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buying a used 2012 camry xle gas-any advice for me?
Hi, I am in a market for a used camry and came across a deal for a camry xle 2012 with 60k miles for $14K. I must admit I know little about cars except routine maintenance and the reason why I choose camry is because our families have been driving camrys in the past and they seem pretty reliable, plus I heard 2012 camry is one of the most reliable used cars there is (scotty kilmer influenced). I'm buying this from a private seller and will have a vehicle inspection done at Firestone before buying. I am just trying to gather any advice that anyone may have for me before buying.
I have some questions
1) does the xle trim pretty much just looks nicer than a base trim? The machinery is pretty much the same and cost the same to maintain?
2) this particular one has blindspot alert (which I didn't know any camry would have dated back to that year)-is the technology pretty much the same as what we have now? I'm asking because I know nowadays you have to pay extra to get that feature so i'm trying to take it into pricing consideration.
3) the state's vin check showed that this car has 66K miles since 2018 but the owner told me it's a mistake as the odometer is now at 58K. apparently carfax also has it at over 100K miles but he showed me that he filed a factual dispute with carfax . Is this a possible mistake to happen? he doesn't seem like the kind who would dial back his odometer.
4) also on the mileage, is there a big difference between say under 30K and 60-70K miles? I think 2012 uses a timing chain and not a belt so what else is the concern with higher mileage?
thank you in advance for any insight!
I have some questions
1) does the xle trim pretty much just looks nicer than a base trim? The machinery is pretty much the same and cost the same to maintain?
2) this particular one has blindspot alert (which I didn't know any camry would have dated back to that year)-is the technology pretty much the same as what we have now? I'm asking because I know nowadays you have to pay extra to get that feature so i'm trying to take it into pricing consideration.
3) the state's vin check showed that this car has 66K miles since 2018 but the owner told me it's a mistake as the odometer is now at 58K. apparently carfax also has it at over 100K miles but he showed me that he filed a factual dispute with carfax . Is this a possible mistake to happen? he doesn't seem like the kind who would dial back his odometer.
4) also on the mileage, is there a big difference between say under 30K and 60-70K miles? I think 2012 uses a timing chain and not a belt so what else is the concern with higher mileage?
thank you in advance for any insight!
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Does the seller have any service records which would show the progression of mileage over time? Does the seller have a retraction from CarFax on the mileage or merely a statement that he disputed it? Anyone can dispute anything, unless the other party agrees it means nothing. Have you bought your own CarFax or just looked at the seller’s copy? I’d ask CarFax directly for an explanation. Also, Firestone may be able to scan other modules that record mileage not related to the odometer. That could detect fraud if the different car systems don’t agree.
Otherwise a Camry is a good car for someone who wants reliability. I think the XLE is the high trim level so blind spot monitors might be standard. They’ve had that as an option on many cars for over 10 years and it’s one of the few electronic nannies I like.
The difference between 30k and 60k miles is only important for things like regular maintenance like fluid changes and normal wear items like brakes.
When buying from a private party I always want to know how long they’ve owned it and that the seller’s name is on the title.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I am wondering if an inspection from firestone is good enough or do I need some more specialized service than that. the firestone guy told me the inspection is $10 which makes me think am I gonna get what I pay for?
I’d still get a shop with a professional scanner to check for mileage rollbacks. Here’s an example:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible