1997 Toyota Avalon - what to look for before purchase?

Maintenance/Repairs
41

@‌tom418 -
“Leaking power steering rack (or pump- dealer says pump, I see fluid on rack) after cleaning everything)” - Check that it’s not a hose. I had a bad hose on my '96 ES300. But not cheap, it’s long and hard to replace.

“Power windows (except for driver’s) do not go down except in the dead of winter. There is FLUID leaking from under the door handles (from regulator?) under w=the windows that don’t work.” My driver’s door motor went out, got a replacement at Rockauto.

“CV joint boots cracked (I’m taking it in next week for repairs)” I wouldn’t do anything yet. I’d wait for one axle to start clicking, then replace the axle. Could be thousands of miles more. Once the boot’s cracked, just replacing the boot doesn’t undo the damage dirt has done.

“Rear Valve cover (Right) leaking. I replaced the other(front) one myself. This one’s a bear to get to.” Common problem with that engine. If you’re anywhere near getting the timing belt done, do it (and the spark plugs) at the same time. That way the inlet plenum only comes off once.

“R/F ABS sensor needs replacing. I’m changing that one myself. When trouble shooting the ABS to determine ABS fault code (31) , (using the Factory manual procedures) the Airbag light came on. That took me hours to reset , using the alternate ground procedure (where timing must be precise). NO FUN.” That I haven’t had.

Other common problems: the starter solenoid contacts wear out around 100k miles or so. Contacts only about $20, removing the starter not too hard.

Rear suspension bushings wear out causing clunking, but not big $$ to repair.

Engine mounts go out, caused my engine to rock, resulting in the radiator tank being cracked by the top hose rocking back and forth.

42

"This is a Toyota not a…"
I have had had 10 Toyotas. They are good cars. They are not impervious to old age problems. If you think an Avalon ( a stretched out Camry v6) is some how going to go 250k without high end problems, you are sadly mistaken. Age rears it’s ugly head on all cars especially corrosion related problems. I shy away from older high end cars because they still have air conditioners, electric windows, power seats, mirrors and a plethora of other little goodies that cost too much to fix given the money you try to save on an older one. I still recommend something like a Prism/Corolla of the 2002 variety for the same or less and with fewer miles. 250k and higher trouble free miles is so maintenance dependent, having an Avalon that doesn’t have problems depends more on other factors then being a Toyota.

Btw, Toyotas with so called " lower grade materials" are more reliable then ever. If by lower grade materials you mean more plastics, that’s a good thing. Cars are much lighter for their size and options due to lighter materials. Lighter doesn’t necessarily mean lower grade. More plastic and aluminum is often worthwhile in corrosion and weight consideration.

43

@dagosa‌

No, I am NOT sadly mistaken

Because I NEVER claimed a 250k Avalon would be immune to “high end” problems

Please do not read into things more than you should be

Just because a car has ac, power windows, mirrors, does not mean a car is high end

My 1995 Corolla had ac, power windows, mirrors, etc. . . and it was certainly not a high end car

I still absolutely insist Toyota quality has dropped significantly

My 1995 Corolla headliner was perfect, when I got rid of it in 2012

My 2005 Camry’s headliner is falling down, and has been for some time. It’s only getting lower

My Corolla dash was perfect

My brother’s 2008 Highlander dash is peeling

Newer is not always better

What do I as the car driver care if my car is lighter, but it’s literally coming apart. Fat lot of good that does me.

And I’m not talking about aluminum and corrosion. You can go there, if you want

I like you, but I’m disagreeing with almost your entire paragraph

Btw . . . I like Toyota just fine. Always have, probably always will. But in my eyes, the quality has dropped significantly. I am fairly loyal to the brand, but I’m not blind

44

I hear you but we are talking about functional reliability and not head liners and peeling dash boards. I don’t think we disagree that even a Camry, Accord or Fusion with power windows, door locks, mirrors etc. can have problems for example…and IMHO, a 97( any 97) with high end features, including a Corolla would not be on my shopping list.

Everyone in our family, including our kids when starting out bought Accords and Camrys etc with known good reliability with 100k miles and drove them to well over 200k. Without exception, the transmissions and motors were still doing fine but the battle with power windows, door locks, AC etc. all were reasons why the cars eventually were let go. All cars are susceptible to these problems as they age and anyone is sadly mistaken thinking Toyotas and Accords and what ever you want to name are immune. We had three Corollas in our family, all base models because they were available that way. Without exception, only the AC and cooling were problems and they were worth fixing. All were kept longer, one over 300k, then the Accords, because they had fewer high end features to break down.

I really don’t know where our disagreement is coming from as it is common sense to me (and I am sure to you as well) along with CR recommendations that (1) the fewer features that cost money to maintain, the longer cars can remain economically worth it to keep. (2) Toyotas are not immune from these problems (3) headliners not withstanding along with other trim items are a pain, but can be dealt with ( provided looks are not an issue for you with old cars) compared to mechanical problems. (4) look for a base corolla, Echo etc because they can be had that way if your goal is to save money. (5) if you can’t afford anything newer, you certainly will find it harder to fix the luxury features. (6) Toyotas are more reliable then ever overall, even if trim items are more of a problem, which I give you . That item in particular shows up more frequently as a problem in newer cars of many makes, overall reliability not withstanding.

Btw, having disagreements with friends and still remaining friends is probably a good reason why you choose them as friends to begin with.

45

Let me add this. Whatever one’s guess about the potential reliability of a particular Avalon is, IMHO, you can make the same guess about a Camry v6 with comparable features. It has always been a stretched version of a Camry and as far as I know, according to my cousin, who was service manager for them, they used the same parts from the same sub contractors for just about everything but trim items and features specific to the Avalon. Therefore, even a Camry could potentially be a better buy economically when looking at newer models with fewer miles for the same price. I would skip this car and shop on.

46

@db4690:

Glad to hear I’m not alone. You state that most FWD cars have cracks in the CV joints. Anything I can do to make them last longer the next time around (Make wider turns, use silicone spray on them)? As far as the valve lash: What IS the advantage of using shims as opposeddto a locknut? My 1982 Cressida (5ME engine) valve lash was just like the one I do in my 1979 Celica: Loosen locknut, adjust, tighten locknut.

COuld lack of use be what doomed my Power windows? (Driver’s window is the only one that works).

I didn’t mean to hijack the OP’s thread, but I still think this is a lot of maintenance compared to my Celica (still have) and my Cressida (T-boned in 1995)

47

@tom418‌

As far as I’m aware, nothing will lengthen the life of a CV boot

As far as valve lash, shims versus locknut . . . Toyota decided to go with shims for along time, as did many other manufacturers

I’m no engineer, but I think I might see an advantage in using shims, versus hydraulic lash adjusters. If a hydraulic lash adjuster goes bad, the cams have to come out, which can turn into a big repair. If an engine using shims need the valves adjusted, there’s generally no need to remove the cams.

48

@dagosa‌

I don’t understand your insistence on calling power windows and locks high end or luxury features

No offense, man, but that’s outdated thinking

Nowadays, even a significant percentage of pickup trucks have power windows and locks

49

The advantage of shims over lock nut and screw adjusters is that once adjusted they will tend to stay in adjustment better and it seems that valve stem mushrooming is lessened to some degree by the use of shims. That’s not to say that I agree with the premise that once adjusted a shim type engine will never need to be checked again.

I also don’t consider power windows and locks a luxury feature as that’s pretty much standard on even bottom end cars.

High end to me means a 6-figure Benz with seats that have a thousand positions, built in massage and heat, burnished wood trim, or as in the case of (my memory is fuzzy on this) the Benz some years ago fitted with a self-emptying ashtray…

50

My last car with manual window was a 1996 Kia Sephia, it was the very base model with 5 speed transmission. I always buy cheap basic transportation, usually used, but since that 96 model, I haven’t come across manual windows. I am sure some cars have it, just not common any more.

Luxury in my mind is the brand; MB, Lexus, BMW etc. Even if they have the same options that a Hyundai has, they are more expensive to maintain and repair. They are status cars, driven by those that have “made it” or think they have.

51

@Db4690
Outdated thinking ? Heck, we (OP ) are looking at an out dated car ! That’s the perspective I am using. I don’t recommend a 2011 Corolla with power locks and windows because that isn’t even in the price range of a 1997 Avalon with 250 k miles. At that time, an Avalon with these and other features were high end items as part of a standard package. My 2002 Prism hand crank windows, manual mirrors etc. and it and cars like that have a much better chance of lasting the next 5 yers with fewer repairs. Our family had both tupes of cars the ones that cost the least over time, had the fewest power options, no question. Is this stuff out dated thinking ? Not if you are cheap enough to consider buying a 16 year old car with a quarter million miles to begin with. And, you need all the financial help ou can get. I call that thinking “progressive”. Our family has had to relinquish cars because the expense of repairing some of these items was more then the value of the car itself.

Of course, you are talking with a guy whose idea of heated cab as being modern feature. ( Kubota)
Do you accept that you must have all these power options in an older car ?

Everyone can define what high end items are for themselves. But with out them, cars are cheaper to maintain. AND, in that price range and that year, OP has the option of looking for these cars.

52
My 2002 Prism hand crank windows, manual mirrors etc. and it and cars like that have a much better chance of lasting the next 5 yers with fewer repairs.

Probably right…but for the past 30 years all our vehicles have been Power windows and power mirrors…and we’ve NEVER had a failure.

53

Our first car with power windows was a 1976 Ford Granada, not one of Ford’s “better ideas”. We got rid of it with 108,000 miles on it since it was rusting out. The rear springs, turn signal stalk, smog pump, air injector system, heater core, U-joints, starter, A/C compressor, and a number of other minor things all failed, but the power windows worked fine and never had a problem.

54

@MikeInNH‌
Did they start out 15 plus years old with 250 k miles ? Because this is what we are talking about, not some car you bought new and know the history of.

You guys are talking through your hats ;))))) and seem totally oblivious to how old the car (Avalon) actually is with your testimonies. Does anyone in their right mind actually think the more options you have, has little or no effect on a car ownership costs over the years after 15 and 250 k miles. It is a big factor and should be considered for car owners that START their ownership life with cars this old.

@Docnick. Ford Granada at 105k is not even half way to the 250k Avalon. As far as an old Granada is concerned, you buy one without rear springs heater core and starter…just to get you to 100 k. Without extra repair bills. (That’s a joke)

No one’s testimony even comes close to OP’s situation. Gee, I have a RAV that’s ten years old with no problems with power windows at 120k miles…still not a valid testimony on the purchase of a car This old.

55
Does anyone in their right mind actually think the more options you have, has little or no effect on a car ownership costs over the years after 15 and 250 k miles.

I NEVER said that…In fact if you re-read my post I even said that you were probably right…

I only commented on MY personal experience…that I’ve NEVER had a failure. When my 98 Pathfinder finally left the family…it was 15+ years old…and over 400k miles. If you take a survey on thousands of cars - you may find that is true…I NEVER said it wasn’t.

56

As I understand it, the car is a 1997 (17 year old) Toyota Avalon and has an asking price of $1600. If the car isn’t rusted, the suspension is acceptable, the transmission shifts properly, the engine runs well without overheating, and the power windows still go up and down, there is probably at least a year’s use left in the car. I had a friend that had to have new coils, a new computer and a few other repairs on a 2006 Mercury Milan and the bill was about $2000.
At $1600 you don’t ask if the car uses oil, but you ask how much oil does the car use. You don’t ask if the car was in an accident, but ask instead how bad was the accident.
From what I read in the posts, this car sounds like a good deal.

57

@MikeInNH‌
If you read my post, you will see that is a general comment and does not apply to any response you made. It is a separate paragraph. You need not take a comment in general as a a response to you if the paragraph is not headed by your name. This one is for you.

This one is not.

@Triedaq‌
"There is probably about a year’s use left in the car. " You are less generous then I am. The average life span of a car is about 15 years and 2-300k miles. This car theoretically, is at it’s end game. For $1600, as little as it is, I would want to spend it on something with a greater chance of survival. A base Corolla which sells for about the same could be several years newer with many fewer miles. I would like to think it could support more years of life.

58

@dagosa–While I haven’t followed the recent used car market, I would bet that it would be next to impossible to find a good, base model Corolla for $1600. Back in the early 1960s, a four year old Cadillac and a four year old VW Beetle in equivalent condition with about the same number of miles were worth about the same money even though when new, the Cadillac costs at least three times as much. The perception was that the VW would be cheaper to run and maintain and that is what used car buyers are looking for. I remember back in 1954, when I was in 8th grade, my parents needed another car as my mother was going back to work. The common wisdom at the time was to buy a used Chevrolet or Ford as the parts were more readily available and the Fords and Chevrolets were cheaper to run. However, the used Fords and Chevrolets my parents could afford were really used up and the used Ford and Chevys that were in good shape were out of my parents’ price range. My dad finally came home with a used 1947 DeSoto coupe. For you younger readers, the DeSoto was an upscale Chrysler product that was above the Dodge but below the Chrysler. The maroon paint was faded and the radio didn’t play, but the car ran well and the interior was in good shape. I didn’t think the car was cool and expressed my opinion quite vocally. My dad didn’t say anything, but came home from work one day with rubbing compound, car polish and Johnson’s Car Plate wax and told me to get to work. After two days of hard labor (for an 8th grader), I had that DeSoto gleaming. I even managed to get the radio out of the dashboard and replaced a tube and had it working. My parents got many miles of service out of that DeSoto. I would bet today that, in older cars, an upscale Avalon might be a lot more affordable than a base Corolla. Furthermore, the previous owner(s) of an Avalon may have maintained the Avalon better than the previous owner(s) of the Corolla.

59

@Triedaq‌
Please add to your assumption that the car in question is one with 250k miles on it. 15 years old and 250k miles. I would never even consider car that old and miles as a daily driver…never.

Corollas up to 5 years newer with 100k fewer miles can be had for less then $500 more…around $2k KBB, and there are a gazillion more out there then Avalons to choose from and get better buys. !!! Regardless of options, they are a much better buy. There are,any more still newer then1997 and fewer then 250k for $1500 or less.

As far as maintenance is concerned unless you do it yourself, you can never be sure. A car with twice the lifetime has twice the chance of being abused as no one knows how a car was driven either and that is equally important as maintenance. Suppositions add nothing to the debate my good friend about the potential for finding a better used car buy then anAvalon with 250k miles for $1600. I could do it in my sleep and used Corollas is the better start. 30 million sold !!! My chances are much, much, much better including finding base models !
Heck, I would consider a used Hyundai or Kia with many, many fewer miles and newer for nearly the same price…

Btw my good friend, you are only giving this POJ a year of life !

60

@dagosa‌ I never look at the odometer when I shop for a “transportation” vehicle. My brother is in the plumbing business and has purchased vans with over 200,000 miles and driven them to over 300,000 miles. Furthermore, when shopping for a “transportation” vehicle, I don’t look at the name plate.
Any used car is a crap shoot, particularly in the under $2000 price range. A person can improve the chances by having a good mechanic check the vehicle over.
Back in the late 1950s, we had a family friend whose vehicles were worn out and needed to be replaced. One vehicle was a 1949 Nash Ambassador and one was a 1947 Willys Jeep station wagon. He replaced the Nash with a used 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood. It ran so well that he replaced the Jeep wagon with a 1955 Cadillac sedan DeVille. Both cars had quite a few miles for the time–probably between 80,000 and 100,000 miles. He doubled the odometer reading on both of them. This family friend was a devout reader of Consumer Reports and the Cadillacs had a good repair record as well. I wouldn’t shy away from a used car today because it is an Avalon rather than a Corolla, just as our friend didn’t buy a used Chevrolet over the Cadillac.
The Corolla does have a good reputation for reliability and economy of operation which drives the price up. However, there are low end and high end cars that have good reliability records and low end and high end cars that have poor reliability records. The Avalon does have a good record.