Old Lady Needing Help Regarding Buying 1995 Camry
#1
03-04-2020, 10:08 AM
Old Lady Needing Help Regarding Buying 1995 Camry
I am a retired old lady on a fixed income. I had to sell my car 4 years ago because of health issues. I've been relying on Enterprise (one a month) since then to go to the grocery store and doctors once a month but the last two years Enterprise has been charging $100 per day for a (oftentimes beat up) economy car in their Sevierville, TN store. Because of the 15 million tourists here, they've decided to price gouge and are getting away with it. I can't afford to pay $75 to $100 to use a car one day so I'm trying to find a reliable (but inexpensive) car to purchase. I've found a 1995 Toyota Camry wagon that's in excellent mechanical condition per the mechanic that serviced this vehicle the last 22 years. The shop was kind enough to print me all 28 pages of maintenance records. The car has two owners. No records for the first 3 years; car driven 26,831 during that time. The remaining 22 years, the owner was a little old man, who per his mechanic, was fanatical about maintaining his car. He even had it painted recently because of oxidation. Both inside and outside look brand new. The issue I'm having is - the car was only driven 2,500 to 3,200 miles each year and those miles were in town (DC) driving only. The car today only has a little over 98,000 miles on the odometer. Having not been driven on the freeway for the last 22 years, would this car blow up on me if I drive it from it's current location (5.5 hrs of freeway driving at 60 to 70 mph and another 2 hours 50 or less mph home.) Would you buy this car if you were me? I desperately need a car for me and my (117 lb lab/pyrenees mix - Bailey.) In additional to yearly general maintenance, major repairs include, in 2006 the front exhaust pipe was replaced, 2012 a exhaust pipe was replaced again2016 the pcv valve replaced, oil pan gasket replaced, muffler replaced, radiator and resonator replaced; 2017 a/c refrigerant recharged, adapter seal replaced, motor mounts replaced, heater control valve replaced ....... The car is listed for $4000 and I think that's high given it's age but I don't know really. From all I've read, Toyota Camry's are a GREAT buy - would this one be for me?????????
#2
03-04-2020, 12:57 PM
What engine, V-6 or 4 cylinder?
What type of trans, stick shift or automatic transmission? I assume automatic.
The 1995 Camry is a solid car, reliable car. Its a family and commuter car thus not driving on the freeway should not be a big deal.
Like all cars it needs ongoing maintenance and repairs. Review the maintenance records for the following:
The timing belt should be replaced every 60k miles, has it been replaced? I assume so given the detail of the repairs listed. If the belt breaks the engine will not be damaged but you will be stuck until a new belt is installed which needs to be done at a shop.
The upper tank on the radiator is plastic and tends to crack and leak with age. You state it was replaced along with other coolant system parts which is good.
Find out if the engine was every overheated.
Was the complete transmission fluid ever changed. If not and you buy the car suggest having all of the trans fluid replaced as this will greatly prolong trans life.
Why was the exhaust replaced twice? Sometimes the exhaust rusts out due to road salt. Is road salt used in your area and if so does the car have body rust..
If the car was repainted, suggest having someone look for body repairs and rust just in case this was the reason. The original factory paint is typically excellent and should only need a detailed cleaning to remove oxidation. Find out who painted the car as a good paint job is expensive. It it was a $399 special the paint may start to peel and chip off..
Have a auto knowledgeable friend or reliable third party auto shop check out the car before buying.
All things being equal a listed dealer price (a used car sold by a dealer) would is around $3200, a private party sale $2000 (seems to be the case here), a trade in on another car purchased at a dealer is $1200, But price depends on local demand.
There is a greater demand for the station wagon which was discontinued around 1996 but this may not effect price much.
The site below provides pretty good pricing. Input the info you have on the car to get the pricing for private sale, trade in and a dealer price (price dealer would sell it at).
https://www.edmunds.com/tmv.html
In conclusion the 1995 Camry is a solid and very reliable car!
The price is high, yes,
Would check into issues of possible body rust from salt. Given the car was repainted check for rust and body damage as the reason for repainting. Repainting has me suspicious but it could be OK.
What type of trans, stick shift or automatic transmission? I assume automatic.
The 1995 Camry is a solid car, reliable car. Its a family and commuter car thus not driving on the freeway should not be a big deal.
Like all cars it needs ongoing maintenance and repairs. Review the maintenance records for the following:
The timing belt should be replaced every 60k miles, has it been replaced? I assume so given the detail of the repairs listed. If the belt breaks the engine will not be damaged but you will be stuck until a new belt is installed which needs to be done at a shop.
The upper tank on the radiator is plastic and tends to crack and leak with age. You state it was replaced along with other coolant system parts which is good.
Find out if the engine was every overheated.
Was the complete transmission fluid ever changed. If not and you buy the car suggest having all of the trans fluid replaced as this will greatly prolong trans life.
Why was the exhaust replaced twice? Sometimes the exhaust rusts out due to road salt. Is road salt used in your area and if so does the car have body rust..
If the car was repainted, suggest having someone look for body repairs and rust just in case this was the reason. The original factory paint is typically excellent and should only need a detailed cleaning to remove oxidation. Find out who painted the car as a good paint job is expensive. It it was a $399 special the paint may start to peel and chip off..
Have a auto knowledgeable friend or reliable third party auto shop check out the car before buying.
All things being equal a listed dealer price (a used car sold by a dealer) would is around $3200, a private party sale $2000 (seems to be the case here), a trade in on another car purchased at a dealer is $1200, But price depends on local demand.
There is a greater demand for the station wagon which was discontinued around 1996 but this may not effect price much.
The site below provides pretty good pricing. Input the info you have on the car to get the pricing for private sale, trade in and a dealer price (price dealer would sell it at).
https://www.edmunds.com/tmv.html
In conclusion the 1995 Camry is a solid and very reliable car!
The price is high, yes,
Would check into issues of possible body rust from salt. Given the car was repainted check for rust and body damage as the reason for repainting. Repainting has me suspicious but it could be OK.
#3
03-04-2020, 02:04 PM
Old Lady Needing Help regarding Buying a 1995 Camry Wagon
To respond to your questions/comments:
a Toyota dealership (always same dealership) did the big jobs below plus regular maintenance stuff:
01/20/2000 - 35,412 miles - replaced water pump
11/20/2003 - 53,738 miles - oil & filter, brake fluid flushed, transmission fluid flushed.
05/15/2006 - no mileage given - replaced front exhaust pipe
my understanding the Toyota did all the warranty work until around 06/05/2008
then the car was taken to a Auto Service for the remaining time until it was sold to a small dealer in 2019
10/10/2012 - 79,798 - exhaust pipe replaced (again)
10/20/2016 - mileage not listed but somewhere between 87,572k (service 03/29/16 oil & filter by auto service) and 90/529k (service 12/13/2006 by Toyota but not listed what they did.)
10/20/2016 service performed by auto service company - pcv valve replaced, oil & filter, oil pan gasket replaced, muffler replaced, radiator replaced, resonator replaced)
10/29/2016 - 91,748K - oil & filter, a/c refrigerant recharged, oil filter, adapter seal replaced, engine mounts replaced, heater control valve replaced (work done by the same auto service co)
last service 12/31/2019 - 97,725k - by Toyota dealership - doesn't say what they did, if anything because they sold the car to another mom and pop dealer.
The mechanic I trust to check the car over is by my home; 7 hours away from where the car is located. So I would have no clue where to take it to have someone reliable to check it over before I purchased it.
Given that several have said, it's had an awful lot of work on what's usually a reliable car scares me ....... The 2nd owner from 05/05/98 until 12/31/2019 lived and drove it approx 3,000 miles in Washington, DC. Therefore, yes, the car was driven in snow/ice salted roads - that is, if he drove in the winter. Given his age, I don't know if he drove it in the winter or just stored it and only drove the car in good weather. Maintenance was done primarily one time each year. He purchased the car when he was 63 years old. He's now 84 so that makes me think given the car was hardly driven for 21 years, he drove it in town; short run trips. That's why I asked if it would be safe to drive it on the freeway because if I purchase it, I'd have to drive it on the freeway a minimum of 5 hours (60/70 mph.) and I'd hate to have it blow up on me. Make would make my ICD (implanted defibrillator) go off. As for having it checked over, I don't know any mechanics where this car is located. My mechanic is 7 hours from the car's current location so basically all I have to go on is 28 pages of the auto center's detailed invoices and 17 service printouts of the Toyota dealership's service records.
It's my understanding parts are still available and repairs are inexpensive because this car is easy to work on. That, if true, is a HUGE plus.
The fact that's it's a wagon - another HUGE plus for me and my dog (Bailey) as getting in and out would be easy on both of us.My age - 70 come this Monday (03/09
old(er) but young at heart and spunk.
I'm leaning (sort of) to take my chances and buy it, hope it doesn't break down on the way home, and ends up being the car I hoped it could be the last one or two years (the doctors) give me to live. Am I crazy???????????
Since I'm mechanically vehicle challenged - I can't trust my judgement - that's why I turned to this forum; to put my trust (as best I can) in car guys trying to help me decide.
Oh - It's an automatic - 4 cylinder (I think) 2.2l - 1 - 4MPI per the dealer's site.
So ..... thanks ....... for trying to help me !!!!!
a Toyota dealership (always same dealership) did the big jobs below plus regular maintenance stuff:
01/20/2000 - 35,412 miles - replaced water pump
11/20/2003 - 53,738 miles - oil & filter, brake fluid flushed, transmission fluid flushed.
05/15/2006 - no mileage given - replaced front exhaust pipe
my understanding the Toyota did all the warranty work until around 06/05/2008
then the car was taken to a Auto Service for the remaining time until it was sold to a small dealer in 2019
10/10/2012 - 79,798 - exhaust pipe replaced (again)
10/20/2016 - mileage not listed but somewhere between 87,572k (service 03/29/16 oil & filter by auto service) and 90/529k (service 12/13/2006 by Toyota but not listed what they did.)
10/20/2016 service performed by auto service company - pcv valve replaced, oil & filter, oil pan gasket replaced, muffler replaced, radiator replaced, resonator replaced)
10/29/2016 - 91,748K - oil & filter, a/c refrigerant recharged, oil filter, adapter seal replaced, engine mounts replaced, heater control valve replaced (work done by the same auto service co)
last service 12/31/2019 - 97,725k - by Toyota dealership - doesn't say what they did, if anything because they sold the car to another mom and pop dealer.
The mechanic I trust to check the car over is by my home; 7 hours away from where the car is located. So I would have no clue where to take it to have someone reliable to check it over before I purchased it.
Given that several have said, it's had an awful lot of work on what's usually a reliable car scares me ....... The 2nd owner from 05/05/98 until 12/31/2019 lived and drove it approx 3,000 miles in Washington, DC. Therefore, yes, the car was driven in snow/ice salted roads - that is, if he drove in the winter. Given his age, I don't know if he drove it in the winter or just stored it and only drove the car in good weather. Maintenance was done primarily one time each year. He purchased the car when he was 63 years old. He's now 84 so that makes me think given the car was hardly driven for 21 years, he drove it in town; short run trips. That's why I asked if it would be safe to drive it on the freeway because if I purchase it, I'd have to drive it on the freeway a minimum of 5 hours (60/70 mph.) and I'd hate to have it blow up on me. Make would make my ICD (implanted defibrillator) go off. As for having it checked over, I don't know any mechanics where this car is located. My mechanic is 7 hours from the car's current location so basically all I have to go on is 28 pages of the auto center's detailed invoices and 17 service printouts of the Toyota dealership's service records.
It's my understanding parts are still available and repairs are inexpensive because this car is easy to work on. That, if true, is a HUGE plus.
The fact that's it's a wagon - another HUGE plus for me and my dog (Bailey) as getting in and out would be easy on both of us.My age - 70 come this Monday (03/09
old(er) but young at heart and spunk.I'm leaning (sort of) to take my chances and buy it, hope it doesn't break down on the way home, and ends up being the car I hoped it could be the last one or two years (the doctors) give me to live. Am I crazy???????????
Since I'm mechanically vehicle challenged - I can't trust my judgement - that's why I turned to this forum; to put my trust (as best I can) in car guys trying to help me decide.
Oh - It's an automatic - 4 cylinder (I think) 2.2l - 1 - 4MPI per the dealer's site.
So ..... thanks ....... for trying to help me !!!!!
#4
03-05-2020, 05:32 PM
Is the car being sold local to you or many hours away.
A few comments to your comments.
01/20/2000 - 35,412 miles - replaced water pump. A little too soon but who knows. Most people replace the pump every other timing belt change which ideally is every 60K miles.
11/20/2003 - 53,738 miles - oil & filter, brake fluid flushed, transmission fluid flushed. This was a good idea to prolong the life of brake and transmission.
Note the engine oil and filter should be changed say every 5K miles or once a year if low miles.
05/15/2006 - no mileage given - replaced front exhaust pipe
my understanding the Toyota did all the warranty work until around 06/05/2008
then the car was taken to a Auto Service for the remaining time until it was sold to a small dealer in 2019. The car must have been out of warranty but don't know if an exhaust system extended warranty or recall existed.
10/20/2016 service performed by auto service company - pcv valve replaced, oil & filter, oil pan gasket replaced, muffler replaced, radiator replaced, resonator replaced). Replacing a radiator is common on this car because it's plastic on top and bottom. Note most car radiators are now plastic and can also fail.
10/29/2016 - 91,748K - oil & filter, a/c refrigerant recharged, oil filter, adapter seal replaced, engine mounts replaced, heater control valve replaced (work done by the same auto service co) These are common repairs.
Toyota dealer service is typically excellent service.
A concern is the exhaust repairs which might be related to rust caused by road salt.
There is something called a "flex" pipe that connects the exhaust mounted on the engine to the exhaust mounted on the chassis which can fail. This is a common issue and simple and low cost fix for a muffler shop.
The car would be safe to drive on the freeway.
The engine only blows up if over revved (hot rodded). It can fail if run out of oil or run out of coolant. It's a solid engine if not grossly abused or run out of oil or coolant.
Low cost aftermarket parts are readily available at good prices. The engine is easy to work on.
The state of TN may have mandatory car inspections to get car tabs thus if so the car must have passed these inspections to drive on public roads.
The dealer wants top dollar. If I could see the car could tell in 15 minutes if it was OK but I am not local.
Post at a website called Toyotanation.com. It's like this site but much larger. If you ask someone there they may know a shop in the area of the car that could inspect the car plus you will get another opinion.
If you belong to AAA car club they might be able to refer you to a local mechanic or just ask the dealer for a reference. They do want to sell the car after all.
A few comments to your comments.
01/20/2000 - 35,412 miles - replaced water pump. A little too soon but who knows. Most people replace the pump every other timing belt change which ideally is every 60K miles.
11/20/2003 - 53,738 miles - oil & filter, brake fluid flushed, transmission fluid flushed. This was a good idea to prolong the life of brake and transmission.
Note the engine oil and filter should be changed say every 5K miles or once a year if low miles.
05/15/2006 - no mileage given - replaced front exhaust pipe
my understanding the Toyota did all the warranty work until around 06/05/2008
then the car was taken to a Auto Service for the remaining time until it was sold to a small dealer in 2019. The car must have been out of warranty but don't know if an exhaust system extended warranty or recall existed.
10/20/2016 service performed by auto service company - pcv valve replaced, oil & filter, oil pan gasket replaced, muffler replaced, radiator replaced, resonator replaced). Replacing a radiator is common on this car because it's plastic on top and bottom. Note most car radiators are now plastic and can also fail.
10/29/2016 - 91,748K - oil & filter, a/c refrigerant recharged, oil filter, adapter seal replaced, engine mounts replaced, heater control valve replaced (work done by the same auto service co) These are common repairs.
Toyota dealer service is typically excellent service.
A concern is the exhaust repairs which might be related to rust caused by road salt.
There is something called a "flex" pipe that connects the exhaust mounted on the engine to the exhaust mounted on the chassis which can fail. This is a common issue and simple and low cost fix for a muffler shop.
The car would be safe to drive on the freeway.
The engine only blows up if over revved (hot rodded). It can fail if run out of oil or run out of coolant. It's a solid engine if not grossly abused or run out of oil or coolant.
Low cost aftermarket parts are readily available at good prices. The engine is easy to work on.
The state of TN may have mandatory car inspections to get car tabs thus if so the car must have passed these inspections to drive on public roads.
The dealer wants top dollar. If I could see the car could tell in 15 minutes if it was OK but I am not local.
Post at a website called Toyotanation.com. It's like this site but much larger. If you ask someone there they may know a shop in the area of the car that could inspect the car plus you will get another opinion.
If you belong to AAA car club they might be able to refer you to a local mechanic or just ask the dealer for a reference. They do want to sell the car after all.
#5
03-06-2020, 09:51 AM
Thank you so much Joey P (and all the others) for your invaluable advice. I knew I could count on you to help me by pointing out things I should be looking for. Being able to buy a car again (after having to sell mine to help pay off medical bills) would mean everything to me in terms of freedom to come and go when I'm feeling great rather than trying to shove all my errands (dr visits, grocery store) into an Enterprise once a month rental. At this point, I think my biggest issue (provided the car has not been sold) will be getting the mom and pop dealer to lower their price. They ABSOLUTELY believed their price was fair and not willing to budge (period) the last time I spoke with them and they have NO clue regarding the service records on this car. They are basing their price on the fact that it has low miles and it's shiny new looking inside and out. Therefore, I guess I just have to hope for the best and try to remember: if it's supposed to happen for me - it will happen.
From the bottom of my heart - THANKS - for all your information.
From the bottom of my heart - THANKS - for all your information.
#6
03-06-2020, 09:53 AM
PS - Why aren't I looking instead at some of the good lease sales currently being offered - simply because I love older cars.
#7
03-06-2020, 01:06 PM
I just found out this 1995 Camry had it's axle assembly replaced 01/23/2019 by the same shop that did most of the major repairs. Makes me wonder if the transmission is next big thing ready to go????? If that's the case, I DEFINITELY have to pass on this car. Thanks .....
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