What should I check when buying a used Toyota Camry?

On a Camry, check taxi or rideshare history; hybrid battery cover; coolant and water pump, on top of the checks for any used car: the body, tyres and engine, a test drive, and the paperwork for money owing, a write-off and the odometer.

How much is a used Toyota Camry?

Most 2024 Camry are advertised at $33,000 to $39,000, with 25,000 to 55,000 km on the odometer. Prices depend on the year, the kilometres, the badge and the condition.

How many used Toyota Camry have money owing or a write-off?

Of about 2,300 used Toyota Camry checked on Carify since November 2023, 9% had money owing and 9% were recorded as written off. Across every car checked it was 9% and 13%.

Used Toyota Camry Buying Checklist: What to Check

Before you go

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What a 2024 Camry is advertised for

Asking price: $33k to $39k
Odometer: 25k to 55k km

Asking prices, not sale prices: the middle 60% of the 1,243 advertised in the last 12 months, one listing per car.

Get the rego or VIN From the ad or the seller. Enter it at the top of this page: the make, model and year should match the ad.
Compare the price With what similar cars are advertised for.
Ask the seller How long they have owned it, why they are selling, any accidents and any money owing.
Ask for the service book And for the engine to be cold when you arrive.
Meet in daylight In dry weather. For a private sale, at the seller's home: the address should match the registration papers.

Inspection

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Panels and paint Uneven gaps, paint that does not quite match and overspray on rubber seals point to accident repairs.
Rust Under the doors, around the wheel arches and under the boot floor.
Tyres At least 1.5 mm of tread, even wear across each tyre, and a spare.
Glass and lights No chips or cracks in the windscreen, and every light works.
Oil and coolant Check them cold. Milky oil under the filler cap, or oil in the coolant, can mean a head gasket fault.
Cold start Watch the exhaust and listen for rattles in the first few seconds.
Wear inside The pedals, steering wheel and driver's seat should fit the odometer reading.
Warning lights and controls Lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs. Try the air conditioning, windows, locks and screen.
Flood signs A damp smell, water marks or silt under the carpets.

What to check on a Camry

Taxi or rideshare history Many Camry hybrids have done rideshare work. Under Toyota's terms, commercial use cuts the warranty to 5 years or 160,000 km and can rule out the extended hybrid battery cover, so ask.
Hybrid battery cover On a privately used hybrid, the battery warranty can run to 10 years if the annual hybrid health checks Toyota asks for have been done at a Toyota dealer. Check the current terms and ask for the paperwork.
Coolant and water pump With the engine cold, check the reservoir level and look around the water pump for pink crust or damp.
Cold start Start the car from cold if you can. A loud rattle for a second or two on a 2AR-FE points to the VVT cam gear.
V6 gear changes Drive in stop-start traffic and do a slow-down then accelerate run. Feel for hunting or thumps.
Oil leaks and use Look under the engine for sump gasket seeps, and around the timing cover on a V6. On an XV40 2.4, ask how often it needs topping up.
Recall work Confirm the fuel pump recall and any other open campaigns have been done on that VIN.
XV40 dash Look for a sticky or shiny dash top and listen for rattles over rough roads.
Screen and phone link Early XV70s launched without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the pre-2021 screen is slow.

The Camry's known problems, in full

Test drive

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20 minutes or more On slow streets and at highway speed.
Steering and brakes It runs straight with your hands light on the wheel, and stops straight without shudder or squeal.
Gear changes Smooth, with no slipping or flaring revs. In a manual, a clutch that bites near the top of the pedal may be worn.
Noises Knocks over bumps, and whines or hums that rise with speed.
Temperature and leaks The gauge settles and stays put. After the drive, look under the car for fresh drips.

Paperwork

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Money owing A car with finance owing on it can be repossessed after you have paid for it. A PPSR check shows it.
Write-off A statutory write-off can never be registered again, and a repairable write-off needs an inspection first.
Odometer Compare the reading with earlier records of the car: service book stamps, earlier listings and other records.
VIN match The VIN on the car matches the registration papers and the PPSR certificate.
Seller's licence The name and address match the registration papers.
Safety certificate In Queensland the seller needs a current safety certificate, and in Victoria a roadworthy certificate is needed to transfer the registration.
Receipt The date, the price, the VIN and rego, and both names and signatures.

Money owing and write-offs on the Camry

9% had money owing

9% were recorded as written off

Of about 2,300 used Toyota Camry checked on Carify since November 2023. Every car checked: 9% had money owing and 13% were written off.

These are cars people chose to check before buying, so they are not a share of every Camry on the road. Money owing is what was registered against the car on the day it was checked.

Where to find the VIN on a Toyota

Line drawing of a LandCruiser 200 Series, numbered where the VIN is — LandCruiser 200 Series · where to find the VIN

1. Base of the windscreen. Passenger side, where fitted. Read it from outside.
2. Chassis, front right. Stamped into the frame just behind the driver's front wheel.

Drawn on one Toyota model: others may differ, and the owner's manual lists the places. Reading a Toyota VIN

Older cars also carry a compliance plate, usually under the bonnet or on a door pillar. A car supplied new since mid 2021 may have none: it is entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles instead.

After you buy

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Transfer the rego Into your name before the deadline, usually 14 days.
Stamp duty Worked out on the price you paid or the market value, whichever is higher.
Insurance Before you drive the car away.
Recalls Check that no recall work is outstanding.
Next service Book it on time.
Keep the papers The receipt and the PPSR certificate, with the car's papers.

What it costs on top of the price

It opens on $36,000, the middle of what a 2024 Camry is advertised for. Put in the price you're offered for the stamp duty, the transfer fee and a year's rego.

State Price of the car What you pay, GST included

Is the car worth more than the price?

Duty is on the market value when that is higher than the price

Stamp duty (motor vehicle duty): $1,080
Transfer fee: $42
Rego, 12 months (estimate): $375
On top of the price: $1,497

Duty at Revenue NSW rates as at 27 October 2026 (revenue.nsw.gov.au).

How stamp duty works in NSW

Used Toyota Camry Buying Checklist

The Camry checklist

Before you go

Inspection

What to check on a Camry

Test drive

Paperwork

Money owing and write-offs on the Camry

Where to find the VIN on a Toyota

After you buy

What it costs on top of the price

Questions

What should I check when buying a used Toyota Camry?

How much is a used Toyota Camry?

How many used Toyota Camry have money owing or a write-off?

Used Toyota Camry Buying Checklist

The Camry checklist

1Before you go

2Inspection

What to check on a Camry

3Test drive

4Paperwork

Money owing and write-offs on the Camry

Where to find the VIN on a Toyota

5After you buy

What it costs on top of the price

Questions

What should I check when buying a used Toyota Camry?

How much is a used Toyota Camry?

How many used Toyota Camry have money owing or a write-off?

Before you go

Inspection

Test drive

Paperwork

After you buy