Hi all:

Thanks in large part to this forum I have decided that my next car will be an XB. I'm going to look at a used one today, a 2005 (auto trans) with 32k miles on it. Are there any specific things I should be looking at, any problems that normally crop up on an XB of this age that I should keep an eye out for as I look it over? As far as I know it is unmodded (which is good for me).

 

Check that all the VIN numbers match up on all the parts, doors, body panels, ect.

 

as long as its not a Gen2, everything is golden. :-p

 

Are you looking for a stock or something a bit more custom? Our club founder is selling his 05 xB now for $16.9k, pics are at http://www.frankenscion.com/ but you'll have to like green to like it

For a stock used model, I'd just check and make sure all the controls work (mirror, windows, locks, A/C, heat, defrost), take a peak in the engine bay and look at the belt to see if it's frayed, the hoses to see if they're cracked, and any mounting bolts to see if there's rust. Also look for scratches, stains and other stuff on the console and headliner, my last car the dealer swore had never been smoked in, then later I noticed tiny burn pinholes in the headliner and a melt mark on the center console. Also, they said it had never been in an accident, then i found overspray on the rubber jacket for the hood prop. Any overspray on plastic or rubber parts indicates it's been painted after factory and may have been in a collision.

 

Also, just to chime in... check to see what kind of maintanence reciepts they have for the car. @ 32K miles, there should have been ONE Auto Tranny fluid drain + fill job done on it... roughly at 25K miles. If they cannot produce a reciept for that maintenance done, I'd automatically subtract $125 from what ever price you end up working out (but save the $125 call out until the end, to call them on it, and to potentially seal the deal Also, even spark plugs should have been replaced by 30K miles = $50 , so really your up to $175 of total negotiating down .

Make sure the tires can still go another year+ , or 10-15K miles. If not, subtract for that also.

 

Ask for a carfax history report. Any good dealership will print you up one for no charge. If they wont supply one, then they are probably trying to hide something.

 

x2 on the carfax report

 

door dings, front lip condition.

 

Thanks for the replies. I actually have the car in my possession now for evaluation, I think it's for me. There are a couple minor cosmetic issues, and it needs a new set of tires, but for the price ($9000) I think it's OK. Carfax report is clean, one owner. Unfortunately it's been raining since I picked it up so I haven't had much chance to look in the engine compartment, I'll be doing that today. Thanks again.

 

Wow, 9k is a good price. If you need a new set of tires and it's on the OEM stock rims, ask around on scionlife. A LOT of people put on rims when they first got their car and would be willing to sell or give away the stock rim / tire with little or no miles on the tread. Post it up in the classifieds or your regional forum.

 

9k is a really good price! How many miles?

And yes, there are a lot of people selling off their stock rim/tire combos. If you don't want to go that route, definitely get a different tire than the stock Goodyears. They suck.

 

9K is a killer price!

Mine has 30K and you couldn't pry it away from me at any price...let alone that price! You will just love the car. They are phenomenal!

Check the doors/hatch/etc for matching numbers. And like vettereddie said look for evidence of minor repair or repaint. Not all damage makes it to a CarFax.

Welcome aboard!