Interesting! I just got a note back from that dealership saying that someone already has an application in on that car, so it may be too late already...

Question: Have you seen any rust problems on the Lexus LS's in your area due to the heavy salt use in the winter? I would prefer to find a car somewhere other than the "rust belt..."

 

The dealer itself is a bit out of the way from the Main Line in Phila....so it was a hike for us at night....but the one we went to see was the 2nd one I was interested in. The first, I got the same response, that someone was looking at it, but they would call me if those people did not purchase it....at the time, I found that their prices were in the $13-$15k range, not high by cars.com standards..

I have not seen the rust myself, but I was a bit concerned when I came across UK owners discussing it....seemed that the cars can rust where the plastic attaches to the doors....and the indie in NJ stated my car was not typical of the northeast, I must really take good care of it....I said no, actually it came from Naples, FL....then he said ah that explains....so there must be a difference. I told him while we were under it, I do see rust on my car, he said true but that's not real rust, like you would expect on a car this old in the northeast....

 

My 2001 has spent it's whole life in the north, and the only rust it exhibits is on the under carriage. Nothing on the body.

 

Here's a 2006 UL newly listed on CarMax for $15,995: https://www.carmax.com/car/15337287

While this seems at first glance to be an absurd price for an LS430 w/96K miles, it got me thinking about the advantage of buying an UL via CarMax. As I understand it, CarMax will normally make sure 100% of the car's features are operational at the time of the sale, which for the UL model is an amazing amount of things. Obviously, you pay a real premium for a car from CarMax, but in exchange you do get a guaranteed pretty solid car. I wonder if CarMax would handle the TB/WP repair on that 2006 (Lexus history doesn't show it having been done)? Their ad says they just put new tires on the car...

I also know that the CarMax extended warranties are pretty affordable and are very comprehensive. You can use the Lexus dealer for any repairs that are necessary for like a $50 charge per repair.

I can see myself enjoying owning an UL with zero fear of any failures of the complex UL systems (air ride suspension, radar cruise, massaging seats, not to mention the standard failure items like door lock actuators, tilt/telescopic wheel motors, etc.).

Hope CarMax posts some photos soon... Has anyone else had a good or bad experience with CarMax cars and warranties?

 

Personally, I would not be interested in any car that saw snow at any time in it's lifetime. Even, salt on the undercarriage alone can't be great for a car's mechanics. Sometimes it's worth while looking at further distances, however the LS430 is still a well known car and the good ones do sell quickly if priced in the ball park. That's the disadvantage of over thinking a purchase, but is understandable as you do want a good car. That's the dilemma.

 

When I purchased my 2005 from Carmax, I did not purchase the extended warranty. I really haven't needed it, but it's probably not a bad idea with an Ultra.. I had mine for about 2 weeks and the side view mirror control switch started failing. Instead of tearing into it on my own, I figured I would let CarMax handle it as the car came with the complimentary 30 day warranty. They had the car 1 day and replaced the switch with no issues. My air conditioning compressor failed at the 6 week point of ownership and I called CarMax and pleaded my case and they agreed to take a look at it, and called me later that day and said they would cover the compressor replacement. I was elated...

I wouldn't hesitate with CarMax on another purchase and I think you'll be happy if you deal with them as well..

 

Again I've analyzed the monthly car wash thing.....when I see new cars up here encrusted in salt, and they are new, I figure they are leased. Would you or I wash a rental car? Well except for one special case, I have never done that. Why did I wash a rental car ever? Well, it was a BMW, and I had it over 4 mos. So even I can't just abuse it and let it be that way. So what salt does in 3,6,9,12 years, could likely be not much. But on my 1998 Maxima purchased new, the lower radiator support collapsed, and I noticed last fall that a sway bar link simply snapped. This is in addition to body rust, and emissions parts falling off the vehicle (one I couldn't even identify through the forum, but found one on eBay and its pic, to know where it belonged). I am guessing that the 3rd gen LS is built better than a 4th gen Maxima, but who knows? These 3rd gen LS are not that far away from being 14 years old. That is the point where my Maxima began to deteriorate rapidly...so I like to think my car being from FLA was preserved a good 8+ more years over a northeastern car...

 

I also purchased my 2005 UL (@91k miles) from Carmax and opted for the extended warranty for peace of mind. Now at 105,000 miles, the warranty has already paid for itself with new LCAs, ball joints, and "melted" rear trunk button replacements. All work done on my watch, as well as previous owners, has been performed at my local Lexus dealer. The deductible amount varies from $50-200 or so, depending on your selection when purchasing. I've been pleased with it so far.

 

Check with your local Credit Union to see if they have any warranty products for sale, and good rates if you need to finance the car.

Maybe the CARMAX warranties specify that you have to go there for repairs, which doesn't help if you are away from one...

 

lucky guy. 3rd party warranties can be iffy, but getting it from a reputable well established dealer helps if they want to keep the customer happy.

 

Long story short, imho, extended warranties are for peace of mind only.

As a general rule, extended warranties are not worth it. I proved it with my BMW 335i which was on the CR "most unreliable" and "avoid" lists. Getting a BMW factory extended warranty was gonna be like shooting fish in a barrel. New turbos, new water pump, pay for itself. Nothing broke and I even extended it 3 years to 7/100. Yes, as luck would have it, the ABS failed out of the extended warranty, so based on the $4,200 dealer price, I had no choice but to DIY.

But I don't learn now do I (human factor), and we got one on my wife's car. When it failed inspection and the muffler shop licked its chops saying you need $1,100 to pass (the car had like 63k lol), watch me pull the extended warranty out of my hat. They were like whoa, ok, take it to the dealer, fix it, and we'll put the stickers on. Then the hvac also failed in Dec. This was one of those DIY for $86, or take it to the dealer for likely $600. So if you add these up, they still don't add up to the cost of the warranty, which expires in Aug. Is the peace of mind worth it? (feeling nothing when the muffler shop tried to rob me, or having the hvac fail when needed)

Now, if the rear AC fails, I've seen that can approach $3k, and the forum has had it happen. Then, it would certainly have paid for itself.