Potential Solara Purchase - Opinions needed!

[milesperhour79]

Hello all,

I'm a newbie who may be purchasing a 2001 Solara SLE convertible with 115,000 miles. I need all of your expertise on a good price for this car, how mechanically sound they are (I already know Toyotas, especially Camrys, are very dependable, but I'm looking for pet peeves, maintenance items, etc. with this car in particular) and should I be worried about the high mileage on a six-year old car? Any other words of advice, cautions, things I should look for is greatly appreciated.

I've been looking for a convertible for a while and just found out (within the last month) that these cars existed. (yeah, I know - where have I been?!?) With that said, I'll either purchase the one stated above (depending upon the feedback I receive) or look for another. I've never owned a Toyota, but have a few friends that do. I'm a big fan and would love to start.

Please educate me!! (Oh and if you need any other tidbits of information on this car that is pertinent to any decision-making, please ask!!)

Thanks a bunch!!!

Mike

[Turbosolara]

i saw many camry v6 have over 200k miles and still run great. Toyota is very durable, however, it is always like gambling when you are buying a used car.

one thing i would concern about the car is that if the previous owner done maintenance like replacement timing belt, water pump, spark plugs?

[milesperhour79]

Yeah I know - I don't prefer buying used so that's why I was asking....

I know it was a one-owner car and he traded it in at a Toyota dealership on a new one. The toyota dealership isn't selling it, but rather a wholesale used car business is.

Therefore, I'm unsure of the maintenance records as there aren't any - only the manuals, etc. that came with the car new. I know a friends Audi requires a timing chain replacement at 75k - would this Solara require the same "big-ticket" changes as well?? I'm not sure how to tell if it's had anything like that done, but it seems to be in decent shape. Convertible boot top doesn't work too well, power mirrors are broken, but everything else is sound.....

[MCOjerry]

With all that not working properly, I wouldn't pay more than $6500. If it were in good shape with no issues, I'd say no more than $8500.

Just one thing to think about...if things are going wrong with the car, it probably wasn't well taken care of, and other items might start to break.

If the top is not working well, the motor might need replacement $$$

I think others have said that timing belt change on the Gen 1/1.5 s 90K miles.

Dunno, I think I might pass on this one, unless you like to tinker and fix things yourself and want a project.

[milesperhour79]

It's funny you say that, because they actually want $8500 and that's their bottom line. The only items I know are broken are the power mirrors. I'm sure that could be an expensive fix, but they were actually positioned perfectly for myself when I took the car for a test drive.

The top works flawlessly - I took it up and down three times and there was no hesitation and it went smoothly. The boot cover is the thing that doesn't fit right and is broken in one spot.

Not sure if that timing belt had been changed when it was supposed to. The actually mileage is just over 112000. (115000 was a higher estimate, but shouldn't make much of a difference in what to pay)

I surely don't want a project when I purchase a car, at least within the first year. It did have a dead battery when I showed up to look at it. After getting a bit of a charge, the car started right up and sounded great. I was able to accelerate and stop without any unusual noises. The car is very quiet......

Talk about being between a rock and a hard place!!!???

[MCOjerry]

I thought you were trying to say the top didn't work well. The tonneau cover (boot) is pretty much useless anyway. I have never once used mine, and from what I hear from others on here, it's a pain to put on/take off. I'm pretty much in fear of a sudden downpour and inability to put the top up quickly. I have had my car for two years (as of April) and there is not too much of a drawback to not using the cover. Small strip of the inside of the top is dirty, but I'm sure I could clean that with no problem.

How else does the car look? Any defects in paint, body? Is the interrior clean and free of smells? Did you try out all the electronics (radio, cruise, etc...)? Check out if it will need new tires soon, if so, let them know and that you want a price reduction.

I'd take it to an independent mechanic to see if they can tell if there is any sign of the car not getting regular service, since that would most likely be your biggest problem (orig owner not taking care of it).

Oh, and make sure that the top has no hidden leaks. Sounds stupid, but tell them you want to take it through a car wash (one of the $5 gas station ones). If there are any, you'll find the then. Check the top for any signs of major stress wear. If the top get holes or anything, you are either going to have to do a really ugly tape up job, or pay A LOT for a new top.

There are so many guys on here with Gen 1/1.5 Solaras that have high mileage with no issues, but they have all taken good care of them. So, you know that the car is fairly solid.

Gangis just bought a used Gen1.5 convertible, and has had some issues...perhaps he will comment. I think his issues may have come from an awner that didn't take care of the car as well as a lot here do.

I think you can talk them down a little more that the $8.5K...just find little things that need attention and let them know you see them. You are willing to buy the car, but knowing these things have to be addressed really affects what you are willing to pay for the car...just might work.

[MCOjerry]

Oh, I forgot, are you buying it from a Toyota dealeship? If so, tell them you know about the oil sludge problem (caused by not getting regular oil changes). Do a search, you'll find a couple of thread here about it. Tell them that you are trusting that the are selling you a car with no sludge issues, and that you want them to guarantee that they will do warranty repairs to correct the problem if it exists (get it in writing).

The other Gen 1/1.5 guys can tell you more about this...I'm not sure if there was a time/mileage limitation on the repairs for this problem.

I'm surprised they aren't speaking up.

[woa_its_j3ff]

yeah.. what Jerry said. tell them about the oil sludge thing. They HAVE to go below that 8500 mark..

when my sister went shopping for the 07 civic ex my parents wanted to pay only 22k for it at most, the dealership was asking for 24k, no one could come to a deal so my parents walked out the door without a car.
A few WEEKS later my sister got the car, same model n everything but at diff dealership for 21k.
old dealership called back and said "oh we are willing to negotiate now at the 22k price"

I told them it was too late..

you never know, maybe you can do that "walk out" thing lol... and see if they will call you back and work it out..>

walk it out.. walk it out..

east side walk it, west side walk it.. north side walk it.

lmao, have that song stuck in my head.

[milesperhour79]

Okay.....I did check out the electronics, everything does work. There is one nick on the passenger side mirror (maybe 1/8th inch deep) and about six very minor nicks on the rest of the car. The tires look pretty decent as well.

The car was as a Toyota dealership, but now it's at a wholesaler's used car lot. I'm sure the seller isn't aware of the sludge build-up problem with the cars. But, since there are no service records with the car, it could be another bargaining tool.

The car wash idea is great!!! I wish I would've thought of that when I took it for the first test drive. Either way, I'm going to make mention of it.

With those thoughts in mind (and hopefully some more from others), I'm going to write something up to send/talk with the seller about. Your help is appreciated and valuable!! This education is great..

I'm drawn to these cars now, so if I don't get this one, I'll definitely keep looking!

[milesperhour79]

Yeah, I think I made up my mind regarding the $8500 pricetag - that's a no-go. I'll give it a few days and return back with all the knowledge I'm getting from you guys and see what happens.

[MCOjerry]

Good luck. You could always get a a shiny new Gen2.5

Let us know what happens.

[Jakecallun20]

I don't mean to be off topic here, but what oil sludge problem?

[MCOjerry]

I don't know all of the particulars. Do a quick search, you'll find it.

Let me know if you can't find it and I'll try to help.

[ozone]

Just thought I'd chime in here.

Since the place you are buying it at is not a dealership, I think it is unlikely they will warrant any sludge problems. I recommend you bring it to a mechanic or someone equivalent to remove the valve covers and actively look for the sludge. If it doesn't have the problem by now, you are probably ok. Just use a synthetic oil for oil changes. It's no guarantee, but it can't hurt and many here swear by it.

The timing belt issue is important. Not sure why a timing chain would need to be replaced after a mere 75K, but our belts are supposed to be changed every 90K. Many Toyota models have what is called a non-interference fit, meaning that if the timing belt breaks the piston will not hit the valves. I don't know if the Solara has such a design or not. If it doesn't, then, like most cars, if the timing belt goes, then you might as well replace the engine. With 112K, it is possible the belt was not done and you are running on borrowed time. This is not a "Solara" issue. All cars have timing belts or chains that need to be replaced periodically.

Another problem known to exist on the Solaras is the check engine light will come on with a PO44x code, which indicates that the charcoal canister or a VSV in the EVAP system needs to be replaced. The fix isn't too bad, though.

Timing belt at my local dealership is about $250.00
The charcoal canister when I did it was about $250.00 as well.

Personally, I wouldn't let these issues stop me. It is the nature of a used car or any car frankly to need maintenance. My wife's Solara has 180K miles on it and gets 29 mpg on the highway and about 24 mpg around town. YMMV. It is an awesome car and I'm just about to supercharge it.

You can see it at www.ozone1000.com.

Good luck and welcome to the Solara community.

[Meow]

If I may throw in a little bit from experience, if you're purchasing the vehicle from a Used Car Dealer, the best advice I can give is: DON'T!
No matter what the price, appearance, mileage, how it feels on the test drive, I will NEVER buy from a Used Car Dealer. Doesn't matter how much of a steal it seems like, just walk away. Only buy a used car from a New Car Dealer, or private. I can't stress this enough, these people are the scum of the Earth. Even if you catch something, and ask for them to fix it, or agree to warranty certain items, EVERYTHING else on the car will be defective. Do yourself a huge favour, and when browsing the trader, only check the "private ads", no dealer.