teejnut

iTrader: (6)

Keep us up to date on how this goes. I just started window shopping for a LS and saw this thread and saw this same car come up in my searches too. Looks like a good deal!

Gbp

The pre-purchase inspection results came back. Items of concern are:

1. The left side consisting of the doors and rear quarter-panel has been repainted. I guess this indicates "bodywork". How serious the accident was there's no telling. I dyon't know where or when the work was done.

2. The fender liner on the driver's side was torn off. Replacement cost = $451 + tax. The comments on the online Lexus service record from Lexus of riverside, on 7/16/2013 at 49,870 miles states:

ADVISED GUEST OF NEEDED REPAIRS OR SERVICES. - GUEST STATES THERE WAS A PLASTIC COVER FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE THAT CAME LOOSE. PART IN TRUNK. CK AND ADVISE. - TECH FOUND IMPACT DAMAGE UNDER LEFT FRONT FENDER LINER - $451+TAX TO REPLACE. - ADVISED GUEST OF NEEDED REPAIRS OR SERVICES.

So it looks like Lexus of Winchester made the same observations on today's inspection and used the same price for the repair.

3. Perhaps not a big deal, but the exterior color on the Lexus database now says Smoky Granite Mica instead of Truffle Mica. I'll ask Lexus of Winchester if they changed this, and if so, why.

The report says the brake pads are new, the rotors look OK, the tires (some kind of Michelin) have a lot of tread left. Mechanically, the car is in good shape, with no suspension or steering system issues. The interior "has no imperfections".

The Lexus dealer is doing the recall work (from the most recent recall) tomorrow. The service advisor will look at the paint job more closely, too. He feels that the car, at least after the recall work and presumably replacement of the fender liner, would be CPO-eligible as is. From my previous link to the car, the seller is a Chevrolet dealership, so I doubt the Lexus dealer has a motive to lie about their assessment of the vehicle.

As always, any feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Devh

For that price and millage without damage would be an ok deal. With found damage at the rear quarter I would walk. There might be a lot of other unknowns as well and you are still holding the money.

Don't get me wrong I'm not against a car that has been in an accident, in fact my current LS had a minor accident that was repaired right but I also bought it at a reduced price that reflected that.

Gbp

All I know is that the car was repainted, not the actual damage from an accident that caused the repainting. I was counting on the assessment of the 3rd-party Lexus dealer to give me an idea of the car's mechanical condition and imperfections. Wouldn't such an inspection reveal if the repair were done right? I guess ir's possible no inspection and road test could answer that question.

The secondary question is at what reduced price, if any, would it make sense to buy the vehicle? I could see the dealer having the fender liner replaced as a requirement. I could also see the repainting as a further factor in coming down in price. It's the unknowns that are the problem.

Sure, I've some emotional investment in the vehicle, but I can walk away from it if that's the best course of action. The only thing that makes me hesitant about doing so are the positive things the pre-purchase inspection listed and the statement by the Lexus service advisor that the car would be eligible for CPO status after the re all work and presumably the fender liner replacement.

roadfrog

MAN!! Tough critics! I'd be all over this car if I liked it. None of what you told me would be a deal breaker. Heck the liner at 451 dollars, though steep and ridiculous, it's minor. Buy the dang car already!

Buy this brand new liner on Ebay for 52 bucks and put it in yourself: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/07-09-Lexus-L...7899b9&vxp=mtr
It even comes with free shipping.

Devh

The problem here is that there is still an unknown in that you don't know what happened only that the car was repainted. As far as asking a reduction in price you might have some leverage because the car has a clean Carfax but more often then not they will turn you down because there are a lot more suckers willing to make an emotional decision.
You are in a position to walk away and scope out another candidate.

wasjr

If there is no evidence of damage to frame, axle, etc, I would not be too concerned. It could be the owner simply scraped a mailbox. Or as in the case of my wife's ES300h, she scraped a pillar in a tight parking garage requiring a rear door, quarter panel, and rear bumper to be repainted. The bumper was the interesting part as there was only about a 6 inch area on the side damaged, but they pulled and repainted the entire bumper.

While I would not be concerned about the repainting, that should not keep you from utilizing this information in price negotiations.

R Z

I can speak from experience here. My 08 was sold to me by a Toyota dealership. All they said was they replaced the rear bumper. I didn't take it to Lexus and all the car fax and Lexus info from the Vin came out clean as a whistle. After having the car for a few months (and let me tell you, the car drives like a freaking dream), I noticed some paint issues on the passenger back panel and real passenger door. The dealership denies any knowledge. But the car was damaged. Any semi pro could have seen it. My car is now in the shop getting the panel smoothed and repainted. When I get it back Friday, once I inspect it and it's great, I'll have no issues with the car (other than I wish I had the 2010 for the additional new features).

Negotiate a grand or so off and enjoy!

Gbp

Thanks, all, for the responses! $33K OTD is the final price, which includes fixing a peeling radar sensor cover and, more importantly, taking car of a "dimple" on the driver's door. I fly down on Friday, check in hand, and if the car looks good to me and drives well, we'll do the deal. If not, I'll request an immediate refund of my deposit, and my search continues. I'm happy with the price, and I'm optimistic things will work out.

I think $33K OTD is a good price for a 2010 LS460 in good condition, with 61K miles, Mark Levinson audio, and the Comfort Plus package. I hope to soon become another happy LS460 owner!

enoch861

Early congrats! Hopefully everything checks out
That drive back is gonna be amazing! The car soaks up the miles as if they don't exist and you arrive... dare I say it, refreshed. Just picked up my LS yesterday morning and it was a phenomenal drive home with it.

Gbp

Unfortunately, the deal didn't happen. It was contingent on the promise of a small dimple on the driver's door getting removed.,me hifh I was assured would be. I made a flight reservation, flew in this morning, checked the car out, and the dimple was still there. I was told the paintless dent guy came by yesterday and said he was afraid to "risk" the repair because of the location.

I told the salesman I was disappointed that he didn't live up to his promise. Even though he was off yesterday, he still could have checked, notified me, and I would have bargained from home. I was asked what it take to do the deal. I said an additional $500 discount, just a blind guess. He talked with his manager and came back with $100. I said no, and that I needed a ride back to the airport. He then said $150. I said no and took the dealership's shuttle back to the airport.

I found a cheap flight home, but I decided to give the dealer one more chance. I called and said if they went to some effort and took care of the dent, if the work came out OK, I'd be satisfied. The discount went up to $200. I said no. The salesman emphasized they intended to sell the car as is. I said OK, sorry we couldn't do business together.

While at the airport, I called another paintless dent person and texted him the picture. He said the dent indeed was in a tough location, and would have to see the car to see if it was doable. TBC...

As I was on the phone, the salesman called. He had another paintless dent guy who felt the job could be done for $150 and, although the salesperson went home, he would meet the dent guy at the dealership and see what could be done and would call me. This was a little after 4pm, I think., and my flight home was leaving around 6:30pm...

I received a call around 5pm, the salesman saying the paintless dent guy (the third one consulted) told the salesman that he couldn't get the dent out without removing the driver's side mirror and some trim. The cost? The salesperson said he didn't know, was going to sell the car as is with the dimple, and was I still interested in the $500 discount? I said I had no idea what the cost would be either, and that really this was the dealership's responsibility, as he had previously committed to.

So, given the repainting of the left doors and left rear quarter panel, adding a fender liner, and the infamous dimple that the dealer refused to have fixed, I ended up walking away..

SW17LS

That's crazy! Removing the mirror and some trim to do the PDR is not a big deal, they do that all the time.

How foolish to let you walk.

Oh well, always another one out there. Sucks you flew down there for nothing.

Devh

Good for you. When the dealership receives a car for assessment they know full well what they are getting because they inspect it for body work and use it against the guy who is trading it in. This is where the margin is and I'm sure they didn't want to fix the body work on a hunch that you would settle after going though the trouble.

Cars can be fixed and brought back to near 100% these days so that should not discourage your purchase but it can lead to other issues that might not be spotted after an initial test drive like caster issues. That is why known body work at a non discounted price is a walk.
Clean Carfax has made buyers complacent, and they get stuck with someones left over baggage that will be used against them at a later date. You are the guy holding the cash and unless they are giving you a deal you can comfortably walk away and look at several other candidates.
There are good deals to be made and when you find it it will be worth it waiting. I wish you the best of luck.

Gbp

Thanks! It's a shame the dealer let me walk. If they had accepted my initial $500 reduction request, they would have had a sale, with the onus on me for dealing with the dimple. As more information came to light, it became apparent that removing it wasn't necessarily going to be straightforward, especially when the repair person I consulted with said he'd need to see the vehicle before determining what could be done.

The PDR guy said one of his options to remove the dent was a no-go because of the repainting. The strength of the original factory paint would have withstood his efforts; the repainted surface probably not.

The trip wasn't a total waste. In the 2.5 hours I spent with the car (I assumed we could work something out about the dent), I had a chance to appreciate the quality of the LS460 in general, and to appreciate akll the bells and whistles of the car. That, and better knowing the challenges involved in assessing a non-local car, will prove valuable as my search continues.

Devh

Every time I walk I gain another level of experience. If the repair was easy the dealership would have had it done before the sale at a discounted price from their own dent repair people so they can present the car in the best light.

The fact of the matter is that they let you walk because there are a lot more suckers these days willing to make an emotional purchase. The buyers are only concern about getting financing then the actual condition of the car so why should they sell it to a person like yourself that can see.
If it has left you dumbfounded I understand completely because dealerships are mismanaged and do foolish things all the time which ends up having them take a loss at times. The only reason why they keep these unsavory characters around is primarily because they are comfortable with playing confidence games.