I am looking to buy a 98-2001 GS what are the typical things to look for that usually are over looked. Thank in advance

 

It really depends on each car. Those cars are most likely high mileage now. You need to target the one you are interested in your price range and go from there. Get on Mycarfax and sign up it will show you all the maintenances done to the car in past for free. You can kinda guess from there. Let say, I did research to my gs300 prior to purchase and saw LBJ was replaced 30k miles ago so its good for a while there. Those things are prone to fail. Things like that will help you to analyze your future spendings. Good thing I would say most of those Lexus are serviced at shops no shade tree. Maintenance records are out there. I mean no DIY shade tree won't show anything on Mycarfax of course....

 

Leaks and blown out suspension components are the likely things you'll need to address. It's very easy to get a look at the timing belt by taking off the top cover with the 4 (5mm or 6mm drive I think) hex/allen bolts. By now the car may have a/c leaks, door look and window actuators acting up etc. Be handy with cars if you want to get one of these. You are going to run into many things once it's in your possession. The cars are old now.

 

If it was done at a shop, and the data was logged. Car fax should show nothing for my GS4 for the last few years, except maybe my first oil-change, which was done at an oil-change chain-store... was just too tired/rushed/busy to do the first one.

It's hard to overlook things, yet expect right after purchase to at least replace the front lower ball joints, and any engine-codes... come back when you have a list of codes, to get an idea of parts/labor charges.

My GS4, so far, at 212k miles, work done be me:
* (4) struts, (4) pads, front rotors, l/f caliper, front upper control arms, front lower ball joints. (suspension was dead)
* timing belt, including water pump, idler pulleys, tensioners, serpentine belt, etc. (preventative, yet fixed the timing, and idle/surging)
* both OCVs (oil control valves, part of the idle/surging attempt-to-fix)
* all 8 spark plugs (really cleaned up the idle)
* starter (clicked)
* both rear axles, to replace the reluctor rings (to fix abs, vsv, and speedo).

What's broken
* a/c... appears clutch isn't engaging, so if clutch is bad will replace the entire compressor (done r12 and r134 before, so have most of the tools, and another car needs a fix, so purchased tools are "free").

Believe GS3/GS4 are going to disappear sooner then they deserve, as the owers/buyers/shops will be:

* people willing to pay the exorbitant price for parts and labor
* enthusiast car-people who can research, then fix the cars themselves (free labor)
* shops that inherit the car, after a ridiculous repair charge, with a title-for-labor agreement
* salvage yards, for people who give up on them when they break, or shops that inherit them and don't want to put the time in to fixing them.

Or... the path of the mid '00-s German cars.; )

If you get the car, let us know which category the car lands in...

 

Problem is Lexus dealers will rape you more than car is worth. I have 150K on my gs300 besides the continuous sunshade rattle since new it been trouble free except for my recent AC issues. Learn to find junk yards, forget OEM parts first one will cost more than car is worth. personally i would look for a used LS430 much nicer car and probably same price.

 

I hear you... do not buy a GS, thinking you'll be buying Lexus parts, or paying for Lexus labor. I bought all-genuine timing belt parts (it's the timing belt...!), OCVs, lower ball joints, and spark plugs (Toyota, actually!), yet all the rest of the stuff I've replaced is oem-quality yet not oem. The struts alone at Lexus would have been 4x what I paid for just the parts I installed. I do buy parts from Lexus, yet just oddball and small stuff, that I'd prefer to be Lexus... some cotter pins, gaskets, seals, etc.