Found a GX sport package, but can't see it in person due to distance. This is the truck I have been looking for. Am I crazy for even thinking about a sight unseen purchase? The truck looks clean but there are no Lexus service records for the 2nd owner after the original lease return. I would not normally consider this, but I have not been in a GX dog yet and I could tell some were not cared for.

 

I don't think you're crazy. Maybe see if the current owner is willing to take it to Lexus and do a PPI (pre-purchase inspection), not use if Lexus can do that or not? If not I know there are other places that can do that for you. If the current owner isn't willing to do that I'd personally pass on it.

Before I bought my GX the person who bought my CTS-V was out of state and bought it sight unseen and he had me take it to Chevrolet to do a PPI. It ran about $150 which he paid for.

When did it come off lease? Does the current owner at least have receipts for service?



Not sure what you mean?

 

I do not think so. Have my GX for ~2 years and did not go for service to Lexus. Used Toyota and have all records. Inspected it twice after the first owner and found nothing wrong. Used Lexus for warranty issues only. Find trusted Toyota / Lexus dealer take the car their and get inspection done.
Good luck.

 

Yes, it's crazy.

What's your definition of excellent, good, fair and poor cosmetic condition? How's it differ from the seller's definition? Or, the Lexus service writer's opinion? The seller will likely be biased one way and the service writer might be biased the other way. You never know!

IMHO the PPI is imperative. I strongly recommend a Lexus dealer given their familiarity with the car.

You could get a clean bill of mechanical health, but lots of wear and tear inside and out. Pump the brakes and think it over.


Good luck!

 

As others have said, I'd have a hard time making a purchase that big without being able to see the vehicle personally. And that would especially be true with an SUV. There is a large variance with regard to how an SUV can be used. Some are driven quite gently and quite similarly to a typical passenger vehicle. Others are driven much more harshly with towing, off-road use, driving in dusty conditions, etc. Add in variation with regard to how well the vehicle has been maintained. All of this can lead to a wide range of likelihood of costly problems down the road. With those factors in mind, I'd want both a professional inspection of the vehicle and a personal inspection before I'd spend that kind of money on the vehicle.

 

I wouldn't.

If you do decide to pull the trigger, as others have said... Lexus PPI at the very least!

Good Luck

 

I snoozed and the truck is gone. Too busy with work right now anyways so I will just wait until the right local truck shows up. Thanks for the input.

 

Don't sweat it. If you're willing to buy out of state the Sport packages come up for sale from time to time. Before I bought my GX I found 2 Sport GXs, one was black and one was the dark blue. I didn't care about the KDSS and I wanted a white vehicle this time since I've always had black vehicles.

The right GX will come along eventually. Good luck in your search!

 

I bought sight unseen. It was an 08 GX, blue with tan leather. I wanted this exact combo from a non-salt state. Ended up being a california vehicle through private seller in a nice LA suburb. He bought it CPI and came with ALL service records, so not much concern for maintance being neglected. Paint and interior was going to be a concern but interior was great (not perfect) and paint has a few scratches but nothing that cannot be corrected.

The biggest issues are: passenger headlight had some fading (lots of sun in LA); driver seat has some wear, rear two tires have 4/32 more tread than the front (same tire though, not mix'n match - which I think I will get some shaved tire rack replacements so the fronts match the tread depth

At the end of the day, I am excited to see the truck and get complements on it all the time. Changing the oil and seeing a prestine undercarrage means I know I can hold on to this for 10-15 yrs, even in my climate.

The main thing is the truck will not be perfect, but as long as you are ok with that and maintance is ok, anything else should be ok. I have a high ability to DIY things, so I was not concerned about fixing a few things.

 

I've purchased 5 of my last 7 vehicles sight unseen, from Massachusetts, Calgary, Niagara Falls, and 2 from Japan, I've only been burned on one of them (engine spun a rod shortly after I got it home, body was in worse shape than the pics let on, I still broke even on this vehicle after the dust settled). Just make sure you do your homework, and look at it as an adventure!