Originally Posted by larryinWA

I have the awd luxury version of the 2013 gs 350, but im almost at 50,000 miles without replacing tires or pads. I've never owned a car where the pads lasted this long. They're getting thin, though, so I'll have to change them soon. The tires still have plenty of tread. I'd pull the tires and measure the pad thickness before I let anyone replace them

Originally Posted by AJLex19

When I worked out a deal with my dealership, I realized that because of the great price I got on the car, there were a few areas that were not up to par.

-My rotors were very rusted (when I complained, tech said they were in spec).
-My tires had 5/32nd tread left (barely the minimum required for certification before needing to be changed)
-Grinding noise when coasting (lexus tech unable to reproduce)
-A leather peeling/cracking problem on the drivers seat (addressed under warranty)

Overall, the idea is that you need to be very keen on the details to ensure this is the car you want to pursue. When my dad got his '11 GS from the SAME dealership, it had not a single issue and anything that came up was fixed under warranty no questions asked.

Anyway, I got my car up to par to my own standards - I don't care what the dealer thinks is "in spec" or "certified" because that is open to interpretation as one dealer's car might be spotless while another's is just barely worthy of certification.

The bottom line is that you shouldn't expect too much of a headache from the GS - its a well built car. Sometimes doing things outside the dealership at reputable places is a good bet (tirerack has some great prices on tires BTW) and there are some great local shops that you can find that will help you bring the car up to your standards.

As far as the differential fluid, thats news to me that it would need changing at 32k miles, but get a second opinion if you have a reputable mechanic that you can rely on.

Sometimes service is a little "iffy" at some dealerships, and stellar is another...never hurts to hear what another Lexus dealership might tell you. It can be frustrating sometimes dealing with service departments...thats when its time to switch to a local shop, DIY or another Lexus Dealer's service dept.