I have to decide today if I am going to buy a 1999 RAV4. 166,000 miles for $3K. Timing belt just changed within the last 2 years. Is $3K too much?? I feel like it will be cheaper to fix than the 2003 Audi I currently own. Any advice would be so appreciated.
Any used vehicle - maintenance is key. Rav4 is an excellent and very reliable vehicle, but if it wasn’t maintained properly then all bets are off. Is there a maintenance history record? If none, then I’d pass.
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Why don’t you find out much it actually costs to fix this 4 year newer car so you will make an informed decision. You didn’t say what ails the Audi but they tend to be expensive to fix, in general. As for the RAV4, as Mike says, they are good cars but a 19 year old car is a big risk if you don’t know how its been treated.
So… the devil you know versus the devil you don’t?
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Yes. The Audi is great. But it is expensive to fix. Thanks for your input. I will see if I can get a history.
Thanks for the input. And I guess this is a great reminder that I should start keeping better track of my own maintenance records.
The price I see about right for a loaded base model RAV4 in clean condition from a dealer. It is more than twice what it should cost from a private party. I guess it’s a bit late to have a mechanic you trust check it out for about $100.