nelsona

Hello,

I'm looking at purchasing a 2014 CPO ES 350 and found one with 20K miles but with no CarFax maintenance service history (other than the 161 point inspection to certify the vehicle).

Question 1: Given that the 2014 was a personal lease and that the 1st two maintenance services are complimentary with every new Lexus (whether purchasing or leasing a vehicle), how is it possible for a Lexus dealer (which has certified the vehicle) to not have any history data on a 2014 ES with 20K miles?

The vehicle was initially sold by a different Lexus dealer. That being said, I'm pretty sure you can pull all service history for any Lexus vehicle (if it was maintained at a Lexus or Toyota dealership) from Lexus' website (https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lex...serviceHistory) if you currently own the vehicle.

The only thing I can think of is that the vehicle was maintained at a non-Lexus / Toyota location (ex. Walmart or Jiffy Lube). That being said, I highly doubt someone with two free complimentary services would not take their vehicle to a Lexus dealer for their 5K and 10K service (though they might forgo their 15K as it quite a bit more expensive than a 5 or 10K).

Question 2: Hypothetically, if a 2014 ES 350 was not maintained at all for 20K miles, would you consider buying the vehicle or would you pass (let's say if the car was a good deal price-wise)?

It's doubtful that any major engine damage was done to the engine seals or block sidewalls, but very few motor oils are rated for more than 15K miles.

Thank you,
Nelson

notabot

I agree - I can't imagine that the first owner didn't take advantage of the free maintenance services. Now that I own my CPO I can see on the service history link a significantly more extensive list of services than carfax listed. Even the free car washes were listed.
Any chance you can ask the dealer/salesperson to have the service department punch in the VIN to see if they have a service history? Maybe you can call the service department yourself? Or even a different Lexus dealer's service department?
Things I learned from my service history:
1. The battery was replaced 3x. I'm worried about this, but since it's CPO I'm not that worried. They even kept the car overnight the last time and stated that there was no parasitic drain. Or so they said.
2. The previous owner got the oil changed almost every 5,000 miles...and rarely drove the car.
3. The previous owner drove from NY to FL and back at least once. Ouch for the drive, but hey highway miles are good, right?
Good times.