I'd pay $25k for a one-owner 04 LX with those miles. Sounds like a good deal on a nice truck. Welcome and post some pics!
Buying/Selling - what year, how much, etc. - ask for opinions here
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I'd pay $25k for a one-owner 04 LX with those miles. Sounds like a good deal on a nice truck. Welcome and post some pics!
What to expect from a 10 year old Cruiser..
Hello everyone
I dont post much here but im a long time lurker, in need of some help.
Today I drove 7 hours (one way) to pick up what I thought was a great condition 2002 2 owner northern region LC.
Lets just say it was a long 14+ hour day
Basically I did quite a bit of research before traveling up there, I guess to my own fault it was not enough/
Overall it was in decent shape. 2002 w/ 95K. No timing belt service had been done. (I knew that going in)
Problems:
It had two different spots on the rear hatch that had started to rust. Also one or two spots on the front of the hood.
Moonroof would not close. We had to physically force the thing to close. The rear was hanging up on the roof.
Heated seats were busted
Multiple electronics on the interior did not work. (6 disc, etc..)
Lots of underside rust. (I knew it was a northern truck and decided to roll the dice here)
Front R CV boot leak. (pretty bad leak)
Oil leak onto the front skid.
Pretty bad trasmission thud in 4lo shifting into second. (not racing the thing just slowly bringing it up to speed)
cigarette burns in the carpet after I was promised the car had never been smoked in.
I realize some of this was my fault/a roll of the dice going in, I also realize the dealer was not 100% honest.
I know any 10 year old car will not be perfect but what are some things/condition should I expect and be ok with??
Thanks soo much for any help here fellas! I have been searching and will continue to do so on this topic.
Eric
Hello everyone
I dont post much here but im a long time lurker, in need of some help.
Today I drove 7 hours (one way) to pick up what I thought was a great condition 2002 2 owner northern region LC.
Lets just say it was a long 14+ hour dayBasically I did quite a bit of research before traveling up there, I guess to my own fault it was not enough/
Overall it was in decent shape. 2002 w/ 95K. No timing belt service had been done. (I knew that going in)
Problems:
It had two different spots on the rear hatch that had started to rust. Also one or two spots on the front of the hood.
Moonroof would not close. We had to physically force the thing to close. The rear was hanging up on the roof.
Heated seats were busted
Multiple electronics on the interior did not work. (6 disc, etc..)
Lots of underside rust. (I knew it was a northern truck and decided to roll the dice here)
Front R CV boot leak. (pretty bad leak)
Oil leak onto the front skid.
Pretty bad trasmission thud in 4lo shifting into second. (not racing the thing just slowly bringing it up to speed)
cigarette burns in the carpet after I was promised the car had never been smoked in.
I realize some of this was my fault/a roll of the dice going in, I also realize the dealer was not 100% honest.
I know any 10 year old car will not be perfect but what are some things/condition should I expect and be ok with??
Thanks soo much for any help here fellas! I have been searching and will continue to do so on this topic.
Eric
Eric, - first off, welcome! Hopefully you found the 100, despite all of it's flaws, to be a great highway ride for 7 hours. I absolutely love the 100 for long road trips. Just finished 8400 miles. See below for my take on the issues.Hello everyone
I dont post much here but im a long time lurker, in need of some help.
Today I drove 7 hours (one way) to pick up what I thought was a great condition 2002 2 owner northern region LC.
Unfortunately, rust is the bane of northern trucks. I steer clear of them after having an 80 series from PA and VA. I'm not an expert at fixing rust issues, but I guess it depends on what you plan on using the truck for as to how urgent and how much you want to spend to get it fixed.
Double check to see if it's closed all the way and not leaking.
The 6-disc sucks and frequently fails. Replace the headunit with something else (navi!) Or do you have factory nav? If not, then ditch the embarassing OEM stereo for something way better. As to the heated seats, check the basics first, wires, fuses, etc. The factory Electrical Wiring Diagram is extremely useful for troubleshooting these issues. It may be something simple - or not...
Not unheard of at that mileage, but kind of early. Just get inspect it, most likely just need to reboot it with a kit from Toyota for not very much coin.
Get this one looked at. The 4.7 rarely leaks. Again, easy to drop the skid and see if this is something simple like a sloppy oil change when removing the filter, or something more serious.
Mine does this too, hasn't been an issue. Seems to stay in 1st for quite a while, which isn't a bad thing.
Show me a used car dealer that is 100% honest......I realize some of this was my fault/a roll of the dice going in, I also realize the dealer was not 100% honest.
10 Years old and low mileage puts yours ahead of most. Sounds like you have a few little projects to work on and after you get it just like you want it, it will be something to be proud of.
Most of your issues are minor and will be history very soon.
Have fun fixing all the issues and the process of making changes, repairs, modifications and spit shinning will be an enjoyable experience.
Most of your issues are minor and will be history very soon.
Have fun fixing all the issues and the process of making changes, repairs, modifications and spit shinning will be an enjoyable experience.
As the others have mentioned, out of all of that the only thing I would really be concerned about is the oil leak.
This will be a good opportunity to get acquainted with working on your new rig. I'd start by pulling the front skid plates off and having a look around the oil filter and oil pan. Best case, someone did a sloppy oil change. Worse, you might have a leaking gasket, which still isn't a big deal. The bigger concern is, WHY is it leaking. But cross that bridge when/if you get to it.
Order a CV rebuild kit from CDan to take care of the leak.
Moonroof is a pressing issue because if it doesn't close and seal, you're going to get wet (along with your interior) when it rains next. I don't have any experience on that one. Is the motor bad or is it physically jammed?
As for the cosmetic stuff, hopefully that put some bargaining power on your side and the stealer gave you a lower price. I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this next one, but did it come with any maintenance records? If not, start baselining your fluids to make sure everything is fresh.
This will be a good opportunity to get acquainted with working on your new rig. I'd start by pulling the front skid plates off and having a look around the oil filter and oil pan. Best case, someone did a sloppy oil change. Worse, you might have a leaking gasket, which still isn't a big deal. The bigger concern is, WHY is it leaking. But cross that bridge when/if you get to it.
Order a CV rebuild kit from CDan to take care of the leak.
Moonroof is a pressing issue because if it doesn't close and seal, you're going to get wet (along with your interior) when it rains next. I don't have any experience on that one. Is the motor bad or is it physically jammed?
As for the cosmetic stuff, hopefully that put some bargaining power on your side and the stealer gave you a lower price. I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this next one, but did it come with any maintenance records? If not, start baselining your fluids to make sure everything is fresh.
Welcome,
Hatch rust can be an issue. Mine had a rusted out pinch weld in the bottom and it was bad enough to render th latch inop. I ended up replacing the entire hatch with one from a lexus. Total cost about 560 for the hatch (delivered) and 150 on the install. Body shop charge would have been over 3000. Look on the car dismantler (ie junkyard) sites and you may be able to find a matching hatch form either an lx470 or an LC. Black and White are probably the best colors for this (I am not sure on the white). The rest seems relatively minor.
Hatch rust can be an issue. Mine had a rusted out pinch weld in the bottom and it was bad enough to render th latch inop. I ended up replacing the entire hatch with one from a lexus. Total cost about 560 for the hatch (delivered) and 150 on the install. Body shop charge would have been over 3000. Look on the car dismantler (ie junkyard) sites and you may be able to find a matching hatch form either an lx470 or an LC. Black and White are probably the best colors for this (I am not sure on the white). The rest seems relatively minor.
First step:
Timing belt
Second step:
Tranny flush
Third Step:
Running boards
Tranny and TB are the only things that will let your new baby down.... everything else is just an excuse to get dirty and have some fun fixing.
Timing belt
Second step:
Tranny flush
Third Step:
Running boards
Tranny and TB are the only things that will let your new baby down.... everything else is just an excuse to get dirty and have some fun fixing.
As with anything there are orchids and onions out there. I remember being excited about an 01 with 85k on it that was in such horrible shape (both inside and out) that it should have been totaled. Smelled like puke, interior panels wouldn't stay together. Rips in every seat. Etc, etc, etc.
I did buy mine sight-unseen (at least until I flew it to close the deal). But I had a zillion high-res pictures and had high confidence in the seller. There's definitely a risk in buying remote.
The one thing you didn't mention is price. You should be able to find a nice non-nav 02 with those miles for $19-20k ish.
Hang in there and don't settle. They're plenty of good finds out there. If you're looking for an 02, you may want to bump it up to an 03 so you get the 5-speed. There is a big price bump between 02 and 03; I'd expect a $3k delta between those years.
I did buy mine sight-unseen (at least until I flew it to close the deal). But I had a zillion high-res pictures and had high confidence in the seller. There's definitely a risk in buying remote.
The one thing you didn't mention is price. You should be able to find a nice non-nav 02 with those miles for $19-20k ish.
Hang in there and don't settle. They're plenty of good finds out there. If you're looking for an 02, you may want to bump it up to an 03 so you get the 5-speed. There is a big price bump between 02 and 03; I'd expect a $3k delta between those years.
Guys thanks to all of you for the help. Lots of good things to research and think about. I suppose I was a little unclear in the origional post but I actually decided NOT to buy the Cruiser.
Im still looking, there are a few others that I may be interested in looking at.
Is the transmission clunk in 4lo when it shifts into second something common on these? Seeing how re-guderian mentioned it also gets me thinking. It may be useful info for the next one I look at.
Thanks again
Im still looking, there are a few others that I may be interested in looking at.
Is the transmission clunk in 4lo when it shifts into second something common on these? Seeing how re-guderian mentioned it also gets me thinking. It may be useful info for the next one I look at.
Thanks again
Sounds like you made a good decision, even though you had so much time/effort into it. Good job. Now you are a little wiser about what to look for on the next one.
I am fortunate to be out West, but I would not settle for any rust, on a vehicle I planned to own a long time, especially when you know you can find them out there. The drive will be worth it to get a rust free truck, IMHO.
Yes, it's just the 'propeller shaft' (drive shaft) that needs lubrication. They all do it over time. Grease injection typically remedies the problem.
So there is a 2001 LC that just came up FS 20 minutes from my house. 
I went and looked at it today and test drove it. It was PERFECT. Every issue the other 100 had this one didnt. I kinda had a sour taste in my mouth after the other fiasco, but now im back in the game.
Question about pricing because I want to make a offer in the next day or two.
2001 white LC. Navigation, 132K, timing belt/ water pump has NOT been done, all other service work is up to date. second owner, clean carfax.
KBB:
14,720 -- good
15,670 -- excellent
Edmunds:
10,864 -- Clean
NADA:
16,450 -- Clean Retail
Problem is the seller is asking 17,500 OBO.
I was thinking I would go in the 15,000 to 15,500 range but after seeing that Edmunds value now im not sure....
Thanks for any advice here guys..
I went and looked at it today and test drove it. It was PERFECT. Every issue the other 100 had this one didnt. I kinda had a sour taste in my mouth after the other fiasco, but now im back in the game.
Question about pricing because I want to make a offer in the next day or two.
2001 white LC. Navigation, 132K, timing belt/ water pump has NOT been done, all other service work is up to date. second owner, clean carfax.
KBB:
14,720 -- good
15,670 -- excellent
Edmunds:
10,864 -- Clean
NADA:
16,450 -- Clean Retail
Problem is the seller is asking 17,500 OBO.
I was thinking I would go in the 15,000 to 15,500 range but after seeing that Edmunds value now im not sure....
Thanks for any advice here guys..
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At $17,500 for 132k on a 2001 you're not getting ripped off, but you're not getting a steal either. It's probably mid market assuming it's a good example.
That said, if it's a clean rig with known history and rust free then it's probably worth it. If you love the truck (color, condition, mechanics) then I'd say shoot for the high 16's and go get yourself a Cruiser!
That said, if it's a clean rig with known history and rust free then it's probably worth it. If you love the truck (color, condition, mechanics) then I'd say shoot for the high 16's and go get yourself a Cruiser!
x2, thats pretty high especially for the timing belt/water pump not being done.
I am about to pickup a 2001 with 138K with records for timing belt and waterpump and in great condition for under 13K, for reference.
$13k is a great price. It's just such a weird market. A guy down the street has a black 01 with 98k on it that was asking $21k. Needless to say, it didn't sell at that. At the other end of the spectrum a buddy just picked up a one-owner local 03 for 19.5k. That's not repeatable either. You can make a career out of looking for the perfect truck. Find a good one, pay a reasonable price and drive happy.
Yea both good points. I will go after the 15.5 or 16K range and see what happens. Its funny how stuff works but the seller is clearly in no hurry to sell. You can tell he loves the truck and said if it did end up selling he was going to pick up another one, just newer. Thats not exactly helping me out... LOL.
Blackwater said:
I would not pay more than $15K for a 2001 with those miles. If you're looking at close to $20k, I recommend biting the bullet on a 2003+.
FWIW, just picked up a 2003 LC with 96K, new tires, very clean. No record of T belt and water pump replacement, needed front brakes -- just the pads and rotors turned. Paid right at $20K. Feel like we may have left some $$ on the table, but it was a local truck, and the right color (white of course)...
FWIW, just picked up a 2003 LC with 96K, new tires, very clean. No record of T belt and water pump replacement, needed front brakes -- just the pads and rotors turned. Paid right at $20K. Feel like we may have left some $$ on the table, but it was a local truck, and the right color (white of course)...
That's a great deal!
Blackwater, I'd say $17500 is too high. I picked up my 00 last October (Jeeze...am I really closing in on a year of ownership already?), and paid $13900 with 134000 on it, timing belt had been done at 94k, clean inside and out. Very little deferred maintenance. After taxes and the rest of the BS fees, I was at $15400 out the door. Don't forget to take uncle Sam into account when considering the price.
Dennis is right though, this is a very strange market...especially when taking into account that prices vary by region, by as much as several thousand dollars. With all of us being scattered around the country, hearing different prices from different folks makes it easy to think you're either getting a steal or getting hosed.
Dennis is right though, this is a very strange market...especially when taking into account that prices vary by region, by as much as several thousand dollars. With all of us being scattered around the country, hearing different prices from different folks makes it easy to think you're either getting a steal or getting hosed.