1998 Toyota Celica

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

Watch out for

Reputation: what owners and the press report. Tap one to see what to check.

Worn convertible top All years One source so far

What to check: Raise and lower the top, and look for a gummy or torn canvas, a broken strut and a loose rear window.

Two Edmunds owners of a 1995 GT convertible report a worn top. One says the canvas went gummy, a strut snapped and the rear window fell out, and the other says the roof needs replacing.

Sources ¹
Oxidized paint All years One source so far

What to check: Look over the roof, hood and trunk for faded or chalky paint, above all on a dark car.

Two members of a ClubLexus thread on buying a 1995-on Celica raise it. One says the darker colors oxidize on cars that were not garaged or looked after, and the other has seen oxidized ones on the road.

Sources ²

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.^3,4,5

Checked against NHTSA records on 21 October 2026.