wunderbra

Hello all,

I'm new to Lexus but not the GS body/frame, having driven Avalons for 10 years.

So I want to buy a GS300.

Anyone care to comment on the typical problem areas to look for on any car I am considering?

Any real "gotcha's" on these models?

Thanks for the help.

kamlung

iTrader: (8)

start here

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...iy-thread.html

then look out for servo motors crapping out, door lock actuators, and lower ball joints on the older model years... aside from those things, its a solid car...

wunderbra

I did see the FAQ's, but they are mostly DYI info ( which is good).

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...iy-thread.html

What servo motors?
Any more things to watch for on before buying?

lostape45

Servo motors control the airflow for climate control: AC, heat, defrost, etc.

Check for steering wheel shake on the highway, another issue. Other than that just look for what you normally would when buying a car: brakes, suspension, leaks. No real gotcha's on these cars, mostly just electrical stuff like what kamlung listed above, which even then isn't too hard to fix. Engine and transmission are very well built on these.

gsean400

The only real problem with our cars are the door locks, i have had 3 lexus gs's and they all have had broken door lock actuators. The servo's arnt even as common As door locks

mveale

iTrader: (5)

The door lock actuators are extremely common, mine and my girlfriend's GSs both have issues. However, it's something that you can live with if you don't mind leaning over a bit to manually lock/unlock. If it really bugs you, parts aren't expensive and it's a DIY job. My shop bills 1 hour per door, so even paying someone to do it isn't prohibitively expensive.

The lower ball joints can fail spectacularly and possibly total your car (or you, depending on where it happens), so unless you have a receipt showing they've been done, plan on replacing them. The preferred brand (Moog) is about $80 for the pair and there are plenty of DIY write-ups on this site for changing them out.

Anyway, on to the expensive stuff:

A few of these cars have issues with the brake master cylinder, which is a $1500 part, so be mindful of ABS/Brake warning lights and a mushy brake pedal.

The timing belt SHOULD be changed every 90,000 miles and can be $1,000+, so try to find a car with documentation that it's been done or one that's cheap enough that you don't mind doing it.

Other semi-common problems I have heard of but know nothing about include: servo motors and shift solenoids. I'm sure a search can tell you more.

TL;DR: Find a GS that's been well-maintained, continue to maintain it properly, and you will have an extremely reliable car that is stylish and comfortable.