thjakits

Hi all,

I ran into a 2003 LS430 with 15600 miles -

Downside:

- mainly city driven
- lots of street rash

- lots of little things:

-Steering wheel column does not move up/down
-Con tray onthe left does not close
-Garage door opener tray on the roof does not close correctly
-boot does not open

..... I am sure there is more, and most of this would have to be repaired before I buy it.


Question: What else is there to watch for in a 2003 LS430??

Is there a specific thread (no luck with search....) with a pre-buy check list?


Thanx for any and all advise!!


thjakits

So Philly1

How much?? You might wanna weigh your options. Dont forget ls430 parts arent cheap.....

votru

iTrader: (7)

Wow, really low miles for a 2003 and quite strange many thing not functional. Please check carefully as LS430 really well build and reliable for such thing to fail so early. I think pre-buy check list for LS430 is same as buying any other car but you can look in other people thread regarding advice before buying LS430. Fully agree with Philly, price play a big role as you might fix some issue down the road. Is the car CL, ML, or UL package?

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

That is some really low miles..

thjakits

Hi all,

do not know what package it is - yet, but I go the VIN, so I should be able to find out.

Here is the story:

Car is in Panama, and has mostly spent its past life in the city - lots of rash to proof it and tires are about gone too.

The little things, I really don't know why - coin tray clip not working?? Roof tray lock not engaging properly, et...

The car is advertised at 20K, BUT (remember I am in Panama):

The used car dealer says it is more expensive than in US - transport, import, etc.

HOWEVER:
- the market for used Lexus basically does not exist in Panama.
- last model before update (2003/2004)
- the car is on the lot for over a year by now!!
(it is amazing what sales people volunteer to give up right from the start!!)
(if they want to have it another year, don't give me a good price and fast....)
- tires are gone
- lots of little things to fix (e.g. Steering wheel adjustment has to be fixed before I buy...)
- they know I am negotiating a LS400 in Florida, so if they want to get rid of the 430, they need to come way down...

I would have a electronics (cars) guy go through the car too before I buy...

I am aiming for 11K .... (offering 10K to start haggling)

thjakits,

I6turbo

iTrader: (1)

The low miles (if they are accurate) would only carry a limited amount of value to me. It sounds like it may have been pretty badly abused -- to have gotten in that bad a condition in that few miles.

Vpanin

I would also say that the mileage is not accurate

thjakits

Okay.

Normally a Lexus owner in Panama would not bother to mess with the mileage of the car.
Then how would you do that on a Lexus??

Knowing the local customs, I can "believe" this car....

Before I would buy, I will go through it with a list to check in detail what is a miss and then a car electronics guy would go over the car again....

Then, I do agree with JBrady, that the 2004/2005 would be the 430 to go for.....

Damned, it is sooo hard to do the right thing....

thjakits,

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

I use to be a car buyer at auctions and know real well about cars like the one you saw, really 15K miles and the car is in bad shape - your flags should raise or spider senses should be tingling on this. Granted, i haven't seen the car or pictures but usually if its too good to be true it usually is..

Another thing why i brought up that i use to be a car buyer is that, at major auctions i usually see like thousands of cars a day, anyways at auctions there are lanes where cars line up to be bidded and sold. Theres this one lane where its all and only High-mileage luxury brands like Mercedes and Lexus line up. The cars are sold dirt cheap and usually they all get sold. Most of these cars gets taken outside of the U.S. as a common law when releasing a domestic car to a foreign country, the odometer can be legally RESET.

I'm not saying the car you are looking is in this case, but be warned that this car could be one of these high mileage cars that Odo has been reset, how do you explain an LS with this low mileage be this rough condition. I've seen LS's with over 300K miles and still look great..

If you really want to this car start the offers at $5K and then see.. Good Luck!

Edit: Start your offer a $5K but don't buy this car for more than $9K.. Just remember dealers usually have atleast $10K marke-up in used cars.. So don't be embrass to offer low...

Jabberwock

An LS with 15k miles would be mint inside with nothing broken. If you believe it has only 15k with all that stuff broken then go for it, but my guess is the miles have been hacked and you need to pass on this deal. btw - how can the tires be "about gone" with only 15k? I bought an LS with 15K miles this year and the OEM tires still looked brand new with 75% of tread left on them at 15K. Did you mean 156k? - that would be more believable given condition of the car, tires, etc. Get the VIN and place a call to a US Lexus dealer - based on the VIN they can tell you any service that car has ever had at Lexus. Call might be expensive but it may provide some factual information/data points on the car in question.

thjakits

If I PM you guys the VIN of the car, can you find out details?

thjakits,

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

I suggest you run a carfax first and then you will know if those miles are in fact real.. http://www.carfax.com/

Its quick and online. You spend a few dollars and you'll find out in a few minutes. If you need to find out more info, you can contact any U.S. Lexus dealer and they happily email a copy of all the service records for that Vin#.

texan_176

iTrader: (5)

At around 20-22 mpg in town and urban highway driving it is still not too bad to drive an LS. Real world MPG on large trucks and SUVs where drivers race to red lights to not let anyone get in front of them or floor it on the highway to block people from switching lanes is maybe 10-12 mpg even though the EPA says 16-18. I am just glad to not be stuck as one of those as my only vehicle. I will keep driving my 05 as I normally would which is not a whole lot anyway. The last fill up about a week ago was $75 so a bit of sticker shock there. I am driving my wife's 4 cyl Accord (28-32 mpg if you go easy) a bit more to putter around town on small trips.