Need HELP ASAP! Should I buy?! $4,000 2007 Yaris 119k

[xhifer]

I need help on deciding if it's WORTH it to buy a 2007 Yaris 5 Speed with no power window/power doors. It has 119k Miles and needs tires and clutch has never been changed. The owner is asking $4,000 USD. He bought the car with 80k miles in late 2009, so I assume most miles were highway miles. The car needs some TLC with fluid changes like, brake, master cylinder, etc. There is some gunk under the oil cap but no milky substances. It runs good, but I feel a little "judder" or under power when shifting to 2nd and putting the power down. Is it normal with these low power cars?

I feel like $4,000 is a decent deal, but I don't know much about yaris' as I just came upon this deal.

Any advice would be great!

[kimona]

It would probably be worth the small investment to get the car checked at the local Toyota Dealer and then make a decision.

[xhifer]

Well I am pretty mechanically inclined. My only concern is how reliable the car is and if the resale value would stay the same after 30k more miles. Might be hoping too much. I'm cheap :)

[contraband831]

I have 200K+ on my 07 lb and $4,000 is a steal in my book this little car is reliable like a mofo!! haha I have only changed the plugs, oil, oil filter, 4 sets of rims/tires, serpentine/accessory belt and added gas here and there lol! and this bad boy is still kickin butt! (fyi: I commute 100miles round trip 5x per week)

[xhifer]

I will probably buy it! More convincing and good feedbacks?!? Haha

[Yaristeve]

Originally Posted by xhifer

There is some gunk under the oil cap but no milky substances.

"Gunk under the oil cap"? Does it look like caked up oil?

I dated a girl for a while who had a car that she could not remember when she last took in or an oil change. I offered to change the oil for her and found "gunk under the oil cap".

I would stay away from that car or at the very least ask the owner to take the valve cover off to see how much crud is inside there...

[bronsin]

Five years ago I bought a 2000 ECHO for my son with 117k on it for $3000. It has ~ 185k on it now. The past two summers he and his GF have driven to Seattle and back (from NJ). All we have done is change the oil and filters, had the alternator belt tightened professionally, and put tires on it. It has the MAF sensor from my 09 Yaris.

So instead of spending ~$15k for my Yaris I could have spent less and prolly gotten as good service.

Yeah buy it. Youll save $12k over new, get good use of it. $1k for a clutch etc and youre good to go.

[xhifer]

I bought it for $3,900. I guess I'll be on this forum more asking many questions! haha

[mr_miles]

Pics! Glad to have another member :)

[xhifer]

Previous owner obviously didn't care about details. He just changes Oil/Filter and drove.





Now that it's in good hands, I changed the spark plugs, air filter, and transmission fluid. I also cleaned the MAF and of course cleaned the bay and the whole car. Currently, I am looking for used wheels with good tires.

[mryaris]

Looks nice.....you got a good deal.

[contraband831]

great buy, enjoy that bad boy!!!

[Altitude]

Thanks for the clean shot of the engine bay. That much dirt is just criminal.

[why?]

everything on this car is so cheap. You can get an engine block for $500 or less. If you are mechanically inclined it is reliable and dirt cheap to work on.

[malibuguy]

Damn...i would have bought it and made it my new race car for that price

[xhifer]

I'm either going to drive the piss out of it or sell it back out as a flip? I already have a 98 civic HX for everything the yaris can do +better mileage.

[bronsin]

Civic is ten years older. Not a good thing a few years down the line.

Whats the displacement on that engine anyways?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I think the Civic is a 1.5 or 1.6 (D15 or D16).



OP, you should come out to our next NCVC meet. Keep an eye out in the California section for our next thread.