connorb850

Hey guys,
I am going to look at a local 1995 SC300 (my first Lexus) in the next couple days to purchase. I've been doing some searching for major issues to look for but and had a few questions before I go look with cash in hand.

First, is $5500 a decent price for an auto with 150k if its in good shape? I am a bit worried that the owner says he has no maintenance records but the car is up to date according to him. Is there a way I can run the VIN through a Lexus dealer to check if maintenance has been done? He did say that he recently had the power steering pump, alternator, and battery replaced for $900 (steering fluid leaked on alt. causing it to fail).

Is a 1995 an interference engine and at what mileage should the belt be replaced? How can I tell if the belt was done, would there be a sticker under the hood like some other cars?

Also I'm wondering how are the automatic transmissions in these cars? Generally are they reliable and how many miles do they typically go for?

Thanks in advance for any help!

joshthorsc

$5500 sounds like a good deal on a 95' SC300 considering if it's in good condition.

Not to scare you, but I had to replace a ton of parts on my SC300 due to poor maintenance. I sort of jumped on the deal because it was a 5 speed, but the car is now running way better than before.

Does he have any receipts for the parts he replaced? I know that the alternator is located on the opposite side of the power steering pump(SC300) so if anything was to leak on the alternator, the only thing I can think of is motor oil from the distributor O-ring(happened to me).

If the metal shield around the distributor looks dirty and oily, you should change the O-ring seal.

If you are not sure about the belt, you can have a mechanic look at it or replace it to be on the safe side.

I'm not sure if the 95' engines are interference, but I don't think they weren't, but you might want to do some more research on that.

The transmission(and engine) are both reliable, but it also depends on how well you maintain the car and your driving.

~Josh

connorb850

Thanks for the info. Maybe he meant the distributor when he was talking about the leak.

He said he has very minimal receipts/records, and that's what worries me with this car. I am hoping the Lexus dealers have some kind of database so I can run the VIN and see what kind of maintenance (if anything) has been done at the dealer?