1996 limited dark green with auto and new tires

[nicksdad]

never owned a toyota, of course ive heard they are great but 165k miles
is there something I should know before I go buy this ... does it have problems
motor / tranny / electronics / axles / etc...anyone have one or experience with one ... ?/ any help would be appreciated Im supposed to look at it today when he gets home..
thanks Dan

 

[96743runner]

Welcome!

With 165k miles, the timing belt should have been changed once already. (90k mile intervals)

A fairly rare problem exists with the 3rd gens where the in-radiator transmission cooler ruptures/cracks, mixing coolant and transmission fluid together. This mixing of fluids can and will probably cause damage to some degree to the transmission. Search "strawberry milkshake" or "pink milkshake" for more info. This issue can get messy and costly, but this can be easily prevented by bypassing the in radiator cooler and installing a separate external transmission cooler or by just replacing the radiator itself with a new one.

Around 100k miles, the rear axle seals on the 3rd gens usually go bad and leak oil. You can tell if the seal is leaking by looking to see if the rear brakes look wet from underneath.

That's all the major problems that I can think of right now. But they really are reliable vehicles as long as they were taken care of by the PO.

 

[nicksdad]

thanks for the response... I did look at it ... interior was good to fair / body was good... just a little fading or clear coat loss... but engine bay and rust engine oil everywhere
rust all over under side...very rough sounding and seemed slow... or weak... I will have to drive a couple to get a judge of how they drive...