GreatKait

LeX2K

Did Lexus provide a maintenance history and/or a Carfax or similar report? But at that price you should budget in for repairs, I doubt the dealer is going to let a car go at that price if it is really pristine.

GreatKait

LeX2K

Ask the dealer how much to change the timing belt, a good negotiating tool. But they likely won't drop the price much if at all. Is there anything in the maintenance history about servicing the transmission?

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

GreatKait

daredeil95

Sounds good, I would still remove the TB cover and look/confirm the belt is in good shape. It's pretty easy to do but, if you don't have the experience then the first time you bring it in for a oil change have the mechanic inspect it for you, might not even charge you for the inspection, it's pretty simple procedure. Good luck

WildES330

If this helps - I bought my first ES330 (2004) @245,000, it now has 270,000, great car!
My second ES330(2005) @161,000, it now has 168,345, an even nicer car. Change the oil regularly and use premium synthetic always and with a premium filter. These are nice cars!

daredeil95

Hi, what's a good synthetic oil? I bought my 05 ES back in June and my maintenance soon light is flashing when I start the car so, I'm guessing it's the oil change light(I googled it). My manual states SAE 5W30 and nothing about synthetic although I know synthetic is a better oil. Any recommendations and I was curious, were these cars designed for synthetic oil? I know with some car manufacturers that if switched to synthetic, the synthetic oil will degrade the gaskets ending in eventual leak/gasket replace (oil pan, valve cover gaskets...etc). IDK

Oro

I would buy a super-clean 4ES (2002-2006) w/220k for $1800 tomorrow. BUT: I know what I am getting into, and how to fix everything that is either over-due or upcoming for the price of parts alone and my sweat equity of installation. If you don't know how to wrench well, pause a minute and follow this explanation.

We have had one (2002) that we have miled up to 300k now (294k to be precise I think; I have not driven it this week; she does daily). It drives wonderfully. BUT:

After 200k, you need to be prepared to address wear issues that no car can escape. Between 200k and 300k, besides the obvious of timing belt, plugs (which are not cheap/easy to change by design), you will almost certainly need to change:

a) Shocks all around, and very likely rear springs (they are known soft and wear)
b) alternator
c) power steering pump
d) front lower control arms (frame bushings wear, dry, and crack), which are coupled typically with lower ball joints
e) Oil control valves
f) Multiple engine vacuum hoses
g) One or more engine mounts, as well as upper strut mount (this model has fewer lower mounts than most (3 vs 4), and thus more stress and wear)
h) Valve cover gaskets (this is pretty reliably an every 150k issue, and it is not cheap or easy)
i) Vapor canister/emissions codes wrt to purge valve and vent valve failure under the rear canister
j) potential cat failures and O2 sensor failure. The cat failure can be pricey.

I really like the car and platform, and as I said would buy another tomorrow for the right price, or when I need another reliable sedan. But you cannot glad-hand the platform in general and gloss over wear items that happen and you have to address. I would suggest you consider that you need to address all of those and more over the next 80k of ownership, and what you can do yourself vs. have to hire out, above the standard maintenance of timing belt and plugs, which are not cheap (plugs and valve cover gaskets go together, effectively, as a tip - same substantial work to do both).

Oro

This may not be the best thread to address this and tag this question in, but I'll give a quick, short hand response to try to help:

1) no modern synthetic will harm gaskets. In fact, they will HELP them if you use the right synthetic. (google ester oils for more info choose a true synthetic with ester oil content and not fake synthetics of group II/II+ oil.)
2) 5w-30 is great if you live in Alaska, Montana, or - uh, Canada. Everywhere else in the US it is a poor choice if using synthetic and you are better off with 10w-30. In some places, straight 30, though it is not marketed. But trusting consumers to choose well does not work with liability laws, so you get crap cover-your-A&& recommendations like 5w-30. It has rubbery non-oil modifiers in it that you just don't need if it is not regularly below -20F where you live. And they do not lubricate, and they break down and cause problems.
3) I really like using Mobil 1 10w30 High Mileage. Buy it in spring and fall on rebate for $13/5-quart at Walmart after rebate. Run it 7,500 miles along with a Fram XG3614 Ultra filter. Leave the filter on two oil changes (15k). Add 2 oz/quart of Lubegard Biotech (ester oil additive with extra anti-wear) each oil change. Your engine is likely to go 400k, 500k, who knows? I find suspension and engine auxilliary maintenance on these far more time-consuming than anything truly engine related, and the experiences on this forum and at ToyotaNation, where I used to be a moderator, bear this out.

I have been doing the above a long time. We are at 300k and it runs like new and uses virtually no oil between 7.5k oil changes (about 8 to 16 ounces total usage).

daredeil95

Excellent....thanks and I'll leave it at that, I don't want to hijack thread.

acarapella

Just some thought on this... its a beautiful, almost timeless, safe car that has been properly cared for for $1800. It probably rides smoother than a 2018, as lexus has gone "sporty" which is a joke for the 95% of us that drive the car in a straight line 99.95% of the time and dont want to feel the road. So if it took struts, valve cover gaskets, and even a tranny to get to 350,000, its still WAY cheaper than a 2018, in a nice safe car. I think this purchase was 100% worth it. we maintain (100% myself) our 2002 ES and 2009 Ody without looking at the odometer. They get all they need and top shelf or OEM parts, because we would never throw away a car because of a repair needed + high mileage. Rot or crash damage are the only reasons to be forced to be rid of a car. Or sick of it. Learn how to do as much as you can your self and come hear to ask about parts. If Thats a Sunday pleasure car, it will last and last. but remember, cars need to be driven, dont let it sit months at a time. Look up high mileage stories. There is a dude in atlanta that has 617,000 on an all original Avalon. I'm sure he has had a $1,000 repair after 500,000 and did it. Why? he likes the car, and $40,000 for a new Avalon makes less sense to him.

There are obviously limitations on this. While there are many 1,000,000 first gen LS400s, that is barely feasible for the sake of metal fatigue and such. Point is, 220,000 with perfect maintenance is nothing. Putting a $700 used motor in a 400,000 mile car I love is, to me, nothing.