well not a million but 216K (i lol'ed that the listing says 214 but the odo says 216!).
after all those miles no wonder the seats are beat.

 

I bought my 2001 GS300 for $3,000 a year ago. It’s been a great car but the only problem I’ve had is my Accelerator Position Pedal sensor is messed up. The exterior is in alright shape and the driver seat has a big cut in it. GS’ in similar shape with twice the miles are selling for $4,000 or higher around here.

In 2017 and 2018 I purchased a clean 2001 ES300 and 1999 ES300 pretty cheap, but they had issues. One needed a transmission and the other needed an engine. By the time I fixed the cars, I had about $2,500-$3,000 in them. The third generation ES300 is a wonderful car but the 99-01 has a terrible transmission that’s known to fail, hard to find, and be very expensive to replace. I highly recommend avoiding the 99-01 ES300.

With the current used car market pricing, I wouldn’t touch most of the junk I see listed in the $3,000 range unless you do all of your own labor and can get cheap parts. If you can afford to spend $4,000-$5,000, you will have a better selection of cars to choose from. The 02-06 ES, 01-03 LS430, and 01-05 GS300 would be the cars I recommend.

 

^^^ great post Kira X!

 

Here is one I found that looked promising, till I read Kira's post! (EDIT) *** NVM KIRA SAID THE 2ns GEN LEXUS HAS TRAN PROBLEMS

Questions I have are:

1- Does the 2nd gen lexus GS 300 have double-wishbone suspension front and rear like the GS 300 1st gen?

2- Does the 2nd gen lexus GS 300 have the same engine as the Gs 300 1st gen?

3- What other Lexus models have rear wheel drive, double-wishbone suspension (pref front and rear) - and a quality engine/transmission combo?

4- Are Lexus parts more expensive to replace than other cars? Why or why not?

5- Why does Kira recommend an 2001 Lexus Gs 300 after stating it has known transmission troubles!?

-- Is the 2nd gen GS 300 Lexus the best? I see it has an engine that is praised, a good suspension setup -- and rear wheel drive?

- Now can anyone comment on the frames of these vehicles?






Thanx

 

bump*******

 

From what I know the GS300 up to about 2005 is basically the same car mechanically. Don't know about reliability specifically but I am certain the car will be way more expensive to repair and maintain versus a Camry or ES. Don't except any $3000 car to be something you buy and not spend money on repairs and maintenance. No one is going to sell a cherry car that needs nothing for $3000.

 

please don't bump (esp. just 9 minutes after your previous post).

Gregg posted a 1GS car and i assume that was quite a bit different mechanically than the 2GS?



anyone buying a luxury car for $3K had better have another $3K ready to fix it.

 

please don't overlook my above questions.


and



what would make the lexus more expensive to fix than the camry or corolla?

 

part of it is simply because there were fewer ES/GS made than camry/corolla and so parts unique to ES/GS would be harder to come by and more expensive plus they may be more expensive if they're more sophisticated.

another part would be labor, the expertise to work on a lexus is more specialized rare than a camry/corolla and thus more expensive.

 

If you are looking for reliable transportation as a daily driver, looking to spend $3k on a Lexus is crazy. Sorry but its true.

 

Thank you!

I sent you a PM with a few car recommendations.

The 99-01 ES300 is the one with the transmission issues, not the GS300 to my knowledge. Those specific years used the U140e transmission which was unreliable and very expensive to purchase. That same transmission is also found in the original RX300 as well. Some people can go 300,000 miles without any issues and others can have issues at 100,000 miles. My 2001 was maintained by the dealership and was a one owner car, but it had serious transmission issues. I also owned a 99 ES300 that I put a new engine into and it was a wonderful daily driver. I had about $2,500 invested in it but ended up selling it last year after being offered a lot of money for it.

As far as some of your other questions go, cars to look into would be 90’s LS400’s, first and second generation GS300, 01-03 LS430, 92-00 SC300/SC400, and 01-05 IS300 are all solid cars that fit your criteria. They’re pretty reliable if you purchase one in good shape. They can get very expensive pretty fast if you get a beat up car.

Lexus parts can be very expensive, especially if buying from the dealership. I worked for a Lexus dealership and it was the only way I could afford many of the parts I purchased. For many maintenance parts, you can use RockAuto to get them cheaply. There’s quite a few parts where the factory version is the best choice but dramatically more expensive. Here is a few parts that I purchased that were very expensive:

-OEM Crank pulley for my SC300. ($400)
-OEM windshield with trim for my 05 LS430 ($2,100)
-OEM Taillight, bulbs, and wiring harness for my sister’s 02 LS430 ($400)
-Multiple batteries
-OEM taillights 00 SC300 ($600)

Those prices I listed are what regular customers would pay. I paid less for many parts but some were still pretty expensive. I bought many other maintenance parts through RockAuto and eBay as well. I list these prices because I had many friends try to buy cheap,beat up, high mileage SC300/SC400’s and fix them up, only to end up way over their head. Their $1,000 SC300 needed thousands of dollars in repairs and body work to make it look half as good as my $5,000 SC. I’ve seen so many guys in my local Lexus scene make this mistake. Keep an eye out for clean Lexus and you might be able to find a nice, cheap one.

 

It’s possible to buy a vehicle that runs and drives for $3000 in 2021?????

 

So you're going to get a near 30 year old GS with 200k miles, expecting it to not have problems and ready to go. How much does he plan on driving? If more than 10k a year, forget it. Look at an Accord or Camry of the 90's.

A GS uses specialized parts for basically everything. Lexus is the most reliable luxury brand, for sure, but even a near 30 year old car with that mileage is going to have issues. It's a ticking time bomb.

 

Yeah, once a week to the grocery store 5 or 6 miles away.

 

Around here not too difficult. Did a quick check there is a 2004 Camry with 250,000 miles they are asking $1800. It will very likely need a bunch of work but you can drive it away.