I made a huge mistake and bought my 06 FEH from one of those back alley shady used car lots.

And about 1 year later... she's dead.

The front diff came off it's bolts and pretty much disintegrated, along with some additional repairs that need doing to the ball joints, and other issues... so not worth it to me to fix.

I poured too much into that vehicle from day 1, MECS pump, Cabin electric motor heater pump, new braked, struts... ugh. Just thinking of it hurts my brain.

So, I've moved on. Yesterday I bought an 09 Highlander Hybrid, from a real dealer.

Just wanted to share my story, and hope others stay away from those shady used car places.

 

I feel for you. I'm on about 1 year this month on my uses '06.

You can sometimes get good deals from those tiny dealerships, but you have to have a qualified mechanic check it out first. And with a hybrid, finding a suitably qualified mechanic can be a challenge.

Oh, and if you decide to part it out, I may be interested in a few things...

 

You're right, gems can be found. I bought a CRV years ago that was just awesome.

I already sold it, I didn't have the energy to part it out... plus I got sour by just looking at it.

 

The used car market of today is very different than years ago, since people are holding on to their cars for 10+ years. A small used car dealer is going to have a very difficult time getting quality inventory. New car dealers want as much used inventory as possible because it is more profitable to sell used cars.

Just for our education though, how many miles did your '06 have on it when it passed on?
I wonder if the new owner will post on here looking for tips on how to get it running again on the cheap.