One of my biggest obsessions about higher mile cars is looking to see whether the timing & serpentine belts were addressed by the previous owner(s). I didn’t realize that many shops warranty the expected 100K life of the belt, as master mechanic Sherwood Cooke mentions.
Let’s examine this example of the well-respected Lexus GX 460 with 162K miles.
Examining the CARFAX, we notice the serpentine belt got replaced at the 73K mark, so it’s due to have it done again. If I were to look at purchasing this vehicle, I would either a) negotiate the dealer doing the belt work as part of the purchase agreement, or b) be ready to have my favorite mechanic do the work immediately.
Note that a timing belt failure can be catastrophic, and many times will total an older vehicle. Serpentine belt failures aren’t as bad, but can still lead to some expensive fixes, so make sure to ask about them with higher-mileage cars.
Your next car: made in China?
It’s likely a question of if, not when, Chinese vehicles will be sold here in the U.S. The current administration has been pushing hard to make sure it doesn’t happen on their watch, but affordability remains a key political theme. The ramifications on the new and used auto markets will be massive, so it's hard to ignore the topic whenever it’s making headlines.
New car buying could soon only be for the rich
The world’s widening gap structure of “haves and have-nots” is starting to creep into the new car sales data. We’re hoping our CarInspection.com Scores can help everyday folks find quality transportation at a fair price.
Thanks for reading everybody!
-Paul