07849

Saw a 2010 ES350 with 53k miles for $14,950. The car has navi (and all that come with the nav package). Carfax and Autocheck says no accidents, and more importantly shows that the car was regularly maintained at the Lexus dealership. Test drove the car and it drove like new. I couldn't find anything (major) wrong with the car...and trust me, I went in trying to find something wrong. There were some minor issues that I found (several scratches here and there, no mats, and 3 bulbs were out on the middle high break light). The reason I'm concerned is b/c Cargurus said that the deal was too good to be true....any opinions or anything I should be looking out for?

NickTee

Yes, take it to a qualified mechanic before you purchase it to have it fully inspected. Have them check to see if there are any signs of flooding or any other issues. It could be an awesome deal or it could have been involved in flooding that wasn't reported and they're trying to sell it off cheap because of underlying issues.

ESh

I think that one is a steal.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

It's priced low for a used car dealer. Should be closer to 18-19k. If a private seller, priced right. Read an article recently that stated the tri state area has some of the best used car deals in the country. It's ALWAYS a good idea to have a mechanic inspect any used car.

jagtoes

If thats the price and its not a flood car buy it. Looks like the price should have been $24,900 and not $14,900. Looking at Cars.com has them running from $23K-$28K. Something smells fishy but if it checks out get it.

jkayca

As others have suggest, get it checked out by a good mechanic. Carfax and Autocheck only go by the insurance records. It's quite possible the cars was involved in an accident the owner did not report. Sometimes, if the owner was at fault, they will bypass insurance and get it fixed on their own dollar.

07849

Thanks for the responses. I took the advice given, but I must say, what I found out made me even more apprehensive. I was able to take the car over to a Lexus dealership and have them put the car on a lift to make sure everything is in order. Not only did they tell me everything was fine, the rep provided me with a detailed service history on the car which showed that every recommended service up until this point was done at a Lexus dealer. Even changing of tires and brakes (done in the last few months) were done through the dealer. So this had me questioning what is going on, and whether I'm missing something. To put it in perspective, I stumbled on a 2 owner, salvage titled, 60k miles, 2010 with the same set up for about the same price. The rep did tell me there was an issue with the middle brake light that would cost about $400 to fix, but again, that seemed minor to me. I don't know if I'm just trying to talk myself out of buying the car, but something just seems strange to me.

NickTee

Bring it to a real mechanic, not the dealership, to have the inspection done. One that knows how to identify a flood vehicle, a bent chassis, etc. That's not their specialty.

jimmy2x

I dunno - I am in the same geographic area with a 2010 equipped with NAV, etc. KBB tells me the car is worth app $17k on a trade (good but not excellent condition w.57,000 miles).

There is no logical reason for a dealer to SELL a similar car for that price. I smell a rat.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

It's possible that the seller thinks there's a problem with the car, but is wrong. That may be why your spider sense is tingling. Look at CarGurus, they will tell you how long other es cars have been on the market. Around here, they're just not selling. Sitting for 60-90 days. Priced right they'll sell. I think that Cars.com at the price mentioned is way too high. What do YOU think it should be selling for? LISTED for?

jagtoes

Is this car a private sale or from a dealer. I find it hard to believe a dealer would have taken this as a trade and then sell it at a loss. Just look on the lot of a Lexus dealer and see what they are asking for a similar car. If a private sale I'm sure a dealer would pick this up for that price just to flip it. Just because cars are not selling dealers won't sell at a loss . Was this always a NJ car and what is the purchase history. How many times has it been sold. I'm still thinking this is either a scam or a flood car. Doesn't make sense.

GCL

iTrader: (1)

I don't know what more you can do. You did a demanding test drive, checked Carfax, etc, had it inspected at a Lexus dealer. As long as it wasn't from a possible flood area, and it has clean title, you are good to go.

What colour is it? Maybe it's not one of the popular ones, but if you like it - great!

12jimmyjam

My credit union offered me a great warranty- bumper to bumper for 36k miles for only about a thousand bucks. I'd probably go for something like that if you buy it. But sometimes you just come across a deal...

Mike728

Test drive it over to a CarMax and see what they'll offer you for it.

EAS

Double check documentation before signing. Rates etc. Assuming you don't buy for cash. Someone said it's the right price for a private sale, they are also wrong. It is much underpriced for private sector as well. The car could have been repaired out of pocket as well, which is why it may have a clean carfax. Dealer mechanics are lazy or stupid. They couldnt tell my car was salvage and confirmed I still have a warranty on it. Even after they looked at it. Check the paint very closely, remove the engine shields and look at any signs of previous hot work. Finally, it may sound naive, but if the car drives straight, has everything working, looks spotless, documentation and legal agreement looks fine, there is no reason to not buy. It is not that easy to make the car show perfection if it had any serious problems.