1999 Camry,Good price and reliable car?

Question

My son is starting Cal State Northridge this fall and we wanted to get him a car since he will be driving to school around 80 miles a day. I want to get him a cheap first car because he is still unexperienced and not a very good driver. He is also really careless with things. We want a car that is reliable and is good on gas miles.

We saw this 4- Cylinder 1999 Camry CE with 217,00 miles for $3,000 in the Honda Dealer. It's well taken care of with a pretty good maintenance record. The interior is neat and very clean. Everything works fine. The outside paint is still very nice. Clean title. Engine seems to run smooth.

Do you guys think the price is good for this car? Or do you guys think we can find something better for that price? Would this be a reliable first car for my son even though it has a lot of miles?

Thank you.

Answer 1

I am not a big fan of anything off a dealer lot for under 6 grand which as you know is exactly the reason as is is written on the paper work of the dealer invoice in the window. There is no question, the camry is a good , durable , strong dependable car, and it will likely see 300 thousand and more with some care. I know that 4 cylinder engine well and for what it is its a great motor.

One possible well documented problem with that engine is a possible blown head gasket. Please specifically have an independent mechanic check this car out, It is better to repair a head gasket BEFORE SOMEONE INEXPERIENCED tried to keep driving it for a while, not realizing how critical the damage could be. if this car is an automatic, this is your weak link. My advice? take it to a mechanic and have him do a transmission diagnostic and service it,. dropping the pan to see what is in the bottom of the transmission oil pan This is the best way to see what shape a used transmission is in, and if you do that, you may as well change the fluid and filter.

A newer camry the ecm would actually tell the mechanics diagnostic computer if there were any faults in the engine or transmission, but a 99 kind of is a bit older so the technology was not quite ready yet. For 3 grand I think you could not do better if you looked for a year. Some one clearly took care of it, which in reality is the key. Lets hope the transmission is good, and your son is smart enough to be glad he has parents who care and love him

.I like the Toyota It is a good strong dependable car and will likely hold up for a while yet. I think you need to make it clear if he folds or bends it, he needs to repair or replace it, there have been a number of bass ackwards kids on yahoo answers who parents said well if the car you have now breaks, we get you another one, so right away the dope kid is asking " how to I blow up my car accidentally??) don't make that mistake. Getting your son to realize repairs, and maintenance are a part of ownership is a really good idea too.Too many kids get free new cars, free this ,free that, and have no concept of responsibility. ( sadly) hope it all works out, if you are interested there is a good website about consumers reports on the cars we drive daily. www.carcomplaints.com will open your eyes, be sure and look over the top 20 worst cars to own, and be glad camry is a really good car.

Toyota, despite a lot of recent expensive set backs, has been holding its own It still outsold all other manufacturers last year which is quite an accomplishment.and continues to lead despite all the ups and downs and and ins and outs of the car market.

,

Answer 2

1999 Toyota Camry Reliability

Answer 3

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/awc8v



Very good car. I have a friend with a 1993, with the 4.6L (same engine) and he has 315 000km on it, and the only problem was a siezed tentioner pulley causign a broken belt, and worn spider gears in the differential. Both were caused by extreme wear as a former police car (bought with all maintance and repair papers). I work in a garage and I see many of these cars come in as a "fleet" vehicle, and I constantly see them in for maintance at 350 000km - 500 000km. I've seen a few at over 600 000km and i've seen one at 760 000km. They are cars that seem to last forever, or as long as you maintain it. If i buy a car, I'm a truck guy, i would buy a Crown Victoria/Grand Marquies. The 4.6L is a very reliable engine, and I see very few problmes with them. I have a Ranger and I'm doing a 302 swap (5L) and the only reason why i'm not doing a 4.6L swap is because of the space issue (it is possible, but very tight and not recomend completly for a daily driver). If space wasn't an issue I would ahve a 4.6L in there right now. There have been 7 Crown Victorias in my family with the 4.6L and countless Vicky's with the 5L (old squaired style). They have all held up very well, and they are put through extreme abuse. Theres a reason why they are used as police cars. They can stand up to abuse, and are relitivly "simple" to repair.

Answer 4

Like any other car, you never know how reliable it can be. Everyone says Ford is a junk car, I disagree 100%. I've been around a few Crown Vics. mostly the ones with the police package, so yeah supercharged! Bad *** car right there! Remember, some time or another a car will need maintenance, what you do STAY away from buying parts from Ford look online for part suppliers and befriend them, or better yet have a friend who is a mechanic to help you wtih maintenance.

Answer 5

I think that you should look around before you purchase the car to find a better car. If it comes down to it I would buy the camry I own a 1991 camry and it has been through alot,like two accidents nothing major and it has been parked for 4 years different occasions and its still running like a champ.

Answer 6

Check the kelly blue book online, the miles are really high. Especially if you're going to add 80 per day.I'd avoid a car with that many miles for that price. But if he's going to beat on it, it might not matter.

Answer 7

I don't think t.v. is a misuse of time, it's that I see no real use than it nowadays and there is nothing at all educational or worth it on now. Children of today are exposed to 'entertainment' that is just plain ridiculous and does not have any morale meaning in it

Answer 8

Just read a written e book and watch the identical publication that has been converted to that movie. You will find details in a book that we take for granted watching a movie. We don't have the sense of color or smell our intellects can create.