Mpooyan83

so i just got a 92 sc400, for a pretty good deal i think, however i talked to a mechanic yesterday and he scared the heck outta me regarding how expensive these cars are to take care of. i really love the SCs, i had a sc300 for over a year and it had a load of issues so i sold it.
this one seems to be in great shape. it does seem like it is having some control arm issues now. but other then that it seems awesome.
my question is, since i dont wanna make any hasty disicions, is it really that expensive to take care of this car? should i sell if im a student with not alot of money and a wife. any tips and suggestion for a newb? thanks.

powerjunky

iTrader: (2)

they are well built, but are old and require tlc

im sure it run flawless for the 1st 10 years of its life, but yes it will cost to to keep it maintained..........my .02

SClean4

the parts are expensive because I've heard there's not as much demand for parts since they are such good cars and don't break down as much as other cars. i went to have my SC maintained and it costed me $1850 (it needed a lot of maintenance). Damn, that really woke me up. Stupid used car dealerships selling cars that need that kind of maintenance. I figured if I got a Lexus, I wouldn't have to make repairs, etc. and then I have to pay $1850 after I get it! The good part is that they don't break down much so you really don't have to worry about repairs all the time, just needs to be maintained every once in a while and keep everything working well.

RolxuSC400

Sounds like you did this backwards...you should brought it to your mechanic BEFORE you signed on the dotted line or at least reviewed the "known issues" threads in the forum here.

In any event there are numerous discussions on this very topic in the forum and they are quite exhaustive. They detail known issues with the car and resolutions. Use the search function its your best friend. In short like it was said they are as old as 16 years old and require regular maintenance like anything else. Find yourself a good independant mechanic you trust and at least your labor costs will be reasonable and alot of the parts that have issues can be swapped with Toyota to further save money. Your mechanic can tell you if you bought a solid foundation or one poured on quicksand!

Happy searching and enjoy the car.

RexNICO

iTrader: (1)

Anyway you slice it, you bought a $40k V8 "Luxury Sport Coupe", the cost of ownership (upkeep) will be more than if you bought a 16 yr old Honda.

This also usually contributes to the low (used) purchase price. It's not uncommon for some one to take their (older) luxury car in for repair, get presented with a large bill and decide to sell versus repair.

Forums, like this one, help most of us drive (and maintain) cars that would normally (when newer) be out of our price range.

Acura, Audi, Infiniti, Lexus all fit in that boat.

pmpdaddyt

iTrader: (4)

i am also a student, and i have a 92 sc400. i havent really had any major issues but i have had the regular sc problems; overheating, bad motor mounts and tranny mounts, needs to be ground again, but these are all easy fixes. there are people like gazi who can supply quality parts for excellent prices. its a lot more affordable than i expected, and i would never regret this choice

Five1OH

I was searching around the forums and I saw this post from the same user sevearal times. I just HAVE to ask. Where did you get the work done, and what was all done that cost you a total of $1,850?

I know the parts from Lexus are more expensive that parts for Chevys or Hondas, (obviously) but once you take care of the regular maintenance stuff, they'll go forever. I can't say the same for BMWs.

The parts for BMWs are rediculous, and they have so many problems and flaws. Not to even mention that you have to spend about $1,000 in special BMW tools that you NEED for doing a headgasket job, etc. That's what I call a maintenance nightmare.

You can tear these cars apart with a tool set from autozone, and buy a lot of parts from Toyota. Yeah it's more expensive than a Honda but not too shabby for a Lexus

Blizzy

iTrader: (-1)

There is no doubt that replacement parts for the car are relatively expensive, especially going through a Lexus dealer. However, there is also no doubt that an SC400 brought back to genuine stock form is among the most reliable vehicles on the road.

Lower control arms become an issue with enough miles on the clock. Often times, it is just the bushings that need replaced and not the actual arms themselves.

The power steering pump has a tendency to leak into the alternator which lies below it. This can cause quite a headache. Keep an eye on the power steering fluid levels, and if you are losing fluid at a fast rate, identify the spot of the leak before it gets too late.

Other than that, the major issues with the car are largely cosmetic: condensation in headlights, cracks in the interior trim, etc.

For the most part, the SC400 is freakishly reliable. If you spend a little money to bring your used SC back up to speed, plan to drive the car for a long time so that you can get the full value out of the repairs. Given the reliability record of the vehicle, that should be no problem.

One_jZ_SC3

iTrader: (2)

I am also a college student that is not on financial aid or loans so I can tell you first hand he is right. Once you fix the mechanical issues then you will have a great car. I had my car for more than a year now just getting it running the way I want and finally got around to dropping a 1J in it! Trust me you wont be disappointed if you decide to keep the car!

SClean4

paying the bill is the hard part, after that the car will never or rarely have any problems other than the normal stuff, battery, etc. i really think it needs to be cheaper for parts, etc. Luckily there's a thriving used/new market for getting cheap parts instead of at the dealership prices.

Mr.NA_T

Get it, trust me you will love it

Mpooyan83

Thanks for all the feedback, definetly made the disicion easier to keep it. the only issue i am having with my SC4 is the Lower Control arms. but like ya'll said. i can get the parts or the bushings for cheap. BUT, finding a mechanic which will do it for cheap is the issue now. i gotta do some searching for a mechanic now. but even with the lower control arm issue, it drives beautifully.
thanks again all for ur helpful feedback.