Thank you, Gbp. I am not too familiar with CPO warranties but what you expressed does match up with what Lexus told me today. The basic 4yr/50k and 6yr/70k powertrain warranty will both transfer to me, but doesn't do me much good with the car being at 69k miles already. Lexus rep said the extended warranty (which is the unlimited miles powertrain warranty) will NOT transfer to me. Since this is a private seller, I am not sure how to go about re-certifying the car or getting extended warranty coverage. Not sure if any of those options are even available to me under the circumstances. According to Toby, in Louisiana that specialises in extended Lexus warranties, the car's mileage and private-sale status both preclude me from getting additional warranty coverage...at least directly from Lexus.

 

When I realized the seller wasn't a Lexus dealer, I modified my post accordingly. The re-certification possibility assumed the seller was a Lexus dealer. If you want to get an extended warranty, you will have to find a third-party company. There are posts on this forum about positive and negative experiences with third-party companies. Sometimes the same company will have both types of reviews.

ETA: If you belong to a credit union, some of them offer deals with extended warranty company. Of course, due diligence is vital, regardless of how you find out about the company.

 

FT1,
Shame you don't have a preexisting relationship with a Lexus Service Advisor as 1000 miles is plenty to get anything even borderline replaced should there be anything. As the mothership does not pay a dealer nearly the same as you or I, dealers are often less likely to recommend or stress the need of things being replaced that fall under the warranty.

All that said, at 69,000 miles, there really should not be much of anything needing replacement provided good ownership by the PO. If this car is a serious candidate (which it seems to be) this is decidedly a car that should be taken to the dealer for a PPI as anything aside from wear items should be covered during the remaining 1000 miles you have left.

The fact that the warranty is really only 1000 miles should also make a difference in your negotiations with the seller. By now, you know well what the weak spots are on these cars. I certainly did not give it a second thought not having a warranty after looking into these cars and I purchased the dreaded 2007 model!

 

I too wouldn't worry about a warranty. Set aside some money and there, you're self warranting lol

 

I thought about having it inspected at a Lexus dealership too. We have two in town and the seller has a good relationship with one dealership that I don't have too high of an opinion of. However, the experience there has been good for the seller and he seems to take it in whenever there is even an inkling of soemthing wrong. Since the seller already takes it there, I wanted to get a "second opinion". The other Lexus dealership in town treats me much better but my last experience with them with our LS 430 required my indie to undo what the dealership caused. I trust and have a great relationship with my indie (with 20 years combined Toyota/Lexus dealership experience). He is thorough and gives me a special price of $70 for the PPI. It isn't the discounted pricing that matters here. I would easily pay the $160 to a Lexus dealership if I felt they would do a better job. If my indie finds something that the warranty will cover then I will ask the seller to please take care of it. It may not be the most convenient approach but I have more faith in my indie. In my heart I am hoping this is just a formality. The car drove so well during an extended test drive that I would be shocked if anything major was revealed. We will see.

 

Yeah I can't imagine what the issues would be...

 

99% of the time, that's exactly what ends up being the most financially smart thing to do. Especially on a reliable vehicle.

 

The counter to this is the anecdotal evidence from LS460 owners who have found value in a CPO warranty or extended service contract. The odds that the benefits of an extended warranty of some kind would be financially worthwhile might be low, but they are not zero, the peace of mind is an intangible benefit, and no one wants to be "that guy" who wished they had purchased an extended warranty.

From what I've read, the Lexus CPO warranties and extended service contracts are excellent in terms of coverage. They don't just cover mac handicap failures, but most of the electrical stuff that can go wrong, as I discovered when some of the buttons on my infotainment system were no longer backlit. Because of the integrated nature of the car, this wasn't a matter of replacing a light bulb; the whole unit needed to be replaced.

Due to compatability issues, my disk drive had to be replaced too, and my maps re-upgraded. It turns out that the selling dealer hadn't done the 60K service, which includes spark plug replacement as part of the CPO prep process. Lexus corporate covered that for me as a one-time exception, but the car's CPO status surely helped. My front shocks (non-air) were leaking and replaced. A brake actuator was replaced. And so on. I hope my LCA's need replacing while under the CPO warranty. I paid zero for these services. The cost was the presumably higher price for a CPO vehicle.

Now if you're a DIY'er or have the time and inclination to use independents rather than dealers for issues like these, one's costs go down. When my CPO warranty expires, if I decide to keep my car, I'll likely go the independent route. In the meantime, I'm not "that guy".

 

Due to a mix-up in my training dates this week, I was available to take the 2013 LS in for a PPI this morning instead of Thursday. Should have the report later this afternoon.

I have driven the car a total of 1 hour so far and had a chance to test many features and get to know her better. The rear massaging seats are really a novelty/gimmick. I don't see how the mild Sonicare-like vibration eases any tight muscles. I have more concern that the vibrating action will shake something loose in the car.

I didn't realize until today that Sport mode doesn't change any suspension settings, according to the screen graphic. I find myself liking Sport+ a lot more today. There is a familiar S-turn that I take to work each day. It is a 40 MPH turn and the LS 430 exhibits noticeable lean at 50 MPH. The LS 460, on Sport+, cruised through the turn so drama-free that I had to look in the rear view mirror to confirm I already took the curve!

Are the pedals adjustable in the LS 460? I feel like the brakes are very grabby and I have to lift my leg and foot up more to clear the brake pedal. I really like the smooth brake travel of the LS 430. This is not a reason to pass on the LS 460, just an observation. I am still practicing to learn how to brake more smoothly. I can move my seat back further to modulate the brake pads better but then I'm a little too far from the gas pedal.

I am very sensitive to sounds in a car and it is one reason I am glad we don't have a 2016 RX because the faint AC condenser whine would drive me nuts. The 2013 LS has a faint drivetrain whine when I press on the gas and lift off the pedal. Can someone please confirm if this is normal? I let my mechanic know about it since he is more familiar with what 460s should sound like. The steering wheel is vibration free but I can detect a faint vibration when I rest my hand on the gear shift. Nothing excessive and I've felt the same in other cars. Just noticed it because my LS 430 and my mechanic's LS 430 do not let any drivetrain vibration pass through to the steering wheel nor gear shift.

​​​The Lexus service history (attached) shows that an inspection in August 2016 noted that front control arms had been replaced but am not sure why. Current owner says he is not aware of this and possibly they were replaced by the first owner.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that the 8-speed tranny shifts so transparently! I was half an hour into this morning's commute when it dawned on me that I haven't felt any gear shifts! It is smoother than the 2011 LS 460L that I test drove last month and, up until now, I thought that tranny was extremely smooth. The 2013 LS 8-speed shifts seamlessly and is definitely better than our 2006 LS 430 6-speed (LS 430 5-speed is still impressive to me). I have not always been impressed in the 8-speed based on test drives of 2007 and 2008 models, but the tranny in this 2013 truly is marvelous.

 

Thank you, Gbp, I will call our credit union and inquire about warranty.

 

As for warranties, like I've said before if they didn't make money selling warranties, they wouldn't sell them.

As for the brakes, that's just kind of how the brakes on the LS460 are, they are kind of grabby and not as linear as the brakes on the LS430. You get used to it pretty quickly though. It only bothers me for a little bit when I get back into the LS after having driven say our van on a long trip. They bug my wife when she drives the LS because she doesn't drive it very much.

As for the drivetrain whine, I don't have any such whine that I can detect. You do feel a little vibration at idle through the gearshift. Remember the 460 is a timing chain and direct injection, they don't idle quite as silently as the LS430.

 

Ain't it always?

As for "that guy", this is exactly why I don't get an extended warranty. I'd rather be the guy who has the odds in his favor and pocket the winnings on a bet. A bet that sides the odds in his favor is the guy who opts out of a warranty purchase. I will say though, that a Lexus CPO is the only exception I MIGHT go with. I've been screwed by aftermarket warranties and I don't want to be the "sucker" (or as you said, "that guy"), who gets screwed again. Fool me once, fool me twice etc. Do you ever wonder why a dealership spends more time trying to sell you a warranty than they do selling you the car? I don't. I know why....because they believe they'll come out ahead. You're betting they're wrong. I'd rather take that money and take my wife on a nice vacay. Even if I'm wrong and get a hefty bill, it won't be catastrophic. The most likely high expense repair will be the control arms. I replaced ALL my front control arms (only two were needed, but I went all in), 4 new shocks/struts cost me 1500 dollars inc labor at my Indy. Transmissions, engines etc, are all bullet proof on these cars.

 

What it really is is insurance. You are spending $X for insurance against mechanical failures. Personally, I would only ever even consider a Lexus warranty, never a third party warranty...and since all that is available to the OP on this car is a third party warranty, I would pass.

 

Let us know what the PPI comes back with!

 

Oh, let the extended warranty debate begin again

In this particular case, Fto1 cannot buy a Lexus Platinum warranty, and replacing the air suspension, the most expensive repair with this car, will not be covered by 3rd party warranties. At 70K miles, some CAs have been replaced, and the rest can be replaced relatively cheaply by his indy shop. Being an UltraLux, other things could potentially go bad in the next 50K miles. Nevertheless, "investing" 3K on an extended warranty that won't cover air suspension is not wise because he still won't have peace of mind. The calculus would have been completely different if Fto1 were considering a Lexus Platinum warranty that many here (including myself) have purchased because it covers all suspension and interior components.

We all agree that the Platinum or CPO warrranty is essentially insurance and provides peace of mind, especially for a fully optioned LS. Since Fto1's car isn't eligible, I agree that he should forgo any warranty.

P.S. I hope the PPI goes well. I am a bit concerned by the underbody "damage" in the service record at 44263 miles, and the casual reference to front CA replacement at 62715 miles. There is no record of when and where they were replaced.