2004 gx 470 possible purchase
02-20-17, 10:06 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
2004 gx 470 possible purchase
HI so i have been interested in moving from the ES350 07 that i own to a GX470 the one i found locally is a 2004 i know this is the first year for the GX if im correct.
i love how its a true 4x4 not just a AWD model.
living in Utah and driving up and down canyon and being able to go offroad and have a SUV and not a Truck with a Bed is a idea i have been loving and enjoying the thought of.
But finding the right GX is what iv been looking for
the one i am thinking about is 2004 here is the is the thinkg though it has
208,000 miles on it
however when i look at the car fax it seems over the past 3 owners its had an awesome service histoy the first and 3rd owners always seemed ot have it services at the delaerships lexus delarships
the 2nd owner seems that they had it services at a outside company but always had services done.
its seems as at 158k it had the major servicen of timing belts spark plugs water pump
also had cv boots replaced drive belts replaced
now with 208k thats 50k since those servies so im understanding i would have another 40k before i would need to have the major timing belt and water pump services done again.
it's at a toyota dealership for sale and the price is 8480 dollars
also its have transfer case and trans fluid and differtial services on time also.
how many miles is the most people here iwth a gx have seen ? like aslng as i continue to get the timing belts and major servides done like this could i exspec tto get another 150k out of the car anyone here have a 2004 of 1st gen or seen one up near 350k yet ?
also the suspension has never seemed to be changed atleast in the service history i havn't seen any info on the susepsnion being changes these are front and rear air suspension aslong as it hasn't been converted over to a coil over correct ?
would you trust the air suepsnion that hasn';t been repalced in 208k ?
i was thinking of offering of making an offer with total out the door after taxes and fees of 7800 if they can keep it at no more than 8000 i would except that offer
do people here think thats a good price or should i go lower iwth that many miles ?
i love how its a true 4x4 not just a AWD model.
living in Utah and driving up and down canyon and being able to go offroad and have a SUV and not a Truck with a Bed is a idea i have been loving and enjoying the thought of.
But finding the right GX is what iv been looking for
the one i am thinking about is 2004 here is the is the thinkg though it has
208,000 miles on it
however when i look at the car fax it seems over the past 3 owners its had an awesome service histoy the first and 3rd owners always seemed ot have it services at the delaerships lexus delarships
the 2nd owner seems that they had it services at a outside company but always had services done.
its seems as at 158k it had the major servicen of timing belts spark plugs water pump
also had cv boots replaced drive belts replaced
now with 208k thats 50k since those servies so im understanding i would have another 40k before i would need to have the major timing belt and water pump services done again.
it's at a toyota dealership for sale and the price is 8480 dollars
also its have transfer case and trans fluid and differtial services on time also.
how many miles is the most people here iwth a gx have seen ? like aslng as i continue to get the timing belts and major servides done like this could i exspec tto get another 150k out of the car anyone here have a 2004 of 1st gen or seen one up near 350k yet ?
also the suspension has never seemed to be changed atleast in the service history i havn't seen any info on the susepsnion being changes these are front and rear air suspension aslong as it hasn't been converted over to a coil over correct ?
would you trust the air suepsnion that hasn';t been repalced in 208k ?
i was thinking of offering of making an offer with total out the door after taxes and fees of 7800 if they can keep it at no more than 8000 i would except that offer
do people here think thats a good price or should i go lower iwth that many miles ?
02-20-17, 11:16 AM
#2
That's a lot of miles for any vehicle. I mean, I have a truck with 270k on it, but I'm an engineer who grew up as the son of a repair shop owner. I've worked on every manner of vehicle since I was four.
So, at that mileage, it's better to be able to do a lot of work yourself, because things will go wrong. If properly cared for, the engine and transmission can still last hundreds of thousands of miles before either need a rebuild, but there will be more maintenance involved as compared to a newer and lower mileage vehicle. If you are taking it to a shop (or heaven forbid, a dealer) every time something little goes wrong, it will cost a fortune. If you are not comfortable with doing things like wheel bearings, intake manifold removal (for starter or air pump problems), and seal replacements, then you are much better off looking for a low mileage 2009, because you will save money in the long run.
So, if you are comfortable with doing work yourself and you want to continue to look at this gx, the next issue is rust. Underbody rust is the main thing that will put a GX out of commission. Inspect the frame and suspension carefully. If it's spent it's life in a low-rust area like Arizona or Utah you might have struck gold.
The air suspension is only on the rear. There are two airbags back there, in place of where coil springs would normally be (on a 4-runner for example). You can easily look to see if the airbags are there or if they have been replaced by coil springs. Aftermarket airbags are not that expensive if you want to continue with the stock suspension and you find that your airbags are leaking. The conversion to coil is not expensive or difficult either, so it just depends on what you are looking for. No I don't expect that original airbags with over 200k on them will last much longer, if it still has the originals.
The shocks are electronically controlled on all 4 corners. They are expensive if they need to be replaced, but again, you can convert it to run more conventional 4-runner style shocks that are reasonably priced.
As for the timing belt, it should not have been replaced at 158k. The first belt change should have occurred much earlier, and the second belt change should have occurred much later, so something is not right about that. Sometimes a dealer will change the belt when a car comes in if they don't have a record of a previous replacement, even though it was done and wasn't documented. So maybe that's what happened. But in any case, you should find out for sure.
Mileage and rust are the biggest things that kill value in the gx resale market. I think if it's rust-free, the price is acceptable. But if it's rusty, I would pay half that for it, or better yet, move on.
So, at that mileage, it's better to be able to do a lot of work yourself, because things will go wrong. If properly cared for, the engine and transmission can still last hundreds of thousands of miles before either need a rebuild, but there will be more maintenance involved as compared to a newer and lower mileage vehicle. If you are taking it to a shop (or heaven forbid, a dealer) every time something little goes wrong, it will cost a fortune. If you are not comfortable with doing things like wheel bearings, intake manifold removal (for starter or air pump problems), and seal replacements, then you are much better off looking for a low mileage 2009, because you will save money in the long run.
So, if you are comfortable with doing work yourself and you want to continue to look at this gx, the next issue is rust. Underbody rust is the main thing that will put a GX out of commission. Inspect the frame and suspension carefully. If it's spent it's life in a low-rust area like Arizona or Utah you might have struck gold.
The air suspension is only on the rear. There are two airbags back there, in place of where coil springs would normally be (on a 4-runner for example). You can easily look to see if the airbags are there or if they have been replaced by coil springs. Aftermarket airbags are not that expensive if you want to continue with the stock suspension and you find that your airbags are leaking. The conversion to coil is not expensive or difficult either, so it just depends on what you are looking for. No I don't expect that original airbags with over 200k on them will last much longer, if it still has the originals.
The shocks are electronically controlled on all 4 corners. They are expensive if they need to be replaced, but again, you can convert it to run more conventional 4-runner style shocks that are reasonably priced.
As for the timing belt, it should not have been replaced at 158k. The first belt change should have occurred much earlier, and the second belt change should have occurred much later, so something is not right about that. Sometimes a dealer will change the belt when a car comes in if they don't have a record of a previous replacement, even though it was done and wasn't documented. So maybe that's what happened. But in any case, you should find out for sure.
Mileage and rust are the biggest things that kill value in the gx resale market. I think if it's rust-free, the price is acceptable. But if it's rusty, I would pay half that for it, or better yet, move on.
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