Help CL, should I buy 2002 ES 300 with 165,000miles?
05-25-13, 04:36 AM
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Help CL, should I buy 2002 ES 300 with 165,000miles?
My wife and I are thinking of buying a 2002 ES 300 with about 165,000 miles on it. My wife feels uncomfortable with the mileage. Great price and clean Carfax..we have fallen in love with this car. If we buy it, it will be our first ES, after years of corollas and camrys. Should we be worried about the high mileage even though the previous owner seems to have taken good care of it. Please help, we can't seem to pull the trigger on this deal
05-25-13, 06:29 AM
#2
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Nothing to worry about if it has been taken care of. At 165k miles it's just getting broken in, come on now, It's a Toyota at heart!
MIght I ask how much you are buying it for? The price is really the deciding factor. Are you saving enough money with buying a "high mileage ES" vs "low mileage ES"?
At 180k miles, you will need to do the timing belt and water pump, so keep that in mind. That service needs to be done every 90k miles.
Nothing to worry about if it has been taken care of. At 165k miles it's just getting broken in, come on now, It's a Toyota at heart!
MIght I ask how much you are buying it for? The price is really the deciding factor. Are you saving enough money with buying a "high mileage ES" vs "low mileage ES"?
At 180k miles, you will need to do the timing belt and water pump, so keep that in mind. That service needs to be done every 90k miles.
05-25-13, 08:24 AM
#5
Sounds like a good deal.
Some things I'd check: Is the rear valve cover leaking? Any leaks you can see under the engine? Is the transmission fluid red? How does the oil look? Are the any suspension noises when you drive it? Is the check engine light on? Remember the check engine light, depending on the fault, takes two cycles to come on.
Some things I'd check: Is the rear valve cover leaking? Any leaks you can see under the engine? Is the transmission fluid red? How does the oil look? Are the any suspension noises when you drive it? Is the check engine light on? Remember the check engine light, depending on the fault, takes two cycles to come on.
05-26-13, 01:21 PM
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My wife and I are thinking of buying a 2002 ES 300 with about 165,000 miles on it. My wife feels uncomfortable with the mileage. Great price and clean Carfax..we have fallen in love with this car. If we buy it, it will be our first ES, after years of corollas and camrys. Should we be worried about the high mileage even though the previous owner seems to have taken good care of it. Please help, we can't seem to pull the trigger on this deal
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05-26-13, 04:54 PM
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Thanks for all the input guys. We put a deposit to hold the car. Mechanic is checking it in the morning. If all is good, we'll be bringing that baby home
05-29-13, 08:20 AM
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Just to update, the mechanic looked over the car and gave it a fair rating. He said the car ran well, but found evidence of an oil leak from the gasket. Said it isn't a problem now, but could become one later. The dealer says he can get that fixed. Would the signs of an oil leak deter anyone else from buying this car?
05-29-13, 08:44 AM
#12
^^ It Depends where the oil leak is coming from... If its from the valve cover gasket, its not a big deal and it wouldn't stop me from purchasing.
The rear main seal however... If that's leaking, I would walk away.. No, run away!
The rear main seal however... If that's leaking, I would walk away.. No, run away!
05-29-13, 08:51 AM
#13
at this mileage you are going to get leaks. rubber wears out eventually.
im pushing 190k now, had oil pan gasket and tranny gasket replaced. $$$.
its an 02 and runs great (knock on wood).
big ticket items are: tranny (make sure its good, this year had problems on few cars), timing belt (when was it done last? 500$+ job), exhaust (any rust?), O2 sensors are not hard if you are DIY type.
Otherwise set aside 1-1.5$ for EXPECTED problems short term (if you are not DIY'er). So if you are ok with 4.5k + 1-1.5k + taxes =~ 7K for 11 years old car with 165kmiles on it then go for it.
i'd honestly get a civic or something with less miles, but then again used market is hot right now, since not many can afford new cars.
im pushing 190k now, had oil pan gasket and tranny gasket replaced. $$$.
its an 02 and runs great (knock on wood).
big ticket items are: tranny (make sure its good, this year had problems on few cars), timing belt (when was it done last? 500$+ job), exhaust (any rust?), O2 sensors are not hard if you are DIY type.
Otherwise set aside 1-1.5$ for EXPECTED problems short term (if you are not DIY'er). So if you are ok with 4.5k + 1-1.5k + taxes =~ 7K for 11 years old car with 165kmiles on it then go for it.
i'd honestly get a civic or something with less miles, but then again used market is hot right now, since not many can afford new cars.
Just to update, the mechanic looked over the car and gave it a fair rating. He said the car ran well, but found evidence of an oil leak from the gasket. Said it isn't a problem now, but could become one later. The dealer says he can get that fixed. Would the signs of an oil leak deter anyone else from buying this car?
05-29-13, 08:56 AM
#14
the only reason i would buy a car with high miles is if i have complete service history. down to the last oil change. How many owners did this car have?
do not buy this car if there were 2+ owners and you do not have COMPLETE service history. Simple. Otherwise you could be sitting on a money pit, lexus or not.
do not buy this car if there were 2+ owners and you do not have COMPLETE service history. Simple. Otherwise you could be sitting on a money pit, lexus or not.