I am currently looking at a 1999 Toyota Tercel 5 speed manual with a 1.5L 5E-FE engine with 186000 miles. The car needs a new release bearing, and most likely a new clutch as well. Everything else is in good condition. First off, what are common problems I should watch out for? Are the engines reliable? And overall is it a good buy? The owner is asking $900 cad
I'd skip unless you get it for a lot less like sub 400 bucks.
Yea I am thinking of offering him around $400 as well. But other than the issue with the clutch, are the engines reliable? I know Scotty definitely isn’t a fan of Tercels lol
You would want a mechanic to check it out honestly even for the price I personally would skip on it but if a mechanic checks it out and says its in good shape it might be decent but too old and has too many problems for me.
Price out a FULL clutch replacement/overhaul for that vehicle with labour, and then rethink your offer.
Hi, first off thank you for the help. On car complaints I only saw one complaint for the oil pressure light. But have you heard or are you aware of any common complaints with those engines?
Well, I’ve seen a lot of those Solunas still driving around, so I’m assuming they hold up. I don’t know if they have any common engine problems. Again, a good mechanic should be able to tell you the shape the engine is in, during a pre purchase inspection.
A clutch certainly isn't cheap, but it is a wear item so we can't really fault the car for that. Personally I actually like Tercels, and Tercels are extremely reliable. Tercels can also last forever. As you said, Scotty isn't a Tercel fan, but that is mainly because he feels that they are too basic, and that earlier Tercels had issues with carburetors and burning oil, neither of which would be an issue on a 1999. Even Scotty has admitted that they can last.
A friend of a friend had one, they didn't know much about cars, and it was neglected.. it lasted her till her brother totaled it, when he hit a tree. It was a reliable car
