Toyota Celica (2004)
2004 Toyota Celica
CarHunch analysed 4,178 real MOT records for the 2004 Toyota Celica.
Real test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — from verified DVLA records. Updated as new MOTs are recorded.
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The 2004 Celica's 75.3% first-time pass rate sits noticeably below the UK average of 80%, signalling reliability that's a touch below the norm for its age—but the real concern is that 41.4% of these cars have recorded a dangerous defect at some point, well above the threshold where buyers should factor in potential safety remediation costs. At nearly 78,000 miles on average, these vehicles are showing their age with an average of 4.8 failures and 25.9 advisories per test, indicating wear across multiple systems rather than isolated weak spots.
The high advisory count suggests that consumables and minor wear items (tyres, pads, lights, wipers) are common maintenance tasks you'll face, and you should budget accordingly when inspecting a used example. Before committing to a purchase, get a pre-buy inspection that specifically flags any history of dangerous defects and checks the condition of the cooling system and exhaust components, where these cars tend to rack up failure points.
The 2004 Toyota Celica has a decent first-time pass rate (75.4%), but a higher-than-average share of vehicles have had serious defects recorded — the individual vehicle's history matters a lot here.
These stats describe 4,178 vehicles as a group. The specific vehicle you're looking at could be the one good example or the one outlier. Run its registration to find out.
What tends to go wrong
Across 4,178 vehicles — figures show how many had each issue flagged at least once in their MOT history.
Data covers a 3-year window centred on 2004.
See this vehicle's full MOT history & AI hunches
Spot recurring advisories, hidden issues, and how it compares to 4,178 Toyota Celica cars.
Before you buy a 2004 Toyota Celica
Based on MOT data from 4,178 vehicles — here's what to check.
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Check the full MOT history.
41.4% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded -
recurring advisories often signal problems years before they become failures.
Search the reg on CarHunch for the full MOT history, reliability stats and a free AI-powered analysis of that exact vehicle. -
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Brake pipes, sills and subframes are the key areas on a vehicle this age — structural rust is hard to spot without getting underneath. A mechanic will check all of this before you commit, and give you a concrete basis to negotiate on price.
Inspection
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Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and clocking won't appear in the MOT records — a dedicated history check covers all of this. Our link gets you 20% off automatically.
History
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Pass Rate by Fuel Type
| Fuel type | Vehicles | Pass rate | Avg failures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol (100%) | 4,171 | 75.3% | 4.8 |
Colour Breakdown
Based on 82,613 Toyota Celica vehicles registered in the UK — across all years. From DVLA registration records.
Mileage Distribution
Most 2004 Toyota Celica vehicles sit in the blue band. If the vehicle you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.
Half of all 2004 Toyota Celica vehicles fall between 60,755 and 93,940 miles.
2004 Toyota Celica — Still on the Road
Numbers are thinning — 31% of 2004 Toyota Celicas are still active.
Numbers are declining — 1,122 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 (31% of peak).
Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.
* The 2020 dip reflects the government's COVID-19 MOT exemption, which allowed certificates to be extended by six months — fewer tests were conducted that year.
MOT History Averages
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Compare with another model
See how the 2004 Toyota Celica stacks up against a rival.