Scotty greetings from Georgia!
I am looking for a cash car and something that will last for several years while I pay off some debt. Looking at an 06 Toyota Sequoia with 144k at a Lexus dealership in town. 2 owners car fax says it’s been in 3 minor rear end collisions. What are your thoughts? Should I pursue this? you can see the car here
Pass. Here are my thoughts:
1- Way too much money for that truck (considering the age and accidents history).
2- What is this on the ad? Odometer is 23468 miles. Did they swap the gauge cluster?
Yaser, I see what you mean. But it’s saying it’s 23,468 miles below average for this vehicle. Great catch tho!!
It makes sense now. Thanks for the explanation.
On the plus side, you have two owners that kept the vehicle for a long time, neither put excessive mileage on it. The second owner seems to have serviced the vehicle frequently. The second accident indicates no damage. On the minus side, there are no service records from the first owner, maybe it was well cared for but you don't know. The last accident required towing, maybe not so "minor". If you do still consider buying it, get a thorough inspection. Maybe they will let you drive it to Clarksville...
A sequoia will run forever. I met someone on a fishing trip one time who had one with 435,000 miles on it. Change timing belt every 90,000 miles. I don't think that is a terrible deal especially how things are now. Still I would avoid a dealership and try to find one through a private party. Make sure the mileage is legit.
Look for frame damage, if the frame underneath the car is still straight & the car tracks straight going down the road it most likely didnt have major damage. Also look at front & rear suspension components to make sure nothings bent (compare left & right side). If you really want to get a good idea of the engines health, do a compression check. You'll see if it still has good compression & if its an oil burner. An inexpensive scan tool can see if it has any other issues (bad fuel trims, timing bouncing at idle). In terms of reliable SUV's overall, that's about the best to buy, but it rolled off the assembly line 16 years ago, so anything is possible.
Sequoia is a very solid car and will last a very long time if you take care of it (do the maintenance); I still have mine from 2004 with no problems. But first of all buying used from dealership will cost more than private party. Also, if you want a cash car to last you a few years and you mention paying off some debt, if you don't need something this big then maybe look for either a smaller suv or a sedan. Sequoia is literally a truck and it uses a lot of gas and I'm sure you know gas prices are high and I don't expect them to get lower given spring and summer coming.
Thanks for your quick and informative responses guys!!