2001 Toyota Camry - Anyone familiar with these?

[Baatfam]

Our daughter, late 30s, needs a car. A low cost car.
My neighbor has a 2001 Camry he wants to part with.

It has 207,000 miles, no serious damage, interior is in good shape, tires fair.
He jumped started it last week and drove it around the block a couple times, but it does need a battery.
Last registered in 2023. It sits out side so it's not pretty, and need a good bath.

He is asking $300, which seems fair to me.
I'd probably take it to our local car guy for a once over, and fluid changes.

Any thoughts on these cars? Is 200K miles too much for a Camry. I hear the last a long time.
Anything important to check before I buy?

 

[Nessism]

Any $300 car that starts and runs well enough to get down the road is a good value.

Hard to say how long it will last, but Toyota's like this are very reliable. I'd go for it.

 

[Baatfam]

Thanks, Ed
I was digging around on the web, and this really does seem like decent deal.

 

[stossboss_gaming_and_news]

Not the same but similar - I had a 5th gen accord, great car but they need transmission rebuild around 160k miles if auto (ask if it has been done already and by who) and engine work in the 200k range, or the engine uses as much oil as it does gas lol.

Aside from that, if you need inspection in TN, you just have to assume it will be a 1-2k to get it road legal if you don't do the work yourself

 

[Baatfam]

Inspection? In TN? Now, that's funny...

No, no inspections.

 

[rphillips]

Just for kicks, call a local scrap yard. I'd think it should weigh out close to $300.

 

[rphillips]

Glorious day, we got rid of the inspection thing in 2022, what a relief.

 

[Baatfam]

Glorious day, we got rid of the inspection thing in 2022, what a relief.

Hey Mr. Phillips, we moved here in 2017 and never had to have an inspection.
Is it a county thing?

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Our daughter, late 30s, needs a car. A low cost car.
My neighbor has a 2001 Camry he wants to part with.

It has 207,000 miles, no serious damage, interior is in good shape, tires fair.
He jumped started it last week and drove it around the block a couple times, but it does need a battery.
Last registered in 2023. It sits out side so it's not pretty, and need a good bath.

He is asking $300, which seems fair to me.
I'd probably take it to our local car guy for a once over, and fluid changes.

Any thoughts on these cars? Is 200K miles too much for a Camry. I hear the last a long time.
Anything important to check before I buy?

If it is the 2.2 liter 4 cylinder, especially then, it is potentially a great deal.

 

[Baatfam]

If it is the 2.2 liter 4 cylinder, especially then, it is potentially a great deal.

Good to know, thanks.
I'll go over and check tomorrow.

 

[rphillips]

Well Bob, I'd forgot about that. Wasn't really on my mind as I was in one, Wilson, that always did. Just looked it up and there were only 5 that did, Knox was not one of the 5... What'd yall do, pay off the county mayor to keep it out???, you lucky stiffs..

 

[LAB3]

Just for kicks, call a local scrap yard. I'd think it should weigh out close to $300.

Steel is at 5? a pound, dirty aluminum about 40? Not sure what you'd get for the catalytic converter and battery but other than the aluminum wheels scap is best stockpiled if you have the room.

 

[Cipher]

Any car that runs and has no obvious faults and passes safety is worth about 2 k hereabouts.
if it lasts two years its a steal whatvwith average monthly payments north of 600 here on used late model low mileage cars.

find a large Toyota forum and feed them the details.

 

[Baatfam]

Any car that runs and has no obvious faults and passes safety is worth about 2 k hereabouts.
if it lasts two years its a steal whatvwith average monthly payments north of 600 here on used late model low mileage cars.

find a large Toyota forum and feed them the details.

Pretty much same here looking at the Camrys for sale online.
Our neighbor just wants it gone. He's a good guy, known him for several years. So I trust him.

The man just took delivery of his new Lotus Emira last fall, and parked it in his garage next to his Alpha C4. So? Not likely untrustworthy.

 

[marvinsc]

If it is just the battery and not a charging issue it is a slam dunk. Great cars but parts and repairs can be pricey, at that price you can't lose.

 

[Baatfam]

Well it runs. Put a new battery in, and it fired right up.
It is the 2.2 L, 4 cylinder.

Moved it over to our drive to check it over tomorrow.
Neighbor will home next week to complete the paper work.

 

[LAB3]

The man just took delivery of his new Lotus Emira last fall, and parked it in his garage next to his Alpha C4. So? Not likely untrustworthy.

Is that what I heard and felt yesterday morning about 9am? The sound of his wife slamming the door shut on him?

Currently camped near Robbinsville, an unexpected experience for sure!

 

[Baatfam]

Is that what I heard and felt yesterday morning about 9am? The sound of his wife slamming the door shut on him?

Currently camped near Robbinsville, an unexpected experience for sure!

He's not married, but funny.
Yup just after 9am the wife and were home, not sure what we were doing, but we never felt it.
A little later we started getting texts from family asking if everything was OK.
Everyone we know around here felt it. But for us, nothing.
Kinda weird. We did feel the last one in 2020.

 

[Grimly]

Any thoughts on these cars? Is 200K miles too much for a Camry. I hear the last a long time.
Anything important to check before I buy?

Carinas (the forerunner of the Camry) and Camrys have been the choice of taxi drivers around here for decades. Half-million milers are not uncommon.

 

[Nessism]

A little digging suggests that car uses an 5S-FE engine. About 135hp. Under stressed. I'm not positive, but google suggests there may be a timing belt in play, and if so, it will pay to inspect and/or replace that thing.