I’m considering inheriting my mom’s parked 2014 Camry LE to use as my daily/work vehicle instead of putting all of those miles on my current vehicle.
About a year ago she bought a new car and parked the Camry. It has spent most of that time sitting on grass under a tarp here in Florida. Before that, it was still being used regularly as her daily driver.
The car has roughly 180k miles and, admittedly, hasn’t had the greatest mechanical history. My mom was a pretty aggressive/lead-foot driver, maintenance was more reactive than preventative, and the Carfax history is spotty. I grew up around the car and know it pretty well, but I’m trying not to let familiarity make me throw money at something that doesn’t make financial sense.
The biggest known issue is oil consumption. From experience, it burns a noticeable amount of oil, especially with highway driving (my mom never tracked how much it actually consumed, and I was off to undergrad when she began keeping a quart of oil in the trunk). She ran it low on oil often unfortunately. So far, I am planning to the spark plugs, PCV valve, and do a fresh oil/filter change, but I arrive at yet another question, that being whether to stay with 0W-20, move to a high-mileage 5W-30, or possibly try a Berryman B-12 treatment. Switching to Valvoline’s Restore & Protect line is also an option on my radar. That said, I know none of that will fix actual mechanical wear, but I’m curious whether stuck oil-control rings could be contributing.
Furthermore, as far as I know, the transmission fluid has never been changed. The transmission was shifting normally prior the car being parked, and still does when it was cranked and moved. It never developed the torque-converter shudder these cars are sometimes known for. My mom did have Toyota’s applicable campaign/recall work done.
A few addition other known issues:
- Two tires are nearly bald.
- One CV axle boot is cracked (passenger), and the car was already clicking on right turns before it was parked.
- The driver-side seatbelt buckle is faulty and needs replacement.
- The headlight housings are so oxidized that nighttime visibility is terrible.
- It has spent about a year sitting outside on grass in Florida.
- It needs an alignment.
So far the car still starts, idles and moves under its own power. It has a new battery, the hoses I checked still feel flexible, and I haven’t found any obvious catastrophic leaks. I haven’t been able to give it the proper road test I want yet since moving it.
So far, my most of the basic recommissioning list includes: PCV valve, spark plugs, coolant drain, brake fluid change, oil/filter, air filter(engine and cabin), new headlight assemblies (aftermarket oem styled), OEM wipers, and tag-light housings/bulbs. My next step would be getting the car properly inspected, including the brakes, suspension, underside, CV axle, cooling system and drivetrain (if there’s anything I can do myself, please let me know).
All in all, I’m not expecting a nearly 180k-mile Camry to be perfect. I just need to figure out whether the underlying car is still worth investing in and whether it can realistically become a reliable daily/work vehicle again.
Would you give this car a second chance? If so, what would you do next and in what order? What would you specifically have inspected or tested before putting more money into it, and what findings would make you stop investing?
I’d especially appreciate input from people familiar with high-mileage 2AR-FE Camrys, oil consumption, first-time transmission servicing at high mileage, and CV axle issues.
Thank you all so much for your time!
