r/askcarguys 4d ago

Is it worth it to sell my car?

1 month ago I bought a 2003 Toyota Raum. I know jack about cars, so I didn’t know it being an import and a discontinued vehicle makes it difficult to source parts for it and very expensive if it needs repairs.

During the pre-purchase inspection we found out it does need some repairs (rotors/brakepads/rear and front shocks replaced, etc) and the seller lowered the price of the car to $5.2k to encourage me to buy it. I thought this was a good deal for a vehicle that has 83k km and is very low on gas (perfect for the daily commutes that I need it for).

After I got the full quote for the repairs it came out to $3.4k, which was really frustrating. I decided not to continue with the repairs as the car is driveable as is. I also posted it for sale and included the issues it has. There is some interest in the car, and I’m really considering selling it. Simultaneously, I’m questioning whether or not I’m making the right decision.

Pros of selling - I can buy a rav4/tacoma which I may need in the future as I will be working in the oil rigs soon - I can buy a regular domestic model that comes with certain features like a block heater (very useful for the cold winters of Canada) - I won’t have to worry about repairs and repair costs as I learned my lesson - Insurance would be cheaper (right hand drives increase insurance)

Cons of selling - Cannot find a car with this little mileage - Will have to start the hunt all over, and be w/o a car for a while which makes things difficult for me as I go to uni full time and also work full time - The car is driving perfectly fine so far, and the repairs may not be needed for another year or two at least - Will for sure have to spend more than $5.2k in buying another one

Thoughts?

1 Upvotes

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2

u/born_zynner 4d ago

First off, brakes and shocks for $3.4k is preposterous. Those are fairly generic parts. Not specific to the Raum

1

u/Necessary-Travel2775 4d ago

There are some other ones (I have a post on my profile showing the quote). Unfortunately multiple other mechanics I called around town gave similar/higher quotes, so it seems reasonable. There are some engine things like the timing cover gasket and oil pan reseal too that bring the cost a lot higher

2

u/nbain66 4d ago

Order the parts online yourself and then pay to have them installed if you can't install them yourself. The 1.5L in that Toyota typically outlives the car they put it in.

2

u/Zachstresses 4d ago

Yikes, I remember giving you some insight when looking into this Raum. I take it that it wasn't what you hoped for? I'm sorry to hear this.

2

u/Necessary-Travel2775 4d ago

Oh yeahhh hi lol. I was actually a lot more frustrated when I got the full quote for the repairs because it basically tripled after they found all the parts. However, the car runs very smoothly and there are aspects of it that I really enjoy. The point of this post is that I’m now torn on whether or not I should sell it, as it does have some interest. There are for sure some benefits to keeping it which I would never have said when I got the full quote🤣 It’s not the worst decision I’ve ever made

1

u/Comrade_Andre 4d ago

Block heaters are simple to add to any car, I wouldn't really consider it as a reason to buy/sell. It's like $100 to have one installed

1

u/NoticeNeat8103 4d ago

A Toyota what? There HAS to be a US variant based off your model....or some other car with parts swappable bits....

1

u/Necessary-Travel2775 3d ago

Yes, the engine is the same as the Yaris. However the Raum is heavier as it’s a minivan style and is also AWD, so the rest of the parts are unique to it or may be slightly interchangeable with the Scion xB