Thinking of buying a 2012 Toyota Venza 2.7L… Worth it or not?

I found a 2012 Toyota Venza at a local dealership that looks pretty good overall. While doing some research, I saw a lot of talk online about excessive oil consumption being a common problem with this model.

The mileage is 102,256, which seems decent for its age. They’re asking $11,500 for it. What do you guys think? Any advice on whether this is a good buy?

You really won’t know if it’s got an oil consumption issue or if it’s been fixed unless you check the vehicle history. Ask the dealership for a Carfax report and any service records they have. Take it for a longer test drive than usual and pay attention to how it runs.

Also, check all the fluid levels, look underneath for any rust, and inspect the brakes, tires, and wheels.

@Leslie
I checked the Carfax, and it looks clean—no history of oil or engine problems. But yeah, I’m definitely gonna do a test drive and get a pre-purchase inspection done just to be safe. Thanks for the tips!

@Rio
Good call. The worst test drive I ever had was when the engine started overheating, and the salesman said it was just ‘warming up.’ The car even ran out of gas just before the temperature gauge hit red. I think they did it on purpose to end the test drive early and hide the issues. I called my wife to pick me up and left the salesman with the car, 10 minutes away from the dealership.