Buying Used - Test drive tips / what to look for

Hey guys,

I'm test driving a used 2016 DCSB TRD Sport, 6 speed manual this week.

It's on a random used car lot (not a Toyota dealer), with 50,000 kms on it. 1 owner, has a full service history and a clean title/carproof (no accidents). Haven't seen it in person yet, but photos look good.

Gonna check:
- transmission - do gears get stuck / shift easily.
- clutch - make sure it's not slipping

If I decide to buy it I assume they'll be cool with me taking it to a mechanic of my choice to inspect it.

What else should I check? Thanks in advance.

 

I may be wrong but I've never heard of a dealer allowing you to take the vehicle to a mechanic....only seen where you hire a mechanic to come look at it with you.

Check the AC blower fan. Mine cracked and was replaced at 10K miles. Turn on the AC at full blast for a minute, then turn it to the lowest setting and listen for any noise that's not air coming out of the passenger side vents.

That's really been the only issue with mine. I'm sure others will chime in.

 

Check the back seat area for signs of water leaking from 3rd brake light. There was something about a bad/improperly installed seal, I'm not sure how many or what models were affected though. Maybe nothing to worry about on that truck.

 

PPIs are not needed for cars like this. That said it’s still under factory warranty so any issues the dealer will handle.

 

Most used car dealerships will allow you to take the car to a mechanic. That's been my experience anyway. There was one dealership who wouldn't allow me to, but they were pretty sketchy anyway.

 

Oh. Nice to know. I've been buy from big dealer lots for a while.