Hi, I tried searching in the forums about this, but couldn't find anything, so hopefully it's safe to post here.

A local used car shop, who also owns a reputable appliance business, is selling a 2005 Scion xB automatic for $5795 with almost 81K miles on it. The guy purchases salvaged cars and fixes them up before selling them. The title says was totaled, as figured by Progressive insurance.

I should explain that this would be my first car and I'll be using it to drive to Ohio, from Oregon, for grad school, in June and will also be using the car to commute to school, etc. I also am not very experienced with engines, or anything, so some of the terms I use may be laughable.

I took a test drive, and it runs well. No weird smells, great brakes, good acceleration, etc. The interior is immaculate and it still has the donut.

The damage occurred at the front of the car. The airbags were deployed, but have since been replaced. He told me the frame wasn't damaged and there are records of an alignment.

Anyway, I took it to a trustworthy mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection and he noticed some things right away.

First, the paint wasn't very well put on. To me it looked fine, but he noticed what he called "orange chips," or something like that. That is, the paint looked a little wavy, or something, compared to the factory paint. He said that leaving it in the sun and rain for a year would probably result in chipping.

Second, when he looked under the hood, he noticed the grill is being held on with zip ties.

Third, there was exposed metal under the hood on the car where the paint had chipped off after the accident. He said that this was bad and would definitely rust, which isn't good. I've done some reading on the forums, and I guess the best way is to paint over it, and use ceramic paints? Or maybe that's only when talking about the header?

Fourth, he sniffed the oil and said it was OK. Well, he didn't say anything, so I assume it's OK.

And finally, he looked under the cap that's on top of the header (I think, whatever the heat shield connects to) and it had rust under it. The cap itself is plastic, but there was some visible build-up and a rusty color. He said it had probably sat for a while.

He said that because the paint was bad, you can see the sanding marks, the potential rust wear, etc., that he, personally, would walk away, and that I wouldn't be able to get anything for it during resell since an experienced Toyota owner would notice these things. He also said that if it was a good deal, it might be OK. He didn't put it up on the blocks, or anything, so no mechanical inspection.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys thought about the car and if I should make a purchase? And if so, how much I should ask? He originally had it at $6995, lowered it to $6795, and it was at $5795 today when I had it inspected. I was thinking of offering $4000, but not sure if they would take it. I know it's very hard to decide when there's so little information.

The VIN is: JTLKT324754020252.

Thanks, and sorry for the long post!

 

The paint thing he's talking about is Orange Peel. Gets it's name from the texture of an orange's skin. But honestly some paint ends up like that from the factory. It's not a good thing, but I really don't know if it would result in chipping down the road or not.

The exposed metal under the car is something you could probably have the seller fix if you really wanted it.

Exhaust manifolds rust. Especially OEM ones.

Fact is, it was a totaled vehicle that was repaired. You can't get around that. It is never going to be 100%.

 

Sorry, I meant the thing in the picture had rust underneath it, not the exhaust manifold.

 

i'd get something that hasn't been totaled out with less miles for the same price...
and if this is your first car, get something with a warrenty, so you dont get screwed later on when things start breaking...

 

A cheap price is nice upfront, but you may end up paying more to fix little (or big) problems down the road. Like they said above once a cars totaled it never the same. I personaly would not feel safe driving the car long distance like you plan. In the end going for a lower miles car that prob cost $8-10k would be my choice. Good luck.

 

I would offer $4000 for it, take out a loan for the car and prep the crap out of it yourself. Then spend on a decent paint job. The engine is cheap to replace by comparison to a car. If the body, frame, and mechanical work is sound, it would be a decent purchase at 4Gs. Just make sure to baby the hell out of it for a couple years.

Also, one thing to take note of... some aftermarket grills are held in place by zip ties.

I have a similar situation with my box... I purchased it at 61K miles with some horrible bodywork done to it. I spent less than 7K for the 2006 box. With the budget I had set up, I've modded quite a bit in just a few months.

 

What do you mean by "prep the crap out of it yourself"? I can only really afford around a $6500 car, tops, because of grad school. I was looking for a wagon-type and had always wanted an xB. This is the best-priced one around where I live, but only because it's salvage. I'll probably try to find a Passat wagon or Subaru, unless someone suggests otherwise. Thanks guys for the responses! :D

 

xb is a better car than both of those...

 

good luck trying to find a subaru or passat wagon in your price range that hasnt also been salvaged..

look around, there are gen 1 xb's for sale every day, dont settle for something that you wont be completely satisfied with. I am sure that your 6500 is a lot of money in your eyes, and you should spend it wisely, unless you plan to drive that xb for 2 years and then sell it for scrap and get something newer... but who knows, it may be the one salvaged xb that has no major issues wrong with it, but I have a sneeky suspition that there is something major wrong and he's not telling you.. I hope i am wrong..
But as others suggested, you are going to do a heck of a long drive in the box and you really dont want to get stuck halfway there with a serious problem, and have to deal with an unfamiliar shop in some state you have never been to...

but good luck, what ever you decide to do..

 

For you, needing reliability, i'd say walk away as well. Being inexperienced with engines and car repairs, you don't need that headache. For a couple grand more, you could get one with higher mileage, but accident free with a good service history, maybe from the original owner.
If you spend all that you can afford on the passat, your gonna go broke with maintainance and repairs. Suby would be a better choice over the passat for sure. But if you spend a little more on the Toyota, your pretty much guaranteed low maintainance and long life. IF you stay away from the salvaged one and get one with good records.

 

Certainly do not buy a Passat. They are a maintenance nightmare (was working on one today for a minor front end accident that caused 5K+ in damage), parts are high as well. The xB is simple and easy to work on by comparison.

I would also however be wary of a total loss repaired car. I would recommend spending some money (maybe a couple hundred bucks or less) to have a Toyota dealership look it over closely. If they find no show stoppers ...buy it.....if not walk away.

Subaru makes some nice cars as well I would recommend the xB over a Subaru of any type simply for the xB's versatility and the fact that the are not as quirky mechanically as the Subaru (read that as easier to work on and more "normal" maintenance wise....Passats (and other VW's and Audis) are at the extreme high end of quirkiness...as technically demanding and maybe more so than most BMW and Mercedes).

 

I think I'll take it to the Scion dealership to have them look at it. The only other xBs around here are around $11+, which is a little out of my price range at the moment. I'll keep looking, though. Thanks guys!

 

Check your local craigslist they will have more owner/sales in them
Seattle
http://seattle.craigslist.org/search...ery=scion%20xb
Portland
http://portland.craigslist.org/searc...ery=scion%20xb
Eugene
http://eugene.craigslist.org/search/...ery=scion%20xb

 

i'd pass i've seen NON SALVAGED sold on this site and the "other" xb sites for as low as 5k

Some people are nuts and want 12-13 lol but occasionally you'll find soe cheapo ones

 

Pass on this one man. You can find a good condition box for that price or a tad more. Like everyone has been saying, you are going to be needing a lot of this box so getting a better one is definitely better for you.

 

It might be hard to get insurance or a loan on a Salvage Title.

 

Get it looked at and offer 4k.

 

Any GOOD mechanic should be able to tell where the car was damaged and advise accordingly
Subaru Legacies are expensive and prone to engine failure
the VW is more reliable BUT VERY expensive to fix
an XB is basically an ECHO-in-a-BOX
the ford Focus wagons are very cheep to buy and run (buy the newist you can afford)