Lei88

Hi all,

Been looking at IS250s and IS350s and went to take a look at one I really liked today.

2009 IS350
Here is a link to specs and VHR:
http://www.feltsmotorco.com/web/used...exas/23512319/

I took it for a drive and yes it does steer to the left a little but nothing crazy. I took it for a pre-purchase inspection and was surprised to hear that they believe it wasn't well maintained by previous owners:

dirty filters, air filter cabin filter
There are aftermarket sway bars (Should i be worried about that? or is that a plus?)
Seems like brakes weren't flushed at 30k and 60k as recommended
needs new tires and rotors soon (i can deal with that)
needs new wiper blades (sign of neglect or don't worry?)

Inspector said if I did purchase this vehicle that it'll be advised to increase frequency of oil changes in order to get it caught up.... is something I can do?

Should I be worried?

Also: It was recalled 2014 for the NHTSA #14V647
Potential fuel pressure sensor issue (I've read other owners on this forum having this pop up, they serviced their vehicles with no problem)

Carfax shows no service records for Oil changes: only one previously at 78K miles I asked the dealer about this and he said there are no service records. I guess it is hard for me to believe that a Lexus owner would take the time to put sway bars on but not change the oil?

Dealer will not negotiate price lower as it is already over 3k below market value (true)

My thing is: i am ok purchasing the vehicle at the price it is at.

Can anyone give me any negotiating points or tips on how to maintain this vehicle if and when I do purchase it?

Do you all go to Lexus Dealerships only or just find a reputable shop in your area?

Sorry if my questions are all over the place.

Thanks in advance.

Zmon

iTrader: (2)

It's a fairly decent price, I bet if you worked them a bit you can probably get it down to 17.5. If they won't budge on price at all, try to talk them into new tires at the very least. I just paid 15.6 for a 08 with 93k miles (I already put on almost 2k miles in 2 weeks, lolz) that was listed for 16.9, loaded same as this one except it was really taken care of.

Aftermarket sway bars tell me one of the previous owners possibly abused it, whether around town or on the track, but they could of just put it on for the better handling. Fluids... Not many people do them as it is. I'd just do it when you have the time and be done with it. As for oil changes, some people just prefer to do their own. I do, only in the winter though. Wiper blades, possibly used rain-x a lot, or was just lazy. At the very least, little things like the wiper blades should of at least been done at the dealer it's being sold from. If it absolutely needs new tires, they should be doing that too.

Don't worry about the fuel recall, just bring it to a Lexus dealer and check if it's been done. If not, schedule it.

Lei88

You got a pretty good deal on yours! I am going to go with my gut and go for it. I am leaning towards the idea that the previous owners did the oil changes themselves. If not, I'm willing to bite the bullet on this one. It's 78K miles and I will definitely see what I can do about negotiations down to 17.5 like you said. He said they would handle the recall but I think I'd rather do it myself. From the sounds of it today, I don't think there's much he could do about tires and brakes. There is enough tread that I can actually take care of everything that needs to be done in next few months and not all at once.

Thanks for your input, do you have photos of your new baby?

Zmon

iTrader: (2)

I'm not entirely too sure on how big IS350's are in your are area of TX, so... Really not too sure if it's priced right, or priced too high. I know here in southeast LA, they're hard to come by and are generally overpriced when they are around. I'd still see if they'd at least be willing to do brakes/rotors and/or tires if they're really that bad. Also, you should note that on their listing they have the Mark Levinson audio listed. As far as I can tell, it doesn't have it since the Mark Levinson branding isn't on the CD changer. Just a note if that matters to you.

Of course I'd wait to see if anyone else has any input instead of just going off my 2 cents. I'm still new to the whole IS line.

I just have some generic pics from when I drove to TN last weekend. Haven't had the time to take some quality pics, and I'd like to detail it first. Taking it in tomorrow for the vvt actuator recall and having them do spark plugs too. http://imgur.com/a/dVbEd

hirsch2is

I payed 16.5 for same car same mileage private party. However mine had the front lower lip scraped up and a few small dings that paintless dent repair could fix. I considered mine a good deal so I'd say the same for this one

Lei88

Awesome! Definitely a good deal. I am feeling much better about this purchase. Thank for the input

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

You'll be fine. If you were about to sell your car, would you go through the trouble of replacing all of those items that the shop listed? I wouldn't. Also about the sway bars, to me that me means the owner cared enough about the car and its handling that they upgraded. Using that logic, I'm sure regular oil changes were part of the vehicle's past. Like me, could have been 100% DIY oil changes...thus no maintenance records of it.

I think it's a gem! Just drop it a grand to cover the need to replace items at your expense.

Lei88

He wouldn't drop it any lower but I am pretty happy about my purchase. Getting brakes and rotors tomorrow morning and a new set of tires next week.

Thanks everyone

PandaBear

iTrader: (1)

A lot of people change their own oil or bring it to chain store instead of dealer, I wouldn't worry about that.

Air filter and cabin filters are cheap, they can be changed by anyone with fingers. I'd not worry about it at all and they do last a lot longer than 30k if you push it.

Sway bar is my main concern regarding to spirited driving and possible suspension modification or damage (lowering without aftermarket struts, hit a curb, etc). Actually the slight pull to the left is a good indicator that it may have hit something.

I'd do an alignment to see what's bent, there aren't a lot of adjustment on IS.

Congrat on the purchase.