Would you buy this Sienna?

[denverwife]

I'm looking at a '99 Sienna CE with about 99,000 miles on it. Carfax looks good. It's really clean, feels good to drive, etc.

The dealer was asking $5450. I asked if the timing belt and waterpump had been replaced and he said no, but he'd either do that or knock the price down to $5050.

So, my first question is, should I have him do it or take it to a mechanic I have a long relationship with who says it will cost $800-900 to fix.

I had my shop inspect the Sienna (at a price tag of $120) and this is what they told me.:

1) the right rear break bulb is out (? so glad I didn't get pulled over on my way to the mechanic!)
2) the key fob doesn't work - I knew that, but the guy said he just replaced the battery, so he's going to try to figure out what more he needs to do.
3)The battery is low
4)the left front inner tire rod end is loose ($210 fix + $60 for alignment)
5) no codes present, history code - poiss 02 sensor heater circuit fault B2S1 (I don't know what that means though he tried to explain it)

The mechanic said his biggest concern is that there is oil "everywhere underneath the engine." He said he can't tell if there are any current leaks or if it's old oil.

The dealer won't come down anymore on the price. (It's a two guy shop, and they haven't been in business but a couple of weeks according to BBB, but they are registered and have an A- rating with BBB). He says he knows there's nothing wrong with the car. He agreed to powerwash the engine and drive it around to see if he can identify a leak. He said if there were a current leak, the mechanic would be able to see it, that it has to be old oil. He has been really pleasant and amenable to me taking the car for half a day to see the mechanic. I don't get a bad vibe from this guy. I believe he thinks he is offering me a good car at a fair price.

So what do you think? Do I take a risk on the (possible) oil leak being a (possibly) costly repair in addition to the $900 timing belt change?

What do I need to consider here?

We left it that he's going to power wash the engine and drive it some more to see if there's a leak and we'll get back in touch on Wednesday.

Found this car, and updated in later post:

Okay, there's another van I haven't looked at. Also a 1999. Private owner. Asking $3700 obo. Has 167,000 on it, timing belt has been replaced. New brakes and shocks.

This seems like a better deal to me even with the higher miles. Thoughts?

[saajlexus]

To be honest, if it was me. I would not buy this. I rather have a car that fully works without a problem ( i mean there is bound to be a problem but as long as its really minor i dont mind). Right now it looks like its going to cost you alot to maintain this before you even get to drive it in a fully working maintenance and working condition. I always say, if it cost a bit more but its better overall, it may be worth it.

[denverwife]

My father-in-law and my husband seem to think that when you're buying a car in this price range ($5000 - $6000), you can expect to put $1000 into to get it into tip top shape. My father thinks only morons buy cars this old. =p

Is it possible to get a $5000 car that doesn't need some work done?

[saajlexus]

Probably about 6k would be your best bet. But if you keep looking and bargain, you can def. get it for 5k.

Im from the boston area, so i checked my local listings, and this is what i got:

http://boston.craigslist.org/search/...nna&catAbb=sss

The ones in good shape are about 6k.

Also, if they have not done the maintenance to it (timing belt, water pump, etc). It may be your best bet to get someone else do it because people will always say what you want to hear. And i doubt you will be able to tell exactly how old the timing belt is (unless its really worn)

If its going to cost you 5k for the car and another 1k for maintenance, maybe it sounds like a deal comparing it to a 6k car. But you might want to double check EVERYTHING to make sure that its not just 1k more, it can be more issues. (when 1 problem occurs, many follow if its not fixed)

good luck!

[kmahren]

$900 sounds a bit high for a timing belt and water pump... the dealer in my area did it for around $700. I would take up the offer to have the engine steam cleaned and then look for new leaks.... there can be numerous reasons for oil under an engine. Once I changed my filter and in the process punched a hole in the canister and didn't know it until I started the engine... boy did I find out about it then... oil everywhere. I would also factor in the soon in the future replacment of one or two O2 sensors... they often go around 100k miles. If the transmission shifts smoothly, then I wouldn't worry to much about it's longevity...

[therealbugman]

No we would not buy it.

[denverwife]

Okay, there's another van I haven't looked at. Also a 1999. Private owner. Asking $3700 obo. Has 167,000 on it, timing belt has been replaced. New brakes and shocks.

This seems like a better deal to me even with the higher miles. Thoughts?

[saajlexus]

is it an LE, CE or XLE? if its LE or XLE, thats a bargain (if its in really good condition)

If its CE, i would bargain for a few hundred dollars off...

http://www.kbb.com/toyota/sienna/199...mileage=167000

you can show this to the seller

Because even the "EXCELLENT" condition is 3500.

This is without adding extra options, so you can double check. Sounds like a deal, but you should test drive it and see the feel of the car.

Is the steering ok?
Acceleration (no rough engineing) ok?
Brakes are good? (make sure you test this by slamming on the brake rather then gently stopping.. even though they are new, make sure they aint cheap)


Overall if its good and you like it, go for it. It would be good if you gave any more information you have. Timing belt is important, but so are other things, dont forget the water pump!

good luck