currently drive a 1999 Toyota Camry. I'm the only owner as well as the original owner. I have had this car since June 1999. The car currently has 137,000 miles on it. The front bumper is slightly scrapped. The back bumper has a small dent as well. The exterior of the car has no rust. It is shiny and I have waxed every 6 months since I have owned the car.
The interior of the car is excellant. The air conditioning,heating and radio all work. The drivers side seat is a power seat that still works.
The reasons I plan on getting rid of this car is because my mother is getting a new car and her car is a 2006 Mercury mountainier with 40,000 miles on it. My Camry is it has gotten older has needed many expensive reapairs such as starter motor, oxygen sensor, water pump, altinator, iddle speed control(a $500 repair) and charcoal canister(a $600 repair) and I had to fix my air conditioning this summer for $400. My mothers car has had no repairs at all. All my mom has had to do is get oil changes and new tires.
My mom is looking at a Ford Flex, Ford Edge, Mercedez Benz SUV, Lexus SUV.
One option would be to trade in my Toyota Camry where ever my mom buys her new car. The only problem is everytime I get my Toyota Camry appriased the new car dealers want to offer my next to nothing for my 1999 Toyota Camry. Some new car dealers have offered me $1,000 to trade my car in. Others have offered as little as $500 or $700 to trade my 1999 Toyota Camry in.
Junk yards in my area have offered me $2,500 to junk my car and they would pay me cash.
I have put ads on craigslist and also sings in my window that say for sale. I have asked $3,800 for my car. Even though the Toyota Camry has a good resale value many people in parking lots aroung town when they see a for sale sing on an 11 year old car they expect a good bargan. This one lady in the starbucks coffee parking lot came over to me as I walked inside my car. She said to me all she has is $1,400. Would I sell her the car for $1,400. I told her no!
What should I do?
I'm in California.
For years I have enjoyed this car because of its quiet ride, good gas milage and smooth handling.
In October 2009 I was going on a roadtrip alone. When I was 60 miles away from home I noticed the car was handling wierd and swievring. I got off the freeway and drove to a grocery store parking lot to get a soda. When I returned to my car 15 minutes later it would not start. I called triple AAA. Triple AAA could not jump start my car. They tested the battery and the battery was fine. At the time I only had triple AAA basic 7 mile towing. This happened at 11pm. Triple AAA had to tow my car. I told them to tow the car to the nearest Toyota dealership. So after my car was towed and dropped off at the Toyota dealership in the service nightdrop the tow driver drove me to a motel in the area where I spent the night.
The next morning the Toyota dealership called me and told me that they fixed my car. They told me the problem was shorted out gear shifter wires.
The gear shifter wire replacement ended up costing me $215. The dealer sent a van to pick me up at the motel where I stayed. After paying the dealer $215 I was in my car and drove away.
After this towing incident in October 2009 right away I switched to Triple AAAs platinum membership which includes one tow 200 miles or less and 3 other tows 100 miles or less.
Since October 2009 I have taken long driving trips with my car. In December 2009 I drove to San Diego which is 140 miles each way. The car made it to San Diego and back.
In January 2010 I drove to Las Vegas,NV which is 270 miles each way. The car made it there and back.
In April 2010 I drove the car again to Las Vegas and back.
In May 2010 I drove to a small town in Nothern California 380 miles each way and the car made it there and back.
The reason I replaced my charcoal canister on the car is because the check engine light has been stuck on for 2 years.
The charcoal cansiter replacement did not fix the check engine light. My check engine light is still stuck on.
In California a car with a check engine light on will not pass smog. What I did in 2009 to pass smog is took the car to a place that passes cars if you bribe them by paying them $150 cash.
In 2011 I'm probably going to go back to the same guy if I still have the car.
The Toyota dealership and several mechanics have told me that even though the check engine light is on there is nothing wrong with the car. It just wont pass smog.
Last week I went to the Toyota dealer as well as 3 independant mechanics. Everyone said if you fix the Vapor switching valve it should get the check engine light off.
I paid $300 at an independant mechanic to get the vapor switching valve fixed and the check engine light it still on.
The interior of the car is excellant. The air conditioning,heating and radio all work. The drivers side seat is a power seat that still works.
The reasons I plan on getting rid of this car is because my mother is getting a new car and her car is a 2006 Mercury mountainier with 40,000 miles on it. My Camry is it has gotten older has needed many expensive reapairs such as starter motor, oxygen sensor, water pump, altinator, iddle speed control(a $500 repair) and charcoal canister(a $600 repair) and I had to fix my air conditioning this summer for $400. My mothers car has had no repairs at all. All my mom has had to do is get oil changes and new tires.
My mom is looking at a Ford Flex, Ford Edge, Mercedez Benz SUV, Lexus SUV.
One option would be to trade in my Toyota Camry where ever my mom buys her new car. The only problem is everytime I get my Toyota Camry appriased the new car dealers want to offer my next to nothing for my 1999 Toyota Camry. Some new car dealers have offered me $1,000 to trade my car in. Others have offered as little as $500 or $700 to trade my 1999 Toyota Camry in.
Junk yards in my area have offered me $2,500 to junk my car and they would pay me cash.
I have put ads on craigslist and also sings in my window that say for sale. I have asked $3,800 for my car. Even though the Toyota Camry has a good resale value many people in parking lots aroung town when they see a for sale sing on an 11 year old car they expect a good bargan. This one lady in the starbucks coffee parking lot came over to me as I walked inside my car. She said to me all she has is $1,400. Would I sell her the car for $1,400. I told her no!
What should I do?
I'm in California.
For years I have enjoyed this car because of its quiet ride, good gas milage and smooth handling.
In October 2009 I was going on a roadtrip alone. When I was 60 miles away from home I noticed the car was handling wierd and swievring. I got off the freeway and drove to a grocery store parking lot to get a soda. When I returned to my car 15 minutes later it would not start. I called triple AAA. Triple AAA could not jump start my car. They tested the battery and the battery was fine. At the time I only had triple AAA basic 7 mile towing. This happened at 11pm. Triple AAA had to tow my car. I told them to tow the car to the nearest Toyota dealership. So after my car was towed and dropped off at the Toyota dealership in the service nightdrop the tow driver drove me to a motel in the area where I spent the night.
The next morning the Toyota dealership called me and told me that they fixed my car. They told me the problem was shorted out gear shifter wires.
The gear shifter wire replacement ended up costing me $215. The dealer sent a van to pick me up at the motel where I stayed. After paying the dealer $215 I was in my car and drove away.
After this towing incident in October 2009 right away I switched to Triple AAAs platinum membership which includes one tow 200 miles or less and 3 other tows 100 miles or less.
Since October 2009 I have taken long driving trips with my car. In December 2009 I drove to San Diego which is 140 miles each way. The car made it to San Diego and back.
In January 2010 I drove to Las Vegas,NV which is 270 miles each way. The car made it there and back.
In April 2010 I drove the car again to Las Vegas and back.
In May 2010 I drove to a small town in Nothern California 380 miles each way and the car made it there and back.
The reason I replaced my charcoal canister on the car is because the check engine light has been stuck on for 2 years.
The charcoal cansiter replacement did not fix the check engine light. My check engine light is still stuck on.
In California a car with a check engine light on will not pass smog. What I did in 2009 to pass smog is took the car to a place that passes cars if you bribe them by paying them $150 cash.
In 2011 I'm probably going to go back to the same guy if I still have the car.
The Toyota dealership and several mechanics have told me that even though the check engine light is on there is nothing wrong with the car. It just wont pass smog.
Last week I went to the Toyota dealer as well as 3 independant mechanics. Everyone said if you fix the Vapor switching valve it should get the check engine light off.
I paid $300 at an independant mechanic to get the vapor switching valve fixed and the check engine light it still on.