Any practical guidelines on when enough is enough? I have a 1990 LS 400 with just about 179,000 miles. I love this car more than any I have ever owned. My dad was the original owneer, and he maintained it well. He gave it to me in 1999 with 135,000 miles on it, because he couldn't bear to see it leave the family. My only big complaint, the air conditioning! I am just paid $2,200 to replace the Evaporator, Expansion Valve & Compression lines, for the SECOND time. Did the same thing 4 years ago, for $1,900. My mechanic tells me the A/C was the only major design flaw on the 1990. He also tells me that it is the "best maintained" 1990 he has ever seen in his shop, nearly a 10. Of course, he told me that as I was deciding whether or not to spend the $2,200 on the AC, so he might have had a bit of an ulterior motive in that statementl How much is too much to put into one of these cars though? I know the $2,200 I just paid might be close to the current FMV. Maybe I should have put that as a down payment on a new Toyota. My Lexus was "free", but over the 7 years I have owned it, I have spent over $25,000 on it. Some for regular wear things like new tires, brake wear, new battery, etc. Some for fun, like reupholstering the worn front leather seats, and some for major replacements and repairs, like the aforementioned A/C system, RR Control Arms, RR Shocks, shock mounts and boots, RR Cam and Crank, and RR Rack and Pinon steering. It looks and drives like a new car, and a new luxury car at that, but am I being prudent? I keep telling myself that a few big checks here and there beat the outlay for a new car...but maybe I am just fooling myself. The mechanic also told me that in the next three months I need new Tie Rods, they are begining to wear ($350 or so) and MIGHT want to consider replacing the engine mounts and EGR pipe for a smoother feel ($650 or so). The first item is a safety issue. The second not. What would you do?

 

I was in a dilemma like yours when I had my 1993 Intifniti G20. I kept thinking that with these repair bills I could easily afford a 300-400 a month payment because it was always this or that every few months.

You're in the same boat my friend. I know it would be hard to let it go but unless you can do your own repairs, I would sell it. Sell it for as much as you can and buy yourself a GS or ES or IS or whatever you want. You have to remember that you're buying/repairing a car that used to be over 45k new. Naturally the car isn't worth that much but still- the parts are new and the parts are intended for a car that costs that much when it was new.

Sell it. Get a GS300 - it shares the same motor as a non-turbo supra so you can still take it to the Toyota dealership for oil changes whenever you need them.

That's what I did. I bought myself a GS, had 350/month payments, paid and paid and refinanced my house and just paid it off after that. It may not have been the smartest thing to do to use equity to pay for the car but I'd rather take a smaller profit on my house than have to deal with my G20 breaking all the time. It's not just the costs of fixing that effects your life man - it's a pain in the butt to take it to the shop and it causes unneeded stress.

Good luck man.

 

You have really spent $300 a month in maintenance for 7 straight years??

I have a 94LS but your 90 mirrors my fathers LS experience. 2 very high priced AC refurbs, new drivers side seat, etc. Engine is still flawless at 220,000 + miles so he just keeps on going.

My advice is to ease up on the maintenace. I realize that being in Texas a functioning AC is not an option, it's survival!! But other than that ask yourself what has happened mechanically to this vehicle that has renedered it undriveable? My guess & personal experiences tell me that you have had very few instances where the car had an actual mechanical problem that rendered it non drivable.

If you are satisfied with how it currently drives why are you considering new tie rods?

 

1. get the hell away from the dealer for service.
there are lots of mechanics who can work on your car, and very few items that MUST be dealer serviced. at the age of your car, you have to think of value of repairs, not just "give me the best." it is simply ridiculous to keep spending what you have been.

2. how good is the drive train? if it is really good (and mine is with nearly 200k on it), consider driving the car with minimum maintenance. i'd bet you';d get motre for your money that way than selling it for $2k or so, and you'd get to drive an ls in the meantime.

3. use mobil 1 (10/30). oil changes at walmart are really cheap. change out the tranny fluid if not done recently, though from your post i'd guess your mechanic has done that regularly.

4. think of how many new major parts, like the ac, you have in this car. if you sell it, the buyer willl get the use of them. better financially to keep them and use them up yourself.

5. in high school i had a '60 buick electra 225 with power everything. wildcat 445 engine. perhaps even with the 15 miles per gallon, i'd probably be way ahead if i'd just kept that car and maintained it (though not at a dealer). consider driving your lexus until it drops, or with minimum maintainence. you can drive it fine with slightly worn tierods. and it will never be worth nothing.

 

I agree with denverdog.
First of all, DO NOT GO TO DEALER FOR SERVICE!!! They will rip you off. I live in NY and dealers charge 3 to 4 times what my local mechanic charges! If you are worried about the quality of work, don't be. Dealer's mechanics are no better than any other mechanics, unless you go to place like Midas. Then it's a whole other story - those people can't tie a tire nut w/o stripping the thread.
Any way, the best thing you can do is to find a good local mechanic and keep driving the car. It is in great shape overall and you did invest a bunch of money to fix the current prpoblems. The major parts, like the electronics and the drivetrain are bulletproof on these cars, so they will last for a long time. Besides, if you sell it, you will not get more than 2-3K for it. What can you buy for 2-3K? Nothing you would wana drive after having driven a Lexus!

 

Keep in mind - selling a car that is functional is a lot easier than selling a car that is not. If it's in decent working order, keep it for a while and save up money. Forget about the motor mounts and EGR pipe. While it's noble to maintain the car in pristine condition - it's not financially smart to keep sinking money in a 16 year old car that is only worth 3k.

You might be able to get more by showing your repair receipts and telling your new buyer that they won't have to worry about repairs for a while.

If you're on a small budget - go with a 1996 or newer LS or an ES. If your budget can handle it - there are a lot of GS's out there that are looking for new owners - one can be had for anywhere between 10k-20k.

Good luck man.

 

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful advice. Yes, I have spent an average of $300 maintenance over the years, thinking I was doing what was the best. And 90% of it was to the local Lexus dealer. I think your advice to find a good mechanic outside the dealership is an excellent idea. I just realized this recently when my husband installed a $90 new battery from WalMart in the vehicle, which is working great. The last battery I put in, from Lexus about 5 years back, was at least $500. When I took the car in for something else, my service rep at the dealership told me this was a bad idea. I asked him if it was a safety issue, and he said couldn't tell me that, it was primarily the aesthetics of keeping all Lexus parts. The recent A/C repair was my first non-dealer repair. However, I did this at a shop with a mechanic with his own shop that used to work for the dealership & he used all Lexus parts. Sounds like I might have been better off with a good independent mechanic, using whatever parts he thought best? Damon, you are right, AC is survival here in South Texas, esp. when it has already been up in the high 90's. DenverDog, my first car was also a handme down from my dad, also an Electra 225 (mine a 1970 model). I loved that car too! I've only had two new cars I bought on my own, an Accord and Camry, and I was never attached to either of them like I was the Electra or Lexus. Thanks also, Cliffud for the new car suggestions. I will keep those in mind as well.

 

If you enjoy driving the car, why not keep it. I have a 1992 SC400 and plan on maintaining it for years to come. i might even pass it down to my daughter some day.

 

I also am having a hard time believing that someone could spent $25K in seven years and 44,000 miles on such a low mileage LS400. I drove my 90 LS (I purchased it new) to 183,000+ miles (sold it in 2003) and probably spent less than $5,000 during the last 40,000 miles. Most of it went for normal maintenance including changing the timing belt and water pump at 180,000 miles. Some of it (about $1,500) went for a new A/C compressor and all related parts to convert it from R12 to R134a. A bit of suspension work was less than $500 total.

My car looked like new when I sold it including the all original (except for one sun visor) interior. The current owner of my 90 LS is at well over 225,000 miles and he has had to spent little on it since he bought it from me.

It sounds to me like the car that was the original subject of this thread was severely abused and/or not properly maintained during the first 135,000 miles of its life.

I've known several people, including my next door neighbor, who bought early 90's LS400's and drove them to high mileages and I have never heard of anyone spending such a wild amount in such a few miles.

 

$25k?? $500 on a battery? that is crazy! Sounds like the local dealer has been taking advantage of you. Do you have all of the records and receipts for that?