What To Look For

[jimbo0076]

I've been looking for a car for my wife for a few weeks now. Ran across a 97 Avalon XLS with 127k miles. I've had several Yota trucks through my years and love them(can't kill them either Ha!) I've never been a car person but dearly need something that will get lot better fuel economy than what shes currently driving(1/2 Ton Chevy C1500-killer 14mpg) Mostly I'm wondering what to look for to go wrong on these cars or problem areas. Noticed some saying suspension but what exactly wears out most the time on them? Things like timing belt and water pump need to be serviced at certain time? The wife is getting a job driving a good bit further than she currently is and unfortunately most of the driving is up and down mountain hills and valleys so HWY mileage is out I figure. Would yall suggest a Avalon for being very dependable and decent mileage or suggest something more along the lines of a 4cyl Camry or something. Thanks!

[WetOne]

My wife has a 97 XL with 130k, had since 22k. Incredibly dependable roomy car, with good economy,(22-28mpg), good performance and nice ride. Suspension can be noisy due to worn strut components, sway bar bushings, end links, and control arm bushings. Valve cover gaskets can leak over time and can cause smell as oil drips onto exhaust manifold. Spark plugs are difficult/ expensive to replace. With 127k the car you describe will need all of these items if they have not already been done. Including Timing belt /water pump and associated seals and tensioners. My wifes Avy has also had a motor mount 50k,rack and pinion 65k, radiator 125k,power steeing lines (leaking),blown speakers, and normal wear and tear items (tires, batteries,hoses) etc. Sounds like alot but not when you consider the age and miles. At this stage of it's life, the car rides and looks very good and still has original muffler. Also check the dipstick for excessive carmelization which could indicate a sludge problem some of these engines have, but with 127k I would think it would have been a problem already. If the car has been well maintained it has a long life ahead of it as many go over 300k miles. Good luck!

[Jack Deth]

sludge. i took one for a 20 min test ride. it ran beautifully. then the oil light came on. the dipstick said full.
weak struts and rear springs.
water in the doors.
the latter two can be easily fixed, sludge is a deal killer.

[tacosteelersman]

+1 on both posts SLUDGE is the worst enemy of this 300,000 mile potential car. Another possible indicator of sludge is to pull the oil filler cap and look at the bottom of it(the side that goes into the engine) look for flakey, muddy, nastyness on the cap. Listen to wetone and jack deth,they've got you covered.

[pmesfun]

I would pull the valve cover and check for sludge.
Here's mine at 131k with okay oil change intervals.

[CTB727]

My '99 has almost 150,000 miles, and it's running great. The only problem I had was a hairline crack in the radiator which ended up needing replacement at 146,000 miles. Avalons are excellent highway cars because of how comfortable they are on the highway, they have great power so it doesn't take much effort to pass somebody or merge, pretty damn fuel efficient, and pretty stable and smooth and high speeds.

Things to look for: As others have mentioned, oil sludge is an issue. Personally, mine is fine.
Timing belt should have been replaced at around that mileage.
Suspension may be noisy and pretty soft
Water in doors. Mainly driver's side passenger door.
Radio buttons sometimes fall out

[jimbo0076]

Well looks like I'm gonna have to pass before even driving it Called the owner and they knew NOTHING about the car other than said its dependable Haha. Said good maintenance on the sticker so I asked for info and/or paperwork and they had none of either! Asked about the timing belt and he said never heard about that The more I asked the more turned off I became so just passed,on the search again. Thanks for the info yall! Very helpful