Would you buy a used car that has a tow bar equipped? Disregard if you are going to be using the car for towing or if that is the cars main purpose. I.e you find a sleek, sporty Camry on Carsales and the 4th pic shows a tow bar and ball would you still buy it?
Would You Buy a Used Car That Has a Tow Bar?
cdaddy on 25/01/2024 - 22:16
Last edited 26/01/2024 - 08:05
Last edited 26/01/2024 - 08:05
Poll Options
- 96Yes
- 16No
- 8Potentially - Will investigate further
Comments
remove the shagged transmission too?
Why would Toyota provide factory fitted tow bars if their drivetrain wasn't up to it?
What do you think people tow anyway? 90% would be nothing and the rest a 6x4 to the dump once a year.
Why, so the transmission fails shortly after the warranty expires
Very few cars can handle towing a load without damaging the car (transmission)
Almost every car can be fitted with a tow bar@Sinnerator: What a load of. Cars can handle towing and have been doing it for decades. If you’re towing a heavy load it will impact, but can be mitigated by fitting an additional transmission cooler.
@Sinnerator: https://www.carsguide.com.au/toyota/camry/towing-capacity
Almost any dim-witted individual can post on a forum and argue incorrectly too.
I'd love to see the cars you deem acceptable to be fitted and make use of a tow-bar.
… push bike rack…
Depends on the type of car - a towbar on a Toyota Yaris is a deal breaker for me. If that thing's towed anything more than a bike rack, I'll pass.
I have seen many Camrys with a tow bar but never seen one towing something in my 5 years of driving. I think most people get them because they think it will save them in some situations like bumping into a wall/barrier during parking or getting rear ended. (this one will probably cause more damage to the other car)
Camrys with a tow bar
Like BMW'S and their indicators
I've seen them with bike racks or towing those freebie Bunnings trailers. No one's pulling their caravan, or even a Jayco in a Camry.
Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it not happening. The v6 is very good capable one.
I always see Camrys collecting trolleys.
And ride-share users, but they usually don't bring a trailer.
They should start. Chuck a couple benches in a cage trailer, now your Uberpool can have so many more people.
Can confirm, bought a used camry with towbar was an ex-bank vehicle. Don't believe the protective rubber cap has ever been removed. In my 8 years of ownership I too have also never used the towbar. Honestly 90% sure toyota fits them as reverse parking sensors.
Might have just pulled a 6x4 trailer to the council tip twice a year so doesn't necessarily mean the rear shocks or transmission are shagged.
Needs a poll option:
Depends - I'll research further
This. I always get a towbar on any car I purchase for this exact purpose.
Reverse parking sensor
Steer by sound. Beeps are annoying. Crunching sounds are satisfying.
I don't want to reverse park unless it sounds like someone squeezing a handfull of doritos.
Would it make you feel better if someone removed the tow bar and never mentioned anything?
Seriously your question falls into the tyre kicking category. If you haven't seen then you don't know.
shows a tow bar does this turn you off?
Do you get turned on by naked cars without accessories?
I wonder which question people are answering the poll on.
FWIW
- Would You Buy a Used Car That Has a Tow Bar? Yes
- you find a sleek, sporty Camry on Carsales and the 4th pic shows a tow bar does this turn you off? No, but wth is a sporty Camry
Answered the title question.
Sorry Camry? Now I’ve heard everything.
Depends on the car. Camry? Probably never towed much so don’t care. Would save me from installing one for the bike rack. Large 4wd? Depends if the owner has a huge caravan in the driveway or other signs of heavy towing.
Most towbars don’t do a lot of work and won’t harm the transmission.
I’ve installed a towbar to I think 5 vehicles now. Could save some coins by getting a car with one fitted.
Sleek, sporty camry LOL
Lot of people that buy cars get towbars even if they don't need them. Many get them so they can use a bike rack or "just in case I need it some day". I see it as a bonus.
Look the Camry is basically a Porche 911; with some extra doors and bodywork and different suspension and chaisse and engine and transmission and crub weight and wheels and tyres and interior and ECU. But aside from that basically identical.
Looks a bit better than the Boeing+9/11 collab from 2001.
(I'm negging myself for this)
Why not? Stupid post.
because stupid people tow stupid heavy things stupidly with a stupid car that cannot stupidly handle the stupid weight
then said stupid people stupidly lie when their car (transmission) stupidly breaks down and stupidly try to stupidly sell their stupid broken car to an unsuspecting buyerIf the transmission has broken hopefully you'd pick up on that when you're unable to drive it off.
Besides, stupid people do stupid things with their cars in many ways, it's why you do a proper check. Crash history, maintenance records, test drives and getting a mechanic to check it out. No car is safe from having been flogged in one way or another.
because stupid people tow stupid heavy things stupidly with a stupid car that cannot stupidly handle the stupid weight
then said stupid people stupidly lie when their car (transmission) stupidly breaks down and stupidly try to stupidly sell their stupid broken car to an unsuspecting buyerIs that an admission you have done stupid things in your vehicle? Sounds like it.
Yes, and special Bonus Points if a Trailer, Caravan, Horse Float or Boat are still attached.
What would you do having bought a second hand car without a towbar, if you found out later, that it had a towbar removed?
i wouldnt buy a bmw if the indicator didnt have dust on it
BMW now offer indicators as an optional extra
It's a subscription service, like the heated seats.
And as every BMW owner knows, having a BMW badge is much more important than being able to afford upkeep on said car.
If the tow bar is not in use it is supposed to be removed. Also if the tow bar is obstructing the number plate from any angle it's definitely illegal.
Yeah right, if that is ever going to happen,not.
You're thinking of the tow ball.
Only need to remove if it ‘protrudes dangerously’ or obscures lights or number plate.
Given the number of vehicles I see with towbars on, I’d imagine that most towbars don’t protrude dangerously. They stick out a bit, but not enough to be an issue or it would be policed more.
So if I mount it on a 3m medieval lance affixed to the front of my car, that's probably classed by the nanny state as "protruding dangerously".
You’d just have to remove it when it’s not in use.
I have tow bar on my Corolla. It is used for to put a bike rack on.
No. But I wouldn't buy a used car in the first place.
Because you can’t lift anything with a used car?
Bless your heart, you're making cars cheaper for the rest of us.
Yeah you never know what you might find under the seat of a used car. Don’t know how people can just buy a used car.. disgusting.
My last used car had like $6 in change under the seats!
I would go into the deal suspecting the transmission is on the way out, have it thoroughly inspected and the $$$ would have to reflect all this
Now I have heard it all!🤣🤣
Now I have heard it all!
I bet you haven't.
Sinnerator is still out there.
You’d be in the minority. Most don’t care unless there are signs of frequent heavy towing.
I have purchased a used car with tow ball. The ball was shiny and unused. Transmission was all good.
Yes, it's common knowledge that tow balls cannot be replaced with new ones.
Wanted a small quick car. At the time I was into kart racing, so I needed to be able to tow a kart trailer. Asked the NSW Renault dealer whether I could tow a light trailer with a Clio Sport. He rang the Renault distributors in front of me who said they had a tow bar that fitted all Clios. Bought the car on that basis.
Moved to SA. Car was inspected to check its identity, they saw the tow bar mount, and pointed out that Renault specified a zero towing weight for the Clio Sport. So I couldn't legally tow anything. The dealer said that if I want back to NSW they'd remove the towbar and refund the money I'd paid to have it fitted, but that would have meant I had to lose money buying another new car that could tow the kart trailer. Renault argued that they didn't know what I wanted to use the tow bar for, it might have just been to carry a bike rack. I should have read the manual that said zero towing weight. The manual I only saw after I took delivery of the car which simply had a blank next to maximum towing weight for the Sport.
Even though the Sport was the biggest engined Clio, so it should have been the best to tow with, the stability control wasn't calibrated to deal with a trailer on the back.
In the end all it ever towed was a 32 kg kart trailer with a 70 kg kart on it, and occasional a rented box trailer to take rubbish to the tip.
Would someone be smart to buy my car with the tow bar mount on the back? Probably not. Not unless they wanted to carry a bike rack.
Is this still available?
Just measure the length of the car. If its longer than it should be then maybe its towed something way too heavy.
I towed (small trailer) many times with my Camry, and it's also helpful to protect the car from idiots in the parking lot
you do know you can remove it, if you don't need it…..