2011 toyota camry LE, automatic, 2.5L 4-cylinder, ~136,000 miles, original owner
brother's car needs about $3,000 of recommended work from a local trusted mechanic. got a 2nd opinion at another local trusted shop and got quoted about the same. not sure if the car is even worth $3,000 on marketplace. trying to decide if it's worth investing this much money. the car is a little rough cosmetically to say the least - scrapes and dings throughout with some bondo work on rear quarter panel, yellowed headlights, missing hubcaps, scattered hail damage.
it needs:
- valve cover gasket
- radiator
- both front wheel bearings
- passenger side lower control arm
- passenger side CV axle
- brakes all 4 corners
any advice on this? looking at either keeping this thing going or putting that $3,000 towards a newer used Toyota
Do you have a friend or family member who can help DIY for maybe a few six-packs over a period of time? If so the repairs can be done for less than 1/3 of a shop. The following are representative parts prices from rockauto.com. (Prices vary depending on brand and vehicle details):
Valve cover gasket: $34 (includes related seals)
Radiator: $100
Bearings: $175 (each, with hub)
Control arms: $100 (each)
CV Axle: $70
Rear brake kit (pads + rotors): $100
Front brake kit (pads + rotors): $100
TOTAL: $954
That's assuming all of those items are actually needed, which may or may not be the case.
Kelley Blue Book pegs the value of that car in "Fair" condition - going by your description - at about $5000. That being the case I would not put $3000 into it. (The economics of driving a beater change drastically if you can't do repairs yourself.)
@chucktobias I wish I did haha but unfortunately I don't. I could maybe convince an uncle to do the valve cover gasket and maybe the brakes but the other stuff is beyond what anyone I know can do. it would still be ~$2,000-ish range for the other stuff and this is my brother's daily driver.
thinking of having my brother list it on marketplace for $5,000 and see what bites?
Could be a good buy for someone that's a DIY type. Unless something is horribly wrong that we don't know about, at 136K miles that car should have a lot of life left in it once the needed repairs are done.
If you're mechanically apt at all and you have basic hand tools, most of that can easily be done yourself. It's just wear and tear. $3000 doesn't buy really anything of value in this day and age.
Get a repair manual and study it. I found this on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Camry-Online-Repair-Manual/dp/1620923874/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1533XX0C2T9ZS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.R5kEq0knlqy-EvtRGfaNnHiYf7PgSo71jsJnfFBXRQvw2jif83isdvos8JeZja2jZSRjP5R9U0zq8s7f8h9miwtXy47H38xYYlEZdp2lEjSWtQDXE5Oo05oeHZCb-v-pNLw0x_6Ewh_fzRrjCPo3R_-7XanzG5wal8JXUQLcvJeM8skiT9er2Xudl_XR88Lc9ccBlr45Mihl8M9BrO9Pgw.ec2QHRIcYfDauC5l1T2JlBWXAR6cffQ8WmrhUXUSC3w&dib_tag=se&keywords=2011+toyota+camry+repair+manual&qid=1770397184&sprefix=2011+toyota+camry+repa%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1
- brakes all 4 corners
- both front wheel bearings
When I was learning how to drive, my now stepdad taught me how to change the brakes in a car. They're probably the simplest thing you can do for your car yourself, as long as you're driving on caliper brakes, not drums!
Instead of replacing the wheel bearings, just replace the whole hub, then you won't need a press. I did it on my 2013 Ford Fusion.
Good luck!
