here is the info:

2000 GS400
76k miles
crystal white paint, tan interior
all options including: HID, NAV, CD changer

owner claims to have aftermarket warranty that takes the car through 100k miles
car looks clean, and rides on 18" SSR rims.

the downside:
the timing belt is "cracking" and needs to be replaced
the front shocks are blown/going out

the question is, how much will those two things cost to fix?

after everything, he is asking 19k.

here is a teaser pic

 

That's quite a teaser, so much so I can't even see it! If you want opinions on judging the value of the car why include only a teaser? I would think it would be more helpful if you provided pics that gave a true representation of the cars conditon. Can you provide a few more specifics? Which SSR rims? How do you know the timing belt is "cracking" as it is not visible for inspection without some disassembly, or are you referring to the serpentine belt which drives the alternator, power steering pump, a/c compressor and water pump? 76K miles is low for needing a timing belt replacement. Might be about right for the shocks. Again, how do you know they need replacement? Are they leaking fluid? If you press down on a front fender and release does the car continue to bounce up and down or just come up and stop? Stock suspension in the GS is pretty soft and "floaty" esp at highway speeds. Its often worthwhile to replace shocks that aren't worn just to improve ride and handling characteristics. If there is an extended waranty will it cover either of these problems? Have you run a check on KBB or Edmund's to determine the market value of the car? If the car is clean and in good shape physically inside and out and has been properly maintained and serviced (check the VIN with any Lexus dealer who can tell you the full service record performed at every Lexus dealer in the country) and there have been no major accidents or damage the asking price sounds reasonable. Just do your homework.
Replacing the timing belt is in the $450 range, most ppl recommend replacing the water pump at the same time since it has to be removed anyway to gain access to the timing belt. So no extra labor involved and the pump itself can be purchased for about $100 or so and usually needs changing according to service recommendations in about another 20K or so anyway. Shocks are about $150 to $200 for the parts and a couple of hours labor charge to install unless you are a pretty good DIYer and can do the work.

 

thank you for your input.

the owner had the car checked out at a lexus dealership. the mechanic told him about the leaky shock, and the timing belt. i am running a carfax as we speak.

i believe the rims are SSR GT3. they are the same size all the way around, and have no lip on them. the car does not come with stock rims, but i dont mind, i think the rims match the car very well. as for shocks, I was thinking about going with aftermarket shocks anyway. none of these parts are covered under the warranty because they are "wear and tear" parts.

one question.

is the 2000 year lexus GS a interfearence or non-interference car?

 

That car has been wrecked. Someone was asking about it a couple of weeks ago:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...hlight=wrecked

 

I don't believe those are SSR wheels, I belive they're knock-offs but I'm not positive.

 

Oh, they're SSR alright. But they are not GT3's those are the one-piece GT1's, less than half the price of the GT3's.

And it looks like the seller has RAISED the asking price by $500 since last month. Offer him $14K and if he balks, just walk away. There are plenty of other nice cars.

 

call a dealership and make sure the warranty is valid.
if the warranty is good, you may try it out and then decide.
i got a 99 gs400 on ebay for 20k and it only has 67K on it, so it has factory warranty on it.
had some engine problem, but dealership took care of it.
so far, my car is running fine with some noise here and there...
as for timing belt, it would cost at least $500, u may need to change the drive-tran belt (~$150?) as well.

hope this is useful.

-james