Scotty,
I recently bought a 2012 Toyota Camry with 36,000 miles. In spite of having 3 previous owners, it is in really good condition. Some young kid traded the car in to a Chrysler dealer, and the dealer said they did standard maintenance on the Camry.
Since the car is 9 years old, what should I do to make sure that the car lasts?
Should I replace the transmission fluid now?
What other fluids should I change while it's in good condition?
And yes, I bought the Camry because of your video on the best used car to buy. I saw the car and jumped on the opportunity, I paid 11K, what a deal!
I would change out the trans fluid even though the mileage is low just due to age. And I would do all the usual stuff, oil change, etc. but nothing crazy. Don't bother changing things like the rear differential fluid, etc. That stuff can last a LONG. TIME.
Good find I would say. Just follow the recommended factory maintenance and it should treat you well.
I agree...
What's above is good advice. I'd add a few specific points, such as what follows.
Brake fluid is hydroscopic, as Scotty has pointed out. More specifically, that can be tested for with a cheap tester. If the fluid is saturated (a tester costs just a few dollars on Amazon), it would be good to change that out, and bleed the brakes. Brake fluid that is saturated with water will damage/rust both the brake lines and eventually the calipers. (From what you've said, it wasn't clear whether you had an independent mechanic check the bottom of the car for any prior damage or rust).
On the other hand, age has no effect, whatsoever, on the spark plugs. But it might have an effect on the valve cover gasket, the belts, and any other rubber part. Having said that, it's also true that OEM parts are usually better than the subsequent OES (Original Equipment Service) parts, so there's no need to change out hoses and belts without cause. It's more of a matter of keeping an eye on things, given the fact that this car sat for most of its life, apparently.
If the spare tire is nine years old, you might want to replace it, when you have your next set of tires changed out. A nine-year-old spare is too old to use, safely.
Finally, a decent, relatively inexpensive scan tool might be good to have around, such as a Blue Driver or some of the other standalone $60-110 units that Scotty has mentioned, over the last few years.
Congrats on the car.
Change the transmission fluid and do it from now on no later than every 60k miles ideally less (do a drain and fill) because the 6 speed automatics are prone to shudder problems, not changing your fluid on time doesn't help.
Here is the link for more info on the shudder: https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/toyota-bulletins/#post-52044
