jrmckinley

Tell me if this is bad logic. I'm in no hurry to buy but am really picky on the color & condition of my next LS. I've been kicking tires for a while and have mainly focused on '10-'12 (I prefer the 5 star rims plus not having the control arm or actuator issue). I have missed out on a few cars of interest due to not being able to see them in-person before they sold.

I expanded my search a little and I found an '08 with 75k miles at a good starting price at a Lexus dealership. It's the color combo I like, always serviced by Lexus, single owner, has the features I want (mainly just Levinson). Looking at the service history, at 65k miles the report says "front control arm bushings are just starting to show wear/tearing. will check next service." They were never repaired/replaced and may be the reason the owner traded the car in due to the cost.

Here are my questions:
- Dealer asking $23k plus all TTL, etc. If I could get the car for around $22k out the door, is that a good deal? That's an offer of just over $20k on the car.
- I'm confused on the brake actuator issue now being covered by Lexus. Does this mean the dealer will or should replace it at no charge to me if I buy the car (do they get reimbursed by Lexus for doing the service??)
- Is it unreasonable to negotiate the replacement of the control arm bushings with the dealer? If so, I have read enough on here to know I can set aside about $1,200 and take to indy shop for replacement.
- I can add the 19" 5 star rims to this car (including tires) for somewhere around $2k.

So all in, I'm somewhere around $26k (factoring in wheels/tires and control arms) but unfortunately would be 15k miles from the hefty 90k service. What would I be missing on an '08 vs an '11 or '12? Streaming Bluetooth?? I also know of the "melting interior" concern- and am pretty worried about that given I live in FL - but this is a FL vehicle and shows no signs of it. FWIW, it's an early model '08 (built Nov 2007) looking at the production stamp.

Let me know if you think I'm better off sticking with late '10-'12. I'm trying to keep budget at $35k max OTD. Part of me wants to wait until Sept/Oct so another model year goes by and I can snag an '11 being 6 model years old. The appeal of this car is the opportunity to save about $9k off of my max budget.

Thanks,

roadfrog

There are always pluses and minuses to selecting between the two model years/facelifts. I would certainly insist on the CA's being done as a condition of sale....especially when it has been noted in an inspection. As for the brake actuator, the replacement will only be done if the trouble codes associated with it have triggered. It's not a blanket replacement. Good luck.

jrmckinley

Cool, thanks. Did Lexus put a time period on how long they will replace the actuator when the trouble codes go off? Meaning if I did buy this car and 2-3 years from now the actuator goes bad, is it on me or on Lexus?

roadfrog

Lexus will cover the brake actuator up until Dec 31, 2017 (unlimited mileage). After Dec 31, 2017 it's 10 years after the date the vehicle was made or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first.

litesoarer

I'd stick with 10+

greg3852

At this point there is no way I would pay that for an 08. Especially with known work needed. They would have to fix the CA issue and it would have to be an Executive Seating L. And have the rims on it you want.

litesoarer

With that mileage I'd be looking at no more than 20K OTD for an 08 considering what you have to do it to get it how you want it.

jrmckinley

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll sit back for a while longer and see what else comes available. My instinct is to get a late '10 or '11 so I'll stick to my guns. Thank you again,

Nospinzone

Based on this and your opening post, this sounds like the best thing for you right now.

rld14

An 08 with 75K for $23,000?

That seems like a lot to me.

Kennyr44

20k is about right if they will do it. I would go for that. Get the newer model if you want to spend more. The 08 will blow your mind so if you want to save several thousand its a good choice.

litesoarer

I initially looked at 07-09 for price reasons, but being the current owner of a first year car and it's teething issues (Cruze Diesel) put me off, Plus...BT Audio is important to me and i'd rather not hack up a perfectly good audio system to add it. The more research I did, the more I was steered towards 10+, 13+ Prices were more or less out of my budget for good clean examples or CPO. So 10-12 it was.

Kennyr44

Your totally right about 1st year cars. They can be a nightmare and the LS460 was. This was very uncharacteristic of Lexus but they took their licks and paid dearly to make them right. At this point the 07 and 08 cars have been upgraded and are as good as any other so it's a non issue. I was only interested in spending 20k tops and am thrilled with my model year. For me the phone connectivity is adequate since I use xm exclusively and don't even have any music on my I Phone. The people with 10 to 12's will say buy those and 13's and up the same and I understand that.

roadfrog

What kind of nightmares are we talking? I mean, yes the 07 was the most problematic of all the years produced, but that number is still negligible.

Kennyr44

Pulling all the engines to change valve springs, changing left and right front door glass because of complaining customers, almost all brake actuator failures, ML amps and fuel rail recalls is a huge nightmare for a manufacturer and the mechanics working for warranty time. I've been there and let me tell you this is as bad as it gets. The only upside is the fact that it wasn't on Camrys or RX's with those high volumes.