khoality

Hello everyone! Looking to become an owner of a 2004 and would like opinions on the one I've found:

Private Owner
List price is $7495
Reason for selling: bought a truck and doesn't need a 3rd vehicle
Assembled date on the door label is 12/03
179000 (not a big deal for me as my commute to work is under 10mins so won't be racking up the miles)
Silver with Tan leather
Nav, DVD, ML, (all in good working condition) 3rd row, towing, running boards, roof rack
Timing belt done at around 100K, according to seller (need to verify though)
New tires and rotors in 7/15
New brake pads in 2/16
Air suspension replaced with springs, upon recommendation from a Toyota dealer in 2012
Valve cover gasket, grommets and spark plug seal was just replaced this week

Issues with it currently (according to seller):

Key fob doesn't work (which I think is the locking/unlocking?)
Switch for 1 of the rear window on the driver side doesn't go up, but does work from the rear window itself
Paint bubbling (see pics)
Leather cracked (see pics), any hope on cleaning and bringing it back to life?

Seller seems to be an older gentleman. Won't have a problem with me taking it to a dealer to have it inspected. Even suggested that I just take the car on my own to the dealer to have it looked at. It's about a 2 hr drive for me. So, is the condition of the vehicle worth the drive and the asking price? I'm hoping it's still the case as the engine and transmission are solid and reliable to make it another 100K Thank you in advance!!!

pennswoods

Let me preface with saying I am new to the forum and new to the GX world, so hopefully some more seasoned ClubLexus guys will comment, but your post is very similar to the GX I just purchased.

I bought mine right before Christmas, and I just hit 179k this morning, ironically. I found it about 2.5 hrs from me and went to look at it. There were many things, rust, door dings, roof rack pieces missing, that I didn't know about, so I used that during negotiations. I ended up buying it for $7600. It was a 2 owner vehicle and maintained relatively well. I am not discouraged about high mileage on most vehicles, especially GX, after I read about how many miles people were racking up on these.

Looks like your GX is in rough condition, but could use some TLC. Cosmetics don't worry too much because I love detailing cars. If you have it looked at, and it's mechanically sound, I think you would be happy with the GX. I am loving mine so far.

Might be able to get this for under $7000, and that is a steal for this machine!


That's just me though, anyone else want to weigh in?

Here's my GX: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...member-pa.html

khoality

Thanks for the opinion! Yes, overall, it's in "rough" condition and I actually enjoy bringing cars back into good shape. My thought is that as long as the engine and transmission are as solid as their reputation, it might be worth the consideration. Hopefully the seller can come down a bit more considering the shape that it's in. Thanks again for the input!

chiph9

Key fob could just be the battery in it.

Chip H.

khoality

Hope that's the case, but the seller said it hasn't worked in years. Anyone know how much it costs to have that fixed, i'm assuming reprogramming or whatnot. Thanks!

chiph9

People who have bought replacement keys have said programming the immobilizer at the dealer is between $90-120. This is after buying the key and getting it cut.

Chip H.

ebradford

I also have a GX of that vintage with just over 180k on it. It's a great vehicle. We've had it for about 10 years. So 10 punishing New England winters...

I say go for it.

khoality

Thanks, that doesn't sound too bad for a replacement OEM key. I actually just looked at the service history and apparently the seller got an aftermarket key and the dealer was unable to program it. Wonder why he chose to go with an aftermarket one?

khoality

Thanks for the input! I actually just went to look at an 03 one here locally. It was in pretty rough shape as well. It came from Michigan and when I looked underneath, it was rust city!

Luap

How 'bout going to Arizona for a GX , no rust state , you could do a lot better here .

chiph9

Price, most likely.

If the key shell ever breaks, you can transfer the electronics over to a new one. You won't have to program it to the car - just get the blade cut. But if you lose a key, you'll have to do all of the above.

Chip H.

khoality

I see, thanks for the information! I think I would rather get the OEM key and have my keyless working correctly, but to each their own.

LoneHiker

Rust on the undercarriage would be the most important consideration. If it's super rusty, that would be a deal breaker, don't buy at any price. If the frame seems fairly free of rust, I'd jump on it. Everything else can be dealt with. It's easy to get a replacement key and the gizmo to program the immobilizer off ebay, won't cost anywhere near $90.

khoality

i actually had it inspected by a Toyota dealer yesterday. The timing belt and water pump was verified done at 87K so that will have be done soon. There was a possibility that the rear main seal was leaking. They couldn't confirm though since the seller had just done the valve cover gasket where the oil may have come from. Power steering and brake fluids needs to be flushed. Frame is in excellent condition. CV joints are good. Rotors, pads and tires are good. i was able to negotiate the price down to $6600. Should I still jump on it? The rear seal repair scares me, $1000 (independent shop) to $1800 (stealership). Thanks!

RushNatU

The window switch might just need initialized. At the window switch in question, roll the window down and hold it down for a couple seconds. Then roll it up and hold it up for a couple seconds. Then go to the drivers door switch and it should work. One way to tell is if the light on the drivers door switch for that window is flashing.