COOLIS

Anyone on here have higher mileage ES350s? My parents are looking into buying one since they want something a little more fuel efficient (Both them drive a V8 Lexus). Just want to see how they hold up over time.

CJS57

My brother in law's 99 ES300 has about 140,000 miles with no problems. My similar Toyota Soloara SLE's went even more without repairs.

garsarno

Have 35,000 miles on mine and outside of some early issues, still going strong.

MD350

54K miles on mine, this is not the best car I have owned by far.

dreyfus

Ditto what MD350 said. 70,500 miles on my 2007 model and the best car I've ever owned.

COOLIS

Sounds like 50/50 so far. The only reason Im asking is because my parents have a friend who had a 98 ES300 that was shot at 120,000 miles. It only had 80,000 miles on the motor. She had the sludge issue at 40,000 miles so they rebuilt the motor. Lexus was shocked when she traded it in. The car cosmetically was in perfect shape, but everything else was going wrong. The car was well maintained as well. Parents are worried that the same thing could happen to them with the ES350. They tend to keep their cars for years.

LexBob2

You could also check on the durability with owners of the Camry V6, Avalon and other models which have the same drivetrain. In general, Consumer Reports rates them pretty good for used car reliability

sirCharles

to stand the test of time takes time. too soon for a 350. But to have over 50K miles and have had good success is a strong indicator

Macklin

My 98 ES300 was flawless over the 10 years I owned it. Best car ever, hands down. But I was aware of the sludge issue and always changed the oil every 3 - 3500 miles. Then when I saw the spy pics of the ES350 I decided I had to have one. It will be the last time I buy a new generation car. This one is far superior to the 300 in every way, but given the issues I've experienced and others reported the jury is out as to whether I will keep it past the warranty period.

Oh, btw, only have 30,800 miles on mine so far. Tranny shifting well since the reflash. Just need to take it in, again, for the pesky dash rattles that are so prominent in winter. Other than that it has been great.

Elex

I just turned over 50k miles a few weeks ago. This is my first Lexus and the more I know, i.e. the sludge issue (on old ES's), the transmission issues, the diesel engine noise, the oil hose, the rattles, the vibrations.... the less and less I think about holding on to this car.

I have also found our local dealer to be a typical car dealer, not really concerned about the issues. I now travel over an hour away to another dealer who is more in tune with what's going on. Corporate Lexus is even more shocking - the response I got was very Stepfordish, like if they deny the issues, then they don't exist.

I just don't see what is so great about these cars. I understand you are paying a premium for the car, but for what? I like the styling and looks, but I was expecting a lot different in the reliability area.

As for people considering an '07, personally, I'd look for a late '08 instead. Just from the practical standpoint of production changes (you could look in the TSB's to see when production changes were made, to avoid some of the issues). I shouldn't be persuading people away from the '07's, as mine will probably end up on the lot somewhere soon.

I'd like to give Lexus another chance, but overall I just don't feel the value is there. I also thought the residual value would be higher, that was a big factor in my decision. That doesn't seem to have played out either.

Overall, I just feel let down.

Stu

Elex, interesting that you would say that.
Because of your logic, I am back to my original plan to get a 2001 or 2002 - last year - LS400. Always wanted one.