ebilyn

I purchased a 2007 ES350 with 50K miles in January 2014 (two months ago) from a Lexus dealership 500 miles from home. Yep, I traveled far away to get what I thought was a great deal with the color/options I wanted. Anyway...Today (just shy of 2 months after my purchase), with 55K miles, I took it to my local Lexus dealership for an oil change. They told me that it has an oil leak, and the service technician seemed surprised that it wasn't identified by the selling dealership (though he acknowledged that it might have occurred during my two months of ownership). The selling dealership had done an oil/filter change just before selling it to me. I asked my local dealership (today) if was known where the leak was coming from, and the technician said they can't really tell until it's broken down to see more clearly. I'm pretty sure that he said it was near the "front cover," and on my receipt, they noted "Recommended Head Gasket/Front Cover Reseal. Lexus Factory informed." Strangely enough, the service technician said that it will be a few days before he hears back from the factory, but "we should be ok" (???)

The original in-service date was May 2006; therefore, I purchased it without any manufacturers warranty, and my purchase documents clearly state that I purchased it as-is. I have not purchased any extended warranty either.

There was VERY limited information in the Lexus vehicle history when I purchased -- just two recalls performed (floor mats and trunk release lever), and an oil change during the days before I purchased it. No TSBs, etc. appear to have ever been done.

What should be my next step(s)? Do I have any recourse? I don't want to make any mistakes in how this is handled.

Thank you, in advance, for any comments, suggestions, etc. that you have.

Eric

ebilyn

Sorry...I posted this in the wrong forum. I just moved it to the 2007-2012 ES350 Forum.

pheonix72

iTrader: (6)

Oh man! I hope your car doesn't have the timing chain cover leak because that is very expensive to fix. This is a very come issue with the 3.5L engine. I had the same problem with my IS350. The previous owner had the car serviced by Lexus dealers the whole time but they did not see the leak until I brought it in for a tranny service a few after i took ownership. In hind side, I should have the car throughly checked before I bought it.
Anyhow, powertrain warranty is 6yrs or 70k miles so you are pretty much on your own unless the dealer/Lexus corporation good will and fix it for you.
good luck and keep us posted.

hypervish

That's hardly a "money pit" scenario.

Fix it and move on.

ebilyn

Nice, constructive comment...Thanks so much.

ebilyn

Thanks for the input...I'm afraid to discover what the cost would be on such a repair for the ES350. We'll see...I love the car though.

pheonix72

iTrader: (6)

Stupid comment! Do you know how much does it cost to fix that type of leak? I was quoted $4200 by the dealer and $2400 by a reputable indie shop.
Must be nice to have money to throw away like that that and move on.

hypervish

Sorry, that it's not the type of comment you are looking for.

BUT, by definition a "money pit" is an ongoing drain on financial resources.

This is clearly not a "money pit" scenario, because it is one repair.

You are NOT repairing this vehicle once per week, that would be a "money pit". This is no (insert domestic counterpart here).

I don't see how you can hold the selling dealer accountable for the repairs either, as you bought it "AS-IS". Maybe you should have done your due diligence before purchasing the car.

ebilyn

Lord, have mercy. OK...You are definitionally correct. I confess...There was hyperbole in creating a "catchy" title. Seriously, was it that important for you to feel compelled to make that your only comment? Let's move on...Pushing your Post Count with marginal responses is useless.

To everyone else...I'm sorry for the diversion, but would love to hear your input.

SW17LS

He's 100% right. Given your other responses, it seems clear you only want to hear people's viewpoints that back up your notion that somehow you were sold a "lemon" because it has an issue that needs to be repaired.

The reality is its at this point an 8 year old car. Lexus makes a very reliable car, but even the most reliable cars require repairs from time to time. Its unfortunate, but this is one of the risks you take when you buy a used car out of warranty IMHO. Sorry.

atoyota

First, OP, sorry for your car trouble, but you stated that...

"There was VERY limited information in the Lexus vehicle history when I purchased -- just two recalls performed (floor mats and trunk release lever), and an oil change during the days before I purchased it. No TSBs, etc. appear to have ever been done."

this would have been a red flag for me to at least have it checked by another independent garage or dealership before purchase. So to answer your post title, no you were not "knowingly sold a money pit", but you were sold a vehicle that you knew had a spotty or non-existent service history.

No matter how reliable a car is, if it isn't properly maintained with regular and recommended services it can't be held to the same standard as a vehicle that is properly and regularly maintained.