I wished I saw your videos before I bought a car on my own (but I didn’t know you until I started search on YouTube about reviews on cars after the fact). I recently bought my first used car on my own. It was used from Facebook Marketplace. Previously I bought new cars from dealerships so I never had to deal with cars that came with problems but someone crashed into me and totaled my last car very unexpectedly. I bought a 2002 Lexus ES300 for $2200 with 236,000 miles. It comes with a bunch of problems (including that it burns oil at probably the same rate my last car-a 2013 Hyundai Sonata-burned oil-about a liter for a full week of driving). The steering is good and is a smooth ride, except that the rear end is loose and wobbly including needing rear struts. It had a wheel alignment problem. I already brought it in for an alignment to prevent the tires from wearing out quicker/weirdly. There are also lots of little problems including cigarette lighter/charger does not work, daytime running lights do not work, auto headlight feature doesn’t work, cup holders are broken, rear windows don’t work right-they go up and down and keep on going unless locked from the driver’s door-found that out during a car wash, and who knows what else as I drive it more. It has a check engine light. I just ordered a computer so I can read the code, but at this point it could be anything and it could be multiple codes. Is it worth it for me to fix any or all these things? I really like the car, but it seems like a lot. How many miles do you think it’ll last me before I need another daily driver? I’m hoping for 60,000 miles or up to 300,000 miles. The seller told me there was nothing wrong with the car other than the check engine light and wheel alignment. I didn’t expect all the other “little things” that just altogether seem like a lot.
You're starting out with a 22-year-old high mileage car, and who knows how it's been maintained over the last 2 decades. You could try changing the PCV valve to see if that helps the oil burning problem. If it doesn't then it's probably engine wear.
Other than that you at least did not pay much for the thing. Don't put a lot of money into it. A diagnostic scan will be needed to determine the cause of the check engine light. Really that's the minimum that should have been done before purchase, and preferably the entire car should have been checked over by a good mechanic. Never believe what a seller tells you. Since the engine is burning oil it may have poisoned the catalytic converer(s).
If you are able to work on it yourself you can fix a lot of those things over time for not too much. If you have to pay a mechanic that car is likely to eat you out of house and home.
How likely would it be the PCV valve?
I found a mechanic that is less than a lot of other places (far less than the dealership even with their 20% special). Otherwise my ex-husband, daughter and my dad can help with some of the items.
I have a NJ inspection sticker that lasts until 12/25 (probably he purchased it instead of actually passing inspection-there’s a market for that in NJ-December ‘23 was the last time he drove it and it remained parked outside at his friend’s house for 5 months from winter to spring before I bought it). I’m hoping to get something else around Dec ‘25 and keep this car as a spare car (it’ll be garaged and treated as nice as I had treated my new Sonata until it was totaled), so if work needs to be done on the new daily driver, then I have something to drive in the meantime. Still figuring out which car to target to purchase for Dec ‘25.
I don’t know about the other 3 owners. The one I bought it from (owner 3) looked like was trying to fix it up and gave up on it so he bought himself a BMW. Before he gave up, he bought this car new tires, new battery, new alternator and a new radiator and did an oil change on it before he parked it on the lot for the winter. Owner 1 lived near the beach in Belmar, NJ. Owner 2 bought it from the Lexus in Plainfield (not the best area-kind of poor). My bet is owner 2 didn’t really have the money to maintain it and unloaded it onto owner 3, 2 years ago who drove it for 2 years and only put on 12,000 miles total) with an alignment problem that owner number 2 left for him along with other problems. SMH at owner 2.
How likely would it be the PCV valve?
Check and see if it's clogged. They're generally inexpensive and if original it should probably be replaced anyway at this point.
Thanks!! I will ask if my ex can look at it. If he can’t/won’t, I’ll ask the mechanic to just replace it and go from there.
I think the only things not original to the car is whatever owner 3 tried to do (it was just too much). Really, I wished the liability insurance paid me $3000 for my car because there were Camry’s and Accords in much better condition than the $2200 ES300 that I ended up with. It was just very unexpected, but all things considering I’m blessed to be alive because it was a bad head on collision on the driver’s side (right in front of my face), and I couldn’t plan in advance (been driving my dad’s 2003 Nissan Sentra-which I’m afraid of since at one point it would stall every time it stopped-miracle I got it home okay). Plus I’m still in the process of finding a new job that pays better (goal is by end of this year). I wished I was hands on and knew how to work on cars myself, but I’m not. I’m a finance professional instead-I just want a good working car and to get regular maintenance and repairs done on my car as they come up (instead of so much at once). I drive a lot and getting to places is import to me.