Advice needed: 2003 Corolla low mles, good buy?

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I'd jump on it if the vehicle will meet your needs. My 2005 Corolla just passed 219k and very little other than oil, filters have been done. Still on the original belt, CV boots, brakes, one set of plugs and such.

I'd suggest NOT putting on your plates. That is a MUCH WORST offense than expired plates (IF you get pulled over just tell the police that you are test driving it to purchase) or no plates.

Wish I could find a deal like this. I'd buy it once it checked out in a sec.

Bill
 
I agree, don't put on false plates. It's better to just use the expired plates, it's not like your going to be driving it for a long period of time. 10-15 minutes maximum, just to test drive.
 
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
I'd jump on it if the vehicle will meet your needs. My 2005 Corolla just passed 219k and very little other than oil, filters have been done. Still on the original belt, CV boots, brakes, one set of plugs and such.


Original belt as in, timing belt?
 
I think these engines have the chain.

I have to add that the driving position is a little strange for some folks. Feels like the driver is canted to one side to me. Didn't keep Toyota from selling millions of them.

But for that money, buy it and sell it if you don't like it.
 
I ran into a similar situation like yours. Me and my wife had the opportunity to buy our '03 Corolla over 2 years ago for $6K. It only had 25K on it at the time. Best purchase ever IMO. Car is solid and is sitting around 87,800 miles now.

We did test drive though. I would try to drive it, if not, then at least check under the oil cap and other general things.

Bill's suggestion is good, hopefully a cop would understand you test driving the car. Bring your insurance card with you just in case.

Sounds like an awesome buy though! Corolla's are good cars, we average around 33-36mpg w/ ours.
 
So would you guys Carfax it? It definitely hasn't been repainted. Entire car is painted in "weathered" white. No overspray anywhere. I'll take it for a spin tomorrow if the roads are dry. Easier to hear unusual noises that way. Also, I seem to be the only one showing any interest in buying the car. I sort of initiated the purchase process after I saw it sitting for 12 months w/o being moved. Then checked the license sticker and it was over 18 months outdated. I prefer small cars. Right now I'm driving an older Cavalier. Unimpressed with build quality and reliability.
If I buy it (most likely) I'll follow the above advice and change all the fluids. Might have to buy at least two tires, back two are still the originals. Another question: what's good for cleaning interior cloth? Looks like she spilled pop or coffee and interior has some stains.
Thx (again) for the great advice and quick responses. Bitog is a great site with great people.
 
Panther:
Cap itself looked good-no milky gunk. Can't see valve train, baffle in the way. Pulled dipstick and oil looked good. Full and light brown. Will pull tranny dipstick and sniff tomorrow. I hope I can talk her into letting me take it for a spin. Will tell her she's welcome to come along, but I doubt if that's possible. Too many medical problems.
 
P.S. Panther:
Did you ever post on Crown Vic site? I "volunteer" to keep two older panthers running. A Vic and a Gr Marq. Another great site with guys willing to help.
Joe
 
I wouldn't Carfax it, just use your best judgement when viewing the car. Check the wheel-wells for paint overspray (indication of body/paint work), run your fingers down the grooves between the hood and fender panel / also trunk and rear fender area to feel the "uniformity" of the crack--if there feels like a large difference in height then that might indicate a previous accident. Pull up the carpet covering the spare tire area to visually inspect the area where the spare rests. If there is sediment and dirt then the car might have been in a flood. Also check the electrical equipment e.g. lights, radio, windows, etc. Normally on a car that has sat for extended periods the electronics are the first to show it.

A good website for all us Corolla drivers is http://www.corolland.com/. They have quite a bit of information on the Corollas of all years.

As far as interior cleaners go, I have used Blue Coral upholstery cleaner and also some stuff made by scotch guard. Both seem to do a good job at cleaning the seats and carpets. I try to wax my Corolla about 6-7 times per year (the brutal Texas sun) with Meguiar's liquid NXT generation tech wax 2.0 in the purple packaging. It puts an amazing shine on the car.

Please post some pics of the car if you do decide to purchase it, we would love to see it
20.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Joe72Mart
P.S. Panther:
Did you ever post on Crown Vic site? I "volunteer" to keep two older panthers running. A Vic and a Gr Marq. Another great site with guys willing to help.
Joe


Are you referring to crownvic.net? If so, then yes, I used to frequent that site when I owned Crown Vics. Very helpful site indeed.

Off topic, but the Crown Vic(panther platform), is how I created my username
smile.gif
. Still have a soft spot for those cars.
 
I often think that when we get this type of entry, the real objective is to brag :) For crying out loud, everybody has told you what a screaming bargain you are getting. I felt the same way when somebody wanted to ask if a $1000 for a well maintained truck is a good price.
 
Originally Posted By: Joe72Mart
So would you guys Carfax it? It definitely hasn't been repainted. Entire car is painted in "weathered" white. No overspray anywhere. I'll take it for a spin tomorrow if the roads are dry. Easier to hear unusual noises that way. Also, I seem to be the only one showing any interest in buying the car. I sort of initiated the purchase process after I saw it sitting for 12 months w/o being moved. Then checked the license sticker and it was over 18 months outdated. I prefer small cars. Right now I'm driving an older Cavalier. Unimpressed with build quality and reliability.
If I buy it (most likely) I'll follow the above advice and change all the fluids. Might have to buy at least two tires, back two are still the originals. Another question: what's good for cleaning interior cloth? Looks like she spilled pop or coffee and interior has some stains.
Thx (again) for the great advice and quick responses. Bitog is a great site with great people.


No I wouldn't get a carfax just ask the old lady. You might also want to bring some ramps to check the undercarriage for dents like oil pan, cat, exhaust etc.. You might also get the interior steam cleaned, most car wash places will do it for a minimal cost compared to carpet cleaner and elbow grease for several hours.
 
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Its a decent buy but not a bargain(check edmunds.com) for private sale.

The good thing though is these are desirable on the used car market and with 36k easy to unload for what you paid if it turns out not so hot.
 
SOME Corolla's of that era burn oil a lot. It was right around the time they fixed the oil-burn problem of 1998-2002.

They are great cars, but if you get it, keep a close eye on the oil level for a while until you know how much it uses.

Like others have said, if you don'tlike this car, it will be easy to unload.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I often think that when we get this type of entry, the real objective is to brag :) For crying out loud, everybody has told you what a screaming bargain you are getting. I felt the same way when somebody wanted to ask if a $1000 for a well maintained truck is a good price.



Not bragging Vikas. Always owned new or used domestics. All used cars were in service when I purchased them. This car has sat unused for 18 months, just needed some info on what to expect or look for. Also hoped some Corolla owners would respond with some sound advice and they did.
 
Update on Corolla: Gave it a long test drive, everything seems OK. Need more advice tho. The car wasn't driven in 18 months. Older lady, assisted living in country setting. Kept snacks in the car-crackers, cookies, chips etc. Trunk was packed with stuff-she sort of used it as storage. As I cleaned out all of her stuff (tons of it), I noticed lots of evidence of field mice nests. So once again I need advice: How do I get rid of them? Don't want to kill them in the car-smell. How do I chase them out? I don't want to start a new thread, so please respond with your best advice. I really appreciate your guys wisdom and patience with my questions.
thx Joe
 
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