Thanks in advance for any insight you can give. I appreciate you sharing knowledge.

Potential new owner here.
Vehicle is a 2008 Base Sedan Auto with 125k on it. It needs a few fixes.
Fortunately its coming from a family member, so I'm borrowing it for a few days to check it out and see what it needs.
So far:

Heated seats don't work.
Some lights out in the gauge cluster.
Windshield needs replacement.
Vanity mirror bulb out.
Washer fluid reservoir cap missing.
Logo from engine cover missing.
Steering wheel trim worn
Windows switches trim worn
Gear selector **** worn.

most concerned about the gauge cluster repair and heated seats fix. they seem like common failures?
hoping i can fix it myself. when it comes to cars i'm meticulous so i want to make everything perfect.
its not my first choice for a vehicle, and its not my preferred color combo or trim, but i've always loved these cars and this is a good opportunity.

how hard are those issues to fix?
Trying to balance the fixes it needs, vs. my being neurotic to have it perfect
against
it not being my ideal version of the vehicle, vs. getting it for a good price

in that hypothetical what would you do?

 

If it was priced $3500 or less it's probably a good deal, otherwise keep shopping for one that isn't so beat up.

As for the engine cover though, it serves no functional purpose other than to trap heat into the engine bay which is exactly what you DON'T want. I strongly recommend always removing those silly plastic covers regardless of make/model. That way you can actually see the engine as well as see if anything like vacuum lines are getting worn or damaged.

 

thanks for the input. I was going to pay $4k for it. which i thought market value for the thing was around $5000?
i figured i could buy this thing and for $7k total (which i dont have to spend all at once) i could be into a cool looking car with some light customizations. lowered, wheels, tint windows, etc.

before settling on this car i emailed some people who had their cars listed online for sale and only 1 of the 3 got back to me. It seems like no one wants to take my little wad of cash. And someone in my family had this one sitting in a garage unused.

 

Unless it's a bad connection or fuse, tearing down the seats to swap the heater is time consuming and a pain in the a_ss.
The other things like windshield & diy cluster swap can be done quickly, for a bit of money.
I wouldn't pay more than 3k

 

I never thought about that Cleric i thought those covers were there for protection of all the electronic equipment. I am going to remove mine as soon as he gets back from the shop!!