zenn

hi all
just wanted to drop you all a hello and ask my first question...
i'm definatly buying a new sc400 in the next few weeks, i'm just wondering if there is anything in particular i should watch out for.

zenn

DoubleWhoosh

Here's a list off the top of my head...I probably missed a couple few things...

Burned out needles
Burned out gauge bulbs
Leaking power steering pump
Cracked/dried/hard leather on the seats
Worn motor mounts
Worn transmission mount
Worn rear brakes
Worn front suspension bushings
Bad door hinges
Fogged/faded headlights
Leaking heater valve
Bad rear view mirror LCD function
Broken side mirror ECU
Skipping CD changer (almost unavoidable!)
Broken A/C display
Cracked dash vents (unavoidable)
Wind noise from sunroof

None of these are really tragic, just a little time and money to fix. You can really use them as bargaining power to drop the price though!

Todd Matsubara
TM Engineering LLC

Neal Rikal

tube of radiator leaking because its plastic

strongsail

and thanks for your time layin it out.

You're right, all this stuff is minor, the fact remains that this car is a Great Ride and it always starts and goes and gets you there, it's a Toyota after all.

It is substantial and safe and heavy and strong and fast and nimble and RELIABLE.

So take your time, find a good one, even a reliable ride can be beaten to death, drive at least half a dozen, and search the **** out of this site.

You will find a good one and you will love it.

zenn

thanks to all that replied, I now have a head start.

strange this happened the other day... after looking in the local paper(s) for a SC400 (all around 18<->20k) i found one at a local dealer wanting to sell it for 15k....

I know the obvious would be to think it's a dud, but at a 5k difference, it would have to be missing an engine !!!

lex400sc

That is a very nice list Todd, very thorough! Don't be intimidated by this list though. Not all of these issues will occur in your SC. In fact NONE of these issues have occured in my 1995 SC400 yet (knock on wood!). These were deemed common problems because three or more people on the boards had experienced the same thing, however keep in mind there are a few hundred active members on the SC forums. And probably no one here has had more than three of these occur to their SC (I hope).




This is good info for an SC300/400 FAQ so I will footnote it...
Keyword: FAQ SC300 SC400

Add on anything you guys feel to be useful.

DoubleWhoosh

Yes, that is true that these are the known common problems, but most cars won't have ALL of them, and some will have none of them. The 95-later are a little better than the 92-94.

I didn't base my lists on the CL members as much as personal experience (since we work on many Lexus cars), although CL gripes seem to follow along with the list above.

On the pricing, you'd be surprised you can find a steal sometimes. I bought an SC once for $5000 less than every other place, (including private party pricing) and it was at a smaller independent used car lot. 100% original, never painted, absolutely mint. Prices are simply a function of what they paid for it (especially if they ripped someone else off on a trade!) and how long they've had it and how bad they want to get rid of it.

Most of the time you get what you pay for, but there's still that 1%...

Todd Matsubara
TM Engineering LLC
www.tmengineering.net

akmpres

not to be a d*ck.. but if you find a NEW SC400 let me know..i didn't think they made them any more.

VQT

New to him