ALAN553

Lexus of Route 10, whippany...for a dealer they are good to me...knowing my own truck inside and out gets you a little respect and some professional courtesy also....also dropping off some wine at xmas time also helps...so they dont try to over sell me on stuff especially when they know i might try it myself...lol

ALAN553

yea ignore it...doesnt it quiet down when the engine warms up...my 04 did that for many years before i sold it...always quieted down after warm up

Goosed

So both manifolds are cracked per Toyota dealer call today - They want $3,000 to replace both! That's more than I have EVER read for the GX, 4Runner, Tundra, or LX. I was shocked. Looking into some options. It does warm up after a few minutes but man is it loud upon start up.

Long story short three weeks into ownership I'm looking at front and rear brakes, front calipers seized, and exhaust manifolds leaking. You buy a Lexus or Toyota because of long term reliability. Not too sure anymore.

sheikhmax

Also Remember:

When you are buying USED... You are buying someone else's headache.

Same thing i thought when i bought mine at 100K... Off course these are cars are built to LAST many many miles ... In some cases 400K and above.. provided all the maintenance is done in time..
Check this thread for 400k
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...to-keep-5.html

I think a lot of people sell these trucks at 100K because alot of services get due at that mileage. Atleast thats true in my case...
Rear Brakes
Tires
Front Brakes
TB/WP plus pulleys etc
Alignments
Fluid Flushes
Spark Plugs....(feel like )

(All the above services done just drive 20K miles... It sucks in my opinion) Once i bought it, I was stuck...

But Lesson learned... My next one will be Low Miles Only.

Regarding Manifold Leak... Take to Exhaust place and see if it can welded.... And you are done.... I remember someone talked about getting it WELDED Instead of Replacing.... Google it...

Good Luck... And Don't be Sad... LOL

ALAN553

there is long term reiliability....brakes could have easily been checked before buying...normal service there, stuck calipers...a known problem...its all over r this forum..can happen at 30K...and the manifold should have been able to hear it on test drive? i had my 04 for 180K and stuff went...but it never left me stranded and it ran great when i traded it for an 09 with 30K.

IanB2

X2 on looking into having the manifolds welded, but another X2 on this isn't an issue that popped up on both manifolds since you purchased 3 weeks ago. Every vehicle has a weakness, and every dealer's repair quote is outrageous. Do your research, and do your own labor where possible to keep costs down.

Sorry about your luck, once you get it all fixed up it should provide you with years of loyal service.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

there are aftermarket manifolds which wont crack as easy, you can find them on rock auto. toyota probably wont install them for you though. an independent mechanic could do it for alot less, there is a shortcut way by undoing the motor mounts and jacking the motor up some, then you don't have to pull the engine of cylinder heads, but not everyone is familiar with it and might only work well on the passenger side.

Goosed

Brakes were checked before buying - per dealer they had 7mm pad remaining all the way around... Dealer lied. I measured them today after they were replaced. All pads were closer to 3 and 4 mm. We only put about 600 miles on so far.

Seized Calipers, yep I know they are a common issue. They were also replaced at 38,000 miles per CarFax.

As far as manifolds, no we did not hear it at all. When we test drove the vehicle, we started it up at operating temp because they washed it prior to us coming down. When we came back to pick it up, the dealer drove it to get gas, so again it was warmed up enough that the cracks sealed.

Might i add we are currently at 78,000 miles - Again, things that are needing attention like exhaust manifolds shouldnt be going wrong, 2nd set of calipers shouldnt fail. I had a Kia with well over that, never had issues - Never had to replace exhaust manifolds. And this is a Lexus/Toyota product. Thats what makes me wonder.


We did a TON of homework on this thing. Carfax was nuts with scheduled maintenance. Diffs and Xfer changed twice so far, brake and steering fluid changed, coolant flushed, etc. I even called the dealer to inquire about the services. This is why I didn't see this coming.

Goosed

Any specific threads with info? I have heard the cats are junk on most of them, and I cannot delete them as I have e check in my area.

rstl99

Sorry to hear about your experience with your GX, Goose. I bought a 2004 a few weeks ago (haven't driven it much yet because I was travelling). Mine has about 125k miles, and the PO had brake pads replaced on all wheels when I bought it, plus a couple of other things for safety certification. The exhaust manifold makes a put-put-put sound on the passenger side when truck is cold, goes away when warn. So I gather that side will maybe need some attention.

Maybe yours was mostly city-driven in stop and go traffic? That would wear out some components sooner, and the hot-cold cycles may account for manifold cracking, I don't know. Mine was mostly highway driven so hopefully that will bode well for me down the road.

Yeah, these GX's aren't necessarily as "maintenance-free" as some people and reviewers would have you believe. If I had a dollar for everyone I read who said "all I have done on it is oil changes and other consumables and the truck has given me 1xx,000 miles of trouble-free driving so far"... ;-)

Anyway hang in there, address what needs to be addressed, stay on top of the maintenance and you should enjoy many good years with your GX.