Hi everyone,
I am in a situation that needs some advice. I am looking for a car and found this car through a friend.
It's Camry 2014 hybrid with 1 year NSW rego for $7-$8k
It's seems clean car, but because it's an ex taxi kind of bothering me.
What do you think?
Only 300,000km in the last 5 years. That means it's reliable, right?
More reliable than 400k driven car or brand new VW :)
It's almost 200k
200k sounds too little for a 6yo taxi I'd reckon. Check steering wheel, seat cloth etc for a better gauge of actual kilometres. Have a look at other 6yo 200k cars, that'll give you an idea. Cheers
You'll probably find that it's 1.2mil km as the odometer can only display 6 digits and has rolled over.
I'm guessing it has a pretty solid service history, but the km's would have to be pretty high too?
He said up to date with services and done almost 200k km but no logbook included
No logbook is definitely a concern, but it's cheap.
Have you done a PPSR?
Car and hybrid battery will last for a while longer, but with no logbook and high mileage you need to consider that it'll be worth next to nothing when you go to sell it later on
Not yeat, but thinking to take it to Toyota dealer. They say they will do pre purchase inspection for $150 including testing the battery.
200K with no logbook is probably a deal breaker for me.
No logbook could mean the Odomoter has been 'wound back'? Do they have other service records/receipts? Usually the servicing dealer/workshop will have the records and can give them to you or at least to the owner.
I would also research what it costs to rebuild the hybrid battery. Maybe check these guys: https://sydneyhybridbattery.com/
Too early to worry about with 200,000kms
@inherentchoice: It does seem low, but I mean that the mileage isn't a dent on the hybrid battery, assuming accurate mileage.
Maybe it was only a taxi for 3-4yrs?
@spackbace: Yeah, he mentioned something like that then they decided to sell a group of cars including this one.
Isn't illegal to wound back the odometer? Is there any way to find out if they did it or not?
Note, the services all done with their mechanic. No receipts including.
Note, the services all done with their mechanic. No receipts including.
Jees, and selling a few cars, and offering it for a dirt cheap price?
Yeah run away from this one. At the very least, do a PPSR then run away
@msmhw: Guaranteed they haven't been diligent with the services. It's a taxi, they run the cars to the ground. Find something else.
It's very hard to wind back the odo as they're digital. Easier solution is to replace the dash cluster with a lower mileage one which is just removing a few dash trims and unplugging some connectors.
@nayfon: Agree, however when the buyer takes it to Toyota for a pre-purchase inspection, he/she can also ask them to check if the ECU has been flagged with a cluster change. I believe many car's ECU leaves a flag if the cluster has been removed that cannot be wiped.
Toyota would have proper OE software than an external expensive scanner which cannot detect.
They've probably tossed the logbook because:
1. They would've blown through 100,000km in a year anyway
2. They're hiding the fact the car's done over 1 million km and the odometer has rolled over. So the car has actually done 1.2 million km.
3. If 2 is true, then it takes too much effort to maintain a log book if they're servicing the car every 15,000km (about once every 4 weeks at 1.2 million km over 6 years)
No log book is downright suspect. How hard is to maintain a log book and not lose it, especially when you are running a taxi company?
🤣🤣🤣
What a normal person does in 20 years with a car, a taxi does in 5, all there is to it
Depends if you drive a lot.
If you don't drive very much then it could be worth it. Check if and when things such as alternators, brakes, tires, and batteries have been replaced.
Also check the interior condition, if it's something you can live with. Especially the dash etc. which would have been modified somewhat.
There's no alternator and the brakes would hardly of been used with a hybrid.
That's true the MG would act as an alternator.
Probably true on the brakes, from my experience riding in taxis the drivers do a lot of braking though.
i dont understand why anyone in their right mind would buy such a thing. It's been driven constantly, had a heap of passengers etc.
with 500 people who have chundered or pissed in the back seat…
200k in 6 years is not totally OTT - many that live in the country areas could chalk that up. Being as ex-taxi, the owner would have had a vested interest in maintaining the asset.
Get it fully checked out an could be a reasonable buy.
90 km per day is low for a Taxi, no?
300,000 is what the odemeter is saying but it probably closer to 600,000 in terms at these taxis are mostly like to be running and waiting for a jobs. A couple of drivers i spoke to mentioned that they usually wait over a hours or 2 at the airport pick up points.
Its a hybrid bro they don't idle for very long/at all
Puke, BO and weak piss smell come standard
Wouldn't buy it with your money.
$7 for the Camry and $8000 for the Rego. lol
but because it's an ex taxi kind of bothering me.
there, listen to your gut feeling.
I'd walk into this assuming the car has done 1.2 million km and not 200km, with the odometer having rolled over past it's 6 digit display. Realistically the car's probably worth $5.5-6.5k (if that) if it's a full year's rego. And if it's a complete full year of rego then it makes me wonder if they're only getting rid of the car because it's hit its age limit as a taxi (either insurance wise or legislation wise).
I'd think the mileage inaccurate. I did 150k in 6 years just doing a 60km/50 minute commute to work.
A mate drives a taxi and he says he uses half a tank of fuel in a shift - so about 250-300km.
I think a taxi would be doing 100,000km per year easily. 6 years = 600,000km which is around when they sell the Camrys (I was chatting to a cabby at Port Douglas about them when we were driving to the Airport).
Question: How many panels on the car are original or don't have bog in them….Answer… None
I have a 2002 Astra CD genuine 110000 km excellent condition almost- Sorry forget to say wife ran out of water motor slightly redundant
No way an ex taxi has only 200k km on it.
Strongly disagree on that point. It may have only been used to drive an old lady to church on a Sunday.
Ugh!👎
just an update,
decided to pass after the mechanic inspection. have been told the car it will last me 2 years without any problems but it hasn't been maintained that well. it seems that they only change the oil, oil filter and some other liquids over time without checking the other important parts. He recommended to pay a bit extra and get a good car even with fewer features than this and will last me more and hold the resale value. he suggested looking into a corolla 2014/2015 which he said it should be around $12k
Thank you all for your advice and comments.
What does Mr Odometer say?