idriveabuc

I found this lexus gx 470 '05 for $17K ...

link: http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invento...ting=109940470

I'm a single guy -- commute is only a few miles each way -- so not too worried about the terrible gas mileage.

I just want a reliable nice car that doesn't cost me a fortune to maintain but also has some nice luxuries and "status" (Lexus) appeal ..

Can anybody offer any insight on this car .. what maintenance costs might be like .. how reliable it is .. what to look out for when inspecting the car ... etc. etc. any insight/advice you can offer whatsoever ? I may be pulling the trigger on this car within a day or two.

Thank you.

soarrabun

Its a very solid car, the engine is legendary. The 4.7 motor has been around for years and is super solid. You will not experience any ridiculous repair cost like a German car. Make sure it has a timing belt water pump service. The transmission and drive train is also solid shouldn't worry much there. The dash will crack. But they are being replaced by Lexus for free this summer. I have always loved these vehicles I have seen them with 200k no problem, Of course it does have air suspension so expect some cost associated with that. Nothing bad like a Mercedes s class.

Note you can check the service records online at lexus, All u need is the vin.

idriveabuc

Awesome feedback, thanks!

I looked up the Vin at Lexus, and it looks like the car was well maintained.

There was no specific mention of water pump replacement, but it looks like maintenance intervals were honored/taken care of.

It also looks like the car is in desperate need of new tires and breaks (the last owner put it off through 2 different 5 mo. oil checks)

Tread is at 3/32 ... breaks at 6M or something..

anyway, here's what the car salesmen told me about the car via text:

David I walked around the vehicle the body is in great shape. rock chips is the extent of any damage. there are some on the front where you'd expect them on a car of this age. On the sides of the car there are a few rock chips on either side. there are no long scratches or dents. The interior looks great. the interior is clean and well kept and looks great for an 05.. There are no lights on the dash. I really do think this vehicle is worth seeing. let me know when you would like to see it. if you have any questions about what I've looked at please call. Brian Sich.


Should the bolded be a deal breaker? He did say that they were able to buff the rock chips out...

Thanks again for the input..

KLF

It's a deal breaker of it bothers you. Remember that it is 10 years old, so it won't be perfect.

And rock chips can't be "buffed out". Trust nothing that the salesman tells you. Go look at it and decide.

idriveabuc

Good point -- thanks for the advice.

NTH

Salesman's famous last word, " yea that'll buff right out"! Lol. Sounds like a nice truck but do your homework before committing. Have a PPI done by an Indy if it'll make you feel better. It's a small fee to pay that may prevent unwanted headaches after purchase. Last advice, I would not assume timing belt and water pump was done already. Many will go well over the recommended 90k interval but you're playing Russian roulette at that point. See if you can dig deeper into the servicing dealer to see if that was done. If not, I would try to negotiate down the asking a bit to get that service done on your coin. Good luck.

burny

I would offer $15k for it tops and maybe less by trying to negotiate tire cost you will have to absorb. Make sure the drive shaft clunk in the rear is not there when driving. Listen for the rear air bags to fill when starting and deflating when cut car off. check transfer case for any leaks. inspect bottom corners of radiator for leaks. Look over dash very closely for small cracks. Especially around passenger side air bag area. If transmission fluid has not been changed, plan to get that done. Has power steering fluid, brake fluid been done? With tires, brakes and fluid changes, I think 14-15k is a fair price for this truck.

idriveabuc

I went and saw the car ..

body and interior are in excellent condition given that it's 10 year old car.

Tires, Brakes, and Timing Belt & Water Pump are all due though ...

Tires are in terrible condition (like a year or two past-due) ..

The lowest I could talk them down to was $16,240 ...(plus they will waive the documentary fee) ..

given the used car market out here .. this is actually a pretty good deal ..

it does suck that if i do buy the car .. im going to be facing $2-3K in past due maintenance work though .. which is making me hesitant to pull the trigger.

idriveabuc

Some other information worth mentioning:

Car is a 2 owner, with clean carfax and autocheck (no accident/damage/etc.)

Car was maintained by lexus dealership during both owners and mile-maintenance was seemingly taken care of based on lexus.com's 'vehicle history' ..

burny

I'm with you on it. You should hold off a while and see if they call with a lower price. At that price, with the items needed to be done, that truck will probably be around a while.

idriveabuc

Thanks I appreciate the advice.

I'm going to hold out and hope they budge on price.

It really is an awesome truck and i feel fortunate for the privilege to have taken it on a test drive.

Project470

I would wait, I watched a 2006 black/grey KDSS with 112k 1 owner sit on a lot for a month before I struck on the last day of the month. I took it to a local lex dealer and found out it needed t belt, radiator and right front wheel bearings replaced. I ended up getting the truck for $14,250 about 3k less than they were asking which isn't bad I think. If I had to do it all over I would spend a little more and get one with 75-85k miles. Mine has a few annoying squeaks/rattles and you can tell its mileage as it clunks loudly over potholes and road imperfections. I didn't hear any of this on my test drive! My happy ears must have been on plus the sport package sold me with how much sexier it looked and how much better it handled compared to the non sports I drove.

chiph9

They probably only have 10,000 - 11,000 into the vehicle (going by KBB for "fair" condition because of the tires and deferred maintenance).

I agree with Project470 - wait until the end of the month when the salesman wants a sale.

One thing you might try is seeing if they will discount the service work. Timing belt + water pump is normally around $1200, and they probably sell Michelins (what condition is the spare? Sounds like you don't want to rotate one of the road tires into that position, so 5 tires) So you might ask if they'll split that cost with you.

Chip H.

techrep

No it was not... Timing belt needed to be replaced @ 90K miles and the water pump would of been done at the same time...that's 20K miles over due... offer them $15.500 out the door or walk...

ALAN553

going to pull the trigger on an 07 with 57,000 miles on it, 11 lexus service records every 5000 miles, paint looks like the truck has never seen weather or a car wash brush...one owner, leather on steering wheel looks like new, drive shaft replaced, probably needs new front pads and rotors, rears done. no other issues, hopefully with my 04 with 158K trade in, maybe 12K. sounds like a deal, right?