The joys of used LS430 shopping...
09-22-17, 12:55 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
The joys of used LS430 shopping...
Warning, rant ahead. Been looking for an LS430 for about a month now in the greater Houston area. Looking for an 04-06 with service history and overall clean condition. So far we are 0-3.
http://www.fallcreekmotorcars.com/20...4/Details.aspx
That was the first one. Looks great in the ad, but was terrible in person. Had one tire from 2006, and the other three from 2009. Some damage on the bumpers, steering wheel shook at speed, interior has some wear spots. Overall, a decent car but not at that price since it needed a 90k service and 4 tires. Pass.
Second car is a local one with 65k on it. No link to it, but it was blue. Went to the dealer after hours and it only took 30 seconds to walk away from it. Wheels curbed, body damage, old tires. Pass.
Third car was on Austin CL. Made the drive there this morning after txting with the seller for a few days. Listed the car as blue but it was actually black. He was adamant that it was blue, even though the registration said black as did the paint code. Again, the car had old tires, and was just in poor shape for the price. Was a bit of a shock, because it looked great in the pictures and I showed up with a pocket full of cash ready to make a deal if it presented as well in person as it did on line.
So now the search continues. Lots of turds for sale, or ones in Cypress Pearl (absolutely NOT). Really holding out for a 04-06 with service records but I'm starting to think I need to be a bit more flexible in my search criteria. I feel that it has to be a local car now because I just don't really have any confidence in buying a car from out of state and actually having it be better than described. Thankfully we just bought a 2012 GX460 a few weeks back so we are not in a hurry for an LS430 and can wait for the right one... just who knows how long that will be.
Rant over.
http://www.fallcreekmotorcars.com/20...4/Details.aspx
That was the first one. Looks great in the ad, but was terrible in person. Had one tire from 2006, and the other three from 2009. Some damage on the bumpers, steering wheel shook at speed, interior has some wear spots. Overall, a decent car but not at that price since it needed a 90k service and 4 tires. Pass.
Second car is a local one with 65k on it. No link to it, but it was blue. Went to the dealer after hours and it only took 30 seconds to walk away from it. Wheels curbed, body damage, old tires. Pass.
Third car was on Austin CL. Made the drive there this morning after txting with the seller for a few days. Listed the car as blue but it was actually black. He was adamant that it was blue, even though the registration said black as did the paint code. Again, the car had old tires, and was just in poor shape for the price. Was a bit of a shock, because it looked great in the pictures and I showed up with a pocket full of cash ready to make a deal if it presented as well in person as it did on line.
So now the search continues. Lots of turds for sale, or ones in Cypress Pearl (absolutely NOT). Really holding out for a 04-06 with service records but I'm starting to think I need to be a bit more flexible in my search criteria. I feel that it has to be a local car now because I just don't really have any confidence in buying a car from out of state and actually having it be better than described. Thankfully we just bought a 2012 GX460 a few weeks back so we are not in a hurry for an LS430 and can wait for the right one... just who knows how long that will be.
Rant over.
09-22-17, 01:17 PM
#2
Moderator
I think I shopped for the better part of a year. Luckily my 99 LS still runs great and I didn't necessarily NEED another car. I drove several, showed up and walked away quickly without driving some, and drove the one I eventually bought 4 times prior to the purchase. Glad I waited, couldn't be happier with the car, patience is definitely a virtue.
09-22-17, 01:21 PM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
I was surprised myself last year that Lexus dealers had a couple really poor ones for sale, I guess that they were flipping from a trade. The only thing I would say is that in each case, they said they would do timing belt/water pump as part of the sale. Never assume. But I assumed an actual dealer would only sell pristine examples otherwise just wholesale them...when I look on cars.com today, I don't see anything good....
09-22-17, 01:31 PM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
There is a Lexus dealership in Houston that has one for sale currently and it is absolutely trashed from the photos. Of course with Hurricane Harvey, I'm sure that wiped out a few potentials also...
09-22-17, 03:37 PM
#6
It may seem far, but don't rule out CA based cars. The weather is nicer overall and most owners take them to Lexus for service. I am in NorCal and would be glad to assess any car you are interested before committing to travel.
Last edited by Duck05; 09-24-17 at 06:29 PM.
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wnyjazz (09-25-17)
09-22-17, 03:54 PM
#7
Dude I just bought a car here in Houston, so Iv'e seen a lot of what is for sale around here. That car at fall creek was overpriced to me, never even saw it. Emmons in pasadena has a real nice white car but it has a couple issues. Rear window shade, mirror switch needs to be cleaned up to work right, and it has a bad shimmy in the front end under braking and while driving. BUT it is super clean. Cleanest car I looked at, but they want top dollar for it and wouldn't budge on price. 87k so timing belt is due, they offered to do it for their cost (onwer/general manager quoted around 4-500 dollars) but that doesnt really help me as I'd rather have a shop that does them everyday or even do it myself before I let them do it with whatever parts they decided to use. Was the blue car with 65k the one from Autolink? that car seems fishy, been for sale forever, has a mileage inconsistency on the carfax and shows no accidents but "other damage". Looks clean in photos but they all do. What other cars have you looked at in town?
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09-22-17, 05:01 PM
#8
Racer
Thread Starter
Dude I just bought a car here in Houston, so Iv'e seen a lot of what is for sale around here. That car at fall creek was overpriced to me, never even saw it. Emmons in pasadena has a real nice white car but it has a couple issues. Rear window shade, mirror switch needs to be cleaned up to work right, and it has a bad shimmy in the front end under braking and while driving. BUT it is super clean. Cleanest car I looked at, but they want top dollar for it and wouldn't budge on price. 87k so timing belt is due, they offered to do it for their cost (onwer/general manager quoted around 4-500 dollars) but that doesnt really help me as I'd rather have a shop that does them everyday or even do it myself before I let them do it with whatever parts they decided to use. Was the blue car with 65k the one from Autolink? that car seems fishy, been for sale forever, has a mileage inconsistency on the carfax and shows no accidents but "other damage". Looks clean in photos but they all do. What other cars have you looked at in town?
09-22-17, 05:32 PM
#9
Wow! Definitely sounds like you are having a tough time. You might have to search far and wide to find that gem. I am in Ohio, and I found out early on that I should look south of the Midwest when I asked a dealer out in Chicago if the car had rust. His answer was..... only in the usual spots for the Lexus. Never called him back.
I finally found two 06s, one silver with gray, and the other Flint mica with gray in Houston. Both with 90k +, and no Navi. Had a buddy go test drive them, paid for pre-purchase inspection, and got the Flint mica. Had it shipped here for $680.
Cast your net wider, and you'll find it. Good luck.
I finally found two 06s, one silver with gray, and the other Flint mica with gray in Houston. Both with 90k +, and no Navi. Had a buddy go test drive them, paid for pre-purchase inspection, and got the Flint mica. Had it shipped here for $680.
Cast your net wider, and you'll find it. Good luck.
Last edited by imdking; 09-22-17 at 05:35 PM.
09-22-17, 07:49 PM
#10
Not that it's going to change your opinion about the one from Fall Creek but it has Michelin Premier A/S's mounted on it. AFAIK, that tire has only been for sale since 2014 so what you read as a date code was something else. Good luck in your hunt...
09-23-17, 05:20 AM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
last year it seemed that attractive potential cars came along weekly, ones that come to memory are the ones that would be on a pedestal at Sewall which I believe is Dallas and/or Fort Worth, and there was one in Cherry Hill NJ claiming that it was the best in the western hemisphere. Whether it was, or was not, it was on sale for a matter of days and disappeared. Not sure if anyone here bought it. I remember the carfax had 5 previous owners which bothered me, but someone else felt it was not personal owners, it was dealers. At any rate it does seem that the mileage is definitely climbing with many 110-140k cars for sale, and less 60-80k....even mine now is over 96 and headed to 97, which admittedly to me is not an attractive mileage (although knowing I did 17k myself is a good thing i.e. I now know the car)...
09-23-17, 07:58 AM
#12
Romanova,
I shopped for a year or so myself and ended up having a car from Lexington Ky. shipped to me.
Since I could not be there I had the dealership put it on the rack and take extensive photos from underneath with specific check points ie. leaks, bushing rubbers, strut leaks and all. If something did not show up as well as I needed, they were happy to do it again.
Also had them check the Oil Filler cap via mpeg. Cold start, then after a run to check for potential head gasket leaks. Also mpeged the engine bay fluids for me showing white shop cloth for colors of the various fluids.
It had excellent service records that I had the dealership look up and sent to me. The Lexus site would not let me check on a car that I did not own. One of the service records was incomplete so I called that servicing dealer and they happily sent me the records.
Pix alone showed the car as very pristine especially for a vehicle with 110000 on the clock. Coming off the truck and getting close with the real eyeballs revealed that she did have a few dings and scrapes, but certainly not more than I expected.
Buying a car online without seeing or driving it was sure not my first choice of used car buying techniques, far from it. That being said, the selling dealership knew they had a serious buyer online and went to every effort to show the car as best they could.
My point here is to widen your search. When you find a good prospect, contact the private owner and or dealership directly. If they are reputable, you will have all of the data required to make an informed decision. With the dealer I traded with, had the car not lived up to their presentation, I had a return option built into the sales contract. Yes, I would have had to pay for the shipping one way and that concerned me, but heck, I had spent more than that cost in time and fuel looking locally at the few and far between beaters down here where I live. I had even traveled as far as 400 miles one way to look at a car in San Antonio.
One other note. In my search I had found out that the dealerships (especially Lexus) that took a good LS in trade.....sold it in-house to a dealership employee. No surprise as the techs that do work on these know for a fact that a 04-06 100k LS430 with all needed service done in a timely fashion. are a steal at anywhere around 10 / 12
I shopped for a year or so myself and ended up having a car from Lexington Ky. shipped to me.
Since I could not be there I had the dealership put it on the rack and take extensive photos from underneath with specific check points ie. leaks, bushing rubbers, strut leaks and all. If something did not show up as well as I needed, they were happy to do it again.
Also had them check the Oil Filler cap via mpeg. Cold start, then after a run to check for potential head gasket leaks. Also mpeged the engine bay fluids for me showing white shop cloth for colors of the various fluids.
It had excellent service records that I had the dealership look up and sent to me. The Lexus site would not let me check on a car that I did not own. One of the service records was incomplete so I called that servicing dealer and they happily sent me the records.
Pix alone showed the car as very pristine especially for a vehicle with 110000 on the clock. Coming off the truck and getting close with the real eyeballs revealed that she did have a few dings and scrapes, but certainly not more than I expected.
Buying a car online without seeing or driving it was sure not my first choice of used car buying techniques, far from it. That being said, the selling dealership knew they had a serious buyer online and went to every effort to show the car as best they could.
My point here is to widen your search. When you find a good prospect, contact the private owner and or dealership directly. If they are reputable, you will have all of the data required to make an informed decision. With the dealer I traded with, had the car not lived up to their presentation, I had a return option built into the sales contract. Yes, I would have had to pay for the shipping one way and that concerned me, but heck, I had spent more than that cost in time and fuel looking locally at the few and far between beaters down here where I live. I had even traveled as far as 400 miles one way to look at a car in San Antonio.
One other note. In my search I had found out that the dealerships (especially Lexus) that took a good LS in trade.....sold it in-house to a dealership employee. No surprise as the techs that do work on these know for a fact that a 04-06 100k LS430 with all needed service done in a timely fashion. are a steal at anywhere around 10 / 12
09-23-17, 08:21 AM
#13
Racer
Thread Starter
Don't forget all these Texas cars where the owner never used a sun shade and the top of the steering wheel is all cracked and damaged... seems to be a reoccurring trend.
09-23-17, 05:21 PM
#14
Moderator
We shopped for LS430 for about 6 months and I ended up buying the one we own from 800 miles away. Test drove and looked at a lot of local examples that were trashed, dirty and beat. We did see some decent ones but nothing that really made me want to lay out the cash. What struck me was how often sellers would lie about the condition of the car or else they were simply blind to not see the pretty obvious dirt and wear right in front of their face. Lots of salesman will say anything to get you in the door, some of these guys I would have loved to punch out for wasting my time.
I was shopping for a 2-3 year old cream puff with very low miles that looked new inside and out. I bought it over the phone the day it was posted online at a Lexus dealer. Told them I would fly up to pick it up 3 days later and that it had better be in exactly the condition that they described it to me or they and their boss would have a seriously bad day when I got there. The car was immaculate and better than described when I picked it up. So lots of patience, 6 months of searching and test drives, and having a 1000 mile search parameter, and honestly some good luck, got me almost exactly the car I wanted (would have preferred a lighter color) at a reasonable price.
I was shopping for a 2-3 year old cream puff with very low miles that looked new inside and out. I bought it over the phone the day it was posted online at a Lexus dealer. Told them I would fly up to pick it up 3 days later and that it had better be in exactly the condition that they described it to me or they and their boss would have a seriously bad day when I got there. The car was immaculate and better than described when I picked it up. So lots of patience, 6 months of searching and test drives, and having a 1000 mile search parameter, and honestly some good luck, got me almost exactly the car I wanted (would have preferred a lighter color) at a reasonable price.
Last edited by Jabberwock; 09-23-17 at 05:24 PM.
09-24-17, 03:55 PM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Purchased the LS 160 miles away in Westchester, NY. Interestingly, we rushed out to see a black one that just got listed on a Friday, the night before, closer (28 miles) to home, at a Lexus dealer. The dealer sent me the internal work order stating what they did to recondition, and when we arrived at 7:30 PM, the car wouldn't start, and looked like it had been hit on the right side???? Clean Carfax? I even brought my checkbook to pay for it, had it had panned out.
The next morning I went to the gym, came back, and asked my wife what she thought about driving up to Westchester to look at another LS430? At first she said for real? Then she said it's up to you. So off we went. What attracted me to this car was that it spent 8 yrs in Naples, FLA. Now, that distance did turn out to be inconvenient because the driver door actuator was non functioning, and the brakes pulsated. So even though they did not charge to fix, it required two return trips. Once they verified the door did need an actuator, they stated they couldn't get it the same day Friday (ok maybe that's a lie who knows--but the svc. mgr did call on Monday to say the part is in, let him know when I want to bring the car in)....
The next morning I went to the gym, came back, and asked my wife what she thought about driving up to Westchester to look at another LS430? At first she said for real? Then she said it's up to you. So off we went. What attracted me to this car was that it spent 8 yrs in Naples, FLA. Now, that distance did turn out to be inconvenient because the driver door actuator was non functioning, and the brakes pulsated. So even though they did not charge to fix, it required two return trips. Once they verified the door did need an actuator, they stated they couldn't get it the same day Friday (ok maybe that's a lie who knows--but the svc. mgr did call on Monday to say the part is in, let him know when I want to bring the car in)....