2003 - 296xxx kms, and still goin strong

 

My opinion, at that high mileage be ready for anything to fail including engine and transmission. The seller(auto mechanic) can of course give you a better reading. Things i would ask are, does it have original parts on there last legs or have things been replaced as they wear out?

Under the hood-- water pump, radiator,hoses, belts, power steering(rack/pinion), alternator, compressor, timing belt/chain, catalytic converter, emission sensors, ABS.

Suspension/struts/etc.

All of these items above, if original, have seen their better days.
I would do a carfax search for repairs/owners/emission reports and look at the OBD2 engine health report that the auto mechanic can provide.

So how long will it last for the price you are going to pay is the question. If parts need to be replaced by an auto shop, as you know, it can add up fast.
If you and your son are interested in car repair and can do your own work than that will make all the difference in this deal.

Hope all goes well and please post your results.

 

I know one camry with 220K miles on it and it works like its first day.

 

Some can last a long time if the cylinder head bolts don't pop loose around 80K miles and require a rebuild. Some later 2.4L have problems with piston oil holes plugging up requiring an engine tear down after the powertrain warranty expires. Some earlier water pumps don't seem to last much beyond 25K miles. Make sure all the recalls are completed, like the gas pedal problem. The newer U-series transmissions may have shift problems so make sure the software is up to date. You can find plenty of threads on these.

 

Mine is around that mileage and I beat on it at the track every summer for the last 6 Summers..... Never had a problem. It's a V6 though....

The I4's have a few issues with the headbolts...

They will lost a long time if properly taken care of, like anything.

 

At that many miles any comments here will be anecdotal and the only anecdote worth anything is your mechanic's...

Condition is everything, and if you must trust anyone, your mechanic ought to be able to discuss with you any/everything to be alert for down the road...

He/she should be able to document its maintenance history....and
...identify the repairs and parts replaced over the years and most recently...and
...offer to continue to maintain the car for you...

Unless the mechanic wanted to dump it on an unsuspecting buyer the above ought to be readily available...

If you want to be more knowledgeable about how/what to maintain, go here...
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...11/686945-official-5th-6th-gen-maintenance-thread-all-you-ever-wanted-know.html

Good luck!

 

Hard to say how it will go. It the owner was diligent about repairs higher mileage may mean a lot of things were already replaced. The problem is not a lot of folks are.
From my personal experience so far:
- check rack and pinion for leaks, if they are you are out of pocket a grand or more right there
- drive it for a good while, preferably in warm weather with ac on. Does it shake on idle or just before coming to a stop? If so - engine mounts, can easily be a few hundred bucks
- any clunks from the front end while going over bumps? If so-probably a broken spring, needs both front struts or all four.
And the obvious - oil and coolant levels specifically along with other fluids.

Realistically though, most likely it will be a handfull. Unless your mechanic is someone like Kitacamry or Hardtop. Otherwise you will be catching up on missed repairs and will be a few grand poorer within the first year of ownership.

 

Don't compare me to Hardtop....I'm no mechanic...just a guy who's had a LOT OF CARS with A LOT OF MAINTENANCE under the belt...and a guy who knows who to listen to...thanks Hardtopte72!

 

don't compare me to hardtop....i'm no mechanic...just a guy who's had a lot of cars with a lot of maintenance under the belt...and a guy who knows who to listen to...thanks hardtopte72!

+1

 

You are diligent like many folks here. Don't have to be a mechanic to keep a car in a great shape.

 

I have found a 2002 Camry owned (only) by a local mechanic.

There's a theory that you shouldn't buy a mechanic's car, because he has time to work on everyone else's car except his own. :lol:

 

I have been wrenching for 35 years and i can tell you, generally speaking this is not so. To be a mechanic nowadays takes a smart man and to be a good one requires constant reading. Any good mechanic can tell you what the markings on an oil bottle mean and what happens if you don't change the oil enough. And he (never met a female one) have seen the results of not keeping up a car, you can bet most of them maintain their own cars like a fanatic. I change my own oil every 2500 miles...

This car is probably priced real favorably or you wouldn't be asking. Unless he knew he was selling it for a year or so and stopped maintaining it it's probably in good shape? The problem is this is a "sludge" engine (subject to the sludge recall). The people who got in trouble with this were the ones that believed toyota and used their "recommended" oil change intervals of 7500 miles, instead of ignoring that and changing it every 3000. The PCV system was flawed and the oil needed to be changed regularly to prevent the oil from sludging the engine. Ask him what kind of oil was used, if he says "synthetic always" you are good to go on this and sludge is probably not a problem.

"Anecdotal" indeed, the mechanic is getting rid of it because he doesn't want to chance the car breaking down, the miles you will get from it are unknown. But a cheap car could be a bargain or a bunch of problems waiting to happen, how it acts now is a good indicator of how it will act for a year or two, maybe. if this is all you can afford, and we are all about saving money or we would not be here, you could do worse then a toyota owned by a mechanic. If it were a clunker already you wouldn't be asking us. And as far as gambling with a used car goes, this one sounds like it is probably worth the risk.

 

It all depends.

We have quite a few members with over 300K miles on their Gen 5 Camry's. If it was well maintained you are fine.

The major problems on the 2002 can be expensive. Head bolt problems require engine teardown, valve seal leaks may require engine tear down, and worn suspension problems can cost a lot.

If you are DIY capable, then these may not be real issues.

If you are buying a car for a 16 year old kid, I would make sure there is some spare cash at the end to account for any unexpected repairs.

I'd also consider a Corolla. You can get a newer Corolla with less miles for the same money and they don't have any common and major issues.

 

There is another side to this. Your mechanic probably said to you that the car is in good condition. 'Good condition' is a subject to interpretation. Chances are it will need some things and you may think the mechanic wasn't truthful with you even though he could have honestly believed it. You get upset and lose a mechanic and are left with a car that needs work. Not a good combo.
Its kinda like doing business with a family member.
I do believe that cars should not be bought from friends or any other people you value.

 

Any thoughts on how long this car may go if it has been properly maintained?

It will keep going as long as you can afford to keep repairing it

 

my 2002 toyota camry SE 4 cylinders today reached 275, 000 and even though i havent done service as i should have, the only thing i have replaced engine wise has been the engine belt and starter. I've neglected the vehicle, but now i respect the workers and the culture behind it. Quality that you cant find in alot of german cars or ameican that engeneer to fail and keep you spending money. This camry has no check engine light, it gives me great mileage and it gives me room to customize it at my desire.if your son is enthusiastic about vehicles he can eventually learn the maintenance on it and if mechanical problems come up there are always different places where you can purchase original- new or used parts and you may be able to find good deals for mechanical work in different places.

I also have a 95 camry and perhaps will best vehicle (aside from a 90 toyota celica gt) i will ever drive as it reached 388,000 this past month.

 

A mechanic would have taken good care of the car, but he also knows when to get rid of it. My son's first vehicle was a Dodge Ramcharger which we bought from a mechanic who worked for United Airlines. His garage was meticulous, and Dodge was his his first love...we replaced the steering shaft twice within 2 years. Nothing like a muddy junkyard to spend your weekend in while trying to save money by buying used.

 

I know i already commented on this but i'll add a bit more...you cant control what happened to the car before you got it only after. I have over maintained all my cars and always got rid of them for other reasons besides some iind of catastrophic failure or major expense.

I am in california and the smog laws are draconian. I have been literally forced to got rid of at least two cars because they were marginal for the 30 categories of smog they had to pass and I could no longert deal with this bullsh%T of jerking around with fixing it. Meanwhile the cars were about in top shape-my 88 Nissan truck had new rings and valves and a new convertor, but wouldnt idle low enough-FAIL.

Two things to do for maximu life. Change the oil every 3000 or less. And: for an auto trans-change the fluid every 30,000 or less. I have overmaintained all my cars and seldom had them fail, nor cost me ruinously expensive repairs. The seceret to making a car last-clean fluids in all the systems, never letting anything run dry, and lubrication!

And even more important, most important tip of all: RUN YOUR AIR CONDITIONING ONCE A WEEK -WITHOUT FAIL RAIN SHINE OR BLIZZARD! RUN FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE even if its -30 below if you want your A/C to keep working.
More people I have known personally, have killed their a/c by NOt using it then i can count! The reason is that, running the air conditioning, circulates the lubricating refirigerant oil of which two-three ounce are in the refrigerant -which lubricates the seals incl compressor seal/which keeps the REFRIGERANT IN. Ignore your a/c-seals b NOT running it-oil doenst circulate-seals dry out, crack, decide they dont like holding in 2000 PSI anymore and its bye bye A/C, hello $600 repair bill.

 

That generation Camry and up sucks, has many mechanical issues and the interior quality is shit poor. Buy a 2001 Camry it's much better and has the body style of a way a car should look

 

That generation Camry and up sucks, has many mechanical issues and the interior quality is shit poor. Buy a 2001 Camry it's much better and has the body style of a way a car should look

Come on...THIS is a matter of preference...I think the 05/06 is the best looking, so there!
I could point to all the design cues that support my contention, but in the end it's still a personal opinion....
For example...I like the rear lights of the 05/06 on light color cars, and like the tail lights of the 02-04 on dark color cars...I prefer the simpler hood grill of Gen5 over the droopy grill of Gen 6.

As for interior quality, I can't compare Gen5 to Gen4, and while I agree that the door lining material is pretty "flat" literally and aesthetically, I find that the two cool-tone dash tones have an understated appeal...

As for the mechanical issues, and fit and finish, I think many people like me find the Gen5 showroom tight many years down the road...it is in fact the best "fit" car I've owned.

Oil change every 3000 miles or less is a little waste IMO... 4500-5000 miles is more like it.

I'd recommend going with 5w-30 synthetic for 2x/yr, 6-8k mile OCI...syns are always on sale and often cheaper than conventional, and most dealers will change YOUR oil for $20 or less....a bargain.

 

Oil change every 3000 miles or less is a little waste IMO... 4500-5000 miles is more like it.

 

My brother's Gen 5 is approaching 250k miles no problems. No major problems, just some coolants leaks but that can be fixed for less than $100.

 

That generation Camry and up sucks, has many mechanical issues and the interior quality is poor. Buy a 2001 Camry it's much better and has the body style of a way a car should look

Purely subjective.

Especially considering one day I replaced radiators on 3 separate Gen 4 and 4.5 Camry's because they are known to crack at the upper tank. Not only that but sludge, massive oil leaks, EGR and EVAP nightmares, broken door handles, separating interior panels are all common problems. Finding a good used 5SFE can be impossible sometimes.

The Gen 4 is a good car and much better than the competition. The Gen 5 however is a much more premium car. Plenty of owners have several hundred thousand miles without issues.

 

my 2002 camry SE has 276.000 miles and my 95 camry le 391,000