Hello all,

I have owned two LS, but I have decided to buy a 2013-2014 GS after enjoying a test drive in my friend's 450h. Other than checking the Lexus database for service, CarFax for history, and having an auto body guy check it out for anything hidden, are there any other issues I should look for in a car that will likely have 60-80K miles on it?

The 2013-2014 450h are tough to find in Northern California, so I will likely have to buy the car sight unseen; hence, having a local auto body pro check it out. I have a friend who's an estimator for State Farm and can likely refer me to reliable auto body pros in the area where the car is being sold to do an inspection.

 

Would love to hear a comparison of the LS models you have owned to the GS450h.

You're basically taking all the necessary steps when buying used. Many of us hybrid owners (including myself) spent quite a bit of time searching for our "perfect" vehicles and most of us searched across the nation -- which sounds like what you will be doing.

Figure out what features & color combos are a "must" for you.. and then keep an active search going.

As far as things to look for in a 13'-14' vehicle with 60-80K miles, I'm sure the majority of folks here will agree that these cars are fairly bulletproof. At the age & mileage you're looking for, I would look to see if the auxiliary battery (in the trunk) has ever been changed. To give you an idea, the OEM battery is like $400 from the dealer.

Brake pads might also be something to look for, especially if the vehicle was driven harder than average. Everything else would be fairly minor (i.e. cabin or engine air filters) and you could do yourself if not done.

Hope that helps somewhat. Best of luck on your search!

~ Im2bz2p345

 

I'm on my 2nd 1997 LS400...my current beast has 250K miles.

The GS350 cabin feels almost the same as the LS400...the GS hood is shorter and the trunk is shorter, but the cabin itself has the same spaciousness, which I have enjoyed for 15+ years.

 

I just purchased my '13 two months ago now. Im2bz2p345 was very helpful with advice through the buying process. Check out the GS 450h F-Sport hard to find thread. I downloaded the Dr. Prius app and was disappointed during my test drive that the hybrid battery was in poor condition (according to the app). I did not buy the car that weekend, but did return back to CT, a 3.5 hour drive, to buy the car because it had pretty much every option available. Advice from the forum made me think that the hybrid batteries should be ok. It was sitting for quite some time on the dealer lot as it was serviced as well. I have not tested it since as I am kinda afraid lol. But I will soon.

Here are some issues I have noticed since purchasing the car, that I did not checking when at the dealer. Rain sensing wipers do not work. There is a thread here on that as well. I ordered the two new relays, but just haven't had a chance to put them in yet. We will see if that fixes the problem. The cover where the interior lights are up next to the windshield was loose as well, which I did not notice when looking at the car. Guess they were trying to see if they could fix the rain sensing wipers and couldn't get iti back on, which I can't either. Also my LKA just stopped working two weeks ago. Not sure what the cause of that is. Driver door vibrates bad playing music with bass. I'll have to pull the door apart to see what the problem is. I noticed one of the fog lights was not working after I brought it home, but the bulb was just loose. Other than that, the car is a dream. I love getting in it everyday. Smooth, fast and quiet. I have gotten up to 38 mpg. Commuting my 15 miles I average 26mpg. I told myself I would never get a black on black car again, but colors were limited in searching for one. Now I really like the color combo as it looks like a limo or just like KITT from Knight Rider

 

did you ever fixed these issues? its tough when the price difference between an 07 and 13 models is over 10k CAD or more depending on the models. But one thing for sure I'm betting they can go high miles with a good battery when you find the right ones!