Seeking opinion from this knowledgeable group on whether I should pull the trigger on a 2006 GX470 with only 108K miles. I have an appt at a lexus dealer later this week to get a vehicle inspection but in the meantime I've been doing some remote detective work and am concerned by the following:
1) minimal maintenance records listed on the Carfax. Last record was an oil/filer change at 93K in May 2018.
2) pulled up the following service history from 'my lexus': at 95K: VEHICLE HAS A SEEPAGE OF OIL . DRIVE BELT WITH T/BELT CUSTOMER DOES NOT WANT WORK DONE,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -PO420 CATALYST BELOW THRESHOLD CUSTOMER DOES NOT WANT WORK DONE
91K: SERVICE: REPLACED WATER PUMP & CRANK SEAL ONLY. DESCRIPTION: REPLACED WATER PUMP & CRANK SEAL ONLY ~|~REPLACE WTR PUMP & FRONT CRANK SEAL (WHEN DONE W/TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT) ~|~ ~|~REPLACED WATER PUMP & CRANK SEAL ONLY,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -RECOMMENDED, NOT DONE-REPLACED WATER PUMP & CRANK SEAL ONLY

So by the above description I'm not really sure if the timing belt was replaced or not? Why would only the water pump be replaced. Also, where would the seepage of oil be coming from if the front crank seal was replaced? The owner could very well have gone to an indy mech to get the work done after the diagnosis above, but I don't have those records.

I was originally attracted to the fact that the vehicle is a 1 owner from FL, with only 108K miles but am now wondering if I have a series of expensive headaches infront of me if I pick this up. Would the Lexus dealer be able to confirm the service history or would they be just going by limited description above?

Thanks for your input

 

You might have to tear it down to the TB cover and see if the TB is OEM Toyota or aftermarket to figure out if it was actually changed, and that only works if you find an aftermarket belt on it. If you buy, plan on having the TB changed and build it into your budget when negotiating.

 

Plan on spending 3k emediately. Have water pump, timing belt, idlers and tensioner all done asap, radiator will need replaced also. If they couldnt afford to do those repairs, they didnt do anything else either. Brakes? trans service ? What else has been left without servicing? Toyota is known for lasting a long time but you need to stay ahead of the preventative maintenance not behind. Just my opinion but it looks like a person that runs their rigs to the 100k mark and trades them in because they can afford the monthly payment but can not afford the big ticket items.
truck is worth about 8k to me and I would figure 3k out of pocket on emediate repairs.

 

Call the servicing dealer and ask. Or, call Lexus cust service in Texas and ask what those words mean.

If the pump was just done but not the belt, then plan on doing the belt/rollers/tensioner.

 

I had this kit put on


Paid a local full service garage $470 if I supplied parts needed. Got hoses, Thermostat, Red Antifreeze, serpentine belt and clamps. All done under a grand. Just find the right garage.

 

Thanks for all your input. It sounds like I may need to count on extensive preventative repairs if I move ahead with this purchase. It also seems to me that the asking price of $13K is unreasonable given the likely repair bill.

 

For a better more realistic idea of prices on things, solely because of the volume as opposed to here, go to IH8MUD.com. It’s dedicated to basically all body on frame Toyota Lexus SUVs. You’ll be looking at the 120 platform, Prado/GX470 sub forum.

There, people love giving doomsday type scenarios on every used car, acting as if it will grenade if you don’t immediately do $5k worth of preventative maintenance, regardless of circumstance, but if you can filter through all that, there is a lot of good info.

If you are waiting for the GX that has every single possible issue that could possibly go wrong dealt with by the PO, you’ll either pay a fortune, or never find a GX.

 

Also, FB group GXOR is full or info and very active userbase.

 

For that much you may as well start looking for a GX460 or reasonable 4Runner with a timing chain engine in it.

 

I must be an idiot, but am I the only one who isn’t worried about timing belts?

The water pumps on GX460s leak fairly often, and it’s nearly the same price to change those, only difference is that it’s not an item that is scheduled to be changed.

 

I'm coming up on the 2nd TB/WP service due in the time we've owned our '04 GX470, I did it right when we got it 8 years ago at 132,000kms, and it's due again as I'm up to 270,000kms already. I had someone else do the service last time, and I'm thinking I'll probably do the same again in the spring, I've got a buddy who's a mechanic and does side jobs like this for very reasonable rates. When I think about all the other driveline related costs I could have incurred in the time I've owned this truck, I'm very happy to pay to have the service done every 8 years or so, I consider myself fortunate to have owned and driven this truck long enough for this service to have been required twice, lol.

 

I also have no issue with the maintenance cost of the timing belt and water pump replacement. There are lots of timing chain vehicles known for having failure. I have owned lots of rigs over the years and I like the way this engine feels. I also agree its hard to find the perfect used rig. I suggest to anyone buying a used timing belt rig to plan on the expence as soon as you purchase it.
My wifes Rx was at 90k and we had it scheduled for timing belt and water pump replacement. 1 week before our scheduled appoinment the temp dipped to 7 degrees over night. On my wifes way to work the idler pully seized. She made it to work but barely. The car wouldnt start again. We had it towed to Toyota and the timing belt had shredded. 1 small strand was hanging on and saved the engine.

 

An unknown age of belt should be replaced. A lost belt means lost engine.
Agreed, some maintenance will need to be done regardless. But duly noted, some maintenance is a PITA, like under intake stuff, rack-pinion unit, etc. Buying a 11-17yr old 4x4 vehicle means it will need some work. We can't expect to just buy one this old and drive it like it's just 5yrs old, etc.

 

I bought a 2004 GX 470 about a year ago with about 100k on it. I paid just under 14k for it. I know this seems a bit high however, the previous owner had the air suspension replaced, the timing belt, water pump, and accessories replaced and it had almost new tires. That said, I have has great success with this vehicle. I feel I got a fair deal at the purchase considering all the work that was done. I have about 120k on it now with only a couple of nuisance items (tire pressure sensors and intermittent air bag warning light). I am happy with my purchase and look forward to at least another 100 to 150k more miles on it.

 

This is the kit I put in. Just about everything was OEM:


Excellent quality.