Toyota Celica Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Toyota Celica fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 19,596 MOT tests across 19 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: family car | Fuel: Petrol
73%
Toyota Celica pass rate
84%
Toyota average
82%
All-model average
The Toyota Celica has an average MOT pass rate of 73%, which is 11 points below the Toyota average and 9 points below the average across all models in our data. The Toyota Celica has maintained consistent MOT pass rates across model years, varying by only 0 percentage points.
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What the Toyota Celica Fails Its MOT On
Of the 3,271 MOT tests on the Toyota Celica that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
44%Cars and vans the same age: 49% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
35%Cars and vans the same age: 37% · Typical repair £150-£600
Brakes
33%Cars and vans the same age: 31% · Typical repair £80-£450
Exhaust, emissions and leaks
29%Cars and vans the same age: 17% (the Celica fails on this more often) · Typical repair £80-£800
Body, chassis and structure
22%Cars and vans the same age: 23% · Typical repair £200-£1200
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Suspension mounting area corroded, significantly reducing its strength (12% of failed tests, suspension)
- Position lamp: not working (12% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Petrol engine emissions: lambda reading outside the limits (11% of failed tests, exhaust, emissions and leaks)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Toyota Celica Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Celica year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Toyota Celica Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
| Year | Fuel | Engine | Pass Rate | Fail Rate | All Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Petrol | 2.0L | 88% | 12% | - |
| 2007 | Petrol | 2.0L | 73% | 27% | - |
| 2006 | Petrol | 1.8L | 75% | 24% | 73% (+2) |
| 2005 | Petrol | 1.8L | 73% | 26% | 73% (0) |
| 2004 | Petrol | 1.8L | 72% | 27% | 72% (0) |
| 2003 | Petrol | 1.8L | 72% | 26% | 72% (0) |
| 2002 | Petrol | 1.8L | 74% | 24% | 73% (+1) |
| 2001 | Petrol | 1.8L | 74% | 25% | 73% (+1) |
| 2000 | Petrol | 1.8L | 71% | 25% | - |
| 1999 | Petrol | 1.8L | 72% | 28% | - |
| 1998 | Petrol | 2.0L | 71% | 27% | 76% (-5) |
| 1997 | Petrol | 1.8L | 68% | 29% | 76% (-8) |
| 1996 | Petrol | 1.8L | 73% | 27% | - |
| 1995 | Petrol | 2.0L | 77% | 21% | - |
| 1994 | Petrol | 2.0L | 73% | 25% | - |
| 1993 | Petrol | 2.0L | 74% | 26% | - |
| 1992 | Petrol | 2.0L | 72% | 25% | - |
| 1991 | Petrol | 2.0L | 70% | 30% | - |
| 1990 | Petrol | 2.0L | 75% | 14% | - |
Toyota Celica Running Costs
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Toyota Celica FAQ
What are the most common Toyota Celica problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Toyota Celica that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (44% of the 3,271 failed tests), suspension (35%) and brakes (33%). The single most common fault was "Suspension mounting area corroded, significantly reducing its strength" (12%). Across 19,596 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 73% ended in a pass.
Is the Toyota Celica reliable?
The Toyota Celica has an average MOT pass rate of 73%, from 19,596 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed within 1 point of other cars of the same age, so about average for its age.
Which Toyota Celica years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 1997 (68% of 1,002 tests passed, against 76% for all 1997 cars) and the 1998 (71% of 1,415 tests passed, against 76% for all 1998 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Toyota Celica faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Toyota Celica typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Toyota Models
Common problems pages for other Toyota models