I do not know how to look up the previous owner, when you only have a VIN. When I bought my 2016 CR-V my brother took a photo of the title that was going to be sent into the state, with his cell-phone, and that document had the previous owners name on it. But until purchasing the vehicle I do not know how to access that info.
Looking for a $9,000 - $10,000 Vehicle AWD for a nephew going to College in Cleveland, and suggestions?
- Thread starter JimPghPA
- Start date
This steel is untreated and can rust just from the humidity from you tracking salty slushy water in on your boots. Still good to look at, but not always a flood indicator.
JHZR2
Staff member
Is a car allowed for freshmen? Some colleges don’t.
Is a car really a benefit to someone who should be focusing on studies while going to school away from home?
Might be better to sit on the money, spend a year in the dorms working on school and gettting good grades, then applying the money to a newer vehicle when the time comes that he needs to do an internship or whatnot.
Is a car really a benefit to someone who should be focusing on studies while going to school away from home?
Might be better to sit on the money, spend a year in the dorms working on school and gettting good grades, then applying the money to a newer vehicle when the time comes that he needs to do an internship or whatnot.
They talked to someone at the college and a AWD vehicle was actually recommended. They were told that many who go there sell there vehicle without AWD and buy something with AWD.
They are looking at a 2014 RAV 4 located about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh.
They are looking at a 2014 RAV 4 located about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh.
RAV4’s from that era can have torque converter issues. There is a warranty extension but the timeline is quickly ending for the 13/14’s.
We are planning on changing all the fluids including trany and rear-end. I wonder if having fresh fluid in the transmission would reduce the probability of that torque converter problem acting up?
No.
In fact, there was a recent thread on here where someone had the issue, changed the fluid, and the problem reappeared within days.
Thanks for the information, even if it is not good. At least the 2014 they are considering has a 1 year warranty.
The first RAV4 they looked at that had a trailer hitch had questionable shifts so they decided against that one. The are looking at a couple of others. My brother did put the first one through it paces, including tromping on the gas and panic stops. He said his wife can feel the shifts better than he can and they said that with repeated pull outs under the same condition the shifts were different and some not good.
Critic, your information about the possible bad torque-converters helped a lot. It verified that they should not consider that first one. And it gives them something to look out for on the ones they test-drive. Thank you.
Critic, your information about the possible bad torque-converters helped a lot. It verified that they should not consider that first one. And it gives them something to look out for on the ones they test-drive. Thank you.
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Not if it has a defined water line 1/2 way up the under dash bracket and the body computer gets soaked and your rear Hydropneumatic suspension goes flat
I brought the car to my a local Lincoln dealer in Methuen , MA an they said, " get that out of here, don't come back its a flood car we are not working on it."
Fantastic car - when it ran!
I bet he was Joyous!
Sound's like a deserving young man.
His mother found a good deal on 4 new BF Goodrich Assurance sport T/A with the TPMSF symbol at Sams Club for $80.00 off and there is a local shop where they will get it aligned that has a Hunter alignment machine and will mount the tires. The young man is paying for half, and was shocked at the price. She has a set of those on her Murano, and I have a set of those on my CR-V and we are both very pleased with there performance in snow.
Other items on the list are Trany fluid and filter at a very good trany shop - ( Toyota fluid levels are a little tricky to get correct ), rear end fluid, brake fluid flush, caliper pins ( or bushings ) cleaned and lubed, parking brake cables greased, radiator drain and fill - probably with Toyota brand coolant, PCV valve replacement with Toyota part, starter rebuild by a very reliable local rebuild shop, battery test, check serpentine belt with Gates belt check tool - and if it needs replaced then along with replacing the belt also the tensioner and pulley, check engine air cleaner, check cabin air cleaner. Among other things he is going to put in the vehicle is a digital air gauge. I am going to see that he gets 3 gallons of -25 F windshield fluid before he leaves for school in the fall. That is the lowest temp fluid that NAPA had last fall. And have him empty out the current fluid and fill with the colder rated fluid for being in the Cleveland area.
I have not been to there house yet since they got the RAV4, and it will be two weeks before my second shot and two weeks after that for it to totally kick in, but then I will get more involved. They bought it from a dealer who gave them a Car-Fax history, so they will not be repeating any services that were recently done. The dealer probably changed the oil and filter but that will get checked.
It came with a 3 month / 3,000 mile warranty.
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Can anyone think of any other items we missed?
Other items on the list are Trany fluid and filter at a very good trany shop - ( Toyota fluid levels are a little tricky to get correct ), rear end fluid, brake fluid flush, caliper pins ( or bushings ) cleaned and lubed, parking brake cables greased, radiator drain and fill - probably with Toyota brand coolant, PCV valve replacement with Toyota part, starter rebuild by a very reliable local rebuild shop, battery test, check serpentine belt with Gates belt check tool - and if it needs replaced then along with replacing the belt also the tensioner and pulley, check engine air cleaner, check cabin air cleaner. Among other things he is going to put in the vehicle is a digital air gauge. I am going to see that he gets 3 gallons of -25 F windshield fluid before he leaves for school in the fall. That is the lowest temp fluid that NAPA had last fall. And have him empty out the current fluid and fill with the colder rated fluid for being in the Cleveland area.
I have not been to there house yet since they got the RAV4, and it will be two weeks before my second shot and two weeks after that for it to totally kick in, but then I will get more involved. They bought it from a dealer who gave them a Car-Fax history, so they will not be repeating any services that were recently done. The dealer probably changed the oil and filter but that will get checked.
It came with a 3 month / 3,000 mile warranty.
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Can anyone think of any other items we missed?
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At 82,000 miles, I think it also might be time for sparkplugs.
With that much service work on deck there may be issues. Not everything get's done right.
If the diff fluid was changed once with good stuff ( 75w90 Synthetic not Mobil HD 80w90 garbage) - I'm sure it's fine.
If trans was service once I'm sure its fine - It likely wasn't.
No need to lube caliper pins in between pad servicing.
Starter rebuild? - NO! That's not PM.
I don't use poisonous washer fluid that eats paint and windshield wipers rubber and causes cancer (goes right in the HVAC inlet)
Try using instead the RV antifreeze with 1/3 water. It Ethanol and Propylene Glycol.
Drinkable and potable. Works great and the propylene gly lubes the wipers.
Methanol WW fluid should be BANNED.
Good luck to the boy. He shoudl spend MORE time studying and less time driving.
He"s living near or on Campus?
If the diff fluid was changed once with good stuff ( 75w90 Synthetic not Mobil HD 80w90 garbage) - I'm sure it's fine.
If trans was service once I'm sure its fine - It likely wasn't.
No need to lube caliper pins in between pad servicing.
Starter rebuild? - NO! That's not PM.
I don't use poisonous washer fluid that eats paint and windshield wipers rubber and causes cancer (goes right in the HVAC inlet)
Try using instead the RV antifreeze with 1/3 water. It Ethanol and Propylene Glycol.
Drinkable and potable. Works great and the propylene gly lubes the wipers.
Methanol WW fluid should be BANNED.
Good luck to the boy. He shoudl spend MORE time studying and less time driving.
He"s living near or on Campus?
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Not due yet. Tires, brakes and battery are the big things and those sound covered. Good to get filters and all fluids changed. My guess is serpentine belt, tensioner are fine along with starter. I’d wait on those and service them down the road, years. Don’t want to open things up where not needed. What college is he going to?
College is Baldwin Wallace. He will probably be walking to class.
