I bought 2004 with 81K mileage , timing belt was done in 2015 when it was at 45K mileage. I was suggested to change timing belt as it is 9 years since timing belt was changed so I did new timing belt.
I always wanted to buy this car , car is very clean from inside and under the hood also it is very clean.
Can it last for the next 8-10 years with basic regular maintenance? I drive around 7-8K miles a year on average.

regards

 

I hope you also did the water pump and other recommended parts as long as being right there anyway. The Aisin kit contains the parts. For my 2001 UL with 188k miles nothing major has happened. What I had to do is radiator, lower control arm bushings, front wheel hub assembly and the Aisin timing belt kit. Everything seems to be working. I did update the screen with 9 inch android which looks like factory install. Still get 25mpg on highway on regular fuel.

 

Yes, it absolutely can last that and more, as long as you accept some reality. I love my 04 and plan to have it the next 10+. You can read all over this site about the very high standard these cars were built to, and the quality of the parts they used, both rivaling today. Now, about that reality? These cars are 20 years old and regardless of quality, some seals are going to dry up and some parts are going to wear out. I learned a hard lesson last spring with my Cam Shaft seal, and since I don't do 90% of my labor, it ran just over $5k at the dealer. I could have saved a lot at an independent, but preservation is big for me now on this car. I only do OEM parts through various discounters you can read about on here. Fall 2023 one of my rear struts blew up, left a small puddle in my garage, but it was original. I bought it in 2019 with 78k and now have 152k. I replaced both steering adjust motors, but otherwise no electronic failures. Runs like a dream, have to look at the tach to know its running, and the ride is great.

So these cars are amazing, and yes, they will perform for a long time, but adjust your expectations as they age and do your own labor if you can. Congratulations!

 

Thank you for your reply

i had 1996 es300 and that I had to sell for growing family and bought 2005 gx470 and since last 10 years gx470 didn’t give me any issue. So i had first hand experience of lexus reliability, I didn’t want to pay too much monthly for car insurance and also can’t afford high car monthly payments. Unfortunately I can’t fix cars but I go to local car shop experts in japani car manufacturers.

yes at timing belt they change water pump as well and I am ok spending 2-3K if that can last this car for next 10 years. I know these are all weird questions but just wanted to share my thoughts with this group.

I had lexus reliability experience and car is really very clean inside, under hood and trunk , trunk looks like no one put anything there and never used, that made me buy it but yes I didn’t think about issues like gasket, rubber age etc.

regards

 

Please tell us they did more than 2 cam seals at $40 a pop ( dealer service dept. price may be higher) for just over $5k !!!

 

I had a quote for cam seals, plus all the timing belt job, all the bells and whistles for my '05 for $ 1600 at a local shop a year ago....

For Vishgupt, I would just say keep up with the maintenance and fix what comes up with OEM parts. I have had to do nothing at all other than maintenance to my '05 over the last 7 years, 37,000 miles, now at !46,000 miles. (I did fix myself the rear view mirror switch using tips on this site, cost me nothing other than an hour of my time) You might be as fortunate, but maybe not as others have said.

 

Yes, @bradland , sorry, I was generalizing to stay on topic with the thread. I also had a brake line flush, power steering flush, oil, spark plugs, and in the camshaft job they quoted me a dozen hoses and seals and a timing belt. Hopefully we are talking about the same job, because I read 3 or 4 people on this site saying cam shaft seal is a big job. The advisor made a lot of sense and said basically, "your car is well cared for, but its 20 years old and you say you want to keep it and preserve it. You can do these hoses and seals now or later, but now you are already paying for the labor, so just buy the parts." Same thing on the timing belt. I had one 3 years ago but he said, "it's no additional labor and you reset the clock." I agreed. They had the car for a week and I had a new RX F-sport to drive around.

I agree dealerships are brutal but I have come to appreciate that they are quoting the most optimal way to repair and lengthen the life of your car. I didn't know an indie in SLC yet that I trusted with that level of job. Also, dealerships won't take risks, so if they reinstall the old hoses and one of them cracks, they don't want you back there screaming in a month. I kind of believe along these lines that they do sort want to filter us oldies out to the indies to cover their own a$$es. A 20 year old car drives in and they have no clue what they're walking into.

 

Thank you for giving me confidence, yes I hope once I do basic maintenance and repair , it should last for sometime


regards

 

I have just over 87,000 miles on my 2005,
on my 1st one I went from 72,000 to 163,000 in 8 years
I hate when somebody thinks because it happened to them it will happen to everybody but
on my 1st one I did dealer service and every 5,000 miles service they mentioned control arm bushings and every time I went down the street to tire store who said they were fine.
I finally did them (only 2 ) about 150,000 miles and it made a world of difference. shocks start to go around 90,000 miles and I went thru 5 in 8 years strongly recommend 2 at a time if you can afford them, they ain't cheap. last was motor mounts, they look fine but when they are bad your ride will suffer I replaced around 150,000 but should have done sooner
Great cars, I bought a second I like them so much