Would You Buy a Wrecked Lexus LS?
A once-wrecked, now-repaired Lexus LS may be a dream to some, but a gamble to others. Would you take the discount…and the potential risk?
There was a time when anyone with any sort of sense wouldn’t touch a wrecked car with a 10-foot pole. But then, a wonderful thing called the Internet came along. Now, an endless supply of how-to videos and posts from brave car enthusiasts, like those in the Club Lexus forums, give you all the tools you need to DIY. But even buying a wrecked and repaired car can be a daunting task for the average person, which is why Club Lexus member ahxks1 headed to the forums for some advice on purchasing a repaired Lexus LS.
“I am looking at a two-owner, 60k mile 2004 Lexus LS 430 that was in an accident years ago with the first owner. Carfax reports rear impact, no airbag, no structural issues. The servicing listed on Carfax at a Lexus dealership a few days later indicated ‘driveshaft serviced.’ Does this seem like a red flag to anybody? Or would it merely be a sensible precaution after a minor rear impact? It is too vague for me to draw any conclusions.”
Right off the bat, many are skeptical. Including Johnhav430.
“Because cars can have accidents that don’t appear on CarFax, any CarFax that has an accident is totally out for me. We all know that as a general rule, all body work can be seen if one looks hard enough. So I don’t want that, not on an old car. If somehow the selling price reflects it, then it’s a personal choice. The one I saw at a Lexus dealership had a clean Carfax. But to the eye, hit on both the rear left and mid to rear right, overspray on rims and plastic gouged on the right. Repair records show right rear shock and right front strut replaced. NO THANK YOU!!”
