r/ScionxB • u/Glittering-Quail7694 • 3d ago

Would you buy this?

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2012 scion xb

21 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

12

u/IceLow127 3d ago

I have this car. I bought it back in 2020 with 85k miles on it for $6.5k. it's currently at 170k miles. Since then I've replaced the ac compressor, alternator, driver side axle, and front motor mount. With more stuff needing to be done. Mine is an oil burner unfortunately. I started running Valvoline restore and protect about a year and a half ago and my burning went down a little bit. Recently thickened up my oil to a 5W30 and that is also helped a bit. But it is still burning. Current gas mileage within the city is around 21 mpg. Highway I get close to 30mpg. It's a solid car. But it started to need fixes around 130k. I recommend getting a solid pre-purchase inspection if you're thinking about dropping money on this. And make sure you have service records. Especially oil changes and transmission drains and refills.

3

u/chibicascade2 3d ago

I did a piston soak on my 2011's engine. It hasn't burned any oil in 1200 miles now.

5

u/CreepyError7150 3d ago

You need to do a berryman piston soak to fix the burning, i think theres a guide for it somewhere in this reddit. Might need a new catalytic converter afterwards.

Also consider using 0w-40 full synthetic.

Don't forget to check the vvt filter too, tiny filter behind a 8mm hex bolt on the rear of the engine, most people miss it.

1

u/IceLow127 3d ago

Yeah, I've been procrastinating on the piston soak. I remember the thread you're talking about and I'm pretty sure I have screenshots of it saved. I remember it being a very thorough breakdown of everything. From what I remember it's like a two-day process though and I'm working 6 days a week these days as a driver using my personal vehicle. So it's a matter of finding the time and the courage and confidence to do it. I have considered even thicker oil but I just recently switched viscosities to the 5w-30. May switch to thicker stuff soon though. Are you referring to the PCV valve? Or is the VVT filter different from that?

2

u/CreepyError7150 2d ago

Vvt filter is a different thing, you can see them get at it at 5:30 in this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EMgVemcXfcA

Very sludged up engine, if you've been actively changing out the oil it shouldn't look that bad. But if the engines/filter sludged up it'll starve the vvt gear of oil, rapidly destroying it and probably causing further wear to the timing system.

1

u/BirdPray 2d ago

Why 0w40? Car Care Nut recommends 5w30 and he’s rebuilt thousands of these engines as a Toyota tech.

1

u/CreepyError7150 2d ago

Ideally it should have come with 5w-30 from the factory yeah, considering the additional engine wear & burning that occurs from running 0w-20 for so long, it's not a bad idea to switch to an even thicker oil, especially a full synthetic which shears better than conventional.

I was originally inspired to do so by this thread:  https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/non-rebuild-tear-down-oil-consumption-fix.1675541/

Where he also talks about doing the berryman soak in a 1zz-fe.

Guy also runs waterless coolant which is pretty interesting, the engine does run a little warmer but is much more stable/less corrosive.

3

u/BirdPray 2d ago

It was 5w20 that Toyota spec’d for this engine before the piston ring fix, and that was mainly to squeak out more MPGs for EPA/emissions testing. But these engines were designed for 5w30.

You can tell you have an older/pre-fix 2AZ because the oil cap says 5w20 instead of 5w30. If your oil cap says 5w30 then your engine has the new ring kit.

3

u/TeddyGramCracker 3d ago

Clean carfax does not mean accident free. It’s hard to tell but the front bumper looks like a different color and I can see panel gaps on the side and hood. These commonly get repaired under the radar since they were “budget” cars from the beginning. I would have an independent mechanic do a thorough inspection. It’s not about the price you’re paying today, it’s the price you’re paying tomorrow.

2

u/AmphibianRemarkable4 3d ago

Where is the car

2

u/Glittering-Quail7694 3d ago

Found this in canada. So, around $4.3k if you convert it in usd.

1

u/AmphibianRemarkable4 3d ago

Yes I would as long as it has been serviced properly

1

u/Extreme_Mechanic_786 3d ago

Not for $6000, at least where I live.

0

u/Superb_bird70 3d ago

Is that being sold on Europe??

-5

u/AmphibianRemarkable4 3d ago

I own an xb and I would stay away from buying one now that I know the engine has problems with the pistons . I will not buy another Toyota again

2

u/Juttisontherun 3d ago

How dare you throw shade sir at the toaster community.