Rolexus600

looked at a 1992 Lexus ES300 for my girlfriend last night. It is white on black and has 79,000 miles. The interior smelled almost new and was in excellent shape...BUT it has a few things wrong with it. Here goes... It is missing the rear "L" emblem, it needs new hood shocks, the sunroof has a tendency to sometimes get stuck in whatever position it is in and the the illuminated dash is burnt out (needles). The car rides 99% but the steering did whine a bit on left turns. The seller is asking $5,500 for it. What do you think? I personally say that she isn't ready for a Lexus yet, considering that she finds the price very attractive. I say she is better off with a more up to date Camry and then try the ES300 thing again in a few years and perhaps shoot for a 2000 or newer...but what do you think?



Michael

amf1932

I personally think that you should forget about this 12 year old bomb and get something newer. Yes, a Camry would be a lot cheaper to run compared to the enormous expense that you would have in bringing this ES up to snuff. The missing rear emblem could be from a rear end damage that wasn't corrected properly. The burnt out needles would cost you big bucks to get repaired. All these little problems add up, so once again I say......FORGET IT!!!!

One other thing: If you're still interested in buying this car, pay a qualified mechanic to go over this car from front to back....it'll be money well spent.

juan01

Yeah there are other better options out there... I

skeemer

I bought a '92 a little over a year ago (5/13/03) from a dealer with 114k miles, for $6,000. KBB price was at $6900 for good condition, which is what the car seemed to be. I had my mechanic check it out completely and said it was in great shape. 11k miles and one year later and I'm 100% satisfied with my choice. I had been looking at ~96ish Accords and a '98 Altima before I came across the ES and fell in love with it. Everyone is shocked to hear that it is 12 years old, because besides perhaps the taillights, the styling could be placed within the past 5 years. The only problem I had with mine was a rear main engine seal leak, but that has been taken care of, and new CV boots. Mine also has a slight squeal when turning to the left, but I've learned to ignore it, and it's only noticeable at low speeds with the music low. But I am completely happy with my choice, and if your girlfriend is comfortable with it and the mechanic checks it ok, I would say go for it. She may never have another chance to own a Lexus. But definately get it checked out thorougly by a mechanic before agreeing to anything.

White on black looks nice too

TCwindom

i have a 92.

All things you've stated are common problems. (except for sunroof) All problems I have, or have had and fixed. The mileage sounds great... but i'm not sure if I believe it. Could be a used cluster, but maybe not... who knows? My power steering is currently giving me hell... theres a seal underneath it that is to blame.

92 ES for 5500
'L' rear emblem: $35 from lextasy.com
hood shocks: around 40-50 bucks from Toyota dealer (note I say toyota and not lexus, there is a reason)
needles: $100 from Lextech lighting
Lexus for under 6 grand, priceless.

Hey guys, no ragging on 12 yr old ES's. There are some of us who take care of them, and IMO, it's the best looking 12 yr old lexus around.