Is this a good buy ?

[gttx]

Hi guys. Is an ex lease vehicle a good buy? Its a 2005 camry 2.4ltr standard spec 75k on odo and looks and drives well. i will be its third owner :)

the dealer is offering 3 years warranty and priced at $12,000/-

is this worth the price?

cheers

[VF-X]

There's a thread in the topic of lease / rental... Should be similar in terms of concerns and potential problems.

http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/inde...showtopic=23035

[1rocky]

Sounds a good buy. But look at overall condition and also get an inspection as well.

Are there any oil leaks etc.?

Also check the log book and see how well it is serviced.

Always buyer beware.

Also ask the dealer what is covered under the three warranty.

I woild also look at other dealers and check out cars around the same price for comparison.

[gttx]

Sounds a good buy. But look at overall condition and also get an inspection as well.

Are there any oil leaks etc.?

Also check the log book and see how well it is serviced.

Always buyer beware.

Also ask the dealer what is covered under the three warranty.

I woild also look at other dealers and check out cars around the same price for comparison.

- any idea on a good mechanic for inspections around Melbourne? I am in caulfield. All i know of is RACV :) The dealer said you really dont need an RACV inspection done as Toyota with this much KMs dont go wrong.

- The car is pretty clean inside and gr8 on the outside as well. One of the cleanest i found. Been to almost 12 dealers. Similar spec car costs $14k

- the brake pads are near their end (not sure how much that would cost to replace)

- Been serviced on time mostly at specified intervals as per toyota service book. few from toyota rest from others.

- The front tyres are newer (BCT brand) rear are Bridgestone (not very new, still got life in them)

- Thw warranty covers repairs of upto $1000 per visit i think. Have sought more on this from the dealer.

- The dealer was too eager to close the deal but i walked. <_<

- This specific model does not have ABS....... i hope that wont affect its braking too much ??

BY the way its a Holden dealer :) stuck with a Toyota on a previous trade-in. Since thats the only toyota he has. This is what i think. Not sure if thats the case.

The vehicle drove well. Alignment was out, will give it a thorough drive again on some bumpy roads just to check.

[crinkles]

Sounds a good buy. But look at overall condition and also get an inspection as well.

Are there any oil leaks etc.?

Also check the log book and see how well it is serviced.

Always buyer beware.

Also ask the dealer what is covered under the three warranty.

I woild also look at other dealers and check out cars around the same price for comparison.

- any idea on a good mechanic for inspections around Melbourne? I am in caulfield. All i know of is RACV :) The dealer said you really dont need an RACV inspection done as Toyota with this much KMs dont go wrong.

BY the way its a Holden dealer :) stuck with a Toyota on a previous trade-in. Since thats the only toyota he has. This is what i think. Not sure if thats the case.

The vehicle drove well. Alignment was out, will give it a thorough drive again on some bumpy roads just to check.

Of course the dealer will tell you not to bother with an inspection. it is not in their interest for you to have it independently inspected. They know you will walk away if only the slightest issue shows up in the RAC report.

That price seems low. combined with an out of alignment issue, I would be wary. I'd rather buy from auction. I think the price is too low personally for it to be an A+ vehicle all over.

Personally I wouldn't go for it, but, maybe an RAC inspection would give you peace of mind.

Do not believe a single word a dealer tells you, ever. they will tell you ANYTHING to make the sale.

Also, remember these dealer-sold "warranties" are usually pretty vague, and would require you to have it serviced at the specific dealer you bought it from. you move to the other side of town from your work, or to another town, and you lose it. personally if they say you don't need an inspection because "toyotas at 75k are bulletproof" why are they trying to sell you a warranty so hard?

Edited August 9, 2009 by crinkles

[h3ctic]

yea id say becareful. it's tru that they would say anything to get a sale. their bread and butter is banking on it. Their first and foremost concern is bringing in dollars.

i wouldn't write it off completely. but the truth of the matter is, if a car dealer ship is offering something too good to be true, it normally is. for a cheap price, id say definitely get it inspected by someone you know knows their stuff and u trust.

[gttx]

Sounds a good buy. But look at overall condition and also get an inspection as well.

Are there any oil leaks etc.?

Also check the log book and see how well it is serviced.

Always buyer beware.

Also ask the dealer what is covered under the three warranty.

I woild also look at other dealers and check out cars around the same price for comparison.

- any idea on a good mechanic for inspections around Melbourne? I am in caulfield. All i know of is RACV :) The dealer said you really dont need an RACV inspection done as Toyota with this much KMs dont go wrong.

BY the way its a Holden dealer :) stuck with a Toyota on a previous trade-in. Since thats the only toyota he has. This is what i think. Not sure if thats the case.

The vehicle drove well. Alignment was out, will give it a thorough drive again on some bumpy roads just to check.

Of course the dealer will tell you not to bother with an inspection. it is not in their interest for you to have it independently inspected. They know you will walk away if only the slightest issue shows up in the RAC report.

That price seems low. combined with an out of alignment issue, I would be wary. I'd rather buy from auction. I think the price is too low personally for it to be an A+ vehicle all over.

Personally I wouldn't go for it, but, maybe an RAC inspection would give you peace of mind.

Do not believe a single word a dealer tells you, ever. they will tell you ANYTHING to make the sale.

Also, remember these dealer-sold "warranties" are usually pretty vague, and would require you to have it serviced at the specific dealer you bought it from. you move to the other side of town from your work, or to another town, and you lose it. personally if they say you don't need an inspection because "toyotas at 75k are bulletproof" why are they trying to sell you a warranty so hard?

you are 100 spot on. this is exactly what bothers me. this is the ideal too good to be true scenario. its been over a week now and i have let the deal hanging. the dealer has not contacted me. the price of $12k includes 3 year extended dealer warranty (holden warranty). services are restricted to several dealers (all within the group) most of these dealers are just 10min from where I live. I dont mind servicing from the same dealer as long as they don't over charge.

by the way the steering also makes a zzzzzzzz sound when you rotate in any direction. its the noise from the power steering pump i guess. not sure if this is any serious.

overall the vehicle is stunningly good looking in and out........this is what makes me think :D

[Whip Cracker]

Yeah dude, might have ended up in a crash and got repaired... can't tell these days. You might have the rack and pinion might be rooted too for all you know?

Seems like lots of underlying work is hiding in that thing...

Just because it looks good, doesn't mean it is good.

[Tash]

After reading the above my choice would be a massive no - it's quite frightening really that the dealer is pushing hard for a 3 year warranty...As others have mentioned it makes you wonder what underlying issues there are. My one piece of advice for buying a second hand car is always always get an inspection done, I even had one done when I bought my '06 dealer demo Sportivo and even though the report was one page long and found no fault with the car it was still $170 well spent.

Given you're in Melbourne there should be plenty of other better examples out there for possibly only $2-3k more. It all just sounds pretty dodgy to me to be perfectly honest. Plus, if they haven't called you again they can't be too interested. Stuff em.

[Newbie1987]

hey man, my mum and i recently bought a camry...similar shape to the one you're referring to. We bought ours second hand from a toyota dealer and he gave us a 1 year warranty. To this date the car is pretty good, we've only owned it for a month! it was a one owner car....my only advice to you is - if you get any doubt about the purchase of the car, stay away...i spent close to a month just looking for a silver camry and it was hard but worth the wait...there's plenty of models out there that have been in a crash and many of them are repaired write-offs- just go online and do the vicroads check, all you need is the number plate and vin number if u have it...that'll tell you if it's been in something nasty.....also about that sound in the steering, my camry doesn't have it, i've never even heard a zzzz sound - maybe the car's going to sleep :) but keep looking and something will pop up when you least expect it :)

[Hiro]

Any sort of buzzing noise from the steering would be an immediate warning siren for power steering pump issues, worth staying clear of. If other people's cars don't do it, then that one shouldn't.

[gttx]

thanks alot for the advice guys. well i checked up on vicroads and it does not say if its a write off. the registrations expires in May 2010. I am having the vehicle inspected tomorrow. Test drove it again today. I have been a pain in the Dealer's a--.

Will be taking it to the mechanic my self. The dealer seems very confident.

- the noise from the steering is more like a zzzz sound. Does tyre pressure have anything to do with it? Since they are pretty low on air.

- the brakes are ok.......seems the pad are at 50%

- dealer has agreed to sort out any alignment issues before delivery.

- The tyres are like 65% tread in them but two are 'silverstone' and two are some 'BCT' brand

- rest will check on inspection.

Actually I am doing a trade-in with my 09 Hyundai Getz 3 Door (done 3k on ODO) :D which is like brand new. Changeover is $3000

The warranty is a Holden warranty :) limited to $1000 per claim. Covers all important areas. But its restrictive. Will need to get service every 10k by them. SO thats a let down as well.

cheers n thanks all