Hello I am interested in a 2008 ES 350 for 10k with black leather interior and navigation system. It has 111,000 miles on it it has 2 owners and carfax but only 10 serviced records on it. It's for sale at a Lexus dealer and lexus said they did an overall inspection on it and it's a great car and the car had been bought serviced and sold at the same dealer so they know how good the car is. Can someone please help me out on if it's a good buy, what I should look for when test driving it, and common problems with the 08 es model

 

I bought an 07 ES 350 with 74k from a private party for $9,900. Well cared for, upgraded stereo with big subwoofer and Compu-start auto start.

From a dealer, at full retail, the price seems about right. You will always pay a bit more from a dealer.

 

Make sure water pump, serpentine belt replaced

 

Make sure to roll all of the windows down to check if the regulators are going bad. It's about a $500 repair. Spark plugs will be due by 120k and will run you over $500 at a Lexus dealer. Maybe you could work it into the sale.

I'd also check to see if the transmission fluid has been changed. I know there are a lot of different opinions about changing the atf on these as Lexus claims it is a "lifetime" fluid, but I've read too many accounts on here of people having dirty and burnt smelling atf after long change intervals.

 

Check that VVti oil line has been replace; there is a recall; line can burst unexpectedly - happened to us.
Check for oil leak on block behind PS pump; some models leak from timing cover. Our ES leaked, but a change to 10/30wt pretty much stopped it.
Check that decoupler alternator pulley has been serviced; should be replaced at 100K; it can seize up and fry the alternator - happened to us.
Check that pass window rolls up/down flawlessly; there is a problem in some models with a broken window clip - hasn't happened to our ES.
Check for transmission flare; some get it 2nd-3rd, others 3rd-4th. Hasn't happened to us.
Check that coolant was replaced at 100K, per Toyota's maintenance schedule. (At 100K, I replaced coolant, belt, hoses, and thermostat.)
Check that brake fluid in the brake reservoir is clear, not dark.

 

...and VVTi hose.