qoner

Quick background, my 1st car was a pearl white 1993 GS300 (which I still have but needs work), then moved on to a 03 Acura CL type S. Funny how life come full circle because for my next car I'm choosing between an 08 TL and an 07 GS350. The Acura has a clean history and seems like a decent safe bet.


The Lexus ($12495, 95,000 miles):

http://www.abwautos.com/2007-Lexus-G...-06770/5573665

The Carfax:

http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...E96S970011857#

Long story short, I love and actually prefer the Lexus but is it worth it? With no warranty, anyone know how much am I going to roughly pay out of pocket to fix:

1) NHTSA #14V647
Recall #ELF Safety Recall ELF - Remedy Notice -
Various Models - Potential Fuel Pressure Sensor
Leak

2) NHTSA #13V395
Recall #DLG Safety Recall DLG Remedy Notice -
Certain 2006 to 2011 Model Year IS350, Certain
2010 to 2011 Model Year IS350C and Certain 2007 to
2011 Model Year GS350 Vehicles - 2GR-FSE Intake
VVT Actuator Gear

Going to go check it out tomorrow, any input would be greatly appreciated.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Don't know much about the Acura and I'm partial to the Lexus even though I just purchased my wifes GS a couple of months ago. I say test drive both cars and go with your gut. I looked at a couple of Maximas, Accords and Sonotas a good look but went with the GS since I'm just comfortable with Lexus. It was out of warranty but I felt confident that if anything went wrong I could pop on the forum and find the fix.

pman6

it will cost you $0

recalls are done no charge even if there is no warranty.

qoner

Thanks for the responses guys. I called the dealer and learned they'd do it for free which is awesome. I was referring mainly to the miles though. It sort of feels like $12,495 is a lot to pay with a car with 95,000 miles on it.

pman6

you'll have to consult kelley blue book and other sources to decide if that price is right.

mechanically, it could probably drive another 100k miles without much issue.

It's not very fuel efficient though. So you'll have to reflect on why you want this car.

qoner

Thats what I meant. Its basically at KBB value. If in your experience thats the shelf life for the car, I don't think it worth it to pay that much for only 5 years. As Lexus owners we're all used to the premium gas issues but I figured it would last long and maintenance is reasonable.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Well I just paid 20k for 97,000 miles but that's because I have 210k on the LS so I'm a believer even though the cars are totally different. The LS is a beast on the highway but not so much in the city.

qoner

Wow. I guess it depends on how you are fundamentally and your situation. That is insane to me to pay that amount for a car with so many miles on it (no disrespect). I have a 93 GS300 and it has 272k on the dash so I know these are rocks but man.....

You potentially could've gotten a better deal than that or a different car, why'd you go with what you did?

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Like I said, I looked at a couple of other brands. A 2011 Maxima was in the running and the interior was really nice but I know a guy with one and the engine mounts were gone at 60k and so was the A/C compressor. There were lots of complaints on the web about the A/C compressor also. That nixed the Maxima. I liked the Hyundia Sonota since I rented it numerous times. The car was great on gas. I could have got a newer model for the price I paid for the GS but It just didn't speak luxury IMO. The NEW accords were really nice but couldn't find one in my budget which was 20k. I didn't even start out looking at the GS but I went with it because I've been on this board for 10 years and I've been driving an LS for the last 20 years ( 91 then 98 ) so I'm pretty confident in my abilities to fix anything short of MAJOR engine or transmission issues. Plus ALL the service was done at the dealer up to 90k.

qoner

Hey I appreciate the insight man. And I think we have the same ideology, I'd prefer to stick with Lexus because of this forum (so informative, I really feel like I can do most mid tier work on the car because of CL) and my overall experience with Lexus's in general. Just found one on ebay and though its slightly out of my price range, you made me feel a little more comfortable taking the leap. What do you think?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/262051482661?_trksid=p2060778.m1431.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

xbladex00

I have the same car at around nearing 90k. When you go check this car out play with the air recirculation and fresh air mode to see if the cabin filter door is broken. 2nd my car has been having a bit of rough shifts up or down maybe its the nature of the car but i'm sure i haven't noticed before and i never flushed the tranny fluid... yet...

thats about all i can really say. The pictures give a glimp's of what the paint condition is. Make sure you check each panel carefully for dent's or scratches. Bring it to a certified tech to check out the car too for any problems or leaks. You should also ask the seller to drive the car so maybe you can focus on some noises. TOUCH EVERYTHING to see if it works too!

I've never had a problem with this car, the only big problem that has ever happened was the rear calipers seizing. When my calipers seized my pedal went close to the floor like literally too the floor to stop. though i swapped them out... maybe i might doctor the ones i took off and see if I have an extra pair incase they seize again.

qoner

Appreciate this. I'm a little confused about what you mean exactly here though. You mean mess with the A/C and choose the setting to circulate air from outside rather than inside?

And aside from this, there aren't any other things or problem signs you know to look for specifically for this model?

pman6

there's an access panel in the glove box to get to the a/c filter.
When you set the a/c in recirc mode (not fresh air mode), and remove the access panel, you should be able to see the cabin filter.

If you remove the access panel and see any other obstruction, that means the a/c filter door is f**d

http://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/do.../sec_04_03.pdf
look at page 406

I don't think that's the shelf life.

with proper care, you can go a million miles.

qoner

You don't know what you just did........that link is incredible. You're a solid dude bro.

What would potentially be blocked when I remove the access panel, the filter cover or the filter itself? And then what would be the big deal if its blocked anyway, you would not be able to use recirculated mode in that case?

pman6

if the recirc mode is broken, you would just see a white plastic door blocking the hole after removing the black access plate.
You would not see the filter inside.

During recirc mode, a gear mechanism opens the inside door and gives you access to the air filter.

I think you would still be able to use recirc mode, but there would be grinding noise because the air filter access door is broken.

I'm not sure how hard it would be to change the filter if that happened. Others might be able to tell you.