Advice Needed On Buying A 05-vibe With 165k Miles

[Ottawa]

Hi,I saw a 05 VIBE with 165k miles (about 265,000 kms) automatic for sale.Due to the mileage, if I decided to buy it, what can I do to make the transmission "new again" ? There's no clutch but is there anything I could change on an automatic ?Sorry this all sounds like such vague questions.Also, what should I look at when I test drive the car ?

[Caretaker]

That is a lot of miles, but the Corolla Vibe is good for at least 200,000. The fact that he/she put on 35,000 miles per year on the car means they did a lot of highway driving. That is much easier on a car than city miles. If they can show you that the oil was changed on a regular basis, as well as the tranny fluid and radiator fluid, I would not be afraid to take it in to your favorite mechanic to ensure the car has not been in an accident, and that the steering and suspension are in good shape.

[jasony0423]

What caretaker said. I've got an '06 with 188,000 miles on it that is also automatic. I've not had the first problem out of it, and the transmission still shifts like it did with 188 miles on it. I'm used to my high miles, and I know it's been taken care of, but the car will last. As well as mine is running, 200,000 is just a drop in the bucket. I'm looking forward to "breaking" the odometer in about a year and a half.

[Ottawa]

Thank you Caretaker and Jasony.Sounds like I don't have to worry about getting a "hot potato" if the car was well maintained.I've seen posts where people say with the manual shift, you need to change the clutch at 100 or 150 k miles or something like that: so I wonder what about the automatic.If I buy it, I hope I won't inherit someone else's "money pit".

[bull77]

Welcome to Genvibe fellow Ottawan!!I have 120k on my 06 and it still runs like new. I change oil every 5k and swapped auto tran fluid around 100k. One thing you have to look out for in the Canadian vibe is the odometer will "stop" at 299,999km. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=38019

[northvibe]

just make sure the trans shifts properly. If you buy the car do a couple trans oil drain/fill's to get new fluid in it.

[star_deceiver]

How much $$$?

[Ottawa]

Thank you Bull I guess 120k miles, not kmsIt would be around $4000CAD

[star_deceiver]

Offer them half that, if for nothing other then mileage. If they don't have maintenance records then that makes an offer of $2K perhaps a little high to be sinking into a potential money pit.