1991 TOYOTA CELICA

Typical onset: 120,000-180,000 mi

Symptoms: Blue smoke on startup or acceleration, Needing 1+ quart between oil changes, Fouled spark plugs, Failed emissions test

Fix: The 5S-FE engine burns oil due to worn piston rings and glazed cylinder walls. Proper fix requires engine rebuild with new rings, hone or bore, and valve seals. Budget 18-24 hours labor for a full teardown. Many owners just add oil and live with it until the engine truly grenades.

Estimated cost: $2,200-3,800

Typical onset: 140,000-200,000 mi

Symptoms: Overheating without external leaks, Milky oil or coolant loss, White exhaust smoke, Rough idle or misfire after warmup

Fix: The 5S-FE head gasket can fail between combustion chamber and coolant jacket. Requires head removal, resurfacing (often warped 0.003-0.008 inches), new gasket set, timing belt, and water pump while apart. 10-14 hours labor. Not as common as Subarus but happens.

Estimated cost: $1,400-2,200

Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi

Symptoms: ATF puddles under car near radiator, Transmission slipping or delayed engagement, Burnt ATF smell, Pink fluid dripping

Fix: Steel cooler lines rust through at crimp points or the radiator end-tank fittings crack. If ATF leaks into coolant (or vice versa), the transmission is toast. Catch it early: replace lines and flush both systems. If contamination occurred, you need a transmission rebuild or replacement. Lines alone: 2 hours. Full trans R&R and rebuild: 12-16 hours.

Estimated cost: $180-400 (lines only), $1,800-3,200 (trans rebuild)

Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi

Symptoms: Clunking over bumps, Steering wheel doesn't return to center, Creaking when turning at low speed, Uneven tire wear on inside edge

Fix: Strut mount bearings wear and the rubber isolators collapse. Alignment goes out and handling gets sloppy. Replace mounts in pairs with new bearings. If struts are original, do those too. 3-4 hours labor for mounts and alignment.

Estimated cost: $400-700

Typical onset: 100,000-160,000 mi

Symptoms: Hard starting when hot, Stumbling under load or uphill, Stalling at idle after highway run, Intermittent no-start

Fix: The in-tank fuel pump weakens over time and the inline filter (under car near tank) clogs with rust from old tanks. Replace filter every 60k miles as preventive. Pump replacement requires dropping the tank. 2 hours for filter, 4-5 hours for pump.

Estimated cost: $120-180 (filter), $450-700 (pump)

Typical onset: 90,000-150,000 mi

Symptoms: Clunk when shifting from Park to Drive, Vibration at idle in gear, Excessive engine movement on acceleration, Rattling from underneath

Fix: Rubber transmission mounts deteriorate and allow driveline slop. Replace all three engine/trans mounts at once for best results. 2-3 hours labor.

Estimated cost: $250-450

Symptoms: Random no-start, cranks but won't fire, Stalling while driving with no warning, No tach reading during crank, Starts fine when cool, fails when hot

Fix: The crank sensor (behind timing cover) fails intermittently, often heat-related. Leaves you stranded with no warning. Requires removing timing cover and belt. 3-4 hours labor. Always replace when doing timing belt service as preventive.

Estimated cost: $280-450