Am I safe to keep driving my beloved 1994 Toyota Celica hatchback GT until it dies, or should I buy a new car? NO major problems to date, no major repairs ever. The light doesn’t work on the right side of the dash, so I can’t see how many mph I’m driving at night, but a little flashlight fixes that for free. I’m cheap, old, and single.
I’ve got a '92 Celica with 350,000 on the clock. Starts every morning, and runs like a top. We have emissions checks here every year, and it passes with good numbers. I have no plans to get rid of it.
Also, the dash lights out is a normal occurrence in an older car. The dash cluster will need to be removed and the back lights replaced. Most auto parts stores stock these bulbs. It can be done in about an hour or less.
Sunshine Syl, A New Car Would Be Much Safer (Unless It’s A Toyota With An Itch To Accelerate, Whenever).
Safety technology has come a long way in the last 16 or 17 years.
No matter how good you are at driving, there are a lot of distracted drivers out there talking on phones, eating peanut butter and jelly, doing their nails, texting their pledges to Haiti, etcetera.
CSA
I wouldn’t wait for a problem. New cars are fun. If you take care of a new one as well as you’ve taken care of your Celica, you may never need to buy a new car again…
since you’re an old fogey… 
Keep it. It will have an event(repair bill or accident) that will lead you to a new car.
OK, 4 replies, 2 say to keep it and 2 say to junk it. Anyone else?
Those Celica’s were just about as bulletproof as any car ever made. You haven’t given an indication of a problem. If you get the dash pulled replace as many bulbs as you can, no reason to drive in the dark.
I’d keep it unless it is rusting. If there is rust you should have a body shop check it for rusting components that may compromise safety.
Celicas are very good cars. There is an early 80s model here in town with 1,200,000 miles on it and still running reliably. I would keep running it as long as it starts easy and is reliable. It’s got another 800,000 miles left on it!!
As long as it’s structurally sound and you’re happy with it, keep driving it and save your money. You may never get this sort of trouble-free experience with a car again. Enjoy it as long as you can.
In my oppinion, there is no reason to get rid of this car. This is one of the most relaible Toyotas ever manufactured.
I would keep it.
The best vehicle I ever owned was a 1976 Toyota Celica GT. It ran perfectly and never had a major problem other than a water pump and alternator. It was also the best shifting vehicle I ever had. It still ran and shifted perfectly on the day I sold it. It had over 300K on the clock.
The biggest concern for me would be the body. If it’s rust free and safe…it will safely last as long as your pocket book holds up, which is less than buying new. Great cars…
BTW, your not cheap, your an environmentalist.
On some cars you don’t even have to pull the dash if you’re limber—if you can reach up and feel the back of the cluster, on some cars you can just take the bulbs out one by one and replace them by feel.
I would keep it…
If you’re worried about safety, just pay a decent mechanic $50 every six months to a year to inspect it. That will generally catch any parts ready to fail before they cause serious trouble.
For crash safety, it certainly isn’t up to the standards of a new car, of course.
Also, get the dash light fixed. It isn’t hard at all. No honest mechanic would charge you for more than 30 minutes of labor. I did it on my 98 Camry without trouble (well, except for the fact that Toyota uses a green color you can’t find in the parts store, and the color is given by a little gel cap on the bulb that fuses to the bulb when the bulb overheats and burns out… but that’s a minor detail).
If you like the car and it has been WELL MAINTAINED I would say keep it.
It’s paid for. You can get all the parts you need to fix it still.
If you want a professional opinion, take it to a local mechanic that you trust and have him/her give it a good once over.
A new car will cost you about 2-300 bucks a month. If you put that money into the car you already have it will last a very long time.
Every month you drive this you are saving the cost of a car payment. Keep it.
If the body is in good shape ( no rust holes or dents ), I think you should keep it. You can always replace engine parts but you can’t replace a body.