Found used Limited but its been on the lot for a while

[joe_c]

I found a 2011 Limited in a little town about 80 miles from here and upon researching it on a car site, noticed it had been on the lot for 167 days. That threw me off because locally, 4 runners are on the lot for about 2 weeks.

I'm wondering if there is something wrong with the vehicle. It has a clean carfax and is a one owner. I'm going to check it out tomorrow morning, but it'll be disappointing if there is something blatantly wrong with it and they didn't provide those details.

I know I can use this in negotiation, so what can I look for right off the bat that might indicate something is wrong with the vehicle.

Thanks in advance.

 

[1engineer]

Check the XREAS suspension. Look at all the shocks and see if there are signs of a fluid leak around one of them. That is an expensive repair if it needs fixed.

 

[philsey]

4 X 4 or 4 X 2 ??

No experience, but I've read many times that carfax is not end-all be-all.

 

[dekeman]

Look very closely at the paint and for signs of overspray, indicating an accident. Just because it has a clean carfax doesn't mean it hasn't been in a crash, it may have been repaired by some back alley paint shop. That's not to say such repairs can't be done well (rare though), it just means it's off the books.

 

[joe_c]

Thanks for the advice. Its a 4x4. I know that the Carfax is not the holy grail of the vehicle's life, but its a good first step.

I'll check the XREAS and look over the paint.

 

[Okki]

Check the body gaps as well. Especially doors (occupants and rear hatch) tend not to be hung as clean as from the factory if replaced/taken off. body panel gaps along the hood may be an indicator of frame damage (or a badly aligned hood, but great starting point to ask questions).

Okki

 

[carlsenga]

Maybe it is a typo on the number of days it has been on the lot....

 

[KAT3]

Hello.

I have a 2012 Limited 4x4, Magnetic Grey Metallic with 15300 miles. It's in excellent condition but we've decided we really miss and need a larger vehicle (I traded in my Sequoia). We are planning on trading-in/selling in March but could be flexible with that. I thought it may be fate when I stumbled on this post and noticed you're in Memphis. We're in Nashville but, if my truck is what you're looking for, maybe we could work out a deal.

If you are interested let me know and I can provide more info.
Kathy

 

[Jeff M]

How about a link so we can see what you're looking at?

 

[KAT3]

...also, thought I should explain, I haven't used this site since I was researching 4Runners two years ago. I needed to find an answer regarding a noise we've heard and remembered all the great information shared here. Not sure if I joined back then. If I did, my log-in info has long been forgotten! This is the reason my account was created tonight.

 

[JohnJerk]

Check the factory warranty status. If the original buyer purchased in 2010, it is done. That is so few miles as to be a concern for potential dried out gaskets etc.

 

[TonyJ124]

There's a dealer in CT with a limited that has been on the lot for at least 6 months now. My in-laws were contemplating it, so I went and looked it over and drove it. It's still a "new" vehicle since it was a dealership owner demo. There were no signs of accidents or any funny leaks or the sort. 6 months of sitting is excessive on any vehicle, but I didn't see any reason it was harming it when I was checking it out in December.

As it turns out, that same 4runner is STILL sitting in the position I parked it and no longer shows up on their online inventory. It's kind of weird. My assumption is they're sitting on it until they can write off a chunk of the depreciation and list it a bit cheaper. They were at about $35k for a cash sale then... It just seems all too weird that it's sitting there, and the sales manager was kind of funny when I was negotiating a price for my in-laws. The whole exchange just felt like they didn't want to sell it. Maybe it was that I was there as a 3rd party, or there is some weird loophole they have the truck sitting in.

Either way, we obviously didn't buy, 1st because my mother in law wasn't wholly comfortable driving it and didn't like the navigation (she prefers my SR5 radio) and 2nd because the dealer was weird about finding a price for it and explaining why it's just sitting there unadvertised.

I'd proceed with looking the truck in question over really well- have them put it on a lift, and bring a good list of questions about it with you so you cover all your bases. Remember, it's your comfort level with the truck that matters and using "I'm not comfortable with X" is your most powerful tool to walk or to negotiate the price. Good luck!