rraheja

Hello,

Am considering buying a 1996 ES 300 with 96k miles (90k mile service done). The 90k mile service showed that the only issue was an "O2 Sensor" on which seller spent around $200 and got it fixed. Body wise, there is a dime sized dent on the bumper, a small scratch and the antenna does not work.

I will be running the CARFAX report but just wanted to know if experienced folks here think the car is worth it for around $9600 as is. KBB and edmunds show approx this value too.

Is there something I should be aware of re. 1996 ES300 that I should check myself.

Any recommendations on where I can get buyers inspection in the South Bay (Redwood Shores - San Jose) area.

Thanks!
Rajesh

lexusk8

From the 90K service done on my old '96 ES, rear brake pads were replaced, rear rotors were resurfaced, and the front or rear oil pan was repaired as a result of a leak. The timing belt was also replaced, a general service req for all Lexus vehicles at the 90K mark.

$9600 sounds reasonable as long as the vehicle is in excellent condition. A comprehensive inspection of the car would definitely give you added peace of mind.

squarehat

What were the symptoms of your oil pan leak, lexusk8? Lately, my '96 is dripping a little bit of oil each day, from a spot close to the passenger side tire. Is the oil pan on the passenger side of the 1MZ? The car is going in for its 95K service on Wednesday, and I mentioned the leak to the service advisor on the phone. I just don't want them telling me that I need some $1500 engine seal change

lexusk8

squarehat, to be honest with you, I couldn't remember any symptoms coming from the oil leak. I don't recall seeing a low oil level warning light or anything like it. However, I've read up from past ES300 threads that this kind of leak from the oil pan has occurred frequently on most 1st-gen ES ('92-'96). There might be a TSB detailing this problem, if you search for it in http://www.alldata.com

I will return home on Saturday or Sunday, and can give you more info on the oil leak repair as written on the invoice (i.e. cost of parts and labor, location of oil pan). It's probably no more than a few hundred dollars from what I remember.

XenonES3

Rajesh,

squarehat and lexusk8 gave you a good overview.

Definately have the rear-main seal checked for leakage. At around 95,000 miles mine needed replacement. Even after haggling, the bill: $900.

Good luck!

XenonES3

BTW,

The antenna is a cheap fix. Typically, the problem is worn teeth on the antenna motor that results in a grinding sound.

There are two solutions:

1. Disconnect the antenna motor altogether.

2. Replace the antenna motor. The motor costs roughly around $30-60 on ebay.

rraheja

Thanks everyone for all your replies!

The CARFAX came in good. Also did an inspection with a local mechanic (not a Lexus shop since they needed a one week lead time). The inspection turned up the following:

Engine Compression Results: 150, 140, 150, 140, 150, 150

- Crack on motor mount. Est $110
- V. Cover gasket leak. Est $300
- Transmission pan leak. Est $60
- Timing belt needs changing. Est $500 (that is what the shop guy said, not sure how to check it though)
- Power Steering fluid leak. Est $450 (just fixed in June, so should still be under warranty)

TOTAL: $1420 ($970 since the p/s leak repair is under warranty).

1. After some negotiations, I BOUGHT the car for around $9200 which means with above fixes would come to around $10k (with luxury package - 6CD changer, gold letter edition walnut wood trim). given this is my first Lexus purchase, wanted to know if this is reasonable. hope it is - it drives real well!

2. Does the above estimates seem reasonable? Would a Lexus dealership charge more/less?

3. any other recommendations for the above kind of fixes - Exact Motorsports or a Lexus Dealer?

4. of the above fixes, which one is the "rear-main seal" which cost you $900?

Thanks!
Rajesh

lexusk8

My thoughts in response to your Q's:

1) As long as the ES checks out OK with you, and that you feel confident with the driveability and such, I'd say go for it. Have you thought about acquiring an extended warranty? Some of those kinds of warranties cover up to 120K miles (or beyond, depending on the warranty provider).

2) A Lexus dealership would almost surely charge more for the work you mentioned above. You are lucky to have an independent shop/mechanic do the work on the ES. Just make sure his credentials say he has worked on Lexus/Toyota vehicles in the past.

3) and 4) The "rear main seal" fix is for the oil pan (located under the passenger side of the ES, I think). The source of the leak is usually at the oil pan gasket, made of a special black silicon material made only for Lexus vehicles. You might want to have the mechanic inspect the ES for that since this is a common problem for most 1st-gen ES's (especially with high mileages).

Hope this info helps
Doug

JUSROLLIN

Here's what I found.
1996 Lexus ES300, black, leather, 89K, 12 month, 15K mile warranty $5,900 CARS OF SAPULPA 918-224-4334
Most of the 96's around here (Tulsa, OK) with under 100k are going around $7500-8000. The one above is the lowest I've seen. I have found that when shopping for a Lexus, you can pay up to a $5,000 difference for the same car (options, condition) depending on where you get it. Right above the ad I pasted above there is a 95 with 153k priced at $6995 I'm sure I would have shopped around a lot more before making that purchase, especially after the problems you discovered, but the good thing about buying a Lexus is that 9 times out of 10, you will get your money's worth out of it, because they just don't want to quit.

rraheja

I am sure there would be a price difference between Tulsa and the Bay Area!

btw, I have been searching for the last 3 months and have test driven around 8 cars. I found 2 cars to be worth its while after proper inspection, but the cars here have multiple bidders on it, and I lost out on both of them ones was a 1993 ES300 with 78k miles which went for $7,300 and another 1995 ES300 with 90k miles went for close to $9k). on the other hand, I saw an "excellent" 1993 ES300 with only 55k miles on it for only $6,200. on closer inspection by a mechanic, the transmission was almost broken (even I could make out something was wrong with the car really "kicking" on gear changes). so it does seem like the Bay Area has higher prices for relatively good condition cars. well, you only need to look at the real estate market to guess that javascript:smilie('')

therefore, this being a 1996 model, with a KBB val of around $10,300; I figured a value of $9,200 was reasonable...even if I have to put in another grand to get it in top shape.

regards
rajesh

JUSROLLIN

I figured there would be a difference in prices between here and there. That's why I put where I was in the post. I've heard some pretty nasty stories about cost of living in the Bay area, but I lived in San Diego for two and a half years, and the only cars selling for more than you could get here were 4-wheel drives (especially Z71's) due to the lack of them in that area.
I have seen people do much worse than you did. I was just offering my opinion. When I was in the Navy you would see guys pull up in a new (to them) Sebring/Eclipse/Mustang among others, then come to find out, they paid $3-4k over KBB value at 19% interest

KBB retail values are inflated quite a bit. Most financial institutions will not finance near as much as KBB claims the vehicle is worth. I recently sold a 96 Sonoma that I had for a while. It had 56k on it, and the KBB retail value was $7,300, but I found 6 of them that were comparable at dealerships, and all of them were under 6k. I bought it (Tampa, FL area) with 44k on it 6 months earlier for $5,150. I have found KBB's private party value to be a much better guage of a cars true value. Good luck with the new car. I'm sure it will last a long time, and end up being a quality purchase.
Brandon

rraheja

I was referring to the KBB private party value as well as Edmun's private party value.
thanks
rajesh