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2011 Toyota Avalon

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Comments

  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    edited December 2011
    This is a 4 door Avalon (2013 Limited) , this is ONLY A CONCEPT CAR (2013), possible suicide doors??? MUST SEE! NO knowned pictures are out there.
    Photobucket
  • gramzgramz Member Posts: 106
    https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS303US3- 03&q=2013+avalon

    This is what I was looking at????
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    I clicked on the link, went straight through to google search.
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    If you look closely, that's a Nissan badge on this car?

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  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    edited December 2011
    I believe you're right. It certainly looks like a Nissan badge or emblem on the front. So it MIGHT Not be a Avalon. On the bing site there was a lot of concept cars to choose from. It did say 2013 Avalon . So it's not a car that I chose off the top of my hat, but after careful inpection I think that's Nissan emblem on the front.
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    I'm personal friends with the local Toyota Dealer, and all I got out of him, was that the car, if it looks like what they showed the dealers a few months back, it is going to be a REAL looker, and just what the dealers need to get a new group of car buyers into the showroom. He also said he order one in Blue for me:) (Yes, he was kidding, as they can't be ordered yet).

    I will say, if it's the looker he said, and what I'm hoping for, I WILL own a Blue one. If not, I'll be looking at getting my LS 460 L Executive Model for my next car (Yes used:)

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  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I have an LS 460, and highly highly recommend it. Don't get an 07. My 09 has been perfect through 41,000 miles so far. However, if I needed to downgrade to a Toyota, the Avalon would be my choice, and I could be happy in it, even the current model. But I need red :blush:
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    I guess I'm tight with my money. I have 14 thousand miles on my 2011 and I can't simply can't see trading it in on a 2013. No matter how it looks there will always be something better in the future. NOW if someone wanted to buy my 2011 for decent money then that's another story. I do have an extended warranty 8 years, 100 thousand miles, toyota warranty, that should help the sell of my car. ?? Any takers?
  • _bill_wa_bill_wa Member Posts: 37
    I stopped at my dealer to get the arm and wiper numbers.......They said someone from Georgia had called.........anyhow the numbers I got are the same as the person in comment #1302.....It did solve my problem.
  • nieleniele Member Posts: 1
    May I ask what is a "decent money" you're asking?
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    It's funny. I test drove an LS 460 and it was very nice, but not a lot smother or quieter then my Avalon. Something that was a bit disappointing. Now I will say, I only got the test drive for 15 - 20 miles, so hardly a very good test for comfort and quietness over the long haul.

    I've tried to find a car rental place with LS 's in stock, but haven't had any luck yet.

    I figure if I can rent one for a day or 2, but on some serious miles, I could then make a much better decision on one.

    I'd REALLY like to drive an LS L, seeing that's what I'd purchase, but any LS would be nice.

    The models I've looked at are 2009, and 2010's

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  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    edited December 2011
    Hello Niele, Actually I have not thought of a price. I really like this car. I think we all do. Now you do understand, I don't want to sell right now. IF I like the 2013 Avalon's, then I probably would sell my car outright. So I would want MORE than they would offer me trade in. Plus there is a tax incintive for trading one in. In other words if my car is worth 30 thousand then that's 30 thousand less in taxes I would have to pay. Does that make sense? I'm not sure if this is a Federal law but it's a good law. If you are truly interested in my 2011 Avalon Limited, I can contact you in the future. Just give me your e-mail address or phone number. We all know what a new 2011 Avalon cost new, this of course is not new. However with that said it's perfect with all records including EVERY fill up is logged into a book. Every MPG logged, both computer and by hand. Literally EVERYTHING I've had done to the car is logged into my book. Plus of course dealer records. I also have extra added things like the extended Warranty that IS transferable, this is a Toyota Warranty (8 year, 100 thousand mile). So let me know if your truly interested and I'll keep your address. We don't drive much and I'm old so I get the best parking spaces. :^), There's not a scratch anywhere on this car, NOT ONE DOOR DENT, EVERYTHING in the car, carpet is kept covered, ALWAYS garage kept. Our children are grown and I've only had people in the back seat only 3 different times. Might be hard to believe but it's true. Thanks for asking, I'm curious, what part of the country do you live?

    Now buying a used car you have a lot of advantages. One is no sales tax. Plus the depreciation value is gone and you'll have a Toyota warranty. I'm almost talking myself OUT of selling it. Plus on my car you know just what you're buying. So let me know. Ok!
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Lexus doesn't sell to Rental Fleets. So odds aren't good you can rent one, unless you can find an agency that buys used cars and rents them. They do exist. But they're pretty rare. What you need is a nice dealer who will let you do a weekend test drive. Also kind of rare - I get that privilege at several dealerships where I live because I "know" people. If it weren't for that, I'd have to find a friend.

    Having said all that - the LS isn't that much smoother than the Avalon! I admit that. The panache, comfort, features, and options, especially on the L are the difference, and also the power from the V-8, the Rear Wheel Drive and tuning make it handle differently. They're not that great in the snow. The Avalon is better there. I love the Avalon - I could be happy in one. I may be in one someday. Never know in times like these.

    The price difference is horrendous. Some say it's not worth it. They may be right. But once you've had an LS, it's hard to go back to the Toyota, if you can afford the LS. I buy them used, so I can. And astonishingly, the mileage is about the same! I get 23 in town consistently.
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    Hi, all great advice. I'll be trying to find one to test drive for a nice long trip, so that I can make a decision on wether or not it's the car I REALLY want.

    Many of my trips are 750 miles or longer, so quiet and comfortable is REAL important to me.

    My 2011 Avalon is reasonable quiet / smooth, but NOT as much as I'd like. When Trailer Trucks, Loud Motorcycles, Trains, Construction Sites, and worst of all, LOUD Rain become a real pain. I have to turn the radio up, or live with the noise, for a period of time.

    All small issues in the scheme of things, but more pet peeves at best.

    My 1996 Buick Park Avenue was a TON more comfortable, and all most as quick. But as we all know, they don't make cars like they use to.

    I must admit, getting a 3+- year old LS L for the same or a bit more, then a 2013 Avalon, is a bit tough to take, but again, if it's what you really want, and as my wife would say "If you keep the car longer then a year, just buy the damn thing!"

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  • robin5robin5 Member Posts: 19
    Would a tire change make your 2011 Avalon road noise quieter?
    Mine seems pretty quiet and I don't notice much noise from other vehicles, either. (I probably will now, though.)
    If you want a quiet car, just bite it and buy what you really want. I drove loaners while my Avalon was in (lots of days in loaners!) and I couldn't wait to get the Avalon back. Especially missed my ventilated seats.
    I had a rattle in the dash after about a year (got mine 6/2010) and the guy at the dealer knew right where it was before I told him- center dash, toward the windshield. They padded it and now it's quiet again.

    MY AVALON'S REMOTES ARE THE ABSOLUTE WORST!!! TELL EVERYONE TO TRY IT OUT BEFORE THEY BUY!!! DO NOT BUY THE REMOTE START UNLESS YOU WILL BE STANDING RIGHT BESIDE YOUR CAR WHEN YOU START IT. THEN WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR, THE ENGINE TURNS OFF. I don't want to warm up my car at home, so the only time I would start it ahead of time is when it's been parked somewhere and I want it to heat or cool a few minutes ahead. IT WILL NOT START. TOYOTA GAVE ME A $499 REBATE CHECK WHEN THE CAR WAS 18 MONTHS OLD. I have never, ever been able to use the remote start when I wanted it. Ever.
    I took my car in several times for days at a time and one thing I noticed, and had to point out to them, was that the car didn't seem to even recognize the key fobs much of the time. What I kept hearing is that the car started every time for them. When I told them to SHOW me how well the car starts, it worked less than half the time. "Gee, it worked every time before." I was told it worked every time up to 170 feet. Once they even said the remotes didn't work because there were too many other Toyotas around.
    They did a few things including changing out my key fobs for new ones. The new ones are even worse. When I called my Michigan dealer, Serra Toyota, to ask to have them changed again, the service manager said, "The engineer said there's nothing wrong with your car. They won't change it again".
    I called Toyota and was told that OPTIMAL distance for the key fobs is 60-70 feet; less with interference. 25 feet is usual. I used to be able to find my Highlander in a parking lot by using the panic button, but these are so weak, they work from about 4 parking spots away. It's really bad. I can't believe it. My Highlander and 4Runner have great distance. The Avalon is crap for remotes.
    Another thing, if you have ANY hip problems, the Avalon seat won't let you sit with your hips at a 90 degree angle. Sitting with my hip flexed so much hurts. I don't have that problem in a 4Runner because I can straighten out a little. The Avalon seat is more of a bucket seat.
  • robin5robin5 Member Posts: 19
    My 2011 Avalon Limited with Nav, remote start, 6% sales tax, delivery, etc was about $39K in MI. I was looking at the 2010 using a CostCo discount and trouble with the salesman. When CostCo contacted me to see if I was happy with the service, they apologized and said the price is (I think) $700 over dealer cost. That wasn't supposed to be applied to the 2011, but I went to another dealer and got the discount on the 2011.
    DO NOT BUY REMOTE START. MY REMOTE KEY FOBS WORK AT ABOUT 20 FEET, SO REMOTE START IS USELESS!!!! I GOT A REFUND AFTER ABOUT 18 MONTHS.
    ALSO, NEVER TAKE TOYOTA SERVICE COMMENTS AT FACE VALUE. WHAT A BUNCH OF LIARS.
    Seriously, if anyone is looking at buying a car, use the CostCo discount. I used it on y 2004 Highlander that was a perfect car, then the 2011 Avalon with the worst remotes ever.
  • robin5robin5 Member Posts: 19
    DO NOT BUY THE REMOTE START FOR THE AVALON!!!! MY REMOTE KEY FOBS WORK AT ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET. I GOT A REFUND FROM TOYOTA BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO USE THE REMOTE START IN 18 MONTHS.
  • robin5robin5 Member Posts: 19
    DO NOT BUY THE REMOTE START FOR THE AVALON!!!! MY REMOTE KEY FOBS WORK AT ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET. I GOT A REFUND FROM TOYOTA BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO USE THE REMOTE START IN 18 MONTHS.
  • robin5robin5 Member Posts: 19
    DO NOT BUY THE REMOTE START FOR THE AVALON!!!! MY REMOTE KEY FOBS WORK AT ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET. I GOT A REFUND FROM TOYOTA BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO USE THE REMOTE START IN 18 MONTHS.
    NEVER. EVER BELIEVE WHAT TOYOTA SERVICE TELLS YOU. THEY JUST DON'T KNOW. WHATEVER IT IS, THEY DON'T KNOW. THE FIELD TECHS AND THE ENGINEERS DON'T KNOW, EITHER.
  • robin5robin5 Member Posts: 19
    You have GOT to be kidding. 1000 yards???? My Highlander was good at calling me in the middle of a parking lot when I couldn't see it. Just pushed the panic button. But....
    DO NOT BUY THE REMOTE START FOR THE AVALON!!!! MY REMOTE KEY FOBS WORK AT ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET. I GOT A REFUND FROM TOYOTA BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO USE THE REMOTE START IN 18 MONTHS.
    NEVER. EVER BELIEVE WHAT TOYOTA SERVICE TELLS YOU. THEY JUST DON'T KNOW. WHATEVER IT IS, THEY DON'T KNOW. THE FIELD TECHS AND THE ENGINEERS DON'T KNOW, EITHER.
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    You brought up two issues. One is a remote start. I never had a car with a remote start. You stated, one you use the remote starts then open the doors the car stops. From what you said I suspect you have a short. Is this an after market install? I'm curious. I know if you want a remote start and if you ordered it then by all means it should work. Especially if Toyota installed it. IF you had one installed by someone other than the dealer then that's another story.

    About tires. Tires can effect the ride, and road noise and gas mileage. It can effect it a lot, even the handling of the car. Certain tires are soft and ride more quite but suffer on worse gas mileage. My Bridgestone tires are noisy, I suspect Michelins would be better but more costly. I really don't know what kind of tires I will buy next. I hope people on our blog will have something to say about the tires they buy. Hope this helps,
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    Have posted this before but... I on my third set of Nexen tires on my 2007 Limited. For the money they work well. A little over half the price of Michelin and the ride and traction are similar. They don't last quite as long but again, at 60% of the cost they don't need to last as long. And at least one has a nail and/or a patch at replacement time anyway. I like having new tires every 18 months, so... just a thought.
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    I'll have to remember that name. Never heard of them. Can you tell me how they rate to Bridgestone? My new Avalon came with Bridgestone. The ride is a hard ride. I suspect a softer tire is needed to be smoother. I really don't know much about tires. I have not price a set yet. I have only 14, 500 miles on my car. I did pick up one nail and they plugged it. Small nail hole.
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    I went with an aftermarket remote starter, and for the most part, I'm happy with it. It's not as straight forward as the one I had on my 2008 Avalon, but nice. I can start it from my office, and the car is often 100 - 125 yards from my office. I do need to make sure it's a pretty straight line of sight, but this I can do from here.

    My 2008's had a nice LED screen that had a car, and it looked like the exhaust was working when it started, which saved my the trouble of having to go outside to check on it.

    As for tires, I know they make a difference, and yes, you WILL give up something. They are ether quiet, or get good mileage, it's hard to get ones that you'll get both.

    My snow tires are quieter then the OEM tires that came with the 2011. but yes, my mileages goes down 4-7 MPG.

    I am sure that I am spoiled. The Avalon is very smooth and quiet, yet I'm looking for something that is even more quiet and smoother.

    Around town and short drives, I have no complaints, it's the long drives that get to me. The noise level after a few hundred miles gets to the point where I need to have the radio at 15 - 20 to hear clearly, and well, even though I'm hearing the radio and not the tire noise, I'm now hearing all of it, at a pretty high volume. No this isn't as big a deal when I'm driving by myself, but when folks are in the car and you want to talk, you have to talk a bit on the loud side, and this is with the radio off.

    I'd love to drive with a gauge in the car that checks the noise level in a car, to see what this is at when driving 65-75 MPH.

    I do like the 2 years 24,000 FREE maintenance, I just wish it was more. I'm at 9 months, 20,000 miles so far, so it's looking like this will end up being a 24,000 miles 1 year FREE warranty. I will likely end up owning this car a little longer then most, as I'm going to wait for the 2013 Avalon to see if it's all the hype that's going around. And from what's being said at the dealer level, the 2013 won't be available until spring of 2013, which means another whole year and 35,000 +- miles more on this car before I trade.

    Oh [non-permissible content removed], it's time to get back to work.

    - Pack the car for several deliveries
    - Head to the state capital to cash in a winning lottery ticket
    - make some sales calls while up there
    - get back to work on 2011 taxes

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  • southcentralkssouthcentralks Member Posts: 10
    I hope you don't think this is an advertisement but in regard to the tire question and selection, I have found over the years when I replace my vehicle tires on my 4x4, ZX, Lexus and most likely now Avalon - unless I trade it in - the most informative and rate competitive site I have found has been www.tirerack.com. The folks at Tire Rack have quantified the variables, with your input on the home page asking questions as to make, year, model - purpose of snow or non snow use, ranking desired qualities of mileage, quietness, etc.

    Then possible choices are given of tires available. I find the reader comments and rankings really helpful because feedback from the street of the tires also weigh-in my deceision to purchase either from them or locally. Check it out as all these tire companies, both in and out of country have so many different compounds and changing of compounds within the manufacturing process that sometimes I have read some variations are noticeable from the users purchasing the same tires but at different times with different dates of manufacture.
  • kcmoverkcmover Member Posts: 36
    What is the best price I can expect for a Avalon 2011 or 2011 base model with leather seats. I am good with spending about 28,000 to 30,000 for the car. Can get get a Avalon in that price range? If so tell me what to look for as I want to buy this week.
  • southcentralkssouthcentralks Member Posts: 10
    Entirely possible if the variables line up with you and local dealer and if not you may need to travel. The local dealer here came under new owner management, has a new store nearing completion and with his affiliated dealerships turns over 3.5 to 3.8K units a year.

    You could place an internet RFP out using this website and see what proposals do come up? I bought a base model Avalon in Dec of 2010 and it was just a fuzz North of $30k before trade-in ICT and application of taxes. It took me all of 1 1/2 hours starting/finishing paperwork to them detailing, my inspection, their fill-up and my drive off the lot once I arrived. My salesperson was/is a veteran long timer working there. I understand the new owner went to a salary for salespeople as opposed to the total commission as was before. I would not have dealt with the dealership before that with old owner but I had purchased three (3) used Lexus vehicles with the new owner at one of his other stores and had good experience from sale to service each time. Hope this helps.
  • kcmoverkcmover Member Posts: 36
    I don't mind traveling as that is no big deal if its a Southwest Airline city like Chicago or to STL our Omaha.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Tires have been a puzzling issue for me. I have always been partial to Michelins. Their only flaw is the sidewalls tend to crack easily in the dry heat here. Only a problem if you don't drive much and they age quite a bit. My 05 LS430 had Dunlop 5000s tires, and were great. So when I wore them out, I bought another set of Dunlops, however, these were a different, directional tire, and they were horribly noisy! So bad, that after 10,000 miles, I changed them out to Michelins. Much quieter.

    My 09 LS460 came with Bridgestones, and they were excellent. SO, when I burned those off, I bought a nearly identical set of Bridgestones, so as not to screw up the dynamics. Successful this time.

    But, it's hard to figure out why some tires are so noisy and some are not, at least to me.
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    Do a search on Google and you will find Nexen.com. Go to it and put in your ZIP code, you will find the dealers nearest your location. The new tire for Avalon is the n6000, I have n5000 on mine, a prior issue of the same tire. You can buy them for $110 or less plus tax, etc., good Michelins are about $180 each around here, so... I had always been a Michelin buyer until I used the first set of Nexen. Have also used Toyo, harsh ride/great traction, on a v6 Honda and Bridgestones on my kid's Nissan 4 cyl, rode fine/no unusual noise. Hope this helps..... :)
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    Just got the same brand put on my Escape this morning. VERY economical, and the tire shop recommended them over several others that were more expensive. Mine are SUV tires, but they are way, way quieter than the (horrible) Continentals I had before... so quiet, in fact, that driving home, I almost felt like there was something wrong with my car due to the lack of the road growl. Also got good reviews for performance in the snow.

    They seem to be a good value.

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  • jimd422jimd422 Member Posts: 1
    I've had my 2011 Avalon Limited for 1 year (only 10K miles & in garage kept / showroom condition - no accidents) and the door hinge makes a noticeable noise when it swings open & closed. ALSO - my steering wheel makes a clicking noise when I make wide turns -- not with normal steering or changing lanes, etc. Both noises started in the last 2-3 months. Does anyone have these problems
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    The slight movement in my steering column is a problem that drives me crazy. It happens more now and it doesn't happen all the time. I'm the only one that drives so of course it ONLY drives me crazy. Not to wish you bad luck but I was hoping someone else had this problem.

    I'm due for an oil change and I will mention it and the wipers then. All my doors close great. Really tight. I suspect your door problem is an isolated one. Let me know more about the noise from your steering column. My noise is almost like it's loose, I do NOT think it's in the front in.

    My car is also show room condition, gararge kept with 14,700 miles on it and of course No Accidents of any kind. Not as much as a door dent.
  • beekeroobeekeroo Member Posts: 4
    To jimd422: Hello. I had a driver door clicking in my 2011 Avalon. I took it to the service area and the guy who greeted me knew just what the problem was. He returned with his little socket wrench and tightened a nut that had worked loose. Total estimated time from drive-in to drive-out: 90 seconds. No problem; no charge! Good luck!
  • musicislifemusicislife Member Posts: 16
    This is nitpicking an otherwise terrific car, but does anyone else think the gas cap tether is too short? I'm seriously thinking of cutting it off. Every time I go to replace the cap, the tether pulls the filler door closed onto my hand. It makes it difficult to put the cap on. There's a crimp in the tether that I think shouldn't have been put there.
  • southcentralkssouthcentralks Member Posts: 10
    Yes, Musicislife...It was the first thing I noticed on filling my Avi tank up a few days later after driving it off the dealer lot and leaving them my Lex. My Lex had a tubular plastic tether which was longer and the sheet metal holder for the cap was actually threaded so you could firmly engage the filler cap to the protrusion as opposed to an unthreaded metal holder that sometimes allows the cap to fall out...It's a another little trade-off in manufacturing quality and a little annoying but the Avi is still a better value to me.
  • bmpbmpbmpbmp Member Posts: 8
    Don't know if this has been posted, but just noticed that the 2011 Avalon EPA estimates were 20/29, and the EPA estimates for the 2012 Avy is 19/28. Thought it kind of interesting, considering it's the exact same car.
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2012
    I think EPA changed the standards on the MPG. To make it more strick. I'm not sure but I think that happened. My car gets good MPG for the size but I rarley see 27 or 28 MPG.

    On another note: The last oil change (15,000) I mentioned the wiper arms, and the small noise coming from the steering column. They fixed the wiper arms but said they could not find any problem with the steering. I tried and tried to see if the wiper arms made any noise. No noise at all. Such a nice fix. Like someone stated, it's logged into he national data books on how to fix this problem. The new arms seem to cure up, I don't think the old ones did. I think they where straight across. Still hidden, still looks good but quite.

    I continue to keep all records including every fill up. My computer continues to be off by one MPG, sometimes two. That was discussed in here before and most people agreed it probably was me. So when I keep my records I now write both MPG down. Just a personal thing to do and should help the sell of my 2011 Avalon.

    Hope this information helps all who own these cars. I still give the Avalon 5 stars, smooth ride, plenty of power and a whole LOT of ROOM. Very nice car with no squeaks, noises of any kind. Very quite car. A looker too.

    Oh on the MPG, I NEVER, I repeat NEVER get under 23 MPG. NEVER!
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    Rained today and I love the Silence. The new wipers are great and EVERYONE should request theirs to be changed.
  • daktaridaktari Member Posts: 9
    http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?partner=DVW_1&vin=4T1BK3DB0BU3- 85471

    Down there in the "Detailed History" section, it shows location of purchase, service performed in two states, then finally the sale to a dealer via auction. The history on this vehicle looks really odd to me, and almost suspect. Of what I can't say. It just looks fishy to me.

    Does anyone understand or have insight to this report?

    Short background: On the 29th, my 1996 XLS was totaled after a deer struck the front end. 207,501 miles, 148k by me since 2000. It was supposed to get me through until I completed school in twenty months, but I guess not. So, I'm on the search to replace it. There's no rush, but I'm trying to gather as much information as I can prior to purchase.

    Thanks!
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    You might pop over to our Real-World Trade-In Values discussion - people in the biz hang out there and can help you interpret the report info.

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  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2012
    I've been to 100's of auctions. Back in the days when we didn't have a Carfax report.

    I believe this is a repossessed car you're looking at. Repo's are nothing to be alarmed about and by law have to be brought to the auction or sold by the lender. Most the time banks simply take them to the auction for quick sale. It's fast with no hassles. All NEW Toyota dealers are required to buy so many "program" cars a year at auction and sometimes buy repo's because of the price. I suspect this is NOT a program car because of the low miles. My thoughts are this car was a repo, bought by the dealer then put up for auction. However with that said, I would have an expert check the car out for damage. Damage meaning paintwork, wreck, etc. People THINK all damages are reported on Carfax. This is not always the case. I can give examples of buying cars recently, seeing paintwork and it's not on the Carfax. Your main concern should be bodywork. Anything mechanical can be fixed under warranty, *if it's had no damage*.

    This is not a "stay away sign" by the Carfax. It is only a sign to take a MUCH closer look. You could ask, but most dealers would say anything to get you comfortable and I mean tell you literally anything. I was a wholesaler, a person whose specialty was going to auctions and then selling to dealers. Therefore, I never had to retail cars. I'm glad I wasn't a part of that part of the business.

    One reason for paint work check. Manufactory warranty stays with the car no matter who owns it. The warranty is only void if it's been in an accident or abused. I was in the car business off and on all my life. I hope this helps,
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    Another take on this, after reading the report -

    It was a fleet vehicle owned by a corporation in California. This doesn't mean the car LIVED in California - only that the corporation is in California. It could have been a corporate vehicle issued to a salesperson (which would explain why there were two services in Eastern states). If the employee to which it was issued left the company, or the company discontinued their "car program," they wouldn't bother shipping the vehicle elsewhere. They'd just send it to auction and be done with it.

    Either mine or nan48's explanation is plausible. I'd still post in the discussion I linked to - some people there have access to info other than Carfax (auction info) that might be more detailed.

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  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    edited February 2012
    I would be leary of the vehicle, if it was me buying the car. Look at "how many" dealers have had this vehicle all within such LOW miles. Ask yourself "why hasn't anyone kept it?" Plus the mileage may not be true especially going from dealer to dealer. Each state has different "mileage" keeping ways, some are stricter than others. I don't know how strict each state is: PA, MI, WA... that's a lot of states. Mileage could be "NOT" true.

    I agree with kirstrie. I'm in the South. If I had to guess, I would say California would be stricter than GA. or SC, TN, etc. I would like to also note, this is a low mile car so my guess it's a repo. ONLY a guess. You did good by checking the carfax.
  • nan48nan48 Member Posts: 350
    I didn't notice the amount of dealers this car has been to. My wife carefully looked over the carfax and pointed it out AFTER I wrote what I did. For me, I would not buy a car that's been passed around like this car. NO WAY! These are hard times, good deals are out there. In fact maybe my wife will sell her 2011 Avalon. Maybe! Again hope this helps,
  • johnc2012johnc2012 Member Posts: 1
    With the Toyota remote start, the engine will shut off when you press the button on your remote to open the doors. The one I had on my Sequoia had this. Just bought an Avalon and am having a different one fitted, still through the dealer though. Chrysler is different; when you open the doors and turn the key in the ignition the engine will still run. (Or press the stop/start button on the keyless entry and go.) The dealer said my new remote starter will have a separate fob (the Sequoia's was built into the key fob) and he said it will start the car from 800 feet. Only time will tell.
  • daktaridaktari Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the input on the carfax report I posted. I'll check out the real-world forums!
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    More thoughts: Given the distance from PA to WA, with a stop in MI... this car has travelled more miles on a car hauler than it has been driven. Why haul it WA to sell it? It isn't worth that much more..... And this dealer has had it since Christmas, only put a few miles on it, look at the odometer. No one DRIVES this car. Why not? Find both original key fobs, the OManual, spare tire (check the tire well for anything unusual) and the original floor mats. They all should be new looking, but original.
    The good news is that the dealer will certify it and you have a full warranty..... No one is scared of it.... sure is odd, though...
  • daktaridaktari Member Posts: 9
    All questions I've been going over myself!
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