Help with buying a used camry

[Fade]

2000 Toyota Camry
V6
31,000 miles

seller is asking for $7000.

am I getting ripped off? I know it has a low mileage, but it is still a 10 year old car.

The owner said that it received yearly oil changes.....but is it possible that the rubber components have started rotting in this time given the mileage? What about the fluids and electrical components? I was told that the previous owner (the original owner) passed away and while he/she was sick the car wasn't used.

I could really use some help, would it be better to buy a higher mileage Camry for less or does this seem like a solid deal?

[fenixus]

ask for maintenance records, get the VIN number and check car's history on Carfax or Autocheck (or both).

such a low mileage at such age is not a good sign, most likely car was driven in city only on short distances - THIS MEANS TROUBLE.

have a ride, feel it, check how engine looks like. remember that all rubber is 10yr old (mileage doesn't matter now) including engine seals/gaskets and even the timing belt!

All fluids are garbage by now if they were not changed ever (based on mileage).

What do you mean yearly oil changes !!?? with a low mileage car owner is supposed to go by time not by mileage per oil changes! e.g. 3k miles or 3 months for cheap dino oil! does it run full synthetic ?

was it stored in a garage or on street ? what weather conditions in area of storage?

I would try to beat the price down (based on age).

[DM616]

kbb put a 2000 camry xle with a v6 and 30K miles at $7,800 for 'good' condition...

It's an awesome deal due to low mileage, if you can get it for lower (negotiate, say you're willing to pay cash etc.) go for it.

[LynchburgCSI]

Why such low milage? Did it sit for a long time?

[GreatAvalon]

this car sounds good to me- i have a 97 avalon with 152500 miles. just understand that even the low miles, it is 10 years old. like the other post said all the seals are old. not necessarily a bad thing just be ready to put some money down to get it replaced, or DIY it. i got my car for $5000 with 138,000 miles. i've put about $3000-$3500 of repairs ($1500 of that was the entire power steering system) in it. but yea give it a test drive. feel the smoothness of the ride, listen for any sounds, ect. if it checks out there and on Carfax, it sounds like a good deal.

[Nervous]

Hmm.... Mileage is low, which is good. However, for $7000 (or a bit more) you can find much more interesting cars.... With higher mileage, but more interesting. If we talk about sedans, the first what comes in my mind is Lexus ES300 - ES330. Same Camry with much more stuff in it.

[reluctantmechanic]

Originally Posted by Fade

2000 Toyota Camry
V6
31,000 miles

I could really use some help, would it be better to buy a higher mileage Camry for less or does this seem like a solid deal?

Just my .02 here - with such low miles, the car must have sat for long, long periods of time. Not the end of the world, but after 2-3 days, the majority of your engine oil has gone to the pan...meaning, letting an engine sit means more engine damage is caused when it's started. Pre-oilers and autostarters are the best things if you need to sit your car for long periods.

One other thing to factor into this are the seals - when oil drips down, your seals get dry and fail prematurely..

and, regardless of mileage, plastic and rubber parts on all cars can age at the same rate - not due to usage, but due to ground level ozone. (this is why they recommend knowing how long your tires sat in storage before you got them).

I wouldn't go crazy over low miles, unless you know the previous owner, and they drove the car everyday, just on very short trips (which is also not very good for an engine).

[71Corolla]

For another grand you could be getting into a Lexus ES300. Low mileage is nice, but it's not everything. I just bought an ES300 with 35,000 miles, the seller seemed to think it was the end all be all and asked a ridiculous price. It took a lot of convincing (and time) that there is more to a used car than how many miles it has racked up.

My car was filthy inside and out, and had a questionable service record. But because it's low mileage, It was not a deal killer for me. Also, my car had the original tires on them. They still had tread, but because of their age they were cracking and had to be replaced. The timing belt I did replace, but TBH, it's condition was like new. No cracking, no wear, nothing visible. I changed it anyway, but it did dispel a myth in my mind that a timing belt does deteriorate with age regardless of mileage. At least in my case.

[Fade]

I believe its running dino oil. From what the current owner told me, i believe an elderly family member used the car but fell ill and then recently passed away. I guess that it has been sitting sitting since then.

Outdoors in northern Virginia. Past few winters were pretty crazy for this area, to the car has routinely been completely encased in snow and then exposed to 100+ degree summers.

I'll run a car fax just in case; but I don't that that it will tell me anything because the car has just been sitting.
And I would rather not spend 7k, but it seemed like a good deal after I checked the bluebook. Not anymore.

[fenixus]

you can always try negotiating based on the fact that car was not used for long periods of time (which is not that good). if it's condition is near perfect I would not pay more than 6k regardless.

Post some pics

[reluctantmechanic]

Originally Posted by Fade

I believe its running dino oil. From what the current owner told me, i believe an elderly family member used the car but fell ill and then recently passed away. I guess that it has been sitting sitting since then.

Outdoors in northern Virginia. Past few winters were pretty crazy for this area, to the car has routinely been completely encased in snow and then exposed to 100+ degree summers.

I'll run a car fax just in case; but I don't that that it will tell me anything because the car has just been sitting.
And I would rather not spend 7k, but it seemed like a good deal after I checked the bluebook. Not anymore.

...you might also want to check for signs of little critters - a sitting car is like the Ritz for them, and they LOVE chewing wires.

[GreatAvalon]

Originally Posted by Fade

I believe its running dino oil. From what the current owner told me, i believe an elderly family member used the car but fell ill and then recently passed away. I guess that it has been sitting sitting since then.

Outdoors in northern Virginia. Past few winters were pretty crazy for this area, to the car has routinely been completely encased in snow and then exposed to 100+ degree summers.

I'll run a car fax just in case; but I don't that that it will tell me anything because the car has just been sitting.
And I would rather not spend 7k, but it seemed like a good deal after I checked the bluebook. Not anymore.

im in northern va! thats pretty cool. but problems are to be expected on an older car

edit: let me put it this way: if i had 7g's i would jump on it- but thats just me

[Fade]

I dont have the pics right now.

if i had 7g's i would jump on it- but thats just me

I hope you would get a mechanic to check out all the seals and rubber first. Which is what Im planning to do. If I can get the guy to lower it considerably then I might buy it.

[GreatAvalon]

good call

[LynchburgCSI]

Hey! Virginia! I'm in Richmond.