Emreh

Hello everyone

First off let me tell what a great discussion environment. Learned so much about my hopefully new car.

The other day I test drove a 2010 with 30K Kmsnat a lexus dealer. That's pretty much an un driven car. The salesman warned me: it's not yet CPO so expect some uncomfortable ride, breaks rotors and tires will be swapped with brand new ones.

A car that has 30k km should not feel like its back going to whip after I went over a pothole. Front suspensions were squeaky, part of the wheel wood was slightly off brown as well.

So I think of 2 possibilities: the car had an accident (nothing on car proof though) and not reported or its odo was played with. The dealer claims since it's been sitting for 4 years and not driven it is normal for these to happen which I hardly believe: tires at 10%, brakes are totally done??

Dealer told that he would call me once the car is out of the shop and I will see better ride but I am quite suspicious now.

Please let me know your comments on this

dat dude

I wouldn't think Lexus themselves would do that. Maybe the previous owner was a shady character.

Emreh

But a dealer would (should) spot that its odo was played with. Right?

pheonix72

iTrader: (6)

I dont think the dealer should or would know if the ODO was tempered with (is it that easy to alter the ODO reading?)check the carfax and service records for anything out of the norm. The previous owner might driven with lot of stop and go traffics hence extra wear on brakes? Suspension wear might be do to bad roads. Anyhow, do your research and trust your instinct (walk away if something doesn't seem right)

TechNut

I agree with dat dude - I don't think a reputable dealership would knowingly commit this kind of fraud.

Last January we traded our 2004 RX in with only 27k miles on it, and 3800 of that was from a recent road trip. My wife and I commute together and for our daily driver we have a gas sipping Prius, so we only tend to drive our RX on weekends or road trips. I do always make sure it is driven on a regular basis because I know sitting can also be hard on any machine as complex as a modern automobile. They can develop what my car dealer brother terms "lot rot". Now my 04 was in showroom condition, and even had new tires and a new battery. It never even hit their used car lot.

My point is this, don't let the miles alone be a concern. If it has truly been "sitting" for four years, I would be more concerned with how well they recondition the car as part of the CPO effort. I have a great deal of faith in the Toyota/Lexus engineering and I have to think the car will serve you well as long as they take care of those things that deriorate on an idle car. I would look carefully for leaks for example, because gaskets can dry out. So can lubrication points in the suspension or shock absorbers/struts. The spot on the steering wheel could be because the sun was shining from the same spot (perhaps a southern exposure) for four years. What a shame. My RX has a nice cozy spot in a heated garage (since my treadmill is in the 3rd bay, I never let it drop below about 45 degrees)

My opinion: look it over closely after they prep it, but I wouldn't let the odometer reading (taken by itself) be a concern.

Doug

Sevn86

I agree with Ward. We purchased a 1998 Jeep back in 2004 with less then 30k and it served us well (135k when sold). The guy we sold it to in 2009 still has it and it has over 230k. Dont be scared by the low mileage.

Emreh

Thanks a lot every one for all this info. I will wait until it is CPO'd and try again. Hopefully if the issues are gone I could reconsider.

raylor4

We bought an '11 RX 350 CPO with 32K miles last November. The brakes had 7.0mm of pad material. Rides like a truck. Tires had 7/32" tread depth on Bridgestone 18" Duellers. For what it's worth, I would say if you don't trust your dealer/salesperson, walk. The feeling in your gut won't go away. Just my humble opinion. Ray A.

vlad_a

If the car doesn't look right, don't buy it! A way to tell if a vehicle has been in an accident is to feel all the creases in the body with your fingers. When they repaint and buff it, it creates a sandpaper like edge over the bent parts, as the buffer can't get to it. So, open the hood, and feel that edge. If it is uneven, it's been painted.

kitlz

Emreh, welcome to CL. Tampering with an odometer is pretty serious. It's not something a dealer would want to be caught doing. Here both the dealer and buyer have to affirm the mileage is true at time of sale. Did the dealer offer any other information on the RX or the previous owner? They should be able to at least give you the in service date and maintenance records. In the US we can enter the VIN in the Lexus website to check maintenance performed. Unfortunately I don't think that's something you can do. You noticed a few problems during your test drive that the dealer said they'll address. Some are just a bit peculiar IMO. Stick with your gut feeling, it's usually right. Good luck.

SteveCraig

On board computer can be accessed by the technicians & mileage verified. Just ask the question at the dealer.
Turned in F-150 lease to the local Ford dealer 3 years ago. They had changed the entire instrument cluster at about 2 years of a 3 year lease.They used the computer to set the new odometer at the correct reading.

Ford Credit calls me & asks a few questions about the vehicle, collision damage, tires etc. just a couple weeks before letting it go. One question was about the odometer. "Has it ever been tampered with ?" Answer was "Yes" , the phone went very quiet. Girl's supervisor picked up the phone & I explained it was warranty work by the dealer. Once they verified it all was good.