Paid deposit and now rethinking purchase. 2010 Corolla

gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 08:34

Our car broke down so needing a car we saw and paid a deposit for a 10 year old Corolla 2010 model. Automatic.

It was supposedly driven by a grandma. (since passed and sons selling)

Details: 2010 model. 45800 km. Silver
Condition: few scratches including deep car key scratches (we don't mind but the condition on outside not great)
Service history. Its good but because she has only driven to 45800 so the upcoming 50000 km service has not been done in 3 years. Would this be a problem long term?
The price is great $7700 we ended up negotiating but $700 paid. It will have roadworthy done.

Would this scare anyone. Kind of urgent as picking it up today.
VIN check good

Automotive

Comments

  • CheapSticks on 11/10/2019 - 08:40
    +1

    why re-thinking i.e. what has happened since paying deposit to make you rethink?

    • gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 08:55

      Two things:

      the scratches. i know its easier to see but looking at some nice cars out there got me thinking

      Secondly and most important is the service. It was done 3 years ago (following km) so am slightly worried about future of the car.
      Apart from all this am happy with purhchase

      • crentist on 12/10/2019 - 14:56
        +2

        Should be okay. I had a boss who hadn’t taken his small Toyota to a mechanic in over 10 years and 100k km. Just oil top ups. I borrowed it for a few months and it ran pretty good.
        Soon after I picked up the same old model myself with no service history, based on that experience. No issues in 2 years.

        And now we recently got an old Daihatsu (owned by Toyota). 17 years old with 45k km, serviced by km not time. So once every 2 or 3 years or something bad.
        Condition is awesome. Feels like a low km car, not an unserviced car. Our mechanic has the same model himself, with higher km, and said the same.

        So there’s a bit of risk, but the price seems great because of that, and you should be fine.

        Just do a big service now and maintain it properly and it’ll probably run great for another 20 years.

      • andyfc on 12/10/2019 - 17:30

        It will be fine. Don't stress. If it drove fine on the test drive you should have nothing to worry about. Change the oil and have a mechanic look over it right away though.

        • Eeples on 12/10/2019 - 19:44

          So nothing has changed except your “thinking”.

          • andyfc on 13/10/2019 - 10:44

            @Eeples: Not sure if your replying to the right person?

            • Eeples on 14/10/2019 - 13:09

              @andyfc: Yes I’m not.
              Sorry about that.

      • This Guy on 14/10/2019 - 00:47

        Not long enough to cause major issues. Get it serviced after purchased and you should be right.

        Budget for a new set of tyres because they should still be original. Buy something decent so you can stop when you need to, like:

        Bridgestone Ecopia EP300
        Continental UltraContact® UC6
        Pirelli Cinturato P6
        Michelin XM2+
        (all ~$130 a tyre, depending on size and sale)

        Prices vary, but for the 2010 corolla I checked, the cheapest listed tyre was 'only' $20 more than the cheapest no name.

  • pao2x on 11/10/2019 - 08:44
    +7

    They were probably doing yearly service not the 6 months toyota prescribes. IMHO 6 monthly service for a low km car driven by a grandma is overkill. Pretty much everyone has done away w 6 month service now and moved on to 1 yr or 10000k

    To answer the question no it shouldn’t be a problem not unless it was not serviced yearly, and or the 50k service is a massive cost that you should have negotiated before hand

    • sovereign01 on 11/10/2019 - 11:24
      -3

      Manufacturers are not extending intervals without making significant changes in engineering to support. So no - It is not okay to make this decision yourself to a car/oil that was not designed for it.

      I would absolutely not buy a car that has not been serviced for 3 years unless it was significantly cheaper than market rate.
      Oil breaks down over time and is not able to sufficiently lubricate the engine after it degrades. A little over the interval isn't going to make a significant difference, but 2.5 years over the interval will have already shortened the life of the engine.

      Corollas are a dime a dozen - Find another.

  • gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 08:53
    +1

    It was not serviced yearly so last service was 2016. They went by km not year.

    • pao2x on 11/10/2019 - 09:00
      -7

      Then service history is not good like you stated. Good chance there is sludge and metal shavings in the engine, walk away

      • mbck on 11/10/2019 - 09:13

        Agree, I don't mind the scratching, but the service is the killer. 3 years is a long time. Even if you haven't driven much, you should still service it yearly. Products expire….

      • k-rokfm on 11/10/2019 - 09:13
        +11

        Thats not true - it was still serviced by KMs. While its not good to let a car sit forever, that doesnt mean it will have shavings etc all through the engine if it hasnt been driven much.

        I would recommend getting a service pretty soon - but with the low KMs it doesnt need to be serviced every 6 months

        • sovereign01 on 11/10/2019 - 11:16
          +5

          Incorrect, oil breaks down with time, not just kms.

          Oil that has been exposed to the environment (i.e. in an engine) for a significant period of time will not be able to sufficiently lubricate an engine, and will cause accelerated engine wear.

          Going slightly over timing may be okay, but 3 years? Thats an issue.

          • pegasusx on 12/10/2019 - 19:37
            +1

            @sovereign01: Thinking the same thing. 3 years sitting there might have oil braking down to sludge. Water content in brake fluid/ petrol tank. Tyres have flat spots. RIP battery

            • Yamai on 12/10/2019 - 23:20
              +1

              @pegasusx: Yeah all those things maybe if it wasn’t driven at all in the 3 years…

        • Keplaffintech on 29/10/2019 - 18:33

          There is the possibility that this car was used for frequent short trips. E.g. a 1km trip twice a day would add up to 700 km in a year, but that oil will certainly need changing after that year from all that cold engine wear.

          Rather than a "grandma" car what you really want to look for is a car with "highway KMs".

      • t_c on 11/10/2019 - 10:57
        +14

        "Good chance there is sludge and metal shavings in the engine, walk away"

        Care to provide a reference on how you came to this conclusion

      • pegaxs on 11/10/2019 - 13:14
        +19

        Good chance there is sludge and metal shavings in the engine

        Biggest load of crap I have ever heard. Cars don't sludge up and go metal to metal from sitting around.

        • Euphemistic on 11/10/2019 - 15:16
          +13

          Agree. Sounds like someone has been visiting the dealership too much. They regularly spout rubbish like that so you think you have to get your ‘special’ dealer service as often as possible.

          • pegaxs on 11/10/2019 - 17:54
            +4

            @Euphemistic: Been a long time since I’ve been to Repco and seen “used by” dates on their oils…

      • brendanm on 11/10/2019 - 18:03
        +6

        I've run out of negs for today, please treat this post as one.

      • andyfc on 12/10/2019 - 17:31
        +3

        This is the worst advice. Oil thickens with use and blow by, not by age (though still does detoriate with age). Not even sure how you came to the conclusion that metal shavings are in the engine. Why would you comment if you clearly have no idea?

  • theHMASfriendship on 11/10/2019 - 08:55
    -1

    It will more than likely explode within the first 10km. Should have bought a Kia.

    • gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 08:58
      +1

      lol hope not mate

  • Randxyz123 on 11/10/2019 - 08:56
    +1

    Have you had a mechanic check it over?

    Nothing wrong with doing the main service by km but oil should be still changed more frequently. If it was driven by granny 4kms to the local shops and back it might need it more frequently?

  • Ocker on 11/10/2019 - 09:06
    +3

    It's a big mistake to service your car by the distance traveled, and not annually (at least).
    The engine oil deteriorates over time and to minimise engine wear needs to be changed regularly.

    • spaceflight on 12/10/2019 - 22:38

      The engine oil deteriorates

      as you use the car.

      If it sits doing nothing it doesn't deteriorate. Have you ever seen a use by date on an engine oil bottle?

      • Keplaffintech on 29/10/2019 - 18:36

        Low KM doesn't imply that the car was 'sitting', it implies that the car didn't travel far distances. It could have been driven a km to the shops and back every day and only rack up 700km in the year. However a cold start and subsequent warming up of the engine is the time where the engine wears the most.

        • spaceflight on 29/10/2019 - 22:02

          Low KM doesn't imply that the car was 'sitting', it implies that the car didn't travel far distances

          It implies neither.

          The car could have done lots of short trips or it could have done infrequent long trips.

          However a cold start and subsequent warming up of the engine is the time where the engine wears the most.

          Which has no impact on the oil degradation.

  • gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 09:24

    Damn.

    Moving forwards would you get a mechanical check first before buying?
    What are chances of getting deposit back given he has gone to get a roadworthy for me?

    • malich on 11/10/2019 - 09:34

      Very little chance, unless you had some clause in your contract to buy that allowed you to get out of the purchase.

      It sounds like the seller has openly disclosed all the details of the car.

      Hopefully he is a nice bloke and give you your money back. But I don't like your chances.

    • kolorijo on 11/10/2019 - 09:47
      +1

      I personally would always get a mechanical check before buying and also insert 'subject to mechanical inspection' into the contract.

      As mentioned, very slim chance to get your money back.

    • Freitag on 11/10/2019 - 12:15

      Best you can hope for is to get it inspected, then if there are significant problems see if you can recover your deposit.
      Did the seller have it advertised, did they say the car was in good condition or anything like that? If so, and you find any problems you may be able to negotiate some of your deposit back.

      At the end of the day, if they put their foot down, you'll probably have to choose between taking the car or forfeiting the deposit.

      Get it inspected first to see if there is a reason to worry.

  • Euphemistic on 11/10/2019 - 10:00
    +46

    You’ve paid a deposit. It’s only got 48k on it. It’s a corolla. Just buy it, it’ll go for another 200000km. Just get a service done after you pick it up, including radiator flush.

    • gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 10:02

      Thanks mate

      • lockmc on 12/10/2019 - 13:26
        +1

        I agree… It'll be fine

  • Baysew on 11/10/2019 - 10:01
    +1

    Are you prepared to lose your deposit?

  • gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 10:02
    +8

    I think ill go through with the purchase and hope it all goes well. Will follow Euphemistic and get a full service and radiator flush as soon as I get it

    • brad1-8tsi on 11/10/2019 - 10:30
      +3

      And brake fluid.

      I'd even do the power steering if it was me. I think the reservoir on the drivers side. Syringe out the reservoir and top it up with clean fluid. Repeat every month until you've gone through the 1l bottle of fluid. Not ideal but better than nothing.

    • Fobsessive on 12/10/2019 - 13:31

      Automatic transmission fluid too

  • gooner85 on 11/10/2019 - 10:36

    Thanks all.

    • pjetson on 11/10/2019 - 11:14
      +4

      Do you have a trusted mechanic? If so, I'd go there rather than a dealer service department, and tell the mechanic exactly what you've told us here and ask the mechanic what he thinks needs to be done.

  • Oz8argain on 11/10/2019 - 14:31

    Serived by KM is not a good thing.
    Our car does around 5,000 km a year. But we almost use it everyday for short drives. So there're a lot of starting the engine and running it when it's cold. It can cause damage long term. Even though on paper it's barely driven.

    • Euphemistic on 11/10/2019 - 15:14
      +1

      Sell the car and get a bicycle. 5000km a year is a doddle.

      • Oz8argain on 11/10/2019 - 15:26

        bicycle cant carry lots things and 4 people .. comfortably

  • roundnumbersonly on 11/10/2019 - 21:57

    I think $7700 is a bit much for what you've described. Only thing it has going for it is low kms. I'd get a mechanical check and haggle the price down and walk away without the deposit.

    • dasher86 on 11/10/2019 - 22:44
      +2

      Tyre kicker.
      Once you've agreed a price, you've agreed a price.

      • SlavOz on 12/10/2019 - 12:35

        True. The fact that OP changed his mind isn't the sellers problem. If there was something wrong with the car then he could have a case. Otherwise either buy the car or don't but don't expect to get your deposit back.

  • Whisper Quiet on 12/10/2019 - 07:59

    Always get a mechanical check done. Hopefully not too much wrong with it. But for future reference that's the one thing that is a necessity! For a couple hundred bucks can save you thousands of dollars that can be an issue with the car.

  • Waltervp on 12/10/2019 - 09:28
    +1

    Imho just change oil and other fluids, check tires for cracking rubber and get car. Nice to have low mileage.

  • tessel on 12/10/2019 - 13:46

    Resell to me at 5k. I'll look after you. Thanks.

  • outlander on 12/10/2019 - 13:49
    +1

    'Granny' driving does almost as much damage to the engine as hoon driving. Short trips don't allow the engine to reach operating temperature, so water ends up in the engine as a residual from burning the petrol. You can usually see the evidence of this in the muffer, where it will start to prematurely rust.

    However, its a corolla, so it'll take 30 years for the damage to really become evident. Plus the time to back out was before the deposit was paid. The only reason you'd back out now is if you saw another car that was so much better as to be worth forgoing the deposit.

  • 82norm on 12/10/2019 - 14:29

    Over thinking it too much. 50k is nothing. Metal shavings in engine… doubtful. Have 2006 Corolla 215k on the clock, skipped my last service of 5k and no issues. Corollas are boring, but hard to break. Few scratches, who cares, it 9 yrs old, don’t sweat the small stuff, just do it. Too much analysis by paralysis.

  • maybeamacy on 12/10/2019 - 14:59
    +7

    Update for all those who are wondering: https://whrl.pl/RfWIvl

    • crentist on 12/10/2019 - 15:31
      +1

      Damn that took a turn. So it was a shit car after all

      • tryagain on 12/10/2019 - 22:18

        Makes you wonder if the "no service in three years" was actually a case of removing some of the service history to allow winding back the speedo if it was a bit dodgy.

    • chillwok on 12/10/2019 - 19:42
      +1

      thats an interesting situation. ive sold a corolla before and when the rwc guy checked under the bonnet he saw welds as if the car had been damaged and fixed. we had the corolla since brand new and it'd never been in an acident. must be a corolla thing.

      • zuuutoootuuu on 13/10/2019 - 15:49

        vehicle could have been damaged prior to dealer delivery

  • gimme on 12/10/2019 - 15:50
    +2

    What suburb are you buying this from? There are certain areas I'd stay away from as far as the proverbial driven by an old lady story

  • SuperMid on 12/10/2019 - 16:43

    Metal shavings in the engine LOL

    From what, sitting idle in a garage? What exactly shaved all this metal.

    • Lizard Spock on 12/10/2019 - 21:04
      +2

      What exactly shaved all this metal.

      Iron Man was shaving

  • HeWhoKnows on 12/10/2019 - 18:40

    Rethink and forfeit your 700 bucks.
    What do you want us to say?
    We are not here to make up you mind nor change it.

  • mattie on 12/10/2019 - 21:21

    I owned a 1996 Corolla for 5 years we used it for trips to Westfield, loaned it out to friends relos.left it out the front never washed never spent a cent on it except petrol. Our nice cars were in the garage. Anyway it came time to sell it so I thought I'll give it it's first oil change ,got a big container ready to catch the oil, one cup full of
    black oil came out. And it had happily purred for 5 years

  • Mysterious Laptop on 12/10/2019 - 23:05
    -1

    I personally would have negotiated harder to be honest. Something like that shouldn't be worth $7000 with deep scratches. However you've already paid a deposit and agreed, so I would have to cut my losses and purchase.

  • CalmLemons on 13/10/2019 - 00:04

    it will be fine. i have seen corporate toyotas going 150000km without an oil change…..

  • DarwinBoy on 13/10/2019 - 08:49

    Mates missus never once serviced her Corolla. Engine light came on after 5 years. Needed a new engine. That was a couple of years ago.

  • Commander Shepard on 13/10/2019 - 10:56

    Dang, that's a big deposit for a cheap car. Hopefully the next one you look at is better.

    Post up the photo of the dodgy weld too. I am curious to see what it looks like. It's possible that it hasn't been driven for 3 years as they were taking their time with repairs and finally got it on the road again.

  • Yummy on 13/10/2019 - 13:00
    +2

    Just get it OP, think later, OzB style.

    But do come back here to post/brag if any problem.

  • happirt on 13/10/2019 - 20:22

    you are supposed to rethink before paying the deposit not after. seems as though you have proceeded with the wrong steps.

  • Pinching Pennies on 13/10/2019 - 23:17

    might be haunted

  • Euphemistic on 14/10/2019 - 13:57

    So OP, what ended up happening?

  • capslock janitor on 25/10/2019 - 19:06

    So, OP!?

  • gooner85 on 29/10/2019 - 16:54

    hey all,

    ended up not buying it as the poster put it up.
    Car had a fix up job at the back with pretty much putty and electric tape holding the rear together… big backyard job
    PPSR showed nothing so it was an accident which was not recorded and then repaired.

    looking back looks like they made up the story of the car and maybe even wound back the dial given the condition of the car. It had driven very little in 2 years so was maybe written off or even rebirthed.

    Always check your cars people and get a mechanic like I did to check.
    Guy was a dog and kept the deposit but c-est la vie hope karma bites all the dodgy car dealers/ private sellers/ scammers out there.

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