Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options
Considering to buy - seeking advice
I found a 2010 avalon xls with 50,000 miles for sale at a good price. I took it to toyota to have it inspected. I could use some help deciding to buy it or not.
Repairs recommended by toyota:
Replace rack & pinion assy because it is beginning to leak
Replace leaking rear struts
Exhaust heat shield loose
Alignment needed
Repair filter housing oil leak
Noted, but didn't list as repair: Rear bumper is a mismatched (pretty close, tho) replacement with a poor paint job that is likely to flake off after awhile
The non-toyota dealer offered to do all this except the r&p because it is only beginning to leak and won't need to be repaired for 5 yrs. Seems to me that this should also be repaired by them, otherwise it seems to me that it just adds at least $1,200 to the price as is.
I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts . . .
Are these unusual repairs for only 50,000 miles for this car?
Is this kind of work at 50K a warning that this car may be more prone to needing repairs in the future?
If it's worth it to pursue this avalon, any ideas about how to negotiate? The salesman told me that they took it as trade-in and are asking $800 over that amount.
My 2003 camry le, 260K miles needed very little beyond expected maintenance work, so I thought they'd all be like this.
Repairs recommended by toyota:
Replace rack & pinion assy because it is beginning to leak
Replace leaking rear struts
Exhaust heat shield loose
Alignment needed
Repair filter housing oil leak
Noted, but didn't list as repair: Rear bumper is a mismatched (pretty close, tho) replacement with a poor paint job that is likely to flake off after awhile
The non-toyota dealer offered to do all this except the r&p because it is only beginning to leak and won't need to be repaired for 5 yrs. Seems to me that this should also be repaired by them, otherwise it seems to me that it just adds at least $1,200 to the price as is.
I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts . . .
Are these unusual repairs for only 50,000 miles for this car?
Is this kind of work at 50K a warning that this car may be more prone to needing repairs in the future?
If it's worth it to pursue this avalon, any ideas about how to negotiate? The salesman told me that they took it as trade-in and are asking $800 over that amount.
My 2003 camry le, 260K miles needed very little beyond expected maintenance work, so I thought they'd all be like this.
0
Comments
I would think that Rack and Pinion could be seeping a bit of oil five years from now and that the other things are of little concern. Avalons are great cars that are smooth and comfortable. We own a 2004 with 99,000 miles on it. It could stand to have the rear struts replaced but I can put up with a slight clunk if I hit a bump at a certain angle. I'm sure my local dealer could come up with a laundry list of things that "should" be replaced!