6G Celicas Forums

The title says it all. I bought the car with 93,000 miles on it, and it was my second Celica. It was a major disappointment from my first Celi, although my first was an ST auto and this one is a GT 5-speed. Ever since I got this car, I've had problems with it. It wasn't taken care of before I got it, so it's shot a spark plug out on me and half the stuff is broken on it. No power antenna. No antenna at all, actually. Paint falling off the front bumper. Half the interior plastics are broken. No cruise control (broken switch.) No floormats. Burns oil when I start it up. Burns oil after I start it up. I've had it two years last month, and have had to get the tires aligned 3 times. I'm on my 3rd set of tires too, partially because I'm sick of getting it aligned so I just let it f*** up the tires now. It almost feels cheaper. New suspension all around, which needs to be replaced AGAIN. Steering is loose, and the car often drifts. It makes me carsick just trying to drive in a straight line. I've taken the whole driver's side of the car out when I hit a deer, and now the door doesn't fit in the door jamb all that well and the window won't roll up right. Paint falling off the front bumper. The car has been wrecked, but not bad. Just bad enough to repaint the front bumper and nothing else. But due to the tire and suspension problems, I wonder if it was really wrecked a lot worse and never turned in to insurance. And now, my favorite thing: in the last couple thousand miles, it's started leaking oil. I've fixed everything I can. I'm sick of fixing the d*** thing. I was planning on keeping it and working with it. It's a lot better now than it was when I got it. And I know the oil leak is nothing major, probably just a gasket. But god, how much more can I take? I don't have a job. I have $19 in my bank account. I can't fix this thing any more. I look at it and I see a hopeless cause. I'm giving up on it. Here's my situation though. I've figured out a way that if I save up $5000 or so, I can get a new car (to be announced later... after my jobless a** comes up with $5000.) So somebody try to cheer me up and convince me to keep the Celica, or else I'm abandoning 6GC's for something better.

well bro, i hate to see you go. but if the problems are the only thinkg driving you away i'd hang in there.. suspension can be fixed. and every other problem fixed only mean new parts and therefore no issues in the near future w/ that part. in other words, you'll eventually end up w/ a mostly new car.
Or find another cheap 6GC w/ blown engine or some body damage, and transfer the good parts from the worst car to the best chassis

damn man...hey dont give up bro. celicas are great amazing cars man. yeah you might be going through a tough time with fixing all the crap but maybe u just werent lucky in pcking out the car u know? keep all the parts and find yourself another celi and just get ur new parts and put it in the new celica and ull be all set with maybe i newer car that wont give u problems u know? but its up to u...i say stick with the 6gc =) best cars ever

I'm probably not leaving this forum. I like all you guys too much But I'm just sick of fixing my Celica. It's been two years of constant struggle, replacing this and fixing that. I've replaced the suspension already, new springs and struts. It needs it again. Replaced the plugs and wires. I've aligned the wheels 3 times, and I'm on my 3rd set of tires in 2 years. I'm sick of buying tires and aligning the wheels. And then there are the things that I don't even want to fix. like the loose steering. I'm not even touching that. That long list of problems I already gave just scratches the surface of what's wrong with my car. NADA value is too high or else I'd just part the car out. But thanks for the support. I'm just so sick of this car... I've already got a mostly new car by this point, and everything I do is just ruined 6 months later when whatever problems I had before come right back to haunt me. It's not a matter of what I've fixed. It's a matter of what I can't fix.



Man, I'd love it if that would work. But I don't think this is something that putting all my parts in a different body would fix. I'd still have the fried clutch and motor that rattles and makes all kinds of unhealthy noises, the crap suspension and bad tires... By the time I swapped everything over to a different body and replaced everything that needed it, I'd be farther in debt than just buying a new car. I mean, I can only fix the same problem so many times, you know?

This post has been edited by richee3: Feb 13, 2009 - 1:00 AM

safe your 5g's and get a better one man, and then you have a spare one for parts if there is ay thing you can use on you car right now. thats what i would do, no doubt can you pic up a decent 6thgen for 5 grand, so keep you eye's open man and what ever you do dont by a honda please!, we lose to many 6thgens to frigin honda's lol

dude, with those many problems consider getting rid of it.

if you hit a deer, you may have a bent chassis. Have you done a 4 wheel align, i guess yes.

I would ditch it, but only until i found a cheap cheap celica shell with blown engine. And start parting out the good stuff and selling the rest. see if you have a bent arm. how do you wear your tires. What have you chaged

cant keep fixing it forever. Have somebody take a look at the frame. if bent, ditch it for aneother one.

you can pretty much invest all those repair dollars into a new celi with clean car fax.

This post has been edited by njccmd2002: Feb 13, 2009 - 3:50 AM

that may be the issue. I definitely know the feeling of wanting to get something new, but also the feeling of making all the knowledge that you've gained about the celicas suddenly useless.

I recently mentioned getting a new car for my wife (and a small SUV at that) and my uncle took it upon himself to start looking for me. This is the list he gave me in just 24 hours.
1994-coupe-blk-blk-53k-miles-8-500-a.html
1988-60k-miles-7500-a.html
f-s-92-blackrose.html
f-s-1998-c5-coupe-torch-red-oak-florida.html
1998-c5-6-speed-98k-miles-15750obo.html
1997-coupe-loaded-and-pristine.html
fs-98-convertible-corvette.html
Needless to say, he's a corvette guy. He's raced them for the past 25 years

With that said, I'm sure that someone on here could find you a different 6gc if you're wanting to transplant your mods.

I'm gonna have to agree with njccmd, if it was crashed it may never line up properly again (suspension/frame) and it may just be worth it to get another 6gc, providing you want another.

They are very good and reliable cars, but if the owners before you didn't take care of it then your situation is probably only going to get worse.. no fault of yours.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

I'm exactly like you dude, im 18 and a student with not much money yet instead of modding my car im just fixing it, I got it with a couple problems fair enough and had a few things but nothing to make the car undriveable but just needing to be fixed asap, then I had an accident cause tree was on the road in heavy fog then I hit a ****ing kangaroo the day after I got it fixed. not only that insurance is $600 a year and registration is $600 a year. the main thing that drives me crazy is the plastic undertrays not having all the bolts and not being perfect and a dodgy front driver light which needs replacing and is just glued atm hahaha.

I don't understand how it needs springs and struts again? Springs don't really go bad unless they break, and struts should be fine unless they're visibly leaking or losing rebound. It really sounds like the car has been wrecked pretty bad and patched together poorly.

I'll tell you what, you're close to STL right? There's a couple STL meets coming up that I'll be coming from Kansas City for, if you still have the car by then I'd be glad to take a look over it with you and help get some stuff done (I'm an ASE certified mechanic).

When I hit that deer, it was only body damage. I was going 30 and the deer hit the side of my car. But with the way it's going through struts and the wheels are always out of alignment, and I knew it's been wrecked, I had the frame checked when we had the deer damage repaired. The frame is fine. So I have no idea why the wheels keep going out of alignment or why it keeps screwing struts up. The reason I got rid of my first Celica was frame damage after I wrecked it. Unibody cars aren't worth fixing once you twist the chassis, in my opinion. But at any given time, my car needs $2000 in work.

TRD_Ian, I love 6th gens, but I've had 3 now. I think it's time for a change. The only Honda I would buy is an S2000.

Samir, it's just not worth getting another 6gc. I could buy a shell, but I could only swap a few things over from my car. I'd have to buy new struts, a new clutch... I'm not starting the list over again. But by the time I bought everything that needs to be replaced to put in the new shell, I would have been much better off to just buy a new car.

blu94gt, I am pretty close to the Lou. I'm about 2 hours away. But the thing is, I don't have the money to drive over there. I've been without a job since last August. And now I can't even get a job at McDonald's. That's just depressing.

I'm going to spend more than $5000 when I get a new car, but I just need the 5K to get started. I'd save that, sell my car for whatever it's worth, and get a loan for another $5000 and see where that gets me. I have a couple of cars in mind, but I don't want to say what they are. I'd rather just surprise everyone when I get one. Besides, I don't want to say I'm getting something then get something different. All I know is right now, I'm sick of fixing my car. It's got problems that are beyond fixing, and well beyond what the car is worth. I've hated it since the day I got it. And it doesn't help that I've had to pay this much to keep fixing it. I had plenty of money when I bought the car. But even when I still had a job, I went broke on paying for repairs. I'm sick of this thing.

if there is something wrong with the frame and there is nothing you can do about it, then i say just get rid of it.

you don't have to buy just a celica shell either, i got my car for $5000 in perfect running order so i'm sure you can find celica out there in that price range in mint condition. Just gotta be patient and keep a look out. You can always get another toyota too. (Even honda if you like, i have no hate towards honda)

good luck!

Sometimes they can't be saved. Chuck that POS and buy something more reliable. We're in a time where if you can't afford it and can't afford the maint. then you're better off buying something cheap and reliable. That Celica sounds like a money-pit. Sounds like mine used to be. Things do get fixed in the end, but you'll have to pay for them. Mr. T likes to replace any issues with new parts so they may wind up (in the end) being the better route for you.

dude...
please dont give up..
honestly, ive put $7,000 into my celi just on maintance, everything has been replaced except the tranny/engine.
im just telling you that once this car is running good, you will love it.
ive had problems from the week i bought it. and i still do. its going in tomorrow for motor mounts.

Man, this car isn't worth saving. Justin, I've already put $7,000 in maintenance on my car. And I have the exact same problems that I had before. So I'm done with it. Consider this my announcement that after I save up a little bit of money, my Celica will be for sale, and not to anybody on this forum either. I'm gonna sell it to some idiot teenager who just doesn't know or care. Let them drive the thing off a cliff. I don't care what happens to the car. I love Celicas. I love how they look and and handle. But I'm fed up with mine. I've never liked this one. I've had 3 now. I feel like it's time for a change. I'm not buying a fourth 6th gen. I'm not repairing one more thing on this car unless the car is undriveable. If I see an accident coming my way that isn't my fault, I'm not avoiding it. This car is one car that's better off totaled out. I'll still be around the forum contributing useless information, but I won't own a Celica any more.

:? im sorry man,
id probably do the same. wouldnt go to a 4th one! haha

eh, im trying to get outta the celica scene. they just aren't that spectacular once you've experienced almost anything else. there's better platforms out there to work on, celicas are next to no options. do what you want.

6GC are great cars. seems like you bought a lemon. but seems to me like your decision is made. either way good luck.

Can't blame you. I do have to say as far as DD's go the Celicas are a good blend of sportiness and economy/practicality (at least with a hatch). I had big plans for my old Celicas and now that I'm on number 4 it's not going to be anything more than a DD until it dies, with a few performance products installed instead of factory replacement when maintenance time comes. I'll get my fun stuff with a bike and maybe a monster Miata or something RWD.

Exactly. Both of those are worded perfectly. But with blu94gt, I've spent too much on OEM replacement parts now, hoping that every problem with be fixed. Instead, I just have a bunch of wasted money on busted parts. I've had 3 Celicas now and they are great for looking good, but I don't want to spend $5000 for a FOURTH car that looks identical to the one I have now or take that same $5000 and spend it on a 3S swap and still have literally everything else broken.



Of course this car is a lemon. But when it's your second Celica and you've had 3 and all 3 are/were wrecked... it's just time for a change. If I was still on my first Celica and having these problems, I'd be more intent on keeping it. But this is my third. Besides, if I still had my first Celica, I wouldn't be having these problems at all. F***ing deer...