considering a 2006 gs430
11-14-18, 10:01 PM
#1
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considering a 2006 gs430
Hello, I recently came across an 06 gs430 with 169k miles for $4,000. The price seems fair but I was hoping for some insight as to any issues i should be on the look out for as I'm not at all familiar with this generation of GS. I'm a bit worried as generally the first year of any vehicle tends to have some issues. Is this the case with this car? Also, is there any upcoming maintenance I should be aware of given the mileage? I asked about the water pump which i believe is due at 180k but the seller says it has already been replaced. I apologize if any of this info is easy to come across on the web but I plan to meet tomorrow so I dont have much time to do thorough research on this vehicle.
11-15-18, 07:13 PM
#2
I own a 2006 GS 430, 162k miles. I've had it since 50k miles. I'm the second owner, certified Preowned car.
Hands down, this is the best car I've ever owned. Make sure the timing belt and water pump were changed at 90k miles. You could be coming up on the second timing belt and water pump depending on when the first timing belt service was done. Get the VIN number and call your local Lexus dealer to see if they can provide you the service history on the car from their national database. Also, for $100 or so, Lexus will inspect the car for you pre purchase and let you know if there's anything majorly wrong with it. Might be worth it for your peace of mind.
Other than that, I really can't think of anything else. The 430 is a great car. There's so much talk around here about the rare 460, which is also a great car, but the 430 kind of flies under the radar. I plan on driving mine until 300k if she'll have me. Good luck tomorrow.
Hands down, this is the best car I've ever owned. Make sure the timing belt and water pump were changed at 90k miles. You could be coming up on the second timing belt and water pump depending on when the first timing belt service was done. Get the VIN number and call your local Lexus dealer to see if they can provide you the service history on the car from their national database. Also, for $100 or so, Lexus will inspect the car for you pre purchase and let you know if there's anything majorly wrong with it. Might be worth it for your peace of mind.
Other than that, I really can't think of anything else. The 430 is a great car. There's so much talk around here about the rare 460, which is also a great car, but the 430 kind of flies under the radar. I plan on driving mine until 300k if she'll have me. Good luck tomorrow.
11-15-18, 09:04 PM
#3
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I have owned 2 of the 06 GS430's , lovely cars, with the exception of a few items 1) HVAC drain frequently clogs up allowing to flood the front and rear floor boards, there have been several tech bulletins issued, whether or not you receive assistance depends upon your relationship with the local dealers.. Front rotors frequently warp, it is usually cheaper to buy new ones , rather than turning, only use ceramic pads. 2) my 2nd car at 175K, suddenly has started hard down shifting from 2 to 1, one dealer said it was a bad transmission, another said it could be an issue with the ECM, since in some cases replacing or rebuilding transmission, did not correct issue even after dealer flashing the ECM..Still investigating it before spending $3500 or more on a reman, rebuild or junk yard transmission, only lites are the ABS, VGSL and VSC. 3) production year 2005 for 06 model has issue with rear wheel bearings failing prematurely.. Autozone has a list of 20+ recalls and tech bulletins on this car. Best Damn Highway Car, ever made
11-17-18, 06:51 AM
#5
The GS 430 is an overbuilt, overengineered car that can last decades if maintained. I am fortunate to have a 40K mile, loaded GS430 that has been in my family since day one. Great car.
11-28-18, 05:26 PM
#7
Hello, I recently came across an 06 gs430 with 169k miles for $4,000. The price seems fair but I was hoping for some insight as to any issues i should be on the look out for as I'm not at all familiar with this generation of GS. I'm a bit worried as generally the first year of any vehicle tends to have some issues. Is this the case with this car? Also, is there any upcoming maintenance I should be aware of given the mileage? I asked about the water pump which i believe is due at 180k but the seller says it has already been replaced. I apologize if any of this info is easy to come across on the web but I plan to meet tomorrow so I dont have much time to do thorough research on this vehicle.
Make sure the following few has been serviced, and the car isn't running rough:
-Timing belt (yes, 3uz still uses timing belts....)
-Spark plugs
-Trans Fluid
-Diff Fluid
-Water pump not leaking (you should see pink residue in the engine bay on the engine's water pump if it is, I haven't had any issues with mine's, but my car's been maintained by dealer w/ all the needed necessities).
That's about it (or as far as I can think).
GL and enjoy!
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XJSFan (11-30-18)
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12-01-18, 07:37 AM
#8
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drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers
Also, for $100 or so, Lexus will inspect the car for you pre purchase and let you know if there's anything majorly wrong with it. Might be worth it for your peace of mind.
12-01-18, 10:17 PM
#9
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Thread Starter
Thank you to everyone who weighed in. I apologize for the delayed response but to give an update heres what happened. I was ready to buy buy but when I got there the seller didn't have the title. Obviously, I had to pass on it and continue my search. I just purchased a 1998 GS400 with lower miles for half the price of the 430 and so far I love it. Despite this, I still greatly appreciate all of the advice and may one day use it if I decide to upgrade.
12-02-18, 02:30 PM
#11
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12-02-18, 02:40 PM
#12
Beautiful. Alpine silver. Paint code 199. Only available in 1998 and 1999. Much nicer than the millennium silver color that replaced it in 2000. And 150k miles is nothing on that engine. As for the vibration on the highway, both of mine had the same thing, always at exactly 62 mph. At 70+, it was smooth as silk.
12-02-18, 03:42 PM
#13
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Beautiful. Alpine silver. Paint code 199. Only available in 1998 and 1999. Much nicer than the millennium silver color that replaced it in 2000. And 150k miles is nothing on that engine. As for the vibration on the highway, both of mine had the same thing, always at exactly 62 mph. At 70+, it was smooth as silk.
12-02-18, 04:00 PM
#14
Oh, well then maybe your issue is something different. If you go onto the 2GS forum, there should be an entire thread regarding vibration at highway speeds. Interestingly, I only had the vibration when running the stock 16 inch rims I n the winter. When running my stock 17's in the summer, there was no vibration.
12-02-18, 04:59 PM
#15
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If the vibration persists after new wheels are installed I definitely will post in that forum. Any recommendations as to what size wheels would be best suited for this car? Most wheels I come across are 18 or 19 inches. While I'm certain a 19 inch wheel with the correct bolt pattern and offset would fit, how would a wheel this much larger than stock affect performance? Obviously the ride would be rougher but that is not a major concern for me. Does anyone know how a 17, 18, or 19 inch wheel would affect acceleration, top speed, or mpg compared to the stock 16s?
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