Ok, everyone, Im looking at buying an LC Convertible and stumbled across this listing https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...icle/771748384

The car is priced about $17,000 below market value at $69,990. The weird thing is, the VIN comes back as a vehicle with a Toasted caramel interior (pics are shown at the dealership in Florida in the attached report), but now the car has a red interior. The dealership is telling me that the previous owner may have changed the interior. I cant imagine the cost of doing that would be more than just buying a new car with the interior you would want.

Anyone heard of such a thing??? Should I run far away from this car???

-Tony

 

Welcome to the forum!

If it sounds too good to be true.....it probably is.

My LC is same year, colors, and mileage......I was recently offered $76k by a Lexus dealer for mine straight up.

Something is off here.

Maybe I am wrong....and you'll get a great buy. But I would pay to have an inspection done on it.

 

I agree with you.... and its not really a dealership...Its some mom and pop shop in middle of no where...

 

Flood damage car where interior was replaced using another salvaged LC is my 1st guess not looking at it. 17k below market is a big red flag. Mom & pop shop? Maybe didnt report the flood damage as that would make it a salvage title.

I'm just guessing mind you, but that smells fishy. Go in-person to see if it SMELLS fishy.

 

I'm shopping nationwide, so I'm having to do my due diligence when making a selection without seeing it in person...

 

I will most likely be listing mine in the next month or so for sale...exact same specs and mileage but it wont be anywhere close to $70k as mine still looks and smells brand new.

 

Lexus’s specs show the interior is Harvest Beige.

 

Chris, Im aware of the VIN saying Beige... I just dont understand how it went to red?

 

It was the name Harvest Beige that threw me off, but I went back and checked my 2021, it’s also Toasted Caramel and Lexus shows it as Macadamia.

 

Theres no way an owner put 20 grand parts and labor into a car to swap it from beige to red. Just doesnt add up. And then sell the car for a 50grand loss? Nah.

If it isnt a factory error (hard to believe motomachi would ever let an error that huge slip by), its had some sort of damage repair without reporting to carfax. It's the only thing that makes sense. I could see GM screwing up a custom ordered vette and not catching it, but no way something that huge went unnoticed at the LC500 line.

I'm an eternal pessimist on stuff like this though. If the seller is just shrugging and saying maybe the owner changed it, theyre either on the hook for not doing THEIR due dilligence or theyre trying to pass it off hoping someone wont notice.

 

Korbek, thats what Im thinking too....Here is the vehicle in Aug 2023 with the right interior color..

 

Looks like you've found your answer as to whether or not you should buy this vehicle...

 

Speaking of....Does anyone have solid advice on selecting a year for purchase? I'm shocked by the number of 2018 vehicles showing damage in Carfax reports...

 

Last Lexus service was a year ago in Florida at 8500 miles:



Lou

 

interior replaced with red and odometer replaced too...sounds like a flood car...hard pass...