New member seeking pre-purchase info about a 2003 GS430
05-28-10, 07:31 PM
#1
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New member seeking pre-purchase info about a 2003 GS430
Hi all,
I am contemplating the purchase of a 2003 GS430, and have several questions before I do actually pull the trigger. The car has 109k miles on it, but has been extremely pampered (frequent details and is garaged), so it shows like a 60k mile car. Interior is perfect, and the paint is nearly flawless. Car is completely loaded (nav, spoiler, 7-spoke chromes, ML sound), and the owner told me he would take $13,200 for it.
No better authorities than current owners, as they say, so here goes!
1) Are there any things to look out for on this year's model? Consumer Report seems to rate it very high, but I wanted to know if there are any weak links in the '03.
2) Current owner was laid off last year, and did not do the 90k timing belt/water pump service. Any issues going 20k past that interval?
3) How durable are the struts on these cars? I have every reason to believe that the car has the originals. I've priced replacing all 4 out locally, and it seems that it is in the $1400-$1800 range.
4) Is it worth the $100 to have a Lexus dealer do a pre-purchase inspection? I need to know if there is anything major wrong, but I don't want them to use that as a sales pitch to convince me to spend big $ at their dealership.
I test drove the car, and it seemed incredibly tight. I've spent the last 10 years driving a Nissan Maxima and an Acura CL-S, both of which accrued over 160k miles on my watch, so I'm not spooked about the mileage of the Lexus. Should I be?
Any other advice/words of wisdom is DEFINITELY welcome!
I am contemplating the purchase of a 2003 GS430, and have several questions before I do actually pull the trigger. The car has 109k miles on it, but has been extremely pampered (frequent details and is garaged), so it shows like a 60k mile car. Interior is perfect, and the paint is nearly flawless. Car is completely loaded (nav, spoiler, 7-spoke chromes, ML sound), and the owner told me he would take $13,200 for it.
No better authorities than current owners, as they say, so here goes!
1) Are there any things to look out for on this year's model? Consumer Report seems to rate it very high, but I wanted to know if there are any weak links in the '03.
2) Current owner was laid off last year, and did not do the 90k timing belt/water pump service. Any issues going 20k past that interval?
3) How durable are the struts on these cars? I have every reason to believe that the car has the originals. I've priced replacing all 4 out locally, and it seems that it is in the $1400-$1800 range.
4) Is it worth the $100 to have a Lexus dealer do a pre-purchase inspection? I need to know if there is anything major wrong, but I don't want them to use that as a sales pitch to convince me to spend big $ at their dealership.
I test drove the car, and it seemed incredibly tight. I've spent the last 10 years driving a Nissan Maxima and an Acura CL-S, both of which accrued over 160k miles on my watch, so I'm not spooked about the mileage of the Lexus. Should I be?
Any other advice/words of wisdom is DEFINITELY welcome!
Last edited by ntwrkguy1; 05-28-10 at 07:57 PM.
05-28-10, 08:20 PM
#2
That is a good year to have. I have a 2002 GS430 which I am very happy with. My current beater is a 1999 Max and I had a 1998 TL before that so I know the cars you have. The ball joints were a concern on earlier model years but were supposed to have been upgraded for our models. The timing belt/water pump need to be done at that mileage, figure $1,100 at a private garage to be safe. The ML sub could also be a problem if it has one. The struts should still be good if it was pampered. Check to see if there are leaks on the struts or under the car. If you are not a DIY'er, the $100 would be a good investment as the dealer would look for anything they could find and you could use that to reduce the price. My 430 is heads and shoulders above the Max and TL. Much more powerful, yet I get 24+MPG at 80 mph on the highway. What does the car have in it?
05-28-10, 10:28 PM
#3
make sure you get a carfax report, thoroughly look at the car and make sure all the vin numbers are on every panel.. the timing belt/water pump is a must do, after that, you're good for another 90k miles.. if you want to save money, take it to any toyota dealership and at most they'll charge $800 for the whole job with a loaner car.. the first thing i would do to the car is a tune up..
where in NC are you? pm me, might be able to do the work for you..
where in NC are you? pm me, might be able to do the work for you..
05-29-10, 05:13 AM
#4
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Thread Starter
That is a good year to have. I have a 2002 GS430 which I am very happy with. My current beater is a 1999 Max and I had a 1998 TL before that so I know the cars you have. The ball joints were a concern on earlier model years but were supposed to have been upgraded for our models. The timing belt/water pump need to be done at that mileage, figure $1,100 at a private garage to be safe. The ML sub could also be a problem if it has one. The struts should still be good if it was pampered. Check to see if there are leaks on the struts or under the car. If you are not a DIY'er, the $100 would be a good investment as the dealer would look for anything they could find and you could use that to reduce the price. My 430 is heads and shoulders above the Max and TL. Much more powerful, yet I get 24+MPG at 80 mph on the highway. What does the car have in it?
Not sure if it has the ML Sub -- I will double check to see if it does. How expensive are those if they go bad? I'm not much of a DIY'er mechanically, but I do detail cars, so I can take care of the paint/interior very well. I think I will do the Lexus inspection, just to see what they find. You're right, there's really no comparison to either the Max or the Acura -- the 430 is a completely different animal.
What did you mean by "what does the car have in it"? I thought all of the 430's had the standard 4.3 V8?
05-29-10, 05:20 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
make sure you get a carfax report, thoroughly look at the car and make sure all the vin numbers are on every panel.. the timing belt/water pump is a must do, after that, you're good for another 90k miles.. if you want to save money, take it to any toyota dealership and at most they'll charge $800 for the whole job with a loaner car.. the first thing i would do to the car is a tune up..
where in NC are you? pm me, might be able to do the work for you..
where in NC are you? pm me, might be able to do the work for you..
05-29-10, 07:22 AM
#7
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I don't -- the car was referred to me by one of my detailing clients. I am meeting up with the seller on Tuesday morning for the dealer inspection, so I'll snap a few pics and post them.
Hopefully the dealer doesn't turn up anything too bad -- well, other than the 90k service not being done yet.
Is a tune-up also part of the 90k service?
Hopefully the dealer doesn't turn up anything too bad -- well, other than the 90k service not being done yet.
Is a tune-up also part of the 90k service?
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05-29-10, 08:27 PM
#8
I meant what options. Nav,ML, wood steering wheel, 17in wheels, chrome wheels & phone were options available in 02 & I think 03. Spark plugs are replaced at 120K per Lexus but some dealers may do them sooner.
05-30-10, 04:27 AM
#9
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BCP -- actually, it has every one of those options (Nav, ML, wood wheel, 17 in. chromes, phone, and rear spoiler).
I was not aware the spark plug interval was that far out. That's good to know, I guess, though would it be worthwhile to just have them do the plugs when the timing belt service is being performed?
I was not aware the spark plug interval was that far out. That's good to know, I guess, though would it be worthwhile to just have them do the plugs when the timing belt service is being performed?
05-30-10, 10:01 AM
#13
I just picked up an '03 430. Could not be happier. If it looks great, has all the options, and its been taken care of, purchase it. Mileage on these cars arent as risky as others. Since the 90k service hasnt been done, I would definitely try to buy it at a lower price and get that done first. Goodluck 
Oh, snap some photos for us!
Oh, snap some photos for us!
05-30-10, 12:04 PM
#15
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I definitely agree -- I'm going to use the 90k service to negotiate down. I'm hoping to knock $1000 off, which should cover the 90k service + water pump/thermostat + cabin air filter (which I suspect is the original).
The seller told me that he accounted for a little over 62k of the miles since 2007, mostly on the highway between NC and Jacksonville, FL. I've done that drive myself quite a bit over the last 10 years, and it's a really easy drive. I would prefer mileage in the 70's or 80's, but I think this car should check out pretty well at the mechanics. As long as I can get the seller to concede at least $1000, I should be ok.
The seller told me that he accounted for a little over 62k of the miles since 2007, mostly on the highway between NC and Jacksonville, FL. I've done that drive myself quite a bit over the last 10 years, and it's a really easy drive. I would prefer mileage in the 70's or 80's, but I think this car should check out pretty well at the mechanics. As long as I can get the seller to concede at least $1000, I should be ok.