Hello, I'd be grateful for any advice as I have made bad car-buying decisions repeatedly in the past. I am looking at a 2005 Scion XA with 130k on it, for sale for $3000.
It was a local trade in. It obviously was not babied by its former owner and has some issues, which I found out through the dealer, a mechanic who I had take a look at it, and my own eyes.
Known issues...
*The exhaust system was messed up when they got it, they had it taken to a muffler shop who only partially repaired the problem. I found this out when the mechanic looked at it. It was then sent back to the shop for a second repair.
*A belt was dry and needed to be replaced. This is also supposed to now be done.
*Tachometer is not working
*Back tires shot, back wheel bearings MAY also need replacing
*Front left tire loose, may just need tightening or MAY need wheel bearing also
*Missing inner fender well
*Back windshield wiper needs blade
*A wire was loose under one of the seats
*One or two other little things like this I can't remember exactly
*A bit scratched/dinged (still looks overall good to me, but I'm not all that picky about that stuff)
There is no warranty.
The more I type, the more I think the response will be "don't buy it", which is probably a good idea. I just like the car, it's got a lot of good reviews, and if the repairwork doesn't end up costing too much the total cost would be comparable to other Xas listed in the area. On the other hand I'm afraid it could end up being nothing but trouble, needing unexpected repair after repair. I'm thinking I should keep looking but what I really want to know, would you say it's a terrible deal? Would anybody here buy this car, or advise it? The original asking price was $4k.
Thank you!