b8b

Hi All,

I have an RX and have had LS400's and LS430's, was about to pull the trigger on a 2007 LS460 with 137k miles. It has good tread on the tires, new (aftermarket) brakes, and the guy seemed to care for it (and do his own oil changes or had his brother who is a mechanic do them), but the 90k and 120k services were not done (he says he did most the fluid flushes himself. He had it on aftermarket wheels, but put the OEM ones back on. Price seems good, otherwise I wouldn't consider it: $16,000.

I've read multiple thread on the high-mileage LS460 topic, and will list them for other's quick reference, just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or advice for me in this specific situation. All feedback welcome. Thanks!

Related threads I read first:

• https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...d-it-last.html
• https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...xus-ls460.html
• https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...xpectancy.html
• https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...000-miles.html
• https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...d-i-worry.html
• https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...eage-cars.html

roadfrog

I wouldn't hesitate to jump on it.

As for thse other services, I wouldn't worry about them at all. Fact is, most of the items on the list of those services involve, "checks". So no big deal. The big things are, the oil changes and coolant changes, filters, etc.

greg3852

Agree with Roadfrog. If the oil changes were done, she should be good to go. At that price, its worth the chance.

Luxofreak

Test drive it, take it to a trusted mechanic or hire a professional inspector ($100/$200 or so) - in case you're afraid. Those cars are bullet proof but of course it depends on how the previous owner took care of it. $16K is CHEAP for such a loaded car, where everything works even after all those miles. Does it have ML sound / nav? If so, even better deal.

b8b

I was going to pay for a pre-purchase inspection at the nearest Lexus dealer ($150 or so, IIRC), just for the peace of mind.

Yes, it has the ML sound and nav.

Based on the feedback here, I am feeling more confident about going forward with the deal. Thank you!

R Z

Personally, I wouldn't do it. But that's just me. I'd rather spend a little more and get less mileage. But as others have said, it's probably a fine vehicle and one you can enjoy. Good luck.

b8b

Thank you for your feedback, R Z. That is my preference as well, and I wouldn't mind spending a little more, but from what I have seen (even looking at solds on eBay), it would take quite a bit more to find one with significantly fewer miles.

R Z

Not necessarily true. There are deals out there. Depends on how far you are willing to travel. Do you have a color preference?

I just did a quick search on CarGurus. This should certainly have negotiation room in it.

http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invento...sting=91665412

CRowe14

R Z
That is absolutely my favorite color interior. Not a bad price either.
I have one in my area as well with 83k (swb) not sure about ML/Nav, but the price is $19.9.
Im looking into it myself. So, yes, they are out there! One in particular has 91k for $20.9, but upon researching the vehicle, at one time, the driver did 25k miles in 4 months!!! Now, I know these cars are meant to be driven, but sheesh! Whether it should have or not, that notation had taken me aback.

In conclusion, lower mileage LS are out there. I'm just having a small issue finding a LWB. But since I am in no rush, patience should prove to be a virtue.

Doublebase

Is the price firm at 16k? See if you can get it for less and whatever you do just make sure it doesn't have a major problem. Control arms would be a bit of a problem...or brake module. Other than that these cars are pretty reliable. Even the problems I mentioned are solved reasonably with parts on eBay.

b8b

Would prefer something in SoCal or AZ. No specific color preference, Silver or white (prefer colors that don't show dirt or scratches). I've been checking Craigslist, eBay and AutoTrader for the past couple weeks. Would have to know soon though, was going to pick it up this weekend.

Thanks, but that car is too far from me. Also, SoCal and AZ cars tend to be in better shape in terms of the weather effects.

b8b

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully the Lexus dealer can discover issue with the control arms or brake module? Paying the extra $150 for a dealer pre-purchase inspection for the peace of mind, or (hopefully) discovering issues like these.

Doublebase

Well worth the $150, but if they are bad, don't let the dealer do the work (unless the other guy is paying) because it will blow your mind how much that will cost you.

R Z

Well then, check car gurus. Type in what you want including color and see what's in your area. You can always ask for your price. Never hurts to ask.

b8b

Thanks to all for the feedback. Very helpful. Based on the feedback and even considering the following, I am leaning towards going for it.

The inspection came back from the dealer. Everything is good except the rotors will need replacing soon (within a year), brakes and tires are good but needs an alignment, brake fluid is dirty, and the control arms are starting to crack. The service advisor said it's not bad, and he's seen them go 70k miles more in the condition they are in, he didn't seem to think much of it, but that is *very* expensive (at least from the dealer). On eBay the control arms are cheap, so it's just having my local mechanic replace them, I think I could get it done for well under $1k, vs. $4900 Lexus Escondido quoted.

Thoughts?

Also, I forgot to mention that I really prefer to buy a car from an individual rather than a dealer for two reasons:
1. in AZ, if I buy from an individual, I do not pay sales tax (~9%!). That's significant. Only 6 for sale on cargurus.com by individuals, from what I could see.
2. I can also see how someone took care of the car and get records, something about buying a used car from a person and understanding where the car has been and how it's been driven that gives me more insight.