bartsitars

Timing belt needs to be done every 90k miles or 6 years, which ever occurs first. As for issues, from what I read, these are really reliable. You have to make sure the timing belt is up to date, that the ball joints and outer tie rod end are done, and other than that, some minor rattles and squeeks which are covered in great length on this forum. There is a shake in the steering at 60-70 that can be cured with the tensioner bolt. The bushings in the rack wear out over time, but that is normal with all cars. Valve cover gasket leaks at times too with that mileage, so, look at that. If it makes a difference, I just bought one with 160k miles on the clock. The timing belt kit and ball joints/tie rods cost me $450 in parts and $300 in labor (timing belt service). I will do the suspension myself and drop $70 on an allignment.

egs21

To echo the other posters, the 2nd generation GS is a very reliable car. The maintenance / issues have been covered in detail so I won't repost them. Ideally you would have maintenance records available that you could review before your purchase just to make sure everything looks good.

TigerBrand

I live in Ontario. I made it through this winter with zero issues. A set of winter tires is all you need, which you should have on any car in winter anyway.

Gs300Rus

Could you guys suggest things to look into, or ask my mechanic to take a glance before buying this car ?

egs21

Off the top of my head.....timing belt, brakes, suspension (including struts / ball joints / control arms / tied rods / bushings), transmission fluid check, check gaskets for leaks.

CHASER4LIF

iTrader: (1)

i live in ontario as well.. 250k? that motor just started life. i owned one with 400,000k with original motor and tranny. New owner has it and still running it with no issues.oil change and keep on your maintenance lexus will last FOREVER!!!!!!

CHASER4LIF

iTrader: (1)

are you buy the 2003 Gs300 sport design that's on kiijji?if so, man if i had money i would picked that quick and put in my 2jzgte vvti gte in that in a heart beat..

Gs300Rus

The 2003 one is almost $7k, yeah it looks awesome + its only 190k (kilometres). I calculated its going to run into almost 9k with taxes and safety and etest... the vehicle is very decent looking tho.

offbad

iTrader: (5)

get the sportdesign!

2GSKaizen

iTrader: (1)

I really wish I could remember where I saw this. If I remember correctly, it was a part that lexus redesigned after the first couple years. So if this car has ever had them replaced, they"ll be the newer style that last much longer. I think I saw it one day diving into the depths of the 2GS forum on here.

egs21

Thanks for the reply. There might be something to this. My mechanic checked out the ball joints on my 02 GS300 last week and said they were just fine. Car just clicked past 90k.

saephanh12

i recently got my 1998 gs300 324k miles. $2,000 not as nice as it look in picture tho lol

egs21

Wow. 324k. Impressive.

Gs300Rus

For 2k... sounds good. I found one local, dealer asks $4k, for 380k kilometers mileage.
In my area about 2-3 cars show up every month, will keep looking. Prefer to add an extra 2 grand and get 250-280k mileage.

MattyG

GS300Rus I think you'll love these cars if you decide to go for it. They drive beautifully.

But you should know that they're really a single purpose vehicle meant for enthusiasits who love a smooth ride.

It's at its best in three season driving rather than super deep winter snow. Doesn't handle bad, but you'll definitely need winter tires.

The trunk's pretty small and oddly shaped so it doesn't hold much. Not much interior room for the size of car and the weight of car that it is. For a tall driver the windshield is surprisingly short.

I looked at all those cars you have on your list and also eliminated them for many of the reasons listed here. But If it's a beater you're looking at, this might be down the list. You might want an awd wagon like a Subaru Legacy.