hspLOBO

Looking for advice.....found subject model with 140,000 miles for about five grand. Well taken care of....

Any concerns I should be aware of? This would be my first Lexus to be used as a second car.


Any advice is greatly appreciated..

jaredmac11

I will weigh my expectations a bit since I live in TX and inventory of older cars here, in general, is higher. I would do some research for your area and ensure that is a fair price.

There will be cars here that are close to excellent grade yet they want a good $2-3 grand more, which wont happen.

$5000 seems like that. Most of these cars, here, sell around $2000-3500.


As for the car itself, I have a 97 and it's an awesome car. Very nice car that is very reliable and pretty easy to work on. Ive heard the suspension on these cars can be nice but my struts are shot so I can't comment


I say do some research and get a better price point. Unless this thing is one of 1000 or something, then maybe the price is right. But I doubt that. Even then, this car is so reliable, you definitely can find options around 100k to 150k miles that will still look good for less. Save that money for repairs. A pristine, clean, $5000 car can still have a transmission fail that will effectively make the car cost an extra 2 grand plus.

BDSL

I had a 97 ES300 with 280k miles with original engine, transmission, alternator, PS pump, starter, etc. At 280k miles, the rear main seal went.

jaredmac11

That is awesome!! ACtually nearly hitting 300k is great in my eyes. How many miles did you put on yourself?

CF01

I agree, where I'm at, $5000 would be high for a 99 at this time of the year. Some people try to get that for a 3rd gen ES, but the cars generally sit around unsold until they drop their price to around $3500 or less. For $5000 you could probably get a pretty decent 02 or 03.

Pretty much any older used car is going to need a fair amount of work. Even if the car looks good, there could be and usually is, a good amount of mechanical things that need tending to.In my recent car buying experience, I found that the struts were shot on almost every one of the 20+ cars I looked at. That alone can be close to a $1500 repair if you can't do it yourself. Probably why most people don't do it, if they even noticed their ride was bad. It's not a bad idea to just assume that a used car is going to need $2000+ in repairs. If you can get a pre-purchase inspection done by a shop that includes Lexus as one of their specialties, it could save you from a really expensive mistake like a bad engine or transmission.

speedkar9

When looking for a used 3ES, consider that the timing belt should have been changed at least twice now, so make sure you have records for that.

Other components start to wear out around this age, such as struts and mounts, stabilizer links and bushings and engine mounts.

The 99-01 ES300 used the U140E transmission which was less reliable than the A541E in the 97-98.

crwys

I would double check on the transmission. The 99 came with the U140e and A541
You can count the bolts on the transmission pan. 18 for the U140 and 17 for the A541

BDSL

I put on the last 155k miles.

mmatheny

I didn't know they MADE an ES350 in 1999!! Buy it, it is literally "one of a kind"!

808mcv20l

on a side note, Japan had the MCV21 which was a 2.5 liter 2MZ-FE Windom.

Only engine offered in N. America was the 3.0 liter 1MZ-FE in the ES300 as you already know.

to the OP, I would pass on the 150k ES300 for 5k just for mileage alone lol.

looking around my local Craigslist those 125k+ ES300s can be had for around 3k.

If you are looking for reliability and not mechanically inclined get a 97-98 ES300 with decent mileage and service records. Those seem to run forever with minor repairs.

hspLOBO

Folks lowered price to $4500.

ES 300 not 350. My mistake..

808mcv20l

I'd still pass if it were me. I prefer the 2000-01 and the minor refresh matters to me "kouki" they call it.

I like the look of the refreshed bumper foglights and tail lights. Also 16" rims on some models. Mine has factory hid lights and matching birds maple wood steering wheel.

Unless you're in a rush and need a car there's gonna be a better deal possibly cheaper and less miles.

But of course the choice is yours.

jaredmac11

Not telling you to not get THIS car, there are pros and cons to pre 2000 and 2000+. Go look at the car and see what you feel. Hopefully you can haggle. If its on Craigslist, you can expect that the price is inflated because the seller expects to be haggled hard. I always take a craigslist offer and divide by half (not really but sometimes...)

Do you have a link?

mmatheny

I got an '02 with 54k on it for $10k in practically showroom shape!

crwys

My 99 was bought for 3,400 3 years ago at 140k miles. Tinted windows, chrome wheels, keyless entry and no mechanical issues. Tell him to drop the price, check kbb