19 Year Old Camry 330,000 Km How Much Longer Should I Keep It

cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 14:28
Last edited 03/02/2023 - 14:46 by 1 other user

Hi l have a 2003 Toyota Camry since new, it's done 330,000 kms, l do 15,000 kms a year, serviced regularly.

At the last service they said it's in good condition except using more oil than a normal car but not unusual for a car that old and they said lower control arm rear bushing is cracked and needs to be replaced at a cost of $1000 within a year, but it's safe to drive until then.

l would like to keep it another 2 years to give me time to save up for another car so l think l will get the bushing replaced. l know it's impossible to give a definite answer but just a guess, do you think l will get another 2 years or 30,000 kms out of it without anything serious or expensive going wrong?

Automotive Car Toyota

Comments

  • ThithLord on 03/02/2023 - 14:29
    +10

    Crazy idea but why don't you drive it into the ground if you've decided on your timeframe anyway?

    • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 14:33
      +1

      whys it a crazy idea if its still in good condition apart from needing a new bushing, l read some camrys go to 500,000

      • ThithLord on 03/02/2023 - 14:35
        +11

        Yeah I am suggesting you do exactly that, m8

  • Top G on 03/02/2023 - 14:31
    +5

    TLDR: Should I offload this beat car to some sucker for peanuts or keep it and run it too the ground? Camry or Corolla= bulletproof

    • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 14:43

      l wouldnt sell it unless it had a roadworthy certifcate otherwise l would sell it for scrap

  • MS Paint on 03/02/2023 - 14:35

    cost of $1000

    WTF?

    • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 14:36

      yes l thought that was expensive quote , l will get a second quote

      • MS Paint on 03/02/2023 - 14:38
        +6

        And if it's still good for another year then I wouldn't bother replacing it.

        Just keep up with the oil changes and keep driving the old girl.

        • MrThing on 03/02/2023 - 14:41
          +5

          the car isnt even worth $1000

          drive it into the ground at this stage

          • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 14:57

            @MrThing: l will keep getting it serviced every 6 months for next 2 years as long as they say its still safe to drive, its never broken down once in the 19 years l had it

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 03/02/2023 - 14:57
    +2

    Just keep going with it.
    Maybe avoid highways and road trips maybe.

    • MS Paint on 03/02/2023 - 15:23

      Maybe baby, maybe?

  • Darayus on 03/02/2023 - 14:59

    Lower arm control bush crack means anytime your car will be grounded if it goes over the huge potholes, There must be a big play in your steering wheel and finally, your tyres must be getting worn out incorrectly.

    Just changing the oil does not solve the problem unless you fix it. if you are OK to get your car grounded or get it fixed and let it run safety.

    • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 15:05

      l got it serviced at the warrnambool dealership mechanics not some small mechanic shop that might be dodgy, Driving and steering seems normal, they said its totally safe to drive and l dont need to get it repaired until the end of the year, l guess l will avoid any unslealed or bad roads until l get it repaired

      • Euphemistic on 03/02/2023 - 15:33
        +3

        Dealership mechanics aren’t well known for giving you low prices for repairs. A smaller mechanic will likely do it for less.

      • LanceVance on 03/02/2023 - 16:46

        Find a local mechanic with a high Google rating.

        • Euphemistic on 04/02/2023 - 09:02

          Better still, find a local mechanic a friend or colleague uses and recommend.

    • MS Paint on 03/02/2023 - 15:24
      +1

      rear bushing

      • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 15:27

        they said Right hand side lower control arm rear bushing is cracked, l dont know anything much about mechanics of what that means, but they said its safe to drive until next service in october

        • skillet on 04/02/2023 - 11:53

          Perhaps just a micro hairline crack. It starts to get serious when the rubber starts falling part.

  • Seraphin7 on 03/02/2023 - 15:10
    +2

    I would have thought there is not going to be a massive difference in resale for a 20yo Camry with with 330k on the clock vs. a 22yo Camry with 360k on the clock.

    Could it survive the next two years? Sounds like probably.

    Could it have something happen that renders it unserviceable in that time? I would have thought it's a least a reasonable possibility.

    What's with this plethora of "what do you reckon" posts that cannot possibly be commented on with any certainty?

  • coffeeinmyveins on 03/02/2023 - 15:21
    +2

    If you've had it from new then you know what the issues are and if it's been serviced etc. Keep it.

    But anyway, what's the alternative? You want to save up to buy a new car in 2 years so even if you got rid of the camry you'd need to buy another car now anyway? Feels like this is a nothing post and the answer is "keep it".

  • spackbace on 03/02/2023 - 15:27
    +6

    Just valued a Camry Hybrid with ~480,000kms… Still working (original hybrid battery)

    Keep it, save hard for the new car

    • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 15:28

      Good to hear , how old is it?

    • Euphemistic on 03/02/2023 - 15:34

      Are you allowed to disclose the value?

    • MS Paint on 03/02/2023 - 15:37

      What was the value? Ballpark is fine.

  • Euphemistic on 03/02/2023 - 15:36
    +5

    Keep driving it until something bigger fails. Keep checking there oil between services. Get the bushing repaired within a year, but go to a local independent mechanic to get a second opinion and quote. $1k sounds like an awful lot for that sort of job.

    Plenty of Camry still going well over 300k km. Might as well keep saving for your next vehicle.

    • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 16:04

      yes they said Right hand side lower control arm rear bushing is cracked but its safe to drive until the end of the year, l dont know much about mechanics what exactly does that mean , if it gets worse what things will l notice? is that pity common for a car that age

      • Euphemistic on 03/02/2023 - 16:27

        It wouldn’t be uncommon for a suspension part to have some issues after that many kms. Normally the bushing is just a rubber/polyurethane sleeve that fits between the control arm and the mounting bolt to prevent squeaks and rattles. It’s virtually a wear part but often outlasts the car. Describing it as cracked seems odd, would normally describe it as worn or just stuffed.

      • JIMB0 on 03/02/2023 - 16:37
        +2

        These bushes are commonly cracked and have play around 300,000km. Eventually I guess you'll have metal on metal with a lot of banging noise and loose feeling steering. It's easier to just change the entire arm for a new one with the bushes already on it. It takes a decent mid-torque rattle gun to get the bolts out. Also check tie rod ends and ball joints. These cars are very reliable and can last much more than 300,000km, I'd spend the money to fix it and keep driving it

        • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 16:40

          thanks , l was quoted $1000 but someone said thats too much, what do you think a fair price to replace cracked lower control arm rear bushing

          • JIMB0 on 03/02/2023 - 16:51
            +1

            @cranswick: You'll need both sides done. From memory we paid about $350 for 2 arms with bushes already in. With the right tools I'd say an hours labor each side then a wheel alignment after. Ring a few mechanics. It's a common job.

          • skillet on 04/02/2023 - 11:56

            @cranswick: $1000 at the dealership is not abnormal.

          • Speedz on 19/02/2023 - 02:10

            @cranswick: Ha! I just got my lower control arms replaced (2011 Kluger).

            $1,000 is a fair price, much depends how easy it is to replace it eg. is the engine mount in the way, you can simply google around and find out

            Doing it at the private mechanic might save you 10/15% and ofcourse you need to replace both sides.

  • ozhunter on 03/02/2023 - 16:03
    +1

    l know it's impossible to give a definite answer but just a guess, do you think l will get another 2 years or 30,000 kms out of it without anything serious or expensive going wrong?

    My guess is yes.

  • CrispyChrispy on 03/02/2023 - 16:05
    +1

    1999 Toyota Camry, ~275,000km still working fine. Wasn't driven for a while hence the slightly lower mileage.

    Needs a new paint job if anything, kept up the servicing and it still drives perfectly fine. Keep it.

  • Ryk on 03/02/2023 - 16:40
    +4

    It has another 300k in it yet.

  • LanceVance on 03/02/2023 - 16:41
    +1

    Keep it and take care of it in the process. I get really annoyed by these comments saying 'run it into the ground'. Why not take care of a perfectly good and useful possession simply because it is old? I've heard of many with an old car who get into that mindset and all of a sudden stop doing even simple oil changes… what a perfectly good way to stupidly destroy a functioning car.
    Where it makes sense to abandon ship is if you have a pending failure or repair that is definitely more than the value of the car, but then still…. let's say the car is worth $1000, and the repair is $1200. How much more would a newer car be? A lot more than that I'd guess so it isn't always that simple. Particularly on a car like a Camry that there is a lower chance of more major failures.

    Keep it up to date with oil changes, start using a heavier weight oil to factor in the increased clearances on an engine with that many k's and I'd wager your oil consumption issues will improve if not stop altogether.
    The quote of $1000 for a rear control arm is too high, so I suggest you find a new mechanic and get it changed sooner rather than later, suspension is what keeps you on the road and your car behaving as expected in an emergency situation.
    Otherwise maybe a transmission fluid flush as well to avoid a gearbox failure but Camry's are fantastically built cars so if it fulfills your needs then why not hold onto it for as long as possible and save the depreciation expense of a newer car which will in essence just perform the same function?

    • cranswick on 03/02/2023 - 16:47

      Thanks yes the stamp duty, registration and higher insurance costs on buying a new car will come well over $1000 cost of the new bushing, yes l will need a new car within a couple of years but no need to rush when its still running well

    • skillet on 04/02/2023 - 11:58

      People who run cars to the ground would buy very cheap okay condition car and totally neglect maintenance and servicing. To them it's cheap motoring. To the rest is a safety hazard.

  • AngoraFish on 03/02/2023 - 17:29
    +1

    My 1999 Camry is still going strong. Looking forward to getting club plates for it in a couple of years.

    Every time I get it serviced my mechanic offers to buy it from me. Parts are easy to find, relatively cheap and generally simple to replace. I fully expect to still be driving it until it's forced off the road due to emissions controls or petrol stations no longer being a thing.

    There's a reason why the roads are still full of Camrys while just about every other car from that era is long gone. Camrys are indestructible.

    • Euphemistic on 04/02/2023 - 09:05
      +4

      You might be surprised. There’s plenty of 20yo cars around, you just don’t notice them - unless you notice them.

      • Enuffstuff on 04/02/2023 - 11:16

        My mid 90s Lancer agrees

  • brendanm on 03/02/2023 - 17:50
    +2

    Hot tip, you can buy entire lower control arms for $100-120 each, cheaper than having just the bushes replaced, and you get new front bushes, and sometimes ball joints, as well. Is it the 4 cylinder?

  • Barca123 on 03/02/2023 - 20:33
    +2

    2003 Toyota Camry since new, it's done 330,000 kms

    Being a Toyota you have essentially just completed the engine run in!

    • MS Paint on 03/02/2023 - 21:40
      +1

      You can now also go over 3500rpm. Hold on, have fun and stay safe out there.

      • Barca123 on 03/02/2023 - 23:08
        +1

        Oh what a feeling!

  • Sinnerator on 04/02/2023 - 08:26
    +1

    Can you watch a youtube vid and change the bush yourself and save $950?

    • cranswick on 04/02/2023 - 09:19
      -2

      lm not risking my life to save $950, do it wrong and my car goes off the road

      • asCMSas on 04/02/2023 - 10:36

        cmon mate its not rocket surgery

      • MS Paint on 04/02/2023 - 11:59
        +1

        Do it wrong and it might make a creaking or knocking sound and the steering feel a little off. You won't die.

  • 2esc on 04/02/2023 - 09:20

    Put in some stop leak( it can stop the oul leak in some cases) and drive it into the ground.

    • cranswick on 04/02/2023 - 09:21

      l dont think they said theres an oil leak just that the engine is using more oil then a normal car because its old

      • Gdsamp on 06/02/2023 - 16:27

        Yea, if this is a 4 cyl Camry then it's got the 2AZ-FE. Oil burning pretty common issue that eventually afflicts these engines.

  • fishka2 on 04/02/2023 - 10:00

    For all those pessimists out here. P@ss off! Sure not heard of recent prices on second hand cars!😏.. I own the same 2000 Camry and it’s unbeatable. Sell on ebay for 4-5$k tomorrow if in good condition. My advice, keep driving it until honest mechanic tells you it’s not safe. My bet is, you will save for a good new Lambo until then 😂😂

  • Sega on 04/02/2023 - 10:54
    +2

    Ha, I had a 2004 Magna sedan, traded it in 2020 for $500. Had 430000 km on the clock, door wouldn’t lock, stater motor filled with oil, smoked when standing still and ldling so much ppl thought it was on fire (coming out of rear rocker cover seal so from Under wheel arches), dripped oil approx every 10 meters when moving at less than 60kmh.

    I’d had it since 2009, 121000 km. Hardly ever serviced, timing belts was about all every 100k or so. ( went to the panel shop as much as a mechanic),

    Ran like a dream until the end, live in sw vic so a lot of long driving over bad roads and a fair bit of city too. 4 hour road trips not uncommon. Was dedicated LPG, cheap as chips to run. I looked after the tyres and brakes.

    OP, you’ve got a few years yet.

  • saltypete on 04/02/2023 - 11:05

    You’ve bought a Toyota when they still made high quality vehicles, and have invested in proper servicing.
    For the vehicle itself, set a repair cost that will drive you out of the car and keep driving it until that happens. (The bushing sounds like it to me)

    Start looking for a new car for Safety - compared to current you Camry is unsafe. Your health and welfare is most important and it just needs some idiot to do something stupid and your outlook isn’t so good.

    you have a year or so by the sounds of it, start looking and make a considered choice that suits you. With a full service record, and listing the known faults you’ll be surprised how easily you can sell it.

  • cranswick on 04/02/2023 - 11:26

    thanks at the last service they said the only thing wrong with it apart for higher then normal oil use was lower control arm rear bushing is cracked and needs to be replaced at by the end of the year, l think my plan is to get it that replaced in october at the next service and then keep it another 6 months after that which gives me time to save up for a good quality car , so basically l want to keep it a for about 16 months longer and hope nothing else goes wrong

  • md333 on 04/02/2023 - 12:42

    I found with older cars they seem to start having things like this pop up regularly, so seemed to need another $1000 job every year or so. It then becomes not much cheaper than trading up to a 5 yo car. Not more expensive though, and avoids the risk in buying another car vs one you know.

  • azero on 04/02/2023 - 13:57

    Control arm bush is literally a $250 job. They probably quoted you for a replacement arm but just the bush can be replaced if you go to a smaller mechanic.

    I recently sold a similar camry with 280K, but it cost me 2.5K to get the rwc - stupidest decision. It did not have any major mechanical issues. Had a replace all the seatbelts, some shock boots, tires etc…

    Run yours to the ground and then sell without rwc…

    • cranswick on 04/02/2023 - 14:17

      is $1000 a fair price if it includes the replacement arm, maybe both the replacement arm and bush need to be replaced

      • azero on 04/02/2023 - 15:38

        I guess so, but it is very unlikely that the arm needs replacing. Unless it is bent. It is peobably easier and more profitable for the mech to replace the whole arm

        • cranswick on 04/02/2023 - 16:21

          yes l will get a second opinion and second quote

  • kale chips suck on 04/02/2023 - 17:56
    +2

    Get it fixed, but not by that organisation. Here's what an entire replacement control arm costs: not the bushing in* the control arm, all of it.

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/114748860928.

    $114, delivered.

  • gamtactic on 08/02/2023 - 22:43

    Great to hear that you've been regularly maintaining your 2003 Toyota Camry and that it's in good condition despite having 330,000 km on it. It's not unusual for older cars to use more oil than normal.

    Forget about the once off $1000 - how much does it cost to service on average? I'm keen to learn how the service costs stack up

    • cranswick on 11/02/2023 - 17:54

      l get it serviced at toyota dealership every 6 months usually costs $300-$400 a service

      • Euphemistic on 11/02/2023 - 23:23
        +1

        Go find a local mechanic to change your oil. You’ll save $1-200 per service. Better still, find a local mechanic for an annual service and DIY oil change at 6 months. It’s easy, takes less than an hour.

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