I'm looking at a 2008 LS 600h L with 53K miles on it, have not personally seen the car yet other than some photos. Does anyone have any suggestions what to look for and should I take this risk for a 12 year old car? It does have all the regular service records all from one dealership and this is an one owner car. What are the things that may need replaced or expect to break down at this age of the car?

 

- Radiator and its hoses
- Water pump leak
- Valley plate leaks
- Fuel pumps leaks
- Valve covers leaks
- Front and rear control arms
- Struts w/ and w/o air
- Dash
- Internal trim
- Sunroof
- Transmission issues
- Stereo issues
- Front bearings

 

That’s an ‘08, so an old car. Get a pre-purchase inspection done before you plunk any money down. Well worth the $150 - $200 and could save $1,000’s if something is caught.

Thats very low mileage for that old of a vehicle, but things can and will go wrong. Set aside some cash for a rainy day. Hopefully you will not need to use it, but be prepared. Good luck and post pics if you buy the car.

 

Explore the possibility of buying an exclusionary extended warranty. These vehicles can and do suffer VERY expensive repair costs (air struts and hybrid battery in particular).

 

What's life of the hybrid battery? This is an independent car sales so they do not offer warranty for purchase. I did come across a 2013 Hyundai Equus, which was rear ended last week and insurance reported total loss, hence I'm in need of a replacement. So it would be the same exact car I had before. This 2013 is Hyundai CPO with 30K miles. I may just get the same as before. But this LS is very attempting.

 

There simply is no telling how long a hybrid battery will last although age and/or mileage have something to do with it. They evidently can fail with no warning. At 82,400 miles I watch my charging gauge like a hawk for any anomaly. For good or bad it always acts the same!

Does climate matter? IDK

Does type of use (stop and go vs. long distance) or frequency of use matter? IDK

 

I would personally avoid LS600L without warranty. LS460 is complicated, LS600L takes it to a different level. There should be plenty of LS460s in FL.

 

Credit unions often offer extended warranties on used vehicles.

 

Although the 600H is an amazing luxury vehicle and can be had (THis year in particular) for a fraction of its original cost, as others have mentioned, I would avoid it unless you warranty. AS sktn77a stated, nearly any bank you choose to finance the vehicle will offer warranty. Just be sure it covers the expensive repairs.

I went with a 2011 or 2012 (Bought a 11) due to the air suspension being optional on these model years, and found a 44k miles 1 owner, which seels for much less than a 600h. If you dont need the extended rear room, and the myriad of plush options the 600h offers, do yourself a favor and avoid one . Just my 2cp

 

If you haven't already done so, go to this site "https://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/history" and establish an account. Once you have an account you can input the VIN number of any 600HL you are interested in to see what service maintenance has been completed on the vehicle at a Lexus Dealership.

During my search for a 600HL, I would thoroughly review all the service entries listed in the Drivers.Lexu.com site first followed by the Carfax report. Some of the things listed in service history will give you a better understanding of the car.

I've attached an example of a service history report I downloaded for a 2008 600HL with 56K mile being sold by West End Lincoln dealership. The 2nd entry on the report is a "Used Car Inspection" performed at 56,420 miles and states this:

"SERVICE: PERFORM CT K208 USED CAR INSPECTION 18PT
DESCRIPTION: PERFORM CT K208 USED CAR INSPECTION 18PT ~|~PERFORM CT K208 USED CAR INSPECTION 18PT ~|~ ~|~56420 PERFORM USED CAR CHECK UP NEES FRONT AND REAR BRAKES RUSTED ROTORS PULSATION NEED FRONT PARK SENSORS NEED BODY SHOP FRONT BUMPER NEEDS BOTH SIDE FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARMS CAR HAS BUMPER RIDE MAY NEED AIR SHOCKS"

The car is on the dealership lot with 56,423 mile, only 3 miles beyond when the inspection was completed and there is no repair entry for what was found during the used car inspection. So did the Lincoln dealership fix the car or are they going to try an pawn it off on some unsuspecting customer. This is the value of these service maintenance reports.

Hope this helps and I'm not trying to flame your deal or anything just want you to find the best 600HL you can for your money.

Semper Fi

Andre