2000 Toyota Celica VVTLi review from UK and Ireland

To start with it is a great looking car, but that’s about it. At:

- 60k full service £350

- 61k miles had to get new allow wheels as the old ones were all corroded, so £650

- Pulley and belt at 62k - £240

- 2 weeks later pulley adjusted again as it was making a squeaky noise

- 65k new air sensor 250k + labor,

- 68k new pulley and belt, so again £100 + £60belt + Toyota labor charges.. + VAT + VAT for the total + VAT after the VAT of the VAT.

- 70k engine overheating, local Toyota Garage found that the water pump wasn’t working so they charged me for a new pump, and then later on they said the radiator has a hole in it so it will need replacing = a wonderful £700.

- 75k of courses fan belt noise so new pulley + belt. Old ones not covered by warranty as I gave the old parts to the garage, and since I supplied the parts they cannot give warranty…… fair enough so another £120 + £60belt. I asked for the old parts they gave me half of the old pulley. When I asked where is the rest of the part they said they put it on my car …. WTF… so I paid £120 for half of my own part ….

- After 2 weeks fan belt noise, took it back to the garage, fixed it on warranty.

- One month after fan belt noise, took it back to the garage fixed it on warranty.

- Now again fan belt noise and I will need new brakes all around, estimated at 2k by the garage..…

- The leather seat will need to be refurbished as they started to wear badly.

The driver uses the car to get to work and back and shopping…. (drives about 10k a year) Although a sport car is not a racing car, so it has never been raced, therefore it has been driven decently and well looked after. I rarely get it into lift mode and never drive it for more than a few seconds at over 6000 revs, also because of the juice it takes. Economy wise not very good, although comparing to other sport cars in its category (190 bhp), it's quite economical.

Overall very disappointed with Toyota reliability and ESPECIALLY the garages, …..they are absolutely disgusting, rude and a rip off.

For its own sake it never stopped working as I would probably set it on fire at the side of the road. All I can do is to regret buying it, it cost £6.5k to purchase, about the same in repairs and the value has gone down by 50%.