heliskiier

I'm looking at an IS350. Beautiful car with 80k miles. Has ML Premium sound/nav (no sound), Lux package with 18 inch and premium wheels. Pretty much loaded. Price at $9900 most likely due to no sound from radio. I understand this to be due to dead amp. I could be wrong, but a member here gave me this diagnosis. I really want an IS badly, but I want to know what to look for when deciding whether to buy or not. I've been a Saab fanatic for many years and got great advice from Saab boards and have bought many rides based on my research on feedback I got from message boards. It's the best place to find out what gremlins to look for and how to recognize them when doing the due diligence. If I'm going to buy with 80k miles I want to know that I've good a solid car. I don't usually buy with this mileage, but Toyota/Lexus typically have build quality equal to anything.

So, that said, what should I specifically look for for a mechanical problem on this car? I appreciate all replies and any help you folks can give me!

Thanks all!

bbaugher47

80k on a 2007 is great mileage. Pull that carfax and maintenance records. Should be a solid buy.

Brian7

iTrader: (2)

Yeah I wouldn't hesitate. Buy it!

heliskiier

I'm hitting the road Tuesday. Hope all goes well and I come home in this IS and posting lots of cool photos!

bbaugher47

Just make sure you've done that research before you buy! And if ya do purchase the car ; post pics. Lol

MikeyK02

iTrader: (7)

log into mylexus with the vin..check the maint that was done at lexus facilities

heliskiier

I see RVA as your location! Are you a Ram fan? Thanks!

heliskiier

Any IS specific common "gremlins" I need to look for?

bbaugher47

Yup. Sure am. Wife went to VCU . And Liberty . There aren't that many mechanical bug a boos on the 350. The 250 will have the carbon build up. Ive personally known a few of the 2is to have that amp issue , problems with the dash and door panels. The warranty enhancement has just ended on that. There are a few recalls that are issued with the most current being for the airbags. Cam gear was another one? But all in all these are great little cars.

liazon

iTrader: (1)

Definitely check Carfax for accidents/salvage title....and as mentioned Lexus Service for maintenance records
That price on a 350 with 80k sounds just a bit too good to be true. Would be a great buy if it's legit and in good shape
80k is low mileage on a well maintained Lexus
Most common issues were the dash and door panels melting.....

heliskiier

Yep, exactly. The deal is better than 90% to be found out there. That's why I'm doing all this DD before making the hour drive up. The only thing I can figure for why it might be a fully legit price is that the seller can't unload it due to the dead radio/stereo and has had a look at the OEM cost of the stereo when put into the car new. Add 70% of the cost of the stereo option to the ask price and we're getting into good deal from great deal territory. Considering I can get the stereo working for $750 max, it could be a primo situation. i've gotten deals like this before. Got a couple of SS Camaros for $3k under market (i.e. wholesale) from folks who didn't have a choice but to sell and my RSX-S with 5k on the ticker for 16k from a dealer who must have had way too much inventory. I have the carfax in hand and it's clean with some OK service records (not pristine, but better than average). Gotta get on lexus site and have a look to see if I can get more and any unexpected stuff that might not be on the carfax. carfax is really only good for confirming mileage and clean title (and some service records if they were well kept). .

Raar

That is a good price, and I would definitely negotiate it down a bit. To give you an example I negotiated a 2006 is350 with 107k from 9.5k all the way down to 6.7k. Now I did get lucky because the 350s are rare around here and there isn't much of a market for them seeing that every IS you see here is a 250.

When you see the car just inspect the body all around carefully to check for rust. Also, my car needed a 4-wheel alignment. Something I wouldn't be able to tell unless I got a full-inspection. However you can check the tread wear on the tires to see if they are cupping. Regardless, this is just general maintenance things but it can help you in negotiating the price.

heliskiier

Thanks! This one is looking better and better. Got the Lexus service records from their site. They are way more detailed than anything on a CarFax. Found that the body work from a wreck was cosmetic not structural. Also found that the car had mice chewing the wires and they fixed it. This might be the root of the radio problem. Good service up to 50k before records stopped. New tires, full inspection. Had brake pads all done. One less thing. I'm heading up there. The guy says he'll do a better deal on it if I fix the radio. Hope she drives well! I'll post pics if/when I come home with her.

Oh, and it just had a 4 wheel alignment when the dealer prepped the car for sale. That was on the Lexus site too.

Ramjet44

I have an 07 IS350 with 65,000 miles.I love it. I would make sure all the recalls have been done. I had to have the water pump replaced about a year ago. And I had to replace the rear brake calipers. These are both common as is the alternator.

heliskiier

A few recalls are still open. These things sure had a handful of them. Thanks for the update on gremlins to look for. I've seen in my reading that water pumps tend to be gremlins in the IS. I might hop in there and do it after I get the car just to know it's been done. Hopefully the rear calipers stay OK. Weird thing to go wrong in any car.