Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Toyota Celica owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
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.
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.
I purchased my 2001 Toyota Celica in September 2009 with only 62,000 miles on the vehicle and engine. After purchasing the vehicle, I started to notice that it was burning a quart of oil about every 800 miles. I continued to add oil and keep regular oil changes. I took it to the dealership where I was told this was "normal" oil consumption by Toyota and it repair would not be covered under warranty. My warranty has since expired and I now have around 72,000 miles on the vehicle. It is now burning oil at around 1 quart per 500 miles. This is not an acceptable level of oil burning for any vehicle. After researching the problem on the internet, I have found out that there are many owners of Toyota's with the same engine and they are having the same issues with their vehicles. …
I had purchased a 2001 Toyota Celica gt in October 2005, and in 2006 I noticed that the engine was consuming more oil then normal (1 quart oil = 500miles) after the oil was changed at 96,000 miles, I also started noticing a ticking noise coming from the engine compartment, I've taken it to roseville ... See more Toyota in california to have it checked out and they kept blaming it on my exhaust, even when I took a technician for a drive to let him listen to the noise, but he still said it was my exhaust. I have taken my car to them multiple time to have them check it out and also had them do a valve adjustment to see if that was it. It's been 4 years now and I'm still dealing with the issue, I am also on a local forum newcelica.org and there has been alot of complaints of them having the same issues. …
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. …
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. …
I purchased my Celica new in 2001. This year I had a new clutch and transmission put in. In the past 6 months I noticed that I was putting oil in on a regular basis, no leaks and no smoke form the exhaust. I have 128 thousand miles on the car. I have changed the oil on schedule. I contacted Toyota in jacksonville and was told I somehow must have abused the motor or not changed the oil regularly. Long story short, now I am looking for a replacement motor and Toyota wants almost $6000.00. I have shopped around and the cheapest way to go would be a used motor. If I had not already put in a new transmission and clutch this car would be in the junkyard. After reading all the complaints associated with this motor I would be a fool to put in another motor to have it do the same thing in 50,000 miles. That being said ,Toyota should address this and fix this issue for all Celica owners.
It is commonly known the 1998 to 2005 1.8l 1zz-fe engines in Toyota Celica's burn mass amounts of oil after 100,000 miles. (1 quart or more every 500 to 1000 miles). The defect is in the piston. Prior to 2005 there are only 4 holes in the piston behind the oil rings for oil to flow. After 2005 there are 12 holes. This lack of oil flow causes excessive wear on cylinder walls. Thus, the engine starts to burn oil. It gets worse and worse until the engine fails. The engine then needs a complete rebuild or replacement. Toyota has known this for years (like the resent recalls) and has done nothing for the consumer. I know that 100,000 miles would be out of warranty for any engine, but knowing of the defect and doing nothing is not fair to the consumer. Toyota should recall all of these engines and either replace them or pay for them to be rebuilt.
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?
Engine complaints in other Celica years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Toyota Celica?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Toyota Celica, 47% of the model year's 47 complaints. The component named most often is engine (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Toyota Celica engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Toyota Celica, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Toyota Celica engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.