What to look out for when purchasing 2006/07 Toyota Corolla D-4D 2.0?

[Ed666]

Okay great. Am looking for this kind of insight, so am very grateful.

You mentioned below earlier in our conversation

On 29/04/2018 at 2:18 PM, nicebutdim said:

steering shaft splines deforming, airbag recall (mine done), usual diesel egr, turbo soot clogging issues

Is there any way I can check for these issues on inspection? Likewise, is there any documentation I can ask for that would help to clarify these issues?

Sorry for all the basic questions. Am very appreciative of your help.

[oldcodger]

Hi,

How close are you to buying a car ?  would have thought it best if you go around and try a few out and get used to them.

Just because you view a car , test drive it,  does not mean you have to buy it.

If you have not been in one before you might find the driving position or something about the car you do not like, so trying one or two is important.

I took about 3 test drives before I found the right petrol  Corolla, one via Toyota main dealer and two private sellers

A quick look on auto trader shows a good few nearer to home and at better prices.

Don't be afraid of the sellers, you are the buyer, you have the money, you set the pace, there is no obligation to buy from them, you walk away whenever you want.

 

Still wonder why diesel is your choice vs petrol ??   they say a diesel is only worth while if your mileage is over about 18k miles per year ( new car).

Doubt the seller would  want it taking to Toyota, and they are not cheap and would need to book it in for a certain time, surely difficult if you are so far away.

The RAC/AA etc, if you like the car, agree a price, then the last condition you make, is that is has an AA/RAC inspection done within a day or so and if ok , then you will buy.

Again you don't normally get the AA/RAC  to go with you, partic  if you have not even seen or driven the car , they have their own schedules to keep to.

If the seller has done a HPI check ,then do ask to see it to be sure no finance is outstanding on it or do your own hpi.

When buying at that price, worthwhile using a credit card for at least part if not all of the price as that give you some more buyer protection.

 

[Ed666]

Thank you so much for all the info - so useful.

I plan on doing around 15k in the car per annum, so was leaning towards diesel because of that.

Do you think the 1.6 Petrol is more reliable than the 2.0L Diesel? Why do you suggest the Petrol over the Diesel?

[nicebutdim]

Edd, last one from me on this - starting to think you are a troll but I will give you the benefit of the doubt.

At that age, the clutch and DMF assembly is an unknown. It could have had the most sympathetic driver owning it or a total loon who dumped the clutch at every traffic light - that will take its toll.

A petrol has no such issues apart from wearing its clutch (see above) and is typically a few hundred pounds cheaper to replace the clutch only.

Do some maths, with your mileage and expected mpg's (petrol 35-40 and diesel 45-50) and factor in that.

All others components/services will cost roughly that same.

You wont get a reliable 11/12 year old car, it will involve risk, some luck and a heap of research/viewing more than one car.

I don't think owning such an old car may be worth it for you as you seem to not understand this price point. Maybe waiting building up your budget and waiting for a newer model would be best.

You are sifting through 2nd/3rd/4th hand cast offs from other people. I took a risk on a 7 year old 70k car car that had moved 200 miles in 13 months, for me it paid off but I know cash reserve to sort any issues.

[Ed666]

Definitely not a troll. I just don't know much about cars, which is why I posted on this forum to try and increase my knowledge and learn more.

I thought I was being relatively sensible looking to purchase a toyota corolla over other cars as it is well known for its reliability and cheap running costs, so I apologise for my basic questions, but I was honestly just trying to learn.

Given the latest post, I will investigate the petrol corolla in more detail. Thank you so much for all your help. Ed

 

[oldcodger]

52 minutes ago, Ed666 said:

Definitely not a troll. I just don't know much about cars, which is why I posted on this forum to try and increase my knowledge and learn more.

I thought I was being relatively sensible looking to purchase a toyota corolla over other cars as it is well known for its reliability and cheap running costs, so I apologise for my basic questions, but I was honestly just trying to learn.

Given the latest post, I will investigate the petrol corolla in more detail. Thank you so much for all your help. Ed

Hi,

Nothing wrong in finding out about things,  but the trouble in looking for all the potential problems you can loose sight of the more normal things.

Folk readily complain about the bad things but not so often report the good thing, and Toyota is noted for being more reliable,

Still say you ought to go and test drive some, it can be noticeable that two apparently identical cars can feel quiet different to drive, things like tyres, tyre balance and suspension wear can make a surprising difference to the overall feel of the car.

As to doing 15k miles per year, do keep things in context,  you cannot expect a 12+ year old car be as reliable as a new one, though hopefully  the one you get proves to be a good 'un 

 

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