sheikhmax

Hi Guys,
Just sold me GX and getting ready to move on to LX.
I need some suggestions from experts.
I found this car in ny and it has 21K miles and 2014 year. It spent most of its life sitting in the parking lots. It has clean car fax but owner installed a front body kit which looks ok but hampers the approach angle. Not a lot of service history since since it's only 20K miles. Needs tires as they look old but tread is ok. It drives good and all the options work. I checked and AHC works good.
What shall I be anticipating for maintenance going forward. Anything that i need to check before i pull the trigger and buy it?
Also what you guys think about 47K as a price for 5 years old LX?

Thanks

1HipNip

I just purchased a black 2014 LX570 with 30.6K miles for $48K 2 weeks ago from Longo Lexus. It was a certified Lexus vehicle when first advertised by the dealer; but they had to remove the certification due to the airbag recall. I would say $47K is a pretty decent price from a dealer, but I would try to talk a private party seller down to around $43K.

hankinid

Go to the 'owners' section on lexus.com. Register there and input the VIN. You'll see any services done to the truck since it was delivered. More importantly, you'lll see any recommended service(s) declined by the owner. You should be able to see an owners manual online or a link to recommended service intervals.

Lots more info in the FAQ section here...200 Series FAQ's

Given its location, get it on a lift and see if there's rust.

No idea on price relative to the market as I'm not in the market. If you browse a few websites like autogurus, traderonline, etc., you'll get a general idea. I'd ask if there were the possibility of getting the original front body plastic back.

hth and pics when you buy it are required.

sheikhmax

Seller has come down to 46K but wouldn’t go below 46K after 2 weeks of back and forth.

sheikhmax

ClaytonW

I did not know that they record all declined services. I just checked my LX and it looks like I have a big issue - one recommendations declined :-D
DECLINED RECOMMENDATIONS ~|~DECLINED WIPER BLADES

hankinid

They simply record the history of each service call. Wiper blades declined?? I'd accept that.

AHC fluid declined, I'd look deeper. Lifetime transmission fluid?? I don't think so. If I see a transfer case fluid change, I want to see that the dealer used Toyota 75W oil at $75/liter.

mmalik

I think it's a great deal. The price is good, considering I paid the same amount and mine had 70k miles on it (Jul 2018).
I'll only be worried about the following.
1. Engine - I would take a mechanic with me to check the car. If the car has been sitting for so long, I want to make sure engine is properly broken into. I once bought a 20 year old Chevy with 2700 miles on it. It was good for the first 1 year and then engine parts started breaking down.
2. Suspension - In my experiance, every car I bought from NY had messed up suspension. Now, you mentioned the AHC works, but also look for any weird sounds when you hit a pothole. Sometime there is dust in the suspension and if not washed and kept parked for long time, causes bumpy ride and/or wired sounds.
3. Rust - Now we are use to the rust aspect in the east coast, but since this car has been sitting for extended period of time, I should recommend a quick check for under carriage to ensure it's not completely engulfed in rust (again, I found a sweet deal on a Mazda once in PA and drove 4 hours to buy that car) later found out that entire frame was rusted and the car wont even pass VA safety inspection.
4. Tires - I agree, the tires will need to be replaced, regardless of how much thread on them. They are driven 20k in 5 years. The rubber would be hard at this point and the ride will not be as smooth as it should be.
Overall it sounds like a nice deal - I would just check these things and go for it.
plz do share the pics once you have the vehicle.

welcome to the club!

MO.

sheikhmax

I would definitely check all the items you mentioned above.

Thanks.

Jayson

Can't you find an LX that's L-Certified for <$50K? I would hate to think how much the repair bills are going to cost outside of warranty. We traded in our '03 LX last year with 214k miles on it. While we loved it and considered it super-reliable, maintaining and performing repairs were not cheap.

Reggie1

A few more things to consider, some mentioned already.

1. Price seems afew thousand high, but given the low mileage it is probably reasonable. I traded in a 2nd gen LX some yearswith 35K miles when the blue book average mileage for similar vehicles was around 75K. The dealer database to calculate trade-in value didn't cover that low number of miles, so we agreed to a $2,000 trade-in increase over that shown in the Lexus "sales manager only eyes" database. Trade in was for a new 3rd gen LX.

2. New Michelin Latitude tires will be approximately $1,000. I suppose you've already asked for that much off the selling price? Personally, I'd buy a new spare tire at the same time.

3. Take a really, really good look at the windshield. Having been parked outside in the weather a lot, it has gone through a lot of freeze-thaw cycles. Any little pits are prone to developing into cracks, and you'll be stuck with the $1,000-plus cost and hassle of a new windshield. Point out these flaws to the seller during the finl price negotiation.

4. The original battery is approaching the end of its life, and could leave you stranded. Just my opinion, but I'd spend the money to replace it sooner rather thn later.

5. Make sure that you get the key for the wheel locks on the vehicle. And, based on my own expensive experience, make sure that the wheel lock key fits, and that the torque-wrench guy at the dealership hasn't put in on so tight that it cannot be removed. I'd try each one with a lug wrench to make sure that all 4 can be loosened. Better yet, ask the seller to replace the locks with standard lug nuts. 2014 standard 20" wheels are not a highly sought theft item. You'll thank me if you have a flat out in the boonies.

6. And, as mentioned, there's a recall notice due soon. Consider not carrying a passenger in the front seat until the recall service has been done. I'm not carrying a passenger there, just covering my ***, just in case.

hankinid

The local Lexus and Toyota/Lexus dealers, and an engineer at Lexus corporate advised me that as long as the airbag lamp goes on when someone is in the seat, and off when the seat is unoccupied, the system is working CORRECTLY. Mine was checked by the Toyota dealer and given a passing grade.

All 3 sources also advised a recall letter may not go out until sometime in March this year.

That means there are no Land Cruisers nor LX's CPO'd at this time.

hankinid

I thought I wrote that.

There NO recalls at this time...not until Lexus develops a fix AND mails recall letters to affected owners.

sheikhmax

So i thought it will be good idea to spend couple hundred and have the car inspected by lexus dealer. Here is what came back.

description: UPON INSPECTION FOUND THE REAR A/C LINE LEAKING DRIVE BELT AND AUTO TENSIONER MAKING NOISE. ~|~CUSTOMER REQUEST TO PERFORM A COMPLETE POINT INSPECTION, PERFORM AN SYSTEM HEALTY CHECK. CUSTOMER LOOKING TO PURSHACE THE VEHICLE. ~|~UPON INSPECTION FOUND THE REAR A/C LINE LEAKING DRIVE BELT AND AUTO TENSIONER MAKING NOISE

Front Tires 10
Rear Tires 7
Front Brakes at 3mm so need to be replaced. Tensioner and belt can wait..

Service took me to show the under-body while it was up on the lift and it had very minimal rust. So Good news there.

Service guy told me that because what we found he doesn't think the seller will be knocking any more money... Car checks out and a good buy.. So i signed the paper with the seller now waiting for Monday to have my bank start the financing process..
Here are the initial pictures:

sheikhmax

Also Service guys told me that Recall might be coming by End of Feb 2019 so get it registered before that. He also mentioned that they have a STOP SALE order on all LX570's