I can't remember when they started the new design, but I think it was around 2001. Has anyone here owned one or know of anyone who has owned one? I was just wondering how reliable they are and when they do need to be repaired, if it was higher than normal.....

Hi Todd,
You're in luck! I have a Red 2000 Celica GT-S 6-speed, the first year of the latest re-design. You can see some photos of my Empeg, amp, and subwoofer installation on the second page of the Installation section...I bought every option except the side air bags, which weren't available yet when I bought my car back in March 2000. I get about 26-28 mpg during normal driving, and have achieved as much as 33-35 mpg on freeway-type vacation driving.

As far as reliability goes, I would say that this car rates very high. It's my second Celica and third toyota since 1976 (I had a 1976 Celica and then a 1985 MR-2 for 15 years).

Currently, I have about 32,000 miles on it (pretty low by many standards). Since I live in Southern California, the weather exposure has been fairly mild. The car has been garaged the whole time as well. In 5 years of service, besides the usual oil and filter changes and a battery replacement, the only thing I've had fail on the car is the mass air sensor. The symptom for this was sluggish engine power and acceleration in the first 5-10 minutes of a cold startup. I replaced the sensor myself (troubleshooting courtesy of Google) and it was about $125.

There have been two recalls on the car. The first one was with the master brake cylinder and a potential leak (I wasn't affected). The second one had to do with a change they wanted to make with the daytime running lights (I think that was due to some new law).

There are two quality-type issues that come to mind with the car, although some will consider them minor, etc. First is the paint on the hood. Like I said, this is the third Toyota I've had, and I never had any issues with hood paint on the first two. On this car, maybe it's the angle of the hood, maybe the quality of the paint, etc., but it is much more prone to chipping that my other cars. I'm driving the same commute, mostly city streets but a few miles of freeway every day. Other Celica owners report similar issues on the various Celica BBS's. I have the car detailed every year or so and the guy that does it is a master with the touch-up paint, so he can usually make the chips completely disappear. In fact, it's about time to get it done again.

The second issue is the sunroof. It works fine, no leaks, etc. But the "glass" that is visible on the outside of the car is either some type of plexiglass or is regular glass with some type of coating on the outside of it. It is now starting to crystalize a bit around the edges and wash away. Every time I wash the car (by hand!), a little more of the glazing goes away. Maybe it'll completely disappear and look fine, but right now it doesn't look that good. Overall, minor quibbles on a car that has provided great service...

I hope I was able to help. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the car....

Thanks, Randy

My sister in law has had 2 of these. A 2000 GT and a 2003 GT. She had a bad accident in the 2000 (her fault) and after repairs traded it in on the 2003 (which was yellow and she really wanted the yellow one).

I don't recall any problems in her 5 and a half years of Celica ownership other the the rock chips on the hood. The car gets decent fuel mileage but due to the farily large tank she thinks it gets awesome fuel mileage. On a 1200 kilometer round trip my 2000 CR-V burns about 20 liters more gasoline, but I have to go to a gas station twice (once when I get there and again after driving around for a day or two, before I head home) while she only has to go once (after getting there and driving aorund for two days).

All in all a well built car.

Rene