Just test drove a 2000 ES300 Platinium Edition. Also at a small mom and pop dealer.

High miles, 219,000. Looks nice inside and out. Says it was just painted because previous owner put scratches on the sides from being old and a bad driver backing out of their garage. Looking for $3000.

First thing was the brake pedal went way way down. He says its because the car had been sitting for a month or so while it was painted. Does this sound plausible?

And the second thing really got me curious. The tailpipe was trickling out smoke a good 5 minutes or so after I turned the car off from my 5 minute test drive. What could this be all about? Is this a sign of a sludge engine? Does this scream beware? I tried to smell the smoke coming out but it didn't really smell like anything.

As always thanks for reading, I really appreciate the great feedback I've gotten on this site.

 

The color scheme reminds me a lot of my old 1997 ES 300 I had for 5 years. I always loved that classic Lexus white/grey combo.

The smoking tailpipe spells trouble to me. Definitely have a mechanic check it out. Also, the repaint issue is a little odd… The dealer will tell you anything you want to hear as to why it was repainted. How many owners has it had? Are there any other signs of body work? Was it wrecked? Does it have a clean title? What does Carfax show?

If it all checks out okay and the smoking tailpipe isn't a big deal, it might not be a bad buy. I just picked up a 2000 ES 300 with 160k miles for $4000 and I love it. I'm a huge fan of this body style ('97-'01) and how well these cars hold up.

 

The car screams "run away" if you ask me. Repainted because of some scratches? Suspicious. Smoke (if it was) from the exhaust, not good. A brake pedal will not sink down because a car sits for awhile unless there is a leak.

Get the car checked out for sure, but even if it is mechanically okay I would not buy it, get one that has not been repainted.

 

The smoke coming out of the tail pipe AFTER you shut off the car, is probably just a bit of water vapour condensation. My car does exactly the same thing occasionally depending on outside air temperature and humidity conditions, and there is nothing wrong with my car. This assuming that that smoke dissipates immediately. If it lingers around, than all bets are off.

The repainted car is much more concerning. The brakes are also an issue and could be caused by one of many things. Could be a cheap or an expensive repair, depending on what the issue is.

It also has the undesirable 15" wheels

Im not sure that I personally would walk away from the car until I had it thoroughly checked by both a mechanic and a body shop. A CarFax would help as well. Depending on what they say, you can than walk away, or negotiate a better price.


Phil

 

A repaint shouldn't be an issue, especially on a car that old, as for the smoke, if their was a smell, then i'd be concerned, are you sure it wasn't just the usual steam that occurs? The pedal could be low fluid, low pad material, or the master cylinder going. Its hard to say, that being said, this is a platinum edition which is a bit rarer than the run of the mill es.

 

Not for $3,000, I wouldn't.

I'd pay maybe $2200 tops.

The ES is quite popular, and there are many to pick from!

 

I might be mistaken, but doesn't the Platinum Edition come with 16" wheels? I thought these pictured wheels were the same ones on the Millennium Edition. Come to think of it… What is the difference between the "Platinum" and "Millennium" Edition ES's?

 

Thanks for all the replies, I'm always overwhelmed with the great comments I get from the folks here, even on tiresome threads like this 1 I started lol.

I think it was most likely steam coming from the tailpipe the more I think about it. It was early in the morning and the temp was a bit warmer after a chilly night, makes sense.

PFB, you mentioned the 15" wheels, thats what was standard on the car right? Or did it come with 16" and they got changed? The rims look a different style too was that a Platinum exclusive?

As to the repaint, heres what the seller told me, the couple that owned it the husband got dementia and would sometimes take the car out of the garage and scratch it up. Taken with a big grain of salt for sure.

I meant to get the VIN to run a car fax or autocheck to see for sure, but he says that was the only previous owner. Would that be worth anything knowing it was a one owner car?

Hypervish, your right there are a bunch of ES300's to choose from but how do I separate the wheat from the chaff?

 

I call BS. The car is at a collision center, there must have been more reason for it being repainted (i.e. a collision that rendered the owner to give it up). Regardless, the new paint won't last as long or be as durable as the factory paint.

Besides, if he claims the owner was a careless bad driver, who's to say what other things were neglected on this car, like basic maintenance and reckless driving putting strain on the drive-train?

BS again. The brakes are a closed system. Any time sitting there should not affect the brakes, unless there is a major hole where air can enter the system. That also means moisture in the brake lines, which means you'll have to flush the entire system.

Are you sure it was 5 mins or more like 30 seconds? If it was a few seconds, I'd say its just condensation burning off the hot tail pipe.

Overall, I'd stay away from this car. Find a car that has at least been kept in good condition, as it shows that the previous owner cared for the car and actually did maintenance to preserve it. Bonus points if they've kept maintenance records and no collision damage.

Generally two types of people who buy cars, 1) Keep their car in good condition and take pride and good care of it; and 2) People who buy cars to get from point A to B expect to get the most of their car by putting the least amount of investment with the intent it'll either last forever or they'll sell it off.

 

I agree with Speedkar9, find a car in good condition with records.

I also prefer buying from owners rather than a dealer, but I realize that that's a bit tough. But when buying from an owner you can tell a lot about the car and how it was driven, maintained, etc just by listening to the owner speak about it.

 

On the whole I agree that buying from an owner is preferred. But you can get BS from owners as sure as you can from dealers. Just yesterday someone was selling a 98 ES. The pics they put up showed both the check engine and trac off lights on, and an inspection sticker that expired mid-2013. They said the lights are on because of a hole in the flex pipe, and they use the car everyday and are just too damn busy to get it inspected. I quickly passed on that one.

The only thing that makes me even somewhat believe his story about why the car was repainted is I know the town the car is in, and it has like 5 retirement communities in it. With plenty of very very bad drivers.

I'm going to get the VIN and run a Carfax tomorrow and maybe it will give a bit more about the car. I looked in the trunk and saw Ray Catena Lexus dealer plate holders so if it was serviced at the dealer it should show a bit of a service history right?

While I would like to be super choosy about what car I get, I need to get a second car ASAP. The beater Maxima I had for 4 years just gave up the ghost, so time is at a bit of a premium for me only having 1 car in the household.

 

I can't comment on the value of this particular car with 216k on it, but Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds can give you a starting point. The low brake pedal would be my number one concern. Sitting for a month is not a plausible explanation. Somethings up with the braking system somewhere, and as previously mentioned could be expensive or less so.

I agree with the previous post that the smoke could be nothing more than vapor from water in the exhaust since that's what catalytic converters do.

The paint explanation could be true, but some investigation is warranted. A CarFax report would indicate if it had been totaled and a salvage title issued. You could also ask the dealer to show you the title and take note of who the previous owner was. The internet is a great resource for information on people. The dealer could have re-titled it, but that's probably not the case. From what I can see from the photos it looks like the gaps on the doors and hood are even. I would look for obvious signs of more extensive damage both in the body panels and underneath the car. Look at all the panels (doors, hood, trunk, fuel filler) for even gaps and signs of body filler, especially along the edges of the body panels. A small magnet would reveal an abundance of filler rather than metal. In the trunk you can pull down the liner and look for signs of welding or filler. Same for the engine compartment.

A thorough inspection by a trusted mechanic should be contingent to the purchase. I would also take it on a more extensive test drive to include both low and high speeds (if deemed safe with the braking situation), braking with hands off the wheel to see if it pulls to one side, and a thorough test of every window, switch, control, light, and the HVAC system. Good luck in your search.

George

 

I'd walk away. Too many miles for the price. I know these are great cars but once you are past 200K you are rolling the dice. I'd spend a little more and look for one in the 140K mile range.

 

Yes, I noticed with my last ES 300 that any service done at any Lexus dealer in the United States will show up in a Lexus dealer's service computer system. My Oregon Lexus service department found all kinds of service records all the way to a dealer in New Jersey just by running the VIN! They printed off about 3-4 sheets worth of service history for me. Write down the VIN and take it your local Lexus dealer's service department and they can run it for you.

 

http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/cto/4365737812.html

check this one out.....

Just bought mine off craigslist last week "the other CL"
and quite pleased with mine