2012 Limited should I buy

[mcolliga]

All,
Thoughts on a 2012 Limited, 2wd in good condition, all maintenance done at dealer, 2 owner for $18500? Think I might go offer $17k cash and see what happens. It’s a bit old but I know these things are tough and it’s more of a second car for us. Don’t need 4wd, may use for occasional towing.

Used 2012 Toyota 4Runner Limited for sale in Harvey, LA 70058: Sport Utility Details - 739802723 - Autotrader

 

[Hungryhawk]

Dealers can do a fair job of maintenance but ignore lots of runner maint. needs.
They will only grease drive shaft U-joints if YOU specifically request -as example. And if prior owner declined recommended services there could be hidden wear problems.
Car Fax can provide valuable info for a small fee, well worth the effort-all you need is the VIN. Also the Toyota data base can be searched.
Its up to you to obtain copies of the records and compare to the fine maintenance intervals on this site and in the owners manual. Hopefully not lost -I found one on ebay for my daughters 5 year old SR 5 she bought a year ago.

 

[Humble Leader]

yes the car is old. but old only becomes relevant when you have to deal with winter climate and poor or no maintenance records. the mileage is low, it appears to be a southern car and if you can get the maintenance records from the previous dealer that would help greatly

at that mileage, you're probably going to need spark plugs soon. if the transmission fluid hasn't been changed I'd suggest doing trans, transfer case, and differentials as well if they haven't been done

visually it looks great, interior looks well kept. if you don't need a 4x4 I think it's worth taking a closer look at. price wise I'd go in even lower than $17K. the 2wd 4runners are not very common and most people want the 4x4.

 

[15Limited]

All,
Thoughts on a 2012 Limited, 2wd in good condition, all maintenance done at dealer, 2 owner for $18500? Think I might go offer $17k cash and see what happens. It’s a bit old but I know these things are tough and it’s more of a second car for us. Don’t need 4wd, may use for occasional towing.

Used 2012 Toyota 4Runner Limited for sale in Harvey, LA 70058: Sport Utility Details - 739802723 - Autotrader

Get underneath it and look at the X-REAS struts/shocks on all four corners. They are red, and if leaking, you'll easily dirt stuck to where the oil has leaked out. If they look immaculate, you know they've been cleaned. This is very important as X-REAS can be expensive to swap out if you don't do it yourself. Good luck!

 

[fourwd1]

All,
Thoughts on a 2012 Limited, 2wd in good condition, all maintenance done at dealer, 2 owner for $18500? Think I might go offer $17k cash and see what happens. It’s a bit old but I know these things are tough and it’s more of a second car for us. Don’t need 4wd, may use for occasional towing.

If you want to pay $17k, start your offer even lower ($16 or even $15).
Your offer tells them you're already hooked and want to buy.
They're already asking more expecting to negotiate down.

You start at $17k, after negotiating you might get them down to $18k.
It's a dealership, they're used to negotiating to their advantage.

Be ready to walk away if you don't get a better deal.

 

[MZ2215]

There's your carfax, looks like it was a regular at Bohn Toyota
carfax.com

Definitely check the x-reas shocks. The set on my '07 were still from the factory when I sold it at 160k miles, but started failing at 70k on my '15. Otherwise it looks to be extremely well taken care of inside and out.

 

[Hungryhawk]

Buying a car is a game, and the dealer lives for it. All the staff sit around thinking how to play the game. Do look at their other vehicles with same enthusiasm as the one you Really Want!
So walking out at least once is helpful. Also dealers make money off car loans. So cash offer is actually not helpful. A loan with NO early payoff penalty could be helpful-but it is all in the details.

 

[Rocko9999]

If you don't need 4wd and the Xreas-shocks-are not leaking, no major engine leaks-small seaping is ok, 16-17K is a fair price for that low mileage.