Looking to get a second Camry for the wife. Maybe something from the years 1998-2002, with < 100k miles.
Besides having a mechanic inspect the car beforehand, and checking the VIN for accident history/flood damage, what should one keep in mind when buying a used Camry?
A sore subject around here, but SOME people are a bit leery about some of that period regarding an engine sludge problem.
I really know little about the issue, have not researched it at all, and don't know if it is a true concern or not. But, since I have seen the issue raised here, you might want to find a reputable source and research it further and see if there is any reason for concern.
As has been noted, pay attention to the oil change history. Also pay attention to the cooling system service history. This is often neglected and is often a contributing factor to head gasket failure.
Are you the Owner of the car? (deal direct with Owner only)
Why are you selling
Are you the original owner
Does it have a 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder engine
What color is it
Does it have a sunroof (moonroof)
What is the mileage
What kind of condition is the paint
How about the interior
Tell me about the maintenance. Have you replaced:
Timing Belt - when, where (by whom), receipt? Struts A/C oil changes - how do you keep track of mileage for oil changes transmission oil/ filter change
Are service records available? (showing accurate odometer readings)
Smog Certificate, Pink Slip
Has this car ever been in an accident
Private residence required: i.e., always meet only at their home.
Mechanic check:
C.V. Boots struts frame damage oil leaks brakes radiator Air Conditioning (check power window operation) (antenna) (lights)
This is the first thing that came to mind for me too. Our Camry will probably last forever because I follow the recommended oil change schedule AND use synthetic oil.
To potentially save yourself the mechanics fees, pull out the dipstick and see if there are any deposits on it (as well as noting the condition of the oil). If the oil is thin as water and black it would indicate to me poor maintenance, and I'd thank him for his time and move on.
Also, insist on at least two keys if it has a transponder. If he doesn't have two insist he have another made before you buy it. Without two keys to program them yourself, it's very expensive to have another made by the dealer.
I googled this a little, and found soemthing about an IAC valve needing cleaning every year or so. Is this the limit of the engine sludge problem with the Camrys? Has this problem been fixed in later Camry models?
Camrys weak point is the steering rack, steering hoses have them checked for leaks. The older ones 97-2000 or so may have noise from the front shock area going over bumps, it was corrected around 2000 or so I forget exactly. The older ones can have this fixed with the new part out now. Check CV boots, oil seals will leak on the timing belt side of the engine, look for blue exhaust smoke on cold start, fix with high mileage oil. Make sure everything electronic works on it.
I bought a 1997 Camry XLE about a year and a half ago it had app 144
000 Km now has 188 000 Km.
Things that had to be done....
New struts all around, new strut mounts on front. Installed Monroe SensaTrac struts, they work great except they are a bit stiffer than the stock ones. I don't mind it too much. And the price was right... buy the first one and get the second one half price. Did the job myself. See below about ABS light....
ABS light now on... this is because I did the job myself, however, I learned by reading this newsgroup that some shops will screw this up too.. When I installed the rear struts, the ABS sensor wire is just short enough that you have to stretch it a bit to take the strut out of the bracket at the wheel area. Disconnect this wire and pull it out a bit rather than breaking it.... Now I gotta fix my left side ABS sensor... I will look into the ability of splicing this wire.
Needs new steering rack, it's leaking on drivers side. PS pump also leaking a bit. Presently using Lucas Power Steering stop leak, but it's awful thick, and when it gets cold 0 Deg F or colder, pump makes noise for a few seconds on a cold start. The joys of living in the frozen north...
Automatic shifter is very stiff going from D to gear 3 and 2. A guy at work that has the identical car told me that his shift cable broke at some point and was very expensive to fix.
Front passenger side window up/down switch works well when window has to go down, but doesn't at all sometimes to bring window back up, in this case I have to use the driver door switch to bring it back up.
Rear driver side door won't open from the inside. Something's broken inside door, just haven't been around to fix it yet.
That's my adventure... other than a few small things, this car drives great, has lots of power, and no evidence of sludge buildup in mine. Checked underneath valve covers just after I bought it.
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