DBLex1

I’m looking at an 06 LS 430. 141k miles. Decent condition given the year and miles. Prices at $9500

The Lexus owners site shows the car was meticulously maintained at a Lexus dealer until 75k miles by the 1st owner but nothing after that

Questions

How concerned should I be about lack of maintenance records? First visual inspection showed PS and brake fluid were dark so probably need to be replaced.
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Any common problems I should look for when driving / inspecting?

The dealer started the car and I noticed a slight valve tick on initial start up. It went away after 30 sec, but worried it may be a bigger issue?

TIA

nvwls

Maintenance records can be hit or miss, they can provide some reassurance but not completely so. For the meticulous owner like myself who wants everything functioning optimally, I still ended up doing a bunch of maintenance that wouldn't have been much different if I went for a car without records. Most people who buy an LS430 are probably doing their oil changes and doing any big, urgent items, for example previous owner had the front struts replaced at the dealer when they started leaking and always did the brakes when recommended. But the little things are not always done...

I remember looking for mine not too long ago. I was so particular about finding one with full dealer records and it still wasn't perfect. They never changed the power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, diff fluid, and no documentation of the coolant being changed since the last timing belt job 7 years prior. The brakes were close to needing to be changed, and one headlight ballast went out two weeks into ownership. The rear suspension also didn't align without getting adjustable toe arms. The valve covers always inevitably start leaking around 150k +/- 25k mi.

Now since I have owned the car, I am overzealous with maintenance and obviously keep personal records, but CarFax or the Lexus Drivers site would show nothing during my ownership.

If I could go back I would look for 3 things:
1) lowest miles (within reason - I think 50-100k is a sweet spot, but up to 150k is fine)
2) accident-free (small scratches and dents are fine, but all original paint is valuable, it's hard to match the quality of the factory paint job on these [at a reasonable price])
3) best possible interior (interior trim pieces and seats can be expensive and/or annoying to fix)

To answer your original questions, re: things to look for/inspect that are common fail points:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ml#post7989235

These are big-ticket items you can use for negotiation:
1) Leaking struts, loose/sagging suspension
2) Brakes
3) Valve cover leaks
4) Signs of prior accidents - panel alignment, paint, etc.
5) Timing belt due

TominPT

The lack of maintenance records for the last 65,000 miles is a bit concerning. Perhaps the previous owner took it to a private mechanic, which will not show up on the Lexus site.. Have you obtained a Carfax report? Its better than nothing. Lack of service of a the PS and brake fluid is also rather concerning - not a caring owner (in my opinion). When inspecting or driving, it should idle smooth as glass, suspension make no noise when running down the road. How does the oil look? If you buy this vehicle you are looking at spending a few grand minimum to get it up to snuff - timing belt, fluid changes, possibly brakes and the other items mentioned by nvwls.

LexusAreNice

Where is the car located? I recently had an LS 430 inspected (from a dealer) as I am from out of state. The inspector did a really thorough inspection and provided enough data for me to determine that the previous owners didn't do much for maintenance..

GregE34

I was in a similar position 4 years ago when I bought my LS430. Original owner had it serviced regularly at the dealer. Second owner had no records. Car had 108K when I bought it and about 68K when the Lexus maintenance records stopped. He had a few receipts for oil changes from an independent garage, but nothing more. Price was right, so I took a chance. Haven't had a single maintenance related issue with the car and am at 162K now. These cars were really well built.

LexusAreNice

You are giving me hope. Yes, very few of the cars I have looked at don't show an accident. What I am finding are that dealers really inflate the prices. I don't plan on giving up, something will pop up.

slightreturn

I think life goes easier if you always budget a couple/few thou $ when buying a used car. The nice thing is that with most Japanese cars, if you just replace all filters and fluids, replace the timing/serpentine belt/water pump, get new tires and brakes, get a new battery, and have the thing detailed, you're likely to have a pretty spiffy car that's super reliable.