UserName86

Hey fellas. I'm looking at a silver es 350 with 148k on the odometer for 13 grand. The car has had one owner, I checked the carfax. It's had oil changes done every few months, I think the owner did a whole lot of commuting with the vehicle. It's very clean, inside and out. I want to get your opinions on these cars at high mileage. I'm a mechanic and don't mind a little maintenance here and there, I like to get my hands dirty.

Thanks in advance.

garsarno

Not a fan on high mileage vehicles. although friend sold a '90 LS400 with over 200,000 miles for $3,000 about three years ago. Was still running well without overhaul. But being a mechanic will help the situation.

UserName86

I'm not a fan either. Although I am a fan of not paying a ton of money to get from point A to point B. I've done a little research and basically all I've come up with is: make sure the timing cover does not leak. You have to pull the engine and trans to do the job. F that.

tolian21

This is highway mileage car, for Lexus its nothing.

garsarno

Might be nothing with regard to the engine and powertrain, but the suspension is 148,000 miles tired. Struts and all the brake components are mileage aged along with steering components.

RickC5

I agree with garsarno & username--I would avoid it. But, it is cheap.

There are lots of threads on this forum about the "extra" problems with the 2007 that aren't in the 2008-2012. You might get some insight into what lies ahead if you read some of those.

tolian21

brakes are not used much on highway. But yeah, wheel bearings and things like that do wear out. If you getting this car cheap, then fixing suspension components is not too expensive. When car is driven in the city, I'd expect a lot more pot holes..... there are not too many highways with pot holes, so I am not sure whats worse. Car with 50K city miles can have pretty beat up suspension depending on the location.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Too many miles.
Especially on a luxury car where repairs can be expensive.

garsarno

Its that old adage, pay me now or pay me later. Spending $13,000 and then adding $$ to make the car better. The 2007 debut year had its share of issues that are not under any kind of warranty and are costly.

tolian21

2007 is a first model year, it had tranny issues, though by this time if it works fine it's probably will stay that way. Well maintained Lexus with 150k miles is not too bad, it's not like you are buying BMW with 150k miles -- that would be a money pit. I still think that age kills the car, not the miles. If this thing is well maintained and under 10 years old, it should be fine.

tolian21

My old car I used to work 15 miles from home, but it was insane traffic, it was taking me 45 min to get home. Now I drive 40 miles highway, such a difference, also takes 50 min. I would take highway miles anytime over stop and go traffic. Brakes wear out, transmission constantly shifting, in summer with AC engine fans are constantly running, it's horrible.

UserName86

I appreciate the replies. I'm headed back today to make sure the timing cover is not leaking. If it's good I'm probably going to buy it. It does have a brake vibe, and at 148k miles, I'm just going to replace the rotors and pads. I'm also going to flush all the fluids, and may go with an R2 coilover and wheel/tire package later on. Trans shifts fine. Worst case scenario the engine has to be replaced down the road. No biggie.

It's all nuts and bolts!

garsarno

Your right but Lexus nuts and bolts are pricey. Hopefully, most of those can be replaced by Camry priced nuts and bolts.

UserName86

Just thought I'd follow up with you guys. The front cover is leaking oil. That's a deal breaker. Thanks for the info everyone!

garsarno

Best to pass on that and let someone else work with it.