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Would buying a high...
 
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Would buying a high mileage Camry be a good idea?

  

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A dealership I'm looking at is selling a 1999 Toyota Camry LE for $2400. But odometer is currently sitting at 211,825 miles. I know Toyotas are known for lasting a really long time, but I feel like that's pretty high. I could use another opinion. 


Does it come with any warranty?


I'm not entirely sure. I'll have to ask.


4 Answers
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If they sold it for at most $1k I would buy it as a beater car and drive it until it dies, but at that price and mileage definitely no.


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Just viewed this car on carfax. There is no service history for the first 60k miles when the first owner lived in Florida, but after relocating to Illinois, the engine oil and filter were regularly changed every 3k miles. So it is quite possible that the owner was as diligent to have the car regularly serviced when living in Fla. The service history also indicates that the timing belt was replaced at 60k miles and the ATF flushed at 70k. 
But when the second owner purchased at 115k miles, the maintenance history becomes more sketchy and infrequent regarding oil changes and then only performed at quick lube joints. And there is no further mention of timing belt or automatic transmission fluid service. I did not see any history of the spark plugs, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid etc (the basics) being serviced.

 I personally would pass on this one based on the seemingly poor maintenance of this vehicle by the second owner and too many unknowns. Then again I would never buy an almost 24 year old car with 200k+ miles on it. Most of the ‘good’ is already gone. 😉            
But if you are limited in your finances to around $2,400, you definitely need to have it thoroughly checked by an independent mechanic and if given the thumbs up, then negotiate a lower price. The market is so inflated now that it’s difficult to know how much a vehicle is worth.
I just saw a 1991 Camry DLX 4 cylinder with 214k miles for $3,995 and a 1999 Camry LE 4 cylinder with 245k miles for $3,695.😳

Two adages to consider:

1. An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. 2. Buyer beware.                       


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The kind of dealer that would sell a car that old (typically BHPH dealers) should be avoided like the plague. They probably picked the car up for under $500 at auction.


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Not a good idea. Too old with too many miles and from a dealer. 


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