1999 corolla estate

[Jenny Scott]

I'm considering buying the 2.0l 1999 Corolla Estate - any advice - it has aprox 1290000 miles - should I leave it alone?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Presumably it is the 2.0 litre diesel?

[Jenny Scott]

Hi, yes it is

[oldcodger]

Hi,

Good though Toyotas are, assume you mean 129,000 miles, not 1,290,000  ? 

The only problem with a car that age is spare parts  as some for that model are getting hard to find and of course rust is going to be there to some degree, though typically a lot less than other makes.

What kind of use are you putting it to, just local trips or long daily dives to work etc ?

Good maintenance is going to be needed on a car that age, is that something you or a local garage can sort out ?

 

[VosperD]

I wonder if you've made a decision yet.

Buying any car of this age can be a leap of faith.

If it's got a years MoT, a good set of tyres, feels ok when you drive it and looks good you could easily get a year of relatively trouble free motoring.

Be prepared to possibly spend a bit of money depending on the next MoT.

From pictures I've seen of this model it looks like useful car and a possible classic.

We went for a 1998 petrol "liftback" version a year ago and haven't regretted it.

Ours passed its second MoT in November and I treated it to  a new cambelt and service for peace of mind.

Not sure how the Toyota diesels fare after 130,000 or so  miles so it would be interesting to  hear from any other 2.0l diesel owners.

It's worth going on-line to the gov.uk site to  check the past MoT history if you know the reg number.

good  luck

Don

[olddriver]

On 2/9/2020 at 11:04 AM, oldcodger said:

The only problem with a car that age is spare parts  as some for that model are getting hard to find and of course rust is going to be there to some degree, though typically a lot less than other makes.

 

My Corolla which is only a 1.3 litres, has done 150,000 miles and just keeps going.  I have had no trouble getting parts, and in some cases Toyota parts, front shockers, were cheaper than non-Toyota parts, only 2 simple rust problems and no visible rust on the body.  I've had a small patch put on the rear jacking points and the brake pipes that run from front to back replaced, all to pass the MOT.

Hower, I use a good local garage, as the main dealer would charge an arm and a leg for repairs.