b8b

Hi All,

I am on my 5th Lexus, going to buy an SC 430. I did some searching but didn't find a buyer's guide. Do you have any tips on what to look for? I am looking at 2002 due to price.

Thanks!

nkx1

We just bought our '05, and I just realized after we got it home that the hood, and possibly the front quarter panels have been repainted (may indicate an accident, even though the Carfax and Autocheck reports were clean). I missed the very minor overspray on the adjacent rubber parts when I was looking at the car at the dealer. While I don't have any specific SC430 advice for you, you may want to inspect the car carefully for signs of paint overspray and slightly ill-fitting panels, as it may be indicative of a prior accident (if you care whether or not the car has been in an accident).

b8b

Good advice, nkx1. Thank you. Something that should always be looked for and that I have also made the mistake of forgetting and been sorry later.

JerryB

Hi b8b,

I would recommend finding a very good independent mechanic to give it a thorough going over.

I would also recommend finding a very good, upscale body shop to give it a thorough going over.

These have worked for me,

Jerry Baumchen

IStoSC

I own a 2002 and I can tell you from my experiences:

1. Go to any Lexus dealership and with the VIN number make sure the car has been serviced AND make sure that it had some TSIBs taken care of. In my experience mine did not have the one with the amplifier completed. The radio has this weird problem especially in the models made in 2001 in which the volume goes to maximum volume when you touch the volume ****--it can be extremely frustrating, embarrassing, and downright dangerous when your radio goes to max volume randomly.

2. Make sure that water pump / timing belt have been changed as this is an expensive service and one that needs to be done every 7 years or 90k miles and by virtue of age it needs to be completed.

3. Get it looked over and BUY from reputable shop!

4. Don't worry TOO much about miles in your budget because a cleaner car with 70k miles will be better than the car with an unknown history with 30k miles. These cars are built to last IF maintained correctly.

5. I would advise a warranty a la Lexus as though the car is built well it may be prone to expensive fixes such as the convertible mechanism (though rare)...just for piece of mind

Don't be quick to jump on a deal and FIND THE EXT COLOR / INT COLOR you LOVE bc that is also a key factor to making your decision
GOOD LUCK WITH THE SEARCH!

Harold57

There are lots of little things to look for and have been mentioned in several threads in this forum.

The ML speakers tend to go bad and buzz.
The stereo can have some strange quirks like going to full volume on its own (I believe that requires an amp replacement).
The trunk struts tend to go out after about 4 years on the OEM strut and then will no longer hold up the trunk lid.
Some of the gear drives on the rear view mirrors go bad (wear out) and the plastic gears need to be replaced.
The oxygen sensors can go bad.
The TPS (tire pressure sensors) batteries tend to go out after about 4 years leaving the tire light on the dash all the time. Some of the TPS leak and require new seals to be installed (cheap when replacing the tires, ~$5 per tire).
At some point you will be challenged by the run flat / no run flat dilema. If you get a car with non run flat tires (standard tires), you will have to answer the question of spare / no spare / back up plan.
The little motor on the NAV DVD disk drive in the trunk can go out causing a "no disk detected" error and a nonfunctioning NAV.

There are others, but my mind is drawing a blank.

VVTiBob

I doubt any Lexus dealer would be selling a 2002. Nevertheless, you should write down the VIN on the any potential car, take it to a nearby dealer and find the Service Mgr. Have them check it for service. While a dealer may not give you much info, (privacy rights) if you explain the reasons, i.e. purchasing it and will have it serviced with them, they should be able to tell you about its service history, i.e. up-to-date or not. Lexus has a nationwide database of service records tied to the vehicle's VIN.

IStoSC

^very comprehensive list Harold I really think you got them all ...makes the car seem like it has TONS of problems...KIDDING its good to know of all the potential problems so you get no problems! Good luck in your search and keep all of us posted...

Harold57

Actually, if you look at that list, they are all fairly minor, except for the O2 sensor. The rest are mainly annoying but don't prevent you from driving.

drbenny

iTrader: (1)

What signals does the car exhibit that might indicate the O2 sensor has gone bad? Are there any symptoms that can be noticed while driving it, or can it only be known from an inspection w/ a mechanic (which I will of course do anyway)? I just found an 02 I'm picking up w/ 80mi for $16k and I want to know what to look for. It has all records & a clean history.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

On the body panels, one trick I learned is to look at the VIN stickers...especially for front end. A couple of SC's I looked at had VIN stickers on different spots or were missing VIN stickers that tipped me off it was painted. Then I ran my finger up and down the inside of the fenders and around the headlights, hood, etc till I felt the overspray/tape and voila! Paintwork---NO THANKS

Remember-carfax is not (some say not even close) the best barometer. My 02 with 25k miles on it had two fenders painted and front bumper. Rich old lady kept clipping her garage pulling in and had the dealer paint a couple of times.

www.lexus.com and register under owners will give you service history as well. Type in VIN and you can pull up service history.