Hi all,
Looks like my current car will fail soon. Have to finance, so I'm looking at two possible dealer sold cars.
2018 Toyota RAV 4 LE at 75k miles, VIN# 2T3ZFREV3JW425126, 6 speed automatic 2.5L DOHC 4-Cylinder w/Dual VVT-i
Car check report run today shows manufactured in Canada, two owners, no damage or accidents, one open recall for battery 11/23: recall number 23V734 / 23TB13-24662, Safety Recall: SAFETY RECALL 23TA13 (INTERIM NOTICE 23TB13) - CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013- 2018 RAV4- POTENTIAL VEHICLE FIRE RELATED TO 12-VOLT BATTERY
Status: Remedy Not Available
or
2017 Nissan Frontier SV at 117k miles, VIN# 1N6AD0ERXHN768466, 5 speed automatic 4.0L DOHC 6-Cylinder FI w/VVT
Car check report run today shows one owner, no damage or accidents, no open recalls $2k cheaper than the RAV
So, with the recall, not sure which way to go. May have only a few days before current car dies. Which one is the better choice?
Thanks.
Update: looks like the first owner knew about recall. status shows remedy available, but can't tell if it's been done. I'll ask about it.
Well the RAV4s are much better made but that thing's been wrecked. I would have a mechanic check it out before I'd buy it.
no damage or accidents
You can't count on car check reports since not everything is reported. You could wind up with a flood or accident vehicle that was "fixed" in someone's back yard.
The open recall on the Toyota relates to do with some aftermarket batteries not being held in place properly due to smaller dimensions:
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCMN-23V734-9460.pdf
For now the only potential remedy is to install an OEM Toyota battery or one of equivalent size.
In general Toyota quality is much better than Nissan's but when looking at used cars there are a lot of variables depending on how individual examples have been treated and maintained. You really need to have a good mechanic give any vehicle you're thinking of buying a thorough inspection before purchase. If the seller won't let you do that, run away.
Thanks, Scotty! Funny, the carfax report says no damage, no accidents. I guess they lie, or the previous owner never reported it. I'll have it looked at after a test drive.