Lukas99GS

Hey everybody, I recently test drive an 08 gs350 with 110k prices at 16k although I could likely talk them down over chipped windshield and it needing new 3m film on the bumper. Drove great, love the look of these cars. My 99 gs300 still runs great with 215k, are these just as reliable? I'm not rich by any means so I don't want a car that's going to have repairs in the thousands of dollars, but my lexus now hasn't given me any issues whatsoever. What things should I pay attention too when looking or what are weak areas of this car? Also are the 06 gs300s good cars? See them cheaper and more affordable to me and have seen a few with over 200k for sale, are they good after the recall engine rebuild? Thanks for your time and info

xbladex00

i have 2007 80k miles GS350 AWD... you do get vibrations here and there as apparently this problem will never go away but its not very noticable.... My AC makes the car vibrate even more not sure if thats a problem tho... you should turn on the AC if its in fresh air mode and its ticking then the air filter cabin door is broken I broke mines half a year ago still havent fixed it.... The HID's might go out either left or right sometimes you might have to change the light bulbs and not worry at all the worst case is the same problem and its not the bulb then its the ballast.... Thats mostly all the problems i know... besides my mid pipe rusting and making a whole but we welded a tubing to fix that....

msgs350

iTrader: (2)

At 110k, you should expect major maintenances due including water pump. My 2007 has 130k and recently the main relay and alternator had to be replaced. Other than that, no issues.

Some issues for others: rear sunshade failing, rear view mirror discoloring, tilting side mirrors (when reversing) failing and dash squeals/rattles.

Don't get an AWD if you plan to lower the vehicle, as it will vibrate/wobble. I wouldn't bother with a 2006 GS300. Good luck!

Lukas99GS

Wow, it sounds like these have a good amount more issues than the older GS and LS, any idea on how expensive those issues are? The dealer will fix the rattle issue free won't they? The one I drove didn't rattle but that's not a huge concern to me. I'm debating between the gs350, ls430, or a 2nd gen gs430. But the third gen gs are beautiful in my eyes and by far the most "up to date" looking car out of those.

xbladex00

I think manufacturers are building less reliable cars but you cant also expect a good clean 2nd gen to live forever either.... the only reason i would get a 2nd gen GS is for the 2JZ engine and soup that **** up! I dont think most things will last.

I have a 07 GS AWD and i haven'[t had to replace much yet the only thing i've replaced were the battery, HID light bulbs, brake pads, rear calipers (they're known to seize forgot to mention that) thats probably about it... the rest should be done at the dealerships for the recalls

about the dealership fixing the rattles and stuff... I'm not too sure but they might not because Its not under warranty!

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Drive it, make sure the trans isn't acting funny...

If you google "GSxxx transmission" it'll pull up CL with many threads. Not saying they're all ****ed, but some people have had issues.
It's the stupid "lifetime" fluid and how the dealer tries to make it seem impossible to change... that's my non-engineer opinion.

Other than the trans, I have not researched or found anything "serious".

Of course there's the wobbles, & rattles, but those aren't too pressing.

This thread comes up all the time on here, just search!

Lukas99GS

Hmm now that you mention it the 08 i drove did seem to shift slightly hard, but all transmissions shift differently so maybe it just felt different compared to my car, I guess the only thing I'd be worried about are major engine or transmission problems, I know there were recalls on both the 06 gs300 and 350s, but if they're over 100k and the previous owner didn't have them done would I still be able to get the recalls done free? Or is that a warranty thing?

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Yeah you would still be able to get the recalls done.

Lukas99GS

So are the recalls temporary fixes or are they pretty solid after all the recalls are done?

xbladex00

they should be solid fixes I never had a problem since then.... then again I never noticed the problem in the first place!!! If your engine were to malfunction then you could probably blame the dealership for not doing it because i drive my GS pretty hard for the sake of third gen GS

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Recalls are more "serious", so they HAVE to be done. Hell, I just had a couple done on an RX330 last year! The manufacturer plays it safe, since they don't want a lawsuit...

Now, TSB [technical service bulletins] are a "heads up" to people. They usually aren't pertaining to pressing things such as driveline/brakes, but moreso about annoyances. These are usually charged to the customer if found in their vehicle.