5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
Hi Everyone, great site! I'm thinking of buying a 2003 Camry XLE(cloth seats) with 49k miles. I can probably get it for $10k.
I think this is a decent deal.
Is there anything I should be aware of with this model car? I've never owned a Toyota before, so I'm a bit nervous. I plan on getting a prepurchase inspection.
A prepurchase inpection is always a great idea. Luckily, Toyotas are known for their excellent reliability, so I wouldn't worry about the age of the car. There are tons, and tons, and TONS of Toyotas out there that are older with WAY more miles that still run like new.
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6 speed manual 2011 Camry SE
2012 Honda Accord Coupe---1995 Ford Mustang---1985 AMC Eagle
I have 47000 miles on my 04 Camry with the V6 and have had only two problems,both fixed under warranty. The CD player failed and was replaced[45 minutes]. The intermediate steering shaft caused a clunking sound and was fixed. Toyota had a TSB out on this problem. By prepurchase inspection I presume that and independent third party is doing the inspection. Pay close attention to any evidence of collision repair. The I4 engine has had some problems with block head bolt thread failure which causes coolant loss. With only 49000 miles, I would say that the car will give you many,many miles of service. You want to be sure the maintenance records are with the car. I wouldn't buy any car that didn't come with the Scheduled Maintenance Guide that shows that the required maintenance was done. If you are buying a V6 ,you should know that some of that year's V6s had sludge problems.
Yes, the car is a V6. I'll definitely point it out to the prepurchase rep. Is there a way to check for sludge?
The owners are an old couple, the man passed away, and the lady is wanting to get rid of the vehicle. Her nephew told me they have done all the maintenance at the dealer. I will definitely verify their story at the dealer.
Yes, the car is a V6. I'll definitely point it out to the prepurchase rep. Is there a way to check for sludge?
The owners are an old couple, the man passed away, and the lady is wanting to get rid of the vehicle. Her nephew told me they have done all the maintenance at the dealer. I will definitely verify their story at the dealer.
I would ask mom how the car was used. You want a car that saw regular highway travel where the engine operated at normal temperature for thirty minutes or more at the speed limit. A lot of low speed,stop and go, short trip driving could cause sludge in the engine because the oil never got hot enough to boil off the water and fuel that built up in the crankcase. You migh want to have the PCV valve looked at to see if it is working properly and not fouled with gunk. My 04 has an insert below the oil filler cap so that the inside of the valve cover cannot be inspected.If the engine doesn't have this baffle,you should be able to see down into the valve train and see if there is any sludge built up on the components. Regards
I have the earlier version, the non-VVTI with the 4-speed automatic, which was manufactured through 12/02. From 01/03, the Camry was manufactured with the VVTI engine and 5-speed automatic.
I have 132,000 miles on my 03 Camry XLE V6, and it runs like it just came off the showroom floor. I didn't know the XLE V6 came with cloth seats though, I thought they were all leather in the XLE V6 level. I must be wrong.
Not sure which engine was more sludge prone. The VVTI is an interference engine, so timing belt maintenance is very important on that engine (so you don't destroy it if the timing belt breaks).
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I've decided to take the plunge. I'm going to meet the sellers tomorrow to transfer the title and take ownership.
The prepurchase inspection showed nothing at all! The only issue is there are 30% left on the front brakes. My kinda inspection!
The car is in mint condition and it even still smells like new inside. It's been garaged it's whole like and I don't think the windows were ever rolled down.
Toyota dealers are offering me about $9000 value for my fully loaded 4.5 year-old Camry. How is a twice-older Gen5 possibly worth $10K?!!?
You're forgetting that trade in value is ALWAYS less than retail value. Look at Kelley Blue Book at the different values. You will see, for instance, that a certain car has a $6000 trade in value, $7500 private party value, and $9000-$10,000 retail (dealer sell) value.
If the OP were to take his car to another dealership to trade it in, they'd probably only offer him $6000, ish.
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6 speed manual 2011 Camry SE
2012 Honda Accord Coupe---1995 Ford Mustang---1985 AMC Eagle
Yep, trade in value vs. private party sale value vs. dealer sale (assumes dealer has conditioned the car to be in very good to excellent condition) all play a role on car value. So does car trim line/options, age, condition and, mileage. Using age alone does not take into account all the rest of the elements. I would say this 2003 top-of-the-line Camry XLS with the V6 is about as fully loaded of a Camry as there was at the time (I've got the same car). Great vehicle. I only paid $7k from a dealer 9 months ago, but it had 120,000 miles on it. Was in fantastic condition, and all the maintenance was documented. I found a few things that I was going to fix on the car that gave me a lot of leverage to talk the dealer down to the final selling price. Lot's of factors besides model year to consider.
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1995 Ford Mustang
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2011 Toyota Camry SE
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