I am selling my 2002 Camry LE (205000 miles on it) so I take it to this alignment service place for inspection in case there are any problems so I can let the buyers know (it only pulled to right a little bit and would vibrate at low speed on vsmooth fresh asphalt). They said it needs tires, rear sway bar to frame and both front strut mounts and alignment are out. I am afraid they may have over-exaggerated because later the same day my mechanic changed the my front tires and now the pulling and vibration are gone. is this something I should let the buyer know of and give a huge discount for it or the Camry can last for a few more years with this and we don’t need to stress out too much? thank you!
Let’s not kid ourselves here. You are selling an 18-year old car with over 200,000 miles on it. It is not perfect, nor does any reasonable person considering buying this type of car expect it to be. If you installed new tires and now the car drives fine, it stands to reason that the ride quality issues were due to a defective tire, and have now been resolved.
It sounds like the mechanic’s diagnosis was incorrect or alternatively the parts he mentioned may indeed be worn past their service limit, however the problem which precipitated bringing the car for repair has been resolved, namely one or more defective tires. In any case, you are under no obligation to disclose anything other than actual problems which you know about. You have no idea if the suspension components will need replacing in the not-too-distant future, and it’s really not your job to worry about that. The likelihood that the car will need repairs and maintenance due to age and wear is already accounted for in the Blue Book price once you enter the mileage.
Simply go to KBB and look for “private party selling price” or “my car’s value”. Then enter the details of this car (engine type, transmission type, features and options, paint color, odometer mileage), and then choose a condition based on how the body and interior look. That will give both a target value, and a range of what you can reasonably expect to sell the car for.
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You could probably find a dozen other things wrong that could be done too so just leave it up to the buyer to determine condition. I can’t believe that’s all that would need doing on a car that old with that many miles. The other thing is I’m having trouble seeing how the strut mounts would be bad but not making any noise? You aren’t an expert and not expected to be so just leave it alone. You’re selling an old car.
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What did your mechanic say about the suspension issues? If your mechanic didn’t find problems, it is unlikely that the work needs to be done right now. Also, is a safety inspection required for the new owner to register this car? If it is, the new owner will find out soon enough.
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