Does anyone have a link that would show me by my VIN number, what options the car had from the factory? I don't know if that's possible or not.

 

There's one embedded in the forum, but have seen posts from folks where it didn't pull the right detail

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/vindecoder.php

 

 

There's also this site, just make sure you click thru to the actual reports, and not just generic model info.

https://www.vehiclehistory.com/vehicle/land.php

 

I just looked up my car on this site. My car was totaled last month and it says, No accidents reported. Hmmmmm.......

 

Yea, my first LS (LS400) was hit....cost around $1700 of damage (clipped the rear end, did bumper and trunk damage)...the guy who hit flew off the road and smashed into a sign.. there was an arrest and insurance claim... 3 years later I was selling the car, I ran a Carfax... and that never showed up.

Always take a car fax with a grain of salt....

 

Oh Boy. I thought Carfax was the best out there. What's better than Carfax???

 

Send an email to Customer_Satisfaction_Inquiries@lexus.com. Something along the lines of:

I was wondering if you had a list of installed options and equipment that my YEAR LS460 came from the factory with, here is my VIN:
Any information, build sheets or window stickers that I might be able to get would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance



They'll kick back a build sheet for you that shows what was installed at the factory, port and dealer.

 

Cool !!! Thanks, I'll do that.

 

As far as accident damage goes, what's better than Carfax is having someone who knows what they're doing take a look at the car, checking for overspray, paint depth, VINs on body panels, etc.

Carfax (and similar sites) only report what was given to them, or what their data mining comes up with in states where they can access police reports, etc. They also tend to run months behind in their updates, so sometimes you'll see a car for sale with a clean Carfax, and then the accident that made the person trade it in will show up after you bought the car.

 

Experian (of data breach fame...) also has a VIN tracking service "Auto Check".
Similar but they seem to draw from different sources and update at different times.

 

Use Carfax as the first line of defense. Once you find a vehicle that meets all of your criteria, have it fully inspected by a reputable 3rd party shop. They should look for any paint work (by a meter to measure paint thickness), overspray or any other imperfections. Someone that has an eye for this type of stuff can save you a lot of pain. I am not good at this type of inspection, so I just find a car I like and then pay a small fee for the thorough inspection. Good peace of mind for very little $$$. Good luck!!

 

What company did you get to check it out.

 

I used a friend that owns an auto body shop. We have been friends since high school days. If I was looking for a car that was halfway across the country, I would use a vendor such as Lemonsquad or try to get a reference from a local shop. If you find a car that is not local, see if anyone from CL can go look at it for you. If the car passes the PPI and is long distance, then at that point you could fly or drive out there to see in person. Problem is, there is not a lot of late model inventory, that is on great condition and has the options desired. You may be better waiting just a little longer to see if once the newly updated model comes out, there is a flurry of trade-ins and subsequently more used inventory. It took me 6+ months to find what I wanted. I have read other people here on CL waiting even longer to find the car they really wanted.

 

Can you look up a VIN on the Lexus Drivers site? I can't find where you can do that unless you add the VIN like it's a vehicle you own. Looking for a build sheet to show options and maintenance history on potential vehicles that I'm looking at purchasing.