Hi all: I am deciding to trade in my 2020 Camry LE 80k miles. I looked at a RAV4 LE AWD 44k and a dealership (Ford) initially wanted 16k OTD with my trade-in but I managed to negotiate it to 13k OTD but I still wanna push it to 12k. I test drove it and really enjoyed it, but I am unsure if it's a fair price with it being a high mileage vehicle (fleet/service vehicle). Anything I should be aware of?
Since we don't know the market in your area there's no way we can know if it's a fair price, but you can rest assured that the dealer will try to rip you off.
Better have a good mechanic examine the car before purchase. If the seller will not let you do this, run away. (Why would anyone in their right mind trade a 2-year-old Toyota for a Ford?)
@chucktobias Does Los Angeles help? The dealership agreed to let me take it to a mechanic. I will prob do it on Monday/Tuesday.
I have no idea what the market is like in Los Angeles, that is thousands of miles away. You'll need to do some research, check comparables in your area, maybe look up Kelley Blue Book to get an idea.
Regardless of price, I would have to pass on any vehicle which was used as a fleet/service rental and has only two documented engine oil changes: the first being performed at a Valvoline Instant oil Change at approximately 26K miles and the other being performed at 44K by the current Ford dealership. The oil and filter should have been changed every 5K miles. There is no record of the 8-speed automatic transmission fluid being serviced. I do not know the recommended service interval for the ATF for that car.
The engine oil may have been serviced more often but without knowing for sure I would steer clear of this one. With it being only two years old and only 44K miles, the interior and exterior may look nice but you can't see the early engine wear caused by poor maintenance. But that's just one man's opinion.
@avalon04 I see. What if I did a compression test? Would that help identify if the engine is worn?
Did you take the RAV4 to a mechanic as you mentioned to @chucktobias? I am not a mechanic but have been operating and maintaining my personal automobiles for 55 years, so I was sharing my opinion regarding a 44k mile vehicle with only two documented oil changes. I would estimate that 90% of mechanics online and in person would recommend oil and filter changes every 5k miles because they know that oil is the life of the engine. So I personally would only purchase a pre-owned vehicle if I could verify that the oil and filter had been serviced with the appropriate oil and filter at least every 5k miles, and that is my advice to you. But the mechanics detailed pre-purchase inspection should address all of your concerns.
@avalon04 thank you for this. I did not go through with the purchase and will continue to hunt for the latest Gen RAV4 or previous Gen.
I forgot to add: The RAV4 is from New York but made its way to CA. On the Carfax it lists only one owner (fleet/service). There's a gap of service (oil change) on the Carfax.