NHTSA Complaint #10316005 — 2001 TOYOTA CELICA

I HAD PURCHASED A 2001 TOYOTA CELICA GT IN OCTOBER 2005 TO INITIALLY GET TO AND FROM WORK, AND IN 2007 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 THAT WAS ONLY NOTICEABLE WHILE DRIVING AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT. I'VE TAKEN IT TO ROSEVILLE 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 3 YEARS NOW AND 133,000 MILES LATER I'M STILL DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES, EXCEPT NOW ITS TICKING ALL THE TIME. PLEASE HELP, I'M GETTING TIRED OF DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE AND ITS STARTING TO GET TOO EXPENSIVE, HAVING TO KEEP BUYING OIL EVERY 500 MILES. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT AND I COMMUTE TO AND FROM SCHOOL (68 MILES ROUND TRIP, FIVE DAYS A WEEK), AND THESE ISSUES I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING IS SO FRUSTRATING, AND THE ENGINE TICKS SOO MUCH LIKE ITS ABOUT TO BREAK DOWN, AND THE ANTICIPATION OF WHEN IT'S GOING TO BREAK DOWN IS GETTING TO BE VERY IRRITATING. I HAD INITIALLY PURCHASED THE CAR KNOWING THAT TOYOTA WAS KNOWN FOR MAKING RELIABLE AND DURABLE CARS LIKE HONDA, SO I DECIDED TO GIVE TOYOTA A TRY AND SEE IF IT HELD UP TO ITS REPUTATION, AND PLUS IT WAS AN UPGRADE FROM MY 89 HONDA CIVIC THAT I USE TO HAVE. I'VE EXPERIENCED MORE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR THEN MY CIVIC HAD AND IT WAS AN 89. I THOUGHT TOYOTA WAS SUPPOSE TO BE RELIABLE, DURABLE, AND DEPENDABLE, I GUESS NOT. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THESE CARS HAD SOO MANY ISSUES AHEAD OF TIME, I WOULD HAVE JUST STAYED WITH HONDA, AT LEAST I KNOW HONDA LASTS LONGER THEN 200,000 MILES. *TR