I am thinking about buying a Lexus SC430 in my small town. The car is up to date with all the service recommendations and drives well without mechanical or electrical issues. The major issues are #1 the convertible top doesn’t work at all. The rumor is the previous owner took it to the dealer and tried to get it fixed but it still had issues. #2 180k miles on the car. I don’t plan on putting a lot of miles on it. Probably about 7000 miles a year. #3 the antenna is missing. The body is in good shape with some areas on the hood likely secondary to some pebbles that hit it. The interior is in great shape, very well maintained. The stereo sound ok but I’ve heard better and there are no warning lights on.
Initially the asking price was 7300$ but I got them down to 6800$ thus far. My major issue is do I want to buy this car with a convertible top that doesn’t work?
thank you for your comments and suggestions

You need to take it to a Lexus dealer to read the roof codes they are the only ones who can do it
you didn’t mention the year
i had a problem with my roof and my dealer did not charge me to read the codes
mine turned out to be with the locking motor
replaced it with one from EBay for $125

Sorry the SC430 is a 2002. Unfortunately, the nearest Lexus Dealer is about 60 -70 miles away. I was told by one of the maintenance men at the small dealership that the previous owner was told it would cost 1700 - 2000$ to fix the convertible top. Since she had recently bought a new car she didn’t want to put the money into it.
The antenna is missing. If I can get them to drop the price to 6000$ maybe it will be worth getting it fixed.

Hello and welcome to the best forum on the SC430.
First let me second what Harold said, the stickie threads are the best source of info when thinking about buying a SC430. They cover a myriad of topics/failure points on the car. Take the time to read through this one in particular https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...ned-sc430.html

now, regarding the convertible top, that’s a tough one in that a “major” repair could cost more than the car is worth. But the only way to know what’s going on is to get error codes. There are literally 20 switches, sensors, fuses that all have to function correctly for the top to operate.

Regarding the stereo, the problem there is, more than likely, blown door woofers. They are a known defect. There are repair kits available and plenty of threads here on the forum on how to fix or replace them. Is it just the antenna mast or the whole assembly. Mast only, easy peasy. Whole assembly probably $4-500 parts labor. See this TSB

If if you can get the VIN you can look up the service history on the car from Lexus Dealers. Obviously that doesn’t include independent shops or DIY work unless the owner added it to the Lexus Service History on the car which CAN be done.

Finally miles ...not too bad for a 17-18 year old car. If well maintained! But with age, parts parish. Car battery, for a variety of reason seem to be eaten alive, especially if the car sits during long winters. Valve cover gasket seals for one in particular, shocks leak and wear out, motor mounts fail, O2 sensors meet their demise and many fluids should have been flushed on replaced. Not to mention the big one, the timing belt/water pump which should have been done at 10 years/90k. Having the car carefully inspected by a dealer would be a wise, and considering what could be lurking, smart investment for this purchase.

You didn’t indicate if you are a person who wants to do the work yourself, or take it somewhere???