars, an owner forum, reader comments and a complaints site, and none is measured against sale prices yet. Recalls are from NHTSA's records, checked for every model year.

  1. Wikipedia (Toyota Celica)
  2. Curbside Classic (1980 GT)
  3. Collector Car Market (1971–77 profile)
  4. Goodwood (1st gen buyer's guide)
  5. Toyota Newsroom (Celica archive)
  6. Hagerty (seven generations)
  7. Curbside Classic (1982–1985 coupe and liftback)
  8. Conceptcarz (1984 Celica)
  9. Curbside Classic (1988 GT)
  10. Edmunds 1990 review
  11. Edmunds 1991 review
  12. Edmunds 1992 review
  13. Edmunds 1993 review
  14. Edmunds 1994 review
  15. Edmunds 1995 review
  16. Edmunds 1996 review
  17. Edmunds 1997 review
  18. Edmunds 1998 review
  19. Edmunds 1999 review
  20. Edmunds 2000 review
  21. Edmunds 2001 review
  22. Edmunds 2003 review
  23. Edmunds 2004 review
  24. Edmunds 2005 review
  25. Curbside Classic (GT-S convertible)
  26. NHTSA recalls (1972 Celica)
  27. NHTSA recalls (1973 Celica)
  28. NHTSA campaign 78V017000
  29. NHTSA recalls (1980 Celica)
  30. NHTSA campaign 80V045000
  31. NHTSA recalls (1982 Celica)
  32. NHTSA campaign 86V132000
  33. NHTSA recalls (1990 Celica)
  34. NHTSA campaign 90V078000
  35. NHTSA recalls (2002 Celica)
  36. NHTSA recalls (2003 Celica)
  37. NHTSA campaign 03V074000
  38. NHTSA recalls (2000 Celica)
  39. NHTSA campaign 04V455000
  40. NHTSA recalls (2001 Celica)
  41. NHTSA campaign 04V566000
  42. NHTSA recalls (1998 Celica)
  43. NHTSA recalls (1999 Celica)
  44. NHTSA campaign 20V033000
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