Quick introduction. I have been a German car owner most of my 40 years of driving with mostly BMW, Mercedes and Audi sedans along with an early 911.

I'm currently looking for a second bigger cars to complement my 328i and the Lexus LS430 is high on the list. I found one here in Denver -- a 2002 with 134,000 miles, started out as a Texas car then most of its years and miles here in Colorado.

Carfax is clean, but most of the oil changes were done at Grease Monkey. How anyone can afford this car and not afford proper oil changes is beyond me. My question -- should this be a deal breaker? All oil changes were done at 5,000 mile intervals like clockwork.

Of course, I will have a local independent Toyota/Lexus shop do a complete PPI. Looks like the timing belt and associated bits were replaced at 110,000 by the Lexus dealer.

Thank you in advance!
TT

 

If regular oil changes is your only concern, having it done by "Grease Monkey" is not an issue. Many here DIY their oil / filter and do not pay the stealer.

 

Why would the oil changes not be proper? Especially if they were like clockwork. Lexus overall will be much more reliable then Mercedes or BMW. Much easier to work on and cost a lot less to maintain.

One of the best indicators of how well the car has been maintained is the condition of the interior. Common problems are listed in the FAQ thread and none are serious issues.

 

If you have proof that the oil has been changed every 5k miles but just at "Grease Monkey" (I assume thats a place?)...thats golden...I wouldn't give a second thought to where those changes were done.

FYI, I drive a brand new LS and I have no intention of paying Lexus to change the oil once I get through the first free change. I take INCREDIBLE care of my car, washed twice a week, every service is done and documented, gently driven, carefully parked. Anybody who buys a car I've had is pretty lucky. I just don't see the value in paying the huge cost of servicing it at the dealer when someone independent can do as good or better a job for less.

I can "afford" to pay the dealer no problem. You'll find that many people who are quite wealthy (not that I'm one of them lol) don't go around spending more than they have to, or spending on things they don't get value out of.

 

I bought mine with the same mileage......I agree w others.....documented clockwork oil changes is a very good thing......Timing belt and water pump just saved u a $1000.00.........Colorado and Texas in my opinion are harsh environments for a car. The car has gone through extreme temps on both ends. A PPI from the dealer is a must.....I just learned this darn lesson yet again helping my sister buy a used car......after purchase...it wouldnt pass inspection due to BS bushings...boots etc. We have to pay the man.......I was so obsessed with stealing the car .....and the guys phone was ringing off of the hook while we were test driving.......I felt the pressure ...the seller accepted my offer ...we did an as is bill of sale......turned out to be a $1500 dollar error. Ironically the deal I got on the car was about 2k under what other similar cars were selling for. ....I guess a wash in the end. To answer your question or concern....def do a PPI......I assume Colorado salts the crap out of their roads in the winter...could be premature rust...corrosion...or seal failure underneath....also look at door molding....my LS was a North Carolina car...parked outside....the rubber door strips are brittle and in a few areas torn. Also like Lav said....check freq asked questions for common probs w LS.......
Love the car......good luck

 

Thank you for the info. No, CO does not salt roads -- either sand or mag chloride. CO is rust free for cars due to our high altitude and low humidity. I'm a former CT and MA guy, where cars look like Swiss cheese after a few years. Denver cars are rust free and our winters are fairly mild.

 

well thats good......I have family in FT Collins....maybe I should have known that. My second concern about CO was the extreme cold.....Im no mechanic......but I wonder about those cold starts when the car is caked in ice and snow.......I am probably way off here...just paranoid. I live in VA....we get pretty cold winters around here too......

 

Dealership oil changes are usually done by the lowest rung mechanics (if they even qualify as that), not by the master technicians. So not much better than the "grease monkeys" at the oil change places. As long as it's changed on a timely manner then no problem. The 430 is actually a fairly easy car to maintain, especially the pre- 2004 models ( pre- sealed 6 speed transmissions).

 

If it has its timing belt done, and its had transmission, power steering, and differential fluid changed, it's good to go.

Some of the suspension components wear out, but the car won't ever ride harshly (especially with the 16 inch wheels, of which I am a huge advocate).

I wouldn't worry a ton about cold starts, especially in colorado. I've started my car in -20 and it's been fine. I run Toyota 0w-20 and over the winter and a used oil analysis confirmed that my car experienced basically no wear even though I drove it daily and started it at 0 degrees or colder at least 35 times over the winter after it sat all day in my work parking lot.

The only damage that could be done is if the grease monkey over torqued the oil drain bolt. But a new pan isn't a ton of money, and usually the bolt deforms before the pan does. I popped in a magnetic drain bolt plug for an extra bit of filtration and it's been great.

Be prepared to wait for the right car, but don't worry too much about it. These are great cars that are very well-built and very tough. They show symptoms when things aren't right, but they still work. It's easy to tell when things are wrong with them.

 

As you mentioned, I have also come from owning many BMW's over the years. Have had many E36's, a few E46's, and even a 2001 540i M-sport 6 speed that was an absolute blast to drive. But nothing compares to a Lexus. I have only owned my 2004 pearl white LS430 for a couple months now but I am in love with this car. You will not be disappointed. German cars are awesome to drive but after researching and now owning a Lexus, the quality, reliability and attention to detail of this car is astonishing. You will not regret it if you purchase one.

 

Good to know, I am hoping to be in the market for one as soon as I can sell my car right now.