ATLSRT8

I own a 2007 Jeep SRT8 and I've come across a 2008 IS-F with 77k miles on it.Is this a bad idea?How long do these cars usually last before major issues?Whats the yearly cost for these cars?I bought my SRT8 and at 30k miles the tranny blew,the battery needed replacing,O2 sensors went bad,the cats went bad etc.this cars has been a nightmare!So i wanna make a better decision this time.Thanks guys!

lexuswtf

iTrader: (1)

SRT's are tight.. sorry to hear that ur tranny blew... but in all honesty... it really just depends on the previous owner and if they took care of the F... just like any other used car.. although.. we are talking about toyota/lexus build quality... maintenance is expensive as are all high end vehicles if u go and get raped by the dealer.. unless you do things yourself or know someone at the dealership of course.... i havent had any problems with my F except for a small rattle and LED headlight bubbling... and haven't heard of any HUGE problems from other F owners... only little things like rattles and one off problems w/ suspension... that's about it...

I'd say go for it.. it's a great car.. rare for sure... and i highly doubt u'll regret getting one..

ming15237

iTrader: (3)

I have too be honest on this one, given the problems I have seen with these engines I would be hard pressed to recommend this vehicle with high miles on the clock! I'm not sure what percentage of these cars have had the defective cylinder head issue, but I have seen 3 in person, and that is unacceptable in my opinion! Unless I was given a extended warranty with no deductible free of charge, I wouldn't even consider it! Want a fast 4door buy a cts-v!

Salil022

iTrader: (1)

i agree with ming having doubts about F's long term reliability as few owners including me had problems with cylinder heads...However, i am not sure if it's due to mileage as both of my IS-F's developed noise within a week or two of Ownership.

2011 Developed noise with less than 1k (1000) miles on the ODO
2008 was purchased with 5k miles as a demo car that already had the noise.

Lexus really needs to step up and Fix this Issue, come out with TSB & offer Extended Warranties to Owners..Thing is Dealerships don't even want to admit of this noise being an Issue, We did not purchase $65k lexus to sound like a damn Tractor.

Maybe we should start a separate dedicated thread to F owners that are going through same Engine Problem (Metal Clicking Sound) & Submit to Lexus...They might do something about it as they are just fixing this on Case by Case basis.

stratman

I've only seen two SRT8s on the street. They sound nice but I personally would never buy a hot rod truck type vehicle. Had a built for off-road '77 Cherokee but recently sold it as parts were getting harder to get. Anyway, I also have a 2009 Starfire Pearl White IS F which now has a tick over 20k miles on it. No metallic ticks or other issues with the engine save for the water pump at about 14.6k which was replaced with an updated version under warranty. The leak was very small and the anti-freeze never fell to the ground. No overheating at all. So far no squeaks, rattles or other annoying issues. One other person on this site, I believe he goes by "Sarge" bought a high mileage IS F that needed cosmetics done to it. He had the engine checked out and it was as new internally as was the rest of the drive train except the wheel bearings needed replacing. If you're really interested in buying this IS F, have the entire drive train checked out to identify problems that may exist.
While the CTS-V and the C63 are faster than the F they also have their own problems and they get crappy gas mileage as does the M3 (which is also prone to electrical issues and have had more than one engine self destruct.) Good luck and if this one doesn't feel right there are others for sale out there that probably have lower mileage on them.

MRxSLAYx

Based on my experiences with my F, I wouldn't worry about the mileage too much. My car has made over 600hp for the last 25k miles or so, and it still runs like a champ. The Car docent burn oil, run hot, or have any noticeable hiccups. Sure, the Yamaha heads make a little noise... Makes no difference to me. Just make sure you regularly maintain your F and you shouldn't have any problems.

My car has 66k miles and I still drive it like I stole it.

7No

iTrader: (1)

Awesome!

madastep

just read up on the forums about that 1 engine problem I've seen on here, I've only had mine for 30k miles but it runs like a champ as well, no problems.

if you read up on the forums, it will tell you what to listen for on the F to tell if it has the problem, mine fortunately doesn't even come close to making the rattling sound.

BTW Mr Slay, love your videos post more ! /drool

VtotheJ

iTrader: (2)

Maintenance will be expensive, as will gas, depending on how you drive. If you're all highway miles and you're disciplined, you can get up to 28mpg (see gas mileage thread)... besides that, known issues are the ticking that people have mentioned and pulling to the right (mostly in 2008 models). Rearview mirror vibration is also there but only some people deal with that. You're still getting Toyota/Lexus reliability, so no worries there. I'd rather have these minor issues than major electrical problems that German cars have. Make sure you check CarFax extensively and previous owner records on http://owners.lexus.com (all you need is the VIN). Good luck.

Juanca

iTrader: (5)

After 3.5 years and 51k miles (bought mine new) it still runs as strong as day 1. All issues I've had (as well as most other owners) were minor, things that didn't compromise driving the car (like rearview mirror, caliper's paint, etc.). I don't know what ming is saying, how many ISFs out of 6000+ showed that engine problem? I'm sure not even 0.5% Is that enough not to recommend the car? No.
As with any out of warranty used car, make sure that a good mechanic takes a look at it, and if the price i right drive it home.

DCoolBeans

Dude he drives an Jeep SRT8. Those things drink gas like it was a college sorority girl at a kegger

2 months with mine no probs

ps I loved those SRT8s since they came out. I just wish there was a way to be able to switch between awd and rwd so it wouldn't eat up gas. Plus another gear wouldnt hurt either

TURBOCARS

iTrader: (1)

Get an IS-F. The good outweighs the bad easily for any Lexus. Obviously this being a forum, you will hear the bad exaggerated far more than the positives. Just do research, you will not regret the IS-F.On the other hand, if you are comparing it to other vehicles, that will make it even harder.

cremaster

iTrader: (1)

hey guys, first post; had some questions about the "problems" mentioned here.

the cylinder issue, is that something that NEEDED to be fixed? if so, how expensive was it? or is it something that just causes an annoyance and you can just leave it alone?

someone else mentioned the car pulling to the left mostly in the 08' models. can you elaborate on that? so, it's obviously not related to the alignment or radial pull from the tires?

thanks!

vraa

iTrader: (2)

I wouldn't buy a 70k miles IS-F..... find one that is still under 50k miles, you should still be able to find them, I estimate the avg 08 is somewhere between 35k to 50k miles right now

I would assume 10k miles per year, it's been almost four years now.....