sadielady

I'm looking to buy a 96 es300 with 160,000 mi. Asking price is 2900. Car looks really good on outside and pretty good inside as well. Guy selling says it needs nothing. maint records are available and carfax too. no wrecks, no rebuilt title. it is a 2 owner.

my son just totaled his 98 toyota avalon xls with 63k mi. it was a beauty. we loved it. now it's time to consider the 96 lexus es300. my wife wants to know if there are common problems with this car at 160k mi. What are your thoughts on this vintage lexus es300? how will it compare with the avalon?

thanks from the newb.

Bankos66

I just bought a 95 es300 for $1,400 with 158,000 miles. You can probably get it cheaper

dmight

I have a 96 ES300 with 187000, in the past year it needed brakes, front exhaust pipe w/cat and a new radiator along with regular service, not mentioning all the cleaning and polishing. :>)
Car fax won't tell a whole lot about anything, it's a joke. Oh they might tell about if it's been wrecked or something, if it's been reported. A good inspection, which I hope you get before buying, by a qualified service can and will tell you most of what you need. Even if it's been in an accident and if it's been fixed properly.
Lexus can tell you quite a bit for free, just go to their web site, register and put in your VIN
Sounds like a pretty good deal if it checks out alright. Mileage is about right for the year, price is about right for one in better shape, KBB was about 4200 for full retail last summer, private sale, 2500 - 2900 would be high around my area, but not bad if the car is a 9 out of 10.
I don't car what anyone say, a 1996 car with 160000 on the clock, need something, and/or it will shortly. Take it to your bookie and bet on it.

sadielady

thanks for the input. seems i've read something about an oil 'sludge' issue. is it purely a function of someone who has neglected oil changes or is it more problematic with a specific model year?

also, regardless of the model year for an es300 (i'm talking 1996 - 2004), how would the es300 compare with a similar model year Toyota Avalon XLS (top of the line)??? what would be the differences i would notice between the two??? i know i had to dump money into the suspension of my son's 98 avalon to make it ride and handle better (struts, mounts, end links, sway bar bushings, etc) and it only had 58k mi when i bought it.

ASG14

iTrader: (1)

For 1996 there is no real common issues. The "sludging" issue was moreso on the I4 motors in 1997 due to a slight design change issue in the cooling system through though the block I think. I have a '96 Camry (SAME engine), and just swapped the engine at 166k miles. Why? I have a Supercharger on it for 60k miles miles, and drive the car like hell, and have acxtually raced on a track with it. And the only reason I changed it was it was starting to burn a little oil, but still ran fine. 0 sludge at all, and I owned it since 61k miles.

Just make sure everything is up to date. A common issue, if you can call it an issue, is the valve cover gaskets have to be changed every so often. Thats the biggest thing. Probably a 3 hour job from most mechanics.

Other then that, it;s really just the normal, brakes, suspension, tires, fluids.

Bankos66

^^just sayin that i love ASG14's Camry.

rattler96

I've got 190k on mine and I love it! I got it with 107k on it back in '08. I've only had to do routine maint, valve cover gaskets and a couple check engine light issues, nothing serious. I live in GA and drove it to NYC last year. I couldn't be happier.

bobafreak

iTrader: (-1)

Only flaw I can think of is the cluster needles. Other than that its a good car and I couldn't be any happier buying it. But I agree you cnan find one a lot cheaper for that year also. How many owners? Maint up to par?

Renegade

I've got 264k on my 96, had 87k when I bought it five years ago,I was told by someone in the know that those engines were good for 200k , but she's still going.

03 ES

1. sludge due to lack of oil changes (if oil is changed regularly this is not an issue)
2. exhaust leaks
3. noisy suspension when components (struts, bushings, top mounts, etc) go bad
4. oil leaks - valve cover gaskets, oil pan, cam/crank seals (easy fix, more of an annoyance above all)
5. LACK OF PROPER MAINTENANCE is the biggest issue...if the car is well cared for, its a safe buy and a great car. ES300's are extremely reliable. Thing is, a well cared for 160k ES is better than an abused 70k ES.