Hello Guys,

I used to own 2005 scion xa manual transmission and I really liked it while I had it. Now, I am looking at one Scion tc 2008 manual with almost 70,000 miles.
The car pretty clean from inside out. But the seller is saying there has been 2 accidents on that car. Recent one when he was in the parking lot and some van backed into his car. He has gotten it fixed and it looks pretty clean now.

It is not a rebuilt title. He is the first owner of the car. I am nervous about buying it. I need your opinion about how should I go about it. Should I buy it or look for another one?

He also has done lots of work on this car, has put lots of extra stuff like short shifter, front and back lower lips, lowering springs, and much more.

Because of the accidents he is asking around the fair condition of kbb value.

Give me your opinions about it.

Thank you!

 

only thing i can tell you is check carfax history (what was the 2nd accident?) not too bad on the mileage, check under it for any rust, find out how many miles on suspension, condition of tires and brakes. what type of oil is in it (if done by a place like speedlube or dealership you can usually get a history of service on it) make sure to take it on a test drive to see how the feel of it is like shifting wise, how engine sounds/reacts,ect...

 

Thanks for replying man,
I took it on a test drive and it was very smooth, much much better than my xa. Shifting was smooth, the guy looked like he took care of it pretty well. Tires were good, had 70% thread almost. Brakes were good I think. Heater, Ac, and everything else worked. I checked the history and for the second accident, it said "Multiple impacts." But they still offered a "buyback warranty" and it was not a rebuilt title. Fair condition is around $8400 for that car on kbb. How much should I be paying for this car if I even should buy it?
Thanks

 

Small accidents like being backed into in a parking lot shouldn't be a real concern. You want to know if there were any more serious accidents (at a higher rate of speed) which can cause more internal damage. My 08 has 73K miles.

 

Thanks for replying.
Well, he said first accident was when he ran into a Deer in 2010 and the Van backing up was last month. He showed me a picture of the recent one and it had a front bumper damage, hood damage(which he replaced with carbon fiber hood), and he said the radiator was pushed back and came out of its brackets.
Although, the pics did not show the full car, it just showed the front part.

 

Just curious, what's he asking?

Reason I ask is, I'd be willing to part with my 08 5spd with less than 70K on it for payoff. (which is right around 12K) Cheaper than a dealer, plus you get coilovers, LED tails, and a few other things.

 

He put it up for $8500 but he is telling me around $7200.

 

Can anyone advice me if I should pick it up for $7200 if there is mechanically nothing wrong with it?

 

It wouldn't hurt to have it put on a lift, so you can inspect it better (bottom for bends in frame or anything). BUT if it all checks out, mechanically sound, and you feel comfortable with it, it's not a bad price at all.

 

honestly we cant tell you if its a good deal or not. its your money, if you think 7200 is worth it than do it.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

was radiator replaced, or hoses checked anything like that? (cooling issues?)

 

Radiator was not replaced. It was pushed back and put it back into its place.

 

i wouldnt buy it unless u know a mechanic and if u do buy it, the price shouldnt be kbb value. The aftermarket stuff doesnt count like if u ever tried to trade in ur car, theyre not going to care how much u put stuff into it.

 

Yea, I know all the extra stuff does not matter. Thanks for replying.