I say negotiate and do the 5/125 wrap like I did. Unfortunately it doesn't cover past the 8/80 hybrid components warranty,but I cannot remember a single post of anyone's 600 hybrid components failing. And even if it is maybe slightly out, I think Lexus would still goodwill a repair because they certainly are pushing hybrid technology and don't need bad publicity...guessing. I got my extended wrap for about $1600, about $500 less than "list price"

 

If I can get the extended CPO Wrap for $1500, it would probably be worth it. I know it's somewhat pro-rated, also (although I know it starts pro-rating the day you buy it, not the day it kicks in 3 years from now).

I was actually assuming the hybrid components would be covered by both the CPO and the extended Wrap protection... Hmmmm... the car I'm buying is exactly 6 years old, so that means only 2 years of coverage on the batteries.

Has anyone ever had to replace the batteries on an LS600hL yet? Wonder what the cost to do that would be? Anyone?

Thanks, CJITTY!

 

Or look at the fact that for 6 years the car has not had a battery issue. The car cost $120K+ brand new, so you run the risk of buying a used car with enough processing power to operate a small country that something could go wrong and could be expensive. You have 2 years to go to worry about that part, but then it is 8 years old and that is a long time these days. Most people keep a car less than 3 years nowadays. Yes, 8/80 is it for hybrid components. Not covered under CPO as I was told once that 8/80 is up. And the other drawback is you can get a refund on the CPO wrap, but the pro rate starts the day you buy it...NOT at the 3 year mark when normal CPO expires. I think that is total BS, but it is what it is. I have asked several techs about battery replacements and none of them have ever heard of a 600 needing replacement hybrid cell batteries, but they have heard that happening on some of the earlier hybrid RXs. I think they have a good thing going these days. I dont want to jinx myself, but I feel pretty good and now considering a 2013 600h sometime in 2017 when I sell my 2008 600. I say this now..may change my mind next week lol

 

I suppose the fact that Lexus warrants the batteries for 8 years means they (Lexus) expect the batteries to last considerably longer than that. I wonder if batteries would fail based on use (mileage) or simple age (8 years). I know I've seen LS600hLs with 125K + miles, so if the batteries would fail based on mileage, I have nothing to worry about. It may cost $3K or so for a full new set of batteries, which is actually fairly insignificant on a car of this overall cost/sophistication. I won't worry for at least 2 years, and by then who knows what I'll be thinking!

 

So, don't mean to hijack the thread but the fact that the hybrid battery is not being covered by CPO is disturbing...Route66 covers it...I just confirmed this with Lexus! Replacement cost is $7k

I now regret extending my CPO to six years, I am seriously considering defaulting to the 3 years, this is also when 8-years hybrid warranty expires. I was planning to keep the car for more than 3 years since I love it but this is really bad news...

I paid $1500 for the extension. My car is 08 LS600hl with 26k miles.What do y'all think?

 

Owning two Toyota hybrids for almost 10 years, and having kept an eye on battery failures with those cars, I can confidently say that the current technology should be good for 12+ years. Of course, some unfortunate folks have traction batteries crap out on them before this, but that's the extreme minority. There are hybrid battery refurbishers cropping up all over the country now. They will either replace failed cells for quite cheap, or replace all the cells for a good deal less than the Toyota/Lexus price (around half the dealership price). I wouldn't worry unduly about the hybrid battery.

 

I've basically came to the same conclusion after doing extensive research online. Complete battery failures have been very rare so far, with most "experts" projecting a minimum average battery lifespan of 15 years. I also agree that the increasing number of hybrids on the road and the corresponding decrease in the cost of batteries (due to volume) should make the eventual replacement much less expensive than it was in the past (or is today).

I didn't realize that Route66 covered the battery failure, though... I'm about to pick up my 2008 LS600hL from Lexus of Omaha, and am debating on the CPO Wrap warranty to get me to 5 years/125K miles. I haven't negotiated a price on this extended CPO warranty yet, but feel like a good price is around $1600 (that's what CJITTY paid, anyway).

I do have some concerns about the trade-in value of the 600hL when I get ready to upgrade in 3-5 years. In 3 years, the car will be 9 years old and will have around 90K miles... Wonder what it would be worth at that point? In 5 years, the car will be 11 years old (definitely getting closer to a battery replacement time) with around 110K miles (I only drive around 10K a year). I'm paying $43K for the car now, mostly by trading in a 2011 LS460 AWD with 34K miles. I really think the LS460 would probably have more trade-in value in 3 years (since it could still be resold as a CPO by the Lexus dealer at that point).

Oh well, all of these things are clearly "First World Problems" which I'm willing to deal with for the sheer joy of driving the world's finest luxury sedan

 

Just be thankful you're buying used and not new if you're worried about resale value!!!

 

Amen to that..I saved well over $70K looooooooool

 

Good point! The first owner lost around $70K by owning the car for 6 years. The most I stand to lose in 6 years is $43K (the cost of the car). I'm guessing it will still be worth in the $20K neighborhood in 3-5 years, so it won't be too painful from a depreciation standpoint...

 

Just got the call from Lexus of Omaha to say the LS600hL from McGrath in Chicago should arrive at 2:30 pm today! Planning to go give it a thorough look/test drive after work.

Any specific last-minute advice on things I should look for? I know CJITTY recommends a long test drive (30 minutes) to test out every possible feature (dynamic cruise, etc.). I'm aware of the possiblity of Control Arm issues (the car has 58K miles), which would cause a "clunk" sound on bumps. I've heard the glove-boxes have been a bit problematic (loose, droopy, etc.). I've also heard the driver's seat bottom cushion can get hard/uncomfortable.

Some of these things are fixable via the CPO warranty, while others are probably not, so any specific advice would be greatly appreciated! Can't wait to get a good look at my new car!

 

Several things...

1. Make sure they update the NAV for you, it's a courtesy thing, but make it part of the deal.
2. Smart card Key, LS600's all come with the smart card, make sure you get one as part of the deal.
3. headphones For the rear seat, make sure there are two sets.
4. Make sure the DVD remote is in the back seat, if not make them get you one.
5. As a CPO car, don't accept any scratches or dings, they are supposed to fix them all, wheels too!
6. Ask them for a copy of the CPO checklist they perform and go over each thing.
7. tires, double check inside and outside wear! Any sign of uneven wear, Lexus is to replace under CPO.

 

Great advice! Not sure if I'll have any luck with the Nav update. On the last CPO I bought from this dealer, they said it costs them $200 for the update, and they would not throw it in. Interesting point about the smart card -- I've never heard of that, so I would have had no idea to ask for one (if it is missing). Looked like both headphones were available and the remote is present (from the photos I saw of the car from McGrath Lexus), so that shouldn't be a problem. The tires are brand new Michelins, so they should be good to go. Brakes were also just replaced, so shouldn't have the "shudder" problem so many people have reported (unless they didn't turn the rotors).

I normally drive a pretty hard deal when I buy a car, but this is sort of a unique situation, since I basically selected the car sight unseen from McGrath Lexus in Chicago, convinced Lexus of Omaha to purchase the car from McGrath for the price I had negotiated with them ($42,400). Lexus of Omaha has agreed to sell me the car from McGrath at that price (no profit for them), and they are giving me $39K for my LS460 (that I bought from them 6 weeks ago for $40,800). Overall, Lexus of Omaha is bending over backwards for me on this deal to keep my business. Anything that needs to be done to the LS600hL, therefore, will probably be on my dime (as I would expect, given the deal I'm getting).

Hopefully, the car will be as sparkling clean and well serviced as it appeared in the McGrath photos!

Thanks again for the tips!

 

Just spoke with my Service guy at Lexus of Omaha -- he was able to pull the full detailed maintenance history on the LS600hL I'm about to purchase.

Looks like the Valve Spring recall was completed, the glovebox was tightened up, the Upper Control arms were just replaced (no lowers though, it seems), and the brakes were just replaced. Sounds pretty good to go to me (no mention of the hard seat cushion issue -- maybe it's not a problem on this particular car).

I'll go take a look at the cosmetics after work today, but it's great to know it has been well serviced by Lexus.

 

Had a good look at th eLS600 from Chicago last night. The Lexus dealer closes early (6 pm) on Weds (I didn't realize that), so when I showed up at 5:45 for an extended test drive/walkaround they offerred to just let me take the car home to check out overnight. This gave me the chance to do a long test drive and a thorough look at all costmetic issues.

First Impressions:

Overall, the body is in really good shape. No door dings. It does, though, have a few minor surface scratches on the paint (rear bumper mainly). Also, there are some chips on the front bumper (from rocks, I assume). More problematic is that one of the wheels has a pretty sizeable scrape from a curb that looks somewhat unappealing.

The car drives AMAZING! Definitely quieter than my 2011 LS460. I couldn't really feel much difference in the suspension, despite the fact my 2011 doesn't have the Air Suspension. I tried out the "Comfort" and "Sport" modes and couldn't feel a huge difference, but that was okay.

The car looked much bigger to me than my LS460. I know it's slightly longer, but it really does look like a pretty imposing car when parked next to "normal" cars in a parking lot.

I reset the mileage calculator when I took the car. On my ride home (mostly interstate, with some in-town driving) I averaged 26 MPG! Definitely an improvement over the LS460 (although a pretty short sample).

The interior is nearly flawless. I saw a couple of stains on the carpet under the driver's side mat, but nothing that would concern me too much. The dash, door, and seat leather was pretty much perfect, with just a small amount of wear showing on the driver's seat cushion.

Everything worked as advertised. I spent most of the evening pushing buttons and testing functionality (including the DVD, stereo, sunshades, reclining rear seats, sunroof, etc., etc...)

I LOVED the dynamic cruise control. It worked flawlesslessly, and now I don't know how I ever lived without it! I suppose it will become common on new cars in the next few years. What a nice feature!

So I think it's overall a go on the purchase, although I do think I'll see what the Lexus dealer can do about the minor scratches/rock chips and curb rash on the wheel rim.

SLIMJIMTEL: You said "As a CPO car, don't accept any scratches or dings, they are supposed to fix them all, wheels too!" Is that just your opinion, or is it written somewhere that CPO cars should be free of scratches, dings, and wheel scrapes?

Thanks!