coolsaber

Its simple if you dont want to be in a world of unknown, print out the terms and conditions for both warranties and find out what the exclude and cover.

I dont mean brochure or sales guides, I mean the ACTUAL LENGTH T&C.

Thats it. From there you can pick up anecdotal evidence like how well your local Lexus dealer service center is to see how they perform on warranty repairs and carmax approved places.

Half the battle is with the t&C and half the battle is upto the service center rep who is suppose to interpret said T&C.

Good luck! Congrats on the GX!

ASE

BEWARE of 3rd Party Warranties ... most are not worth the paper they are written on ... the devil is in the details, meaning the fine print that defines the conditions, restrictions, limitations and exclusions. These policies are extremely profitable (free money) for the seller ... hence their motivation to sell on behalf of the 3rd Party who pays them a percentage of the take.

Have a qualified mechanic read the conditions, restrictions, limitations and exclusions given they are typically designed to only cover components that have an extremely low statistical probability of failure ... with the balance of more common failures not covered.

DO NOT confuse 3rd Party Warranties with the Lexus Certified Extended Warranty ... even if it is sold by the Lexus dealership. Note the "administrator and obligor" (typically in the footnote) ... this is the Underwriter ... and if it does not say "Lexus", then it is a 3rd Party policy.

If you are inclined to purchase extended coverage ... at least do yourself a favor and research the underwriter (if not Lexus) before purchasing ... Better Business Bureau Ratings, Consumer Complaints ... etc. IMHO you are probably better off banking the money for future repairs ... and since the GX460 is crazy reliable, this will probably end up being money in your pocket.

GX4602011

Rust. The frames and under parts can rust badly in the northern states that use salt in the winter and Toyotas are known for rusting frames. Which could be a part of the reasons they are more expensive where you are, however, I suspect it's more likely that there is more supply of used GXs in NC (NY) than in TN. Since yours is only 3-4 years old, rust may not be an issue, unless used at a vacation home on the Outer Banks in NC.

The 2011 I bought in 2017 (CPO, 32K miles) from a dealer in mid Pennsylvania (not coastal) and it had a rust hole in the engine skid plate, and rust starting all over the frame and bolts etc. (more heavily than normal surface rust). I spent a few days with a tooth brush and water proof grease going all over the frame where the rust was the worse. I removed the skid plate and repainted it to prevent further rust. I'm originally from an area that uses a lot of salt on the roads, I tend to be more sensitive to rust conditions (I remember in the late 70s seeing cars a few years old all rusted out).


Let me also add that a GX of that age in good condition with a service history would normally be sold as a CPO at a Lexus dealer. If it was traded in at a non Lexus (new car) dealer, and was in good condition, that dealer would sell it. So why does Carmax have it (wholesale auction, or traded in at Carmax)? If it was bought at wholesale auction by Carmax, why did it go to auction in the first place instead of being sold by the dealer it was traded in at, or why not sold as a CPO by a Lexus dealer? (Lexus dealer scourer auctions for clean, late model low mileage examples to sell as CPOs)

I would look very closely at the Carfax and go over the whole vehicle with a paint meter for any repaint. Even if the Carfax comes back clean, it does not mean it hasn't had an accident. However, even if a fender was repainted doesn't mean it was in an accident (could be scratched.keyed etc.)

A quick story; While deciding on an RX before I bought the GX, I looked at a CPO RX. While ging over it I noticed some abnormalities in the paint work. The used car manager allowed me to use their paint meter in which I found evidence of a repaint
of the rear quarter panels along with some body filler (large thickness). That RX was evidentially in an accident, but with a 'clean' Carfax, the dealer was selling it as a CPO. If the new owner found out about the accident after the fact, they'd claim ignorance as the Carfax was 'clean', so letting them off the hook.

lostCajun

Many thanks to all of the responses and additional information. To answer a couple of questions/comments above... the Lexus warranty I'm talking about is absolutely a Lexus Certified warranty. Mr. Jerry Johnson, who many people on here have mentioned before, is the one that gave me the quote and makes clear in his email that the warranties that he sells are Lexus Certified and not 3rd party or aftermarket. As for rust, I did have a slight concern about that as well, so this morning before work I took the GX to a trusted local mechanic to do a used car "pre-purchase" inspection (in quotes because I obviously already purchased it, but I have until Friday to return it for a full refund). I mentioned it being from New York originally so he said he would be sure to check for any rust issues. When he was done, he said that they did find one thing wrong with it... it's low on washer fluid. He said that it's extremely clean and solid and he would have purchased it himself had he found it first. So I was happy with that report.

While still working out my decision, I called my local Lexus dealer to ask how they've fared with their dealings with Maxcare warranties. He said that they refuse to take them, after attempting to work with them a few years ago and having so many issues. He said that the only way they work with Carmax warranties now is if the warranty owner takes the car to Carmax directly, and if they can't fix it, they'll send it to Lexus to fix. He says that this relationship with Carmax has been great for them. But my taking the car directly to Lexus and paying the $50 copay? No dice. No matter what Carmax says. So that means, Lexus warranty it is!

shmelvin1

To give you an example of what's available in the Seattle area, I just purchased a 2016 CPO from the dealer with 36K miles and all records etc, its a base with …..

I paid $38K which I thought was a little high? But...That included 3 years of B2B Factory Warranty and 2 years Maintenance. I actually believe the 160 point inspection is a bunch of BS but the piece of mind having the Warranty...goes a long way, and the maintenance doesn't hurt. (Plus I added MTS, Crawl, and a front camera for around $900)
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

lostCajun

You can't argue with additional warranty, that's for sure! And I didn't know that it was possible to get features added at a later time! Does that mean I can still get the front/side cameras and/or change my DAC to Crawl??

Congrats on your new ride. If you're enjoying yours half as much as I am mine, you're having a damn good time. I am excited to be going on my first road trip today back to Louisiana to visit the family. Should be a pretty comfy and quiet cruise.

shmelvin1

You can add pretty much anything you want as long as you have Money, Time, and a reasonable amount of mechanical knowhow. One guy on here even added the radar cruise control.

WRD4chano

I was really close to closing on a immaculate example of a 2011 with 90K/mi but the warranty push and insurance (is it normal for it to be high? its my first time owning a car - got quoted 350/mo - one ticket two years ago) caused to me back out.

their warranty was 4500 through a company called cna national, and it covered most mechanical parts.

been here for a while and these cars seems very reliable,but im just on the fence and looking for feedback as to whether I should get the warranty or skip it find a local reputable repair shop.

thank you for you time.

ASE

BEWARE of 3rd Party Warranties ... most are not worth the paper they are written on ... the devil is in the details, meaning the fine print that defines the conditions, restrictions, limitations and exclusions. These policies are extremely profitable (free money) for the seller ... hence their motivation to sell on behalf of the 3rd Party who pays them a percentage of the take.

Have a qualified mechanic read the conditions, restrictions, limitations and exclusions given they are typically designed to only cover components that have an extremely low statistical probability of failure ... with the balance of more common failures not covered.

DO NOT confuse 3rd Party Warranties with the Lexus Certified Extended Warranty ... even if it is sold by the Lexus dealership. Note the "administrator and obligor" (typically in the footnote) ... this is the Underwriter ... and if it does not say "Lexus", then it is a 3rd Party policy.

If you are inclined to purchase extended coverage ... at least do yourself a favor and research the underwriter (if not Lexus) before purchasing ... Better Business Bureau Ratings, Consumer Complaints ... etc. IMHO you are probably better off banking the money for future repairs ... and since the GX460 is crazy reliable (if properly maintained), this will probably end up being money in your pocket.

AZLexicon

I have some experience with CNA. I purchased a Jeep and the dealer threw in the extended warrantee which was through CNA. The Jeep still had factory warranty for the first two years and then the extended kicked in. I only had to use it twice but both times they paid minus my deductible and both were big $ repairs. The first was the entire A/C system replacement with radiator, and the second was ECU and alternator. When the warrantee period was up, they will not let you purchase another policy. Hope this answers your question.

Craigyyy

I would test drive and inspect thoroughly, and save your $4,500 for any unforeseen repairs. I imagine you'll still have the $4,500 after a few years.

bbqsoup

This!
The GX is common enough that for any big repairs, you can use independent mechanic and save money.
Even a new 50k miles engine is only a few thousands.
The one that could potentially cost big buck is the coolant plate leak.

WRD4chano

thanks for the detailed response, I'll skip the warranty and find a local shop.


im gonna look for a shop in the area and pay to have them inspect it before purchase next time

PWM

Hello new here. I just picked up a 2016 Premium edition. Low miles and still under factory warranty until the end of December. I bought it online and had it shipped to my home. I know risky at best but everything turned out OK. I was wondering if I can purchase the Lexus Certified Warranty even though I didn’t purchase the vehicle at a dealer.

coolsaber

You cant buy a CPO warranty on your vehicle. However I believe you can still purchase the Lexus backed Platinum warranty extension. Need to contact the dealer rep who does them for folks on the forums.