Buying HiLux, High Mileage - Advice?

[oixk4376]

Looking at buying a second-hand HiLux, have found a dealer used 2008 TRD HiLux 4000SL with all the bells and whistles, including a supercharged 6 cyl petrol engine. Looks like it's in great condition, taking a look and doing a test-drive this weekend. Said to qualify for a 'mechanical protection plan' though yet to find out what is meant by that. Asking price $29,000. 

Thing is, it has approx. 250,000 kilometres on the clock. Looking to do highway driving, lug dogs, building and garden waste, and occasional unsealed roads/off-road driving. All things being equal, is this mileage a worry?

Thanks in advance for any advice. 

Edited June 9, 2016 by oixk4376

[trentmeyer23]

It's definitely not worth the price especially with those kms, regardless of condition. Mid to low 20's would be more reasonable.

[coot]

I bought one with 380,000ks, and have found these problems easily missed when you have a look at the purchase point.

 

1. Water Leak when it rains heavy - looks like windshield but haven't found it yet? Look for any signs of water marks around all corners of headliner and carpets, musty smells too.

2. Indicator does not click off after turn - really annoying. Take it for a drive and take lefts and right and make sure it does every time. $250 for new indicator arm assy.

3. AC Lacklustre, blowers puffing not blasting on full. cant get to bottom of this - maybe they are all ****?

4. Door checks - all crap, smash you in face every time you open door. $125 each

5. Steering wheel wobble at high K's - deffo take onto highway and take it over 100k's, dealer told me it was wheel balancing - but fact is it could be universal joints and centre joint, all easy fixes but garage costs are $500 plus to replace.

6. Rear Heated Window - sounds trivial but if its not working cant see didly in this weather out of an already small window. Get second hand one.

7. Key falls out of the ignition lock - clearly been broken into at some time, but never noticed it as I never tried to pull key out when engine running - why would you ? Leave this unless you really want to sort it - its not a major issue.

 

It sounds like I bought a lemon... but I forced $1000k of $16k, and used that money to fix these niggly issues, and now all sorted :-)

Also look for usual signs of head gasket failure. Emulsification under oil cap, oil around gasket seam, (although dealer will have steam cleaned any oil away so difficult, but you could ask him to provide a "gas/hydrocarbons in water report", i.e. if there's gas in your water - detected by a special tester found in most garages - stay clear - head gasket about to go or gone. 

Ask to see proof of when CAM belt was changed.

Disc on brakes wear, pad wear etc, really essential on high k's.

 

Hope that helps, Coot

 

 

 

 

[oixk4376]

Thanks guys, very helpful. Went for a test-drive and really liked the ute, but the dealer wouldn't budge on price, so wound up walking away from it. Another day, another deal! 

 

Thanks again.