Spotted a black LS400 at little car lot stopped to talk to them guy says starter needs to be replaced he has it and will have it done.AC does not really work.Interior in pretty clean and it has 111k miles on it they are asking $3500 steal or not?

 

For non working AC? nah 1500....ac and starter fix assuming everything else is good.....depending on year and condition 3k

 

If the A/C system has been open and doesn't hold the refrigerent that may be a compressor, condensor and misc stuff. At 111K miles it is also probably due for the timing belt. Two big areas for $ to be spent. Add in the other fluids for usual maintenance: PS, transmission, differential and brakes. Will also probably need the ECU capacitor fix which may be related to the A/C not working. My suggestion is to get the VIN and run it through the Lexus site for maintenance history. $3200-$3500 is acceptable if everything is up to date and 100%.

https://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/history

 

year? add ons?

 

I'd pass.

 

97 and it’s stock.

 

No deal... pass.

 

$1500 if everything worked. Without AC, $1000, at the most. And if they do a lousy job on the starter (like screw up the wires for the knock sensors, or screw up the sensors themselves, or they don't replace the knock sensors at all) you may have to dig into that engine all over again.
In my view - no deal.
Keep in mind that this is an OLD car, and somethng is bound to fail very soon. So you are looking at:
1. Price of the car
2. Price to fix what you know is broken (AC)
3. Price to fix what you don't know is broken. And on a car that has more than one thing broken, I start wondering how diligent they were with the maintenance.
Even when a car is in a great condition, you will probably need new tires, new shocks, one or more suspension pieces (UCAs, Lower ball joints), a gasket here or there, MAF, who knows... and none of those are cheap even if you do your own work..

 

I'd offer 500 and fix what needs to be fixed slowly

 

i would pass on this. At 111k, everything should be working. Sounds like this car is going to be a nightmare for someone as it was neglected. On my 300k mile car, everything was working as it should and it was a 97'. Sold it for $2500 since all the preventative maintenance was done until 350k miles for the next buyer and I had records for everything, plus its probably the only 100% rust free AZ car in MI.

 

Deduct $500-1000 for being at a car lot, deduct $1200 for the starter, deduct $1000 for the A/C, deduct $1000 for the timing belt and water pump, and he'll be paying you to take the car! The starter is located under the intake and many things have a tendency to break along the way to getting it out. All those "things" have to be repaired (correctly) or you'll be back here asking why does my car ___________. Same with the TB & WP, the neck for the top hose on my radiator partially disintegrated upon removal. That was an added expense I did not foresee. The A/C system is something I have no way of repairing unless it is a simple fuse or relay. If it is something else, then I am at the mercy of a repair shop. Also, if you can't even start it or drive it, then it is a guessing game all the way around.