GS350Canada

I just found out from my local Lexus dealer that my GS350 with 199,000 km has damaged cylinder walls and compression has been lowered to the point that it can't start. I was told I would need a new engine, but I am still calling around to see if it'd be possible to rebuild the engine. I've already put it for sale as is for 8400 CAD (have been quoted 3300 for an engine with 137,000km and 2200 for labour at an independent shop, judging from other listings 14,000 seems to be a good asking price with the new engine) but doubt I'll be able to sell for anywhere near that so might just have to go through with the swap/rebuild then sell.

Coinididently I just found a single GS460 for sale in Canada which is just 130 km away, so I plan on seeing it this Sunday. It is for sale for 9800 CAD, has ~280,000 km but owner says he bought it 9 years ago with 90,000 km and drives back and forth between Toronto and Montreal. He also says hes changed the diff fluid, transmission oil, radiator fluid and done other preventative maintenance. I'm hoping that it's well maintained and most of the mileage is from highway driving. It also appears to be completely stock and doesn't even have tint, which in hindsight should've been a red flag when buying my GS350 (had tint, dechrome, exhaust, painted callipers) as well as the fact that the previous owner hadn't owned it for very long. He also says the windshield has a crack which has been stopped by a specialist, so if anyone knows the approx. cost to replace that (would it have to be at the dealer due to the rain sensing function?) I'd like to factor that in.

I will likely take it to a nearby mechanic to put it on a lift and check for rust and whatever else a general mechanic could do on the spot. What are some things to look out for and ask about? Assuming everything looks good, what price should I aim for and what is the most I should pay? (Including winter and summer wheels + tires)

I'm aware theres a website that tells you the service records at dealerships for a Lexus given the VIN, does this work in Canada and are there any alternatives? I couldn't find much with the unpaid online VIN checkers.

Lastly, would it be worth it to instead wait until I can take it to a Lexus dealer instead?

Any info would be much appreciated, particularly from any high mileage GS460 owners if any.

TreysGS460

Brake actuator and valley plate are the only major issues you should look out for.

If there is any buzzing or brake issues then the actuator is likely on the way out.

Check the coolant level AFTER driving the car for a while, if it is low there might be a valley plate leak.

Try to get to the car when it is cold, if you turn on the car and it is up to temp, the owner might be trying to hide things.

ibidu1

iTrader: (1)

Brake actuator are pricey, depending on the location I think they break sooner. For instance a member who lives in the middle east, a hot climate said his was replaced 2 or 3 times by the dealer. But I have also seen colder climate areas last over 100k miles without issue. The LS460 also has this issue.

As for your the gs350, have you searched on car-part.com for an engine? You can just sell your car through copart.com and sell it as is and dealer will bid on it, and try your luck.

I think the gs350 is slightly more reliable, and parts are easier to get a hold of making repairs easier. Not saying the GS460 isnt reliable, it has the same engine as the LS460 and thats solid eng and transmission.

At this time prices are low for used car sales but after a month or so they will be strong because of tax season in the US. Not sure how it will affect canadas market.

GS350Canada

I filled out the form on Copart and it redirected me to a page saying to call them for an instant cash offer so I'll try that, but I would assume I could get a better price if I could somehow auction it off directly. I might try Ebay.

I'll see if I can get an engine on car-part for cheaper including shipping. The engine for $3300 I mentioned previously is at a junkyard in my city just down the street from the shop that would be doing the engine swap so no shipping cost involved.

I remember reading about a recall on the GS460 because of the brake actuator, is there a website where I can use the VIN to see if the car has any recalls and if it was taken to the dealer to fix?

GS350Canada

What specific brake issues might I notice while driving that would indicate that there's an issue with the actuator?

Should I check the coolant level before and after driving to compare and see if it gets lower?

I know a common issue in the 2GR-FSE is oil burning due to the rings around the pistons which I believe is what went wrong with my GS350, are there any big engine flaws like that with the 1UR that I need to watch out for?