tenshu2k

So,

I recently picked up a 99 SC300 (< 100k miles).

I've owned two other lexuses, a 3G GS and an ES, and I've been impressed by their reliability. I bought the SC for a nice commuter that would hopefully be worry free.

Is this actually a reliable car? So far, I've been in and out of shops getting small things fixed. I'm super, super **** about having my cars function right, but for the SC its seemed a bit more problematic than my other cars. Maybe its just because it's used, and not been maintained by me previously (it's my first 'real' used car).

My primary driver of getting this car as my commuter was bad experiences with BMW & Benz (lets not even mention Audi). Is it just a sin of having a sports or semi-sports car? Or is this truly a reliable, low maintenace, luxury, sports coupe?

How does everyone else feel?

turbodremz

iTrader: (18)

I cant say much with not knowing how many previous owners its had, or how its been taken care of or driven.

But I can say that my 92 (before I started modding and since its been down) with 1 previous owner was absolutely an amazing car. I bought it with 73k original miles, did all the maintenance as scheduled, and even after going na-t on a budget under $2k, it still never let me down up to 93k miles when I pulled the perfectly good 2JZ out and went with an LS1. Only issue it had in stock form was the lighting in the cluster, and even that wasnt bad with only the temperature needle being burnt out.

Of course there are common issues associated with the SC's, ie: cluster lighting, bleeding screens on the climate control, LCA bushings, cracked center vents, leaking o-ring on the distributor...thats all I can think of right now, there may be more, but may be less with your car being a 99..I cant honestly say.

But all in all, if the maintenance is kept up and done properly, and any major issues fixed right away (check your lca bushings just in case), I dont see SC's as problematic cars. Yes they have there common flaws, but what car doesnt? Especially a used one. Reliable, absolutely. Low maintenance, yeah if you stay on top of the regular maintenance. Luxurious, beats an S14 for the same price IMO.

But lucky you, got to skip the potential ignition issues that the SC400's have..

Luxor

iTrader: (15)

I've had my SC300 for well over 5 years. The only big problems that I've had with my car was a failed accelerator sensor,leaking power steering hose, and bad starter contacts. All other problems were minor problems that didn't affect the drive ability of the car such as a couple bulbs burning out etc.

BLK13X

As long as it has seen regular maintenance during it's life then I think you should be good, factoring normal wear items like bushes etc.

My Soarer V8 is my daily. I have a 120km (75 miles) round trip commute everyday and so far the only real out of the ordinary to fail has been one igniter unit, fuel pump ECU and the lower door trims need replacing due to age. Bear in mind that 120km is a pretty decent run to do for a daily commute here in Sydney. My car has 180k on the clock (~112k miles) and average 600km/tank.

In my eyes these are one hell of a reliable car. I bought this car for the same reason as yourself and it's been fabulous.

ChrisH

The scs require regular maintenance like all other vehicles you want to keep running for a long time !

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

They are reliable, yes. If you follow the prescribed maintenance schedule they are great cars. Like any older used car, however, this will also depend on the previous care, maintenance and driving style of the previous owner(s). Even with some overdue maintenance upon purchase it should be fine as long as you get those things taken care of.

Major components can go bad but you do NOT need to buy many of them from a Lexus dealer. Several well known alternative new OEM parts sources bring the cost down to something reasonable. It's just old cosmetic bits that can be annoying to replace.

I can't think of many fun cars with such potential for bolt-on performance upgrade parts that I'd consider totally reliable at nearly 200k miles once all the maintenance is up to date and the cosmetics are fixed.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

it's used and 12 yrs old. Get used to the small fixes. Some people here have over 200k on older SC's and still goin strong

Joey-E

iTrader: (1)

Yes.

Levistey0

practically any car will be reliable as long as you do the proper preventive maintenance that it needs.

if you're going to abuse and neglect it, it's Toyota so it will last you awhile.

I could guarantee you that there isn't a more comfortable, more satisfying car for the money.

Take care of it, enjoy it, and it will take care of you!

btw, i have 230k on mines and it's still kickin' lovely!

WilsonHTID

Very reliable. Probably one of the most reliable cars I've ever seen or owned.

Dv8

I have two 20 year old cars. The z30 is far better off than the other. It does have its problems, but when presented with a used car to expect it to be issue free would be unrealistic.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

The engine is the most well built part of the car. Of course there are other things down the road that will fail.

It's cheap to buy the car, but expensive to maintain. While it's less likely to leave you stranded on the road, you do have the occasional hiccups. Rear main seal can be expensive and they're somewhat prone on the 2JZ.

However you bought a 1999 model which means it's probably not as beat up like most of the SCs. Things will fail..it'll just take longer

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I'd definitely say these cars are reliable if you bought a well maintained SC. Since you've got a 99, it should be in better shape and have less issues.

My SC's biggest issue was when the fuel pump ECU went out and caused my car to constantly die. Other than that, my steering rack bushings are dead and I've got some routine engine maintenance to do. It's been pretty reliable after I fixed that fuel pump ECU and hasn't given me any trouble.

ls400love

iTrader: (3)

What everyone else said.