Cardio

Hey guys my name's Nick and I have a Lexus 92 SC300 w/92,000 miles small mods nothing big exhaust, wheels, BFI, HIDs etc. My dad is looking into buying a Lexus SC430 and i'm a little worried about this deal. It's an 05 w/44,000 miles warrenty till 50,000 miles for 23k. What I have a problem w/it was classified in Califorina as "Lemon" title where their were reocurring problems w/the tires. It was bought back @ a Lexus dealership and recertified @ a dealership in Columbia, MO and then bought buy the owner as of now and has been driven for the past 3yrs w/no problems. Here's the email w/a bit more detailed explanation about the title:

The original owner purchased the car in California, after almost 2 years of driving it they thought the tires were wearing prematurely. From discussions I have had with various people, 15-20k on a set of runflat tires is not unusual depending upon your driving style (perhaps your son knows?). At that point Lexus replaced the tires and I think the wheels. The owner drove it for almost another 2 years and had the same complaint, along with some trouble with the side mirror controls, they also got a duffle bag stuck in the roof mechanism. At this point Lexus had to repurchase the car (after almost 4 years!) and brand it as a lemon. In Missouri this would not have happened. Anyway, Lexus re-certified the car and sold it at auction to a dealership here in Columbia. I purchased it from them. I admit I was leery about buying it as well. But after reviewing the docs, I decided there was likely no mechanical defect and I would take advantage of the lower price. The bluebook value of the car as it sits right now (without the lemon title) is $28,000. This is why I have it listed for 23k. In reality, I took the risk. I can tell you after having the car for 3 years and putting 11k miles on it, mostly highway, there are no mechanical problems. The tires are wearing evenly (see photos) and not prematurely (as far as I can tell from the current mileage). In other words, you too can get a great car for a bargain.


My question is what do you guys feel about this? Is the title problem something to stay away from and keep looking or is it a good deal and go ahead and proceed. We live in Saint Louis, MO and suppose to drive down to Columbia, MO (2hr drive) this Sunday. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

-Nick

mandyfig

Frankly there's no way of telling one way or the other. Just too many unknowns. You just have to rely on research and patience. Take your time. Yes "bargains" are always tempting. But at the end of the day, it is the same as rolling the dice.

You lose some, you gain some.

Patience however will tilt it in your favor.

Yes

From the sound of it, it should be ok. But the information is only as good as the source. I'd use the VIN# to pull the complete service history. I believe you can pull it up online at Lexus.com.

JohnnyCake

What Liquid SC said. This sounds like a load of crap to me.

The car got classified a "Lemon" because the tires were wearing "prematurely?" Not "unevenly" that might suggest a vehicle defect of some sort, rather all four tires were wearing evenly, but prematurely? Somehow that is supposed to be a vehicle defect, not a tire defect, and the dealer has to buy the car back and lose even more money by getting stuck with a Lemon title? This does not pass the smell test, imho.

11K miles in three years is pretty unusual also. That suggests that the guy is rich and is this is just a car to play around with, not a daily driver. But if that's the case, why was he so interested in taking a risk to get a rock bottom price? Or maybe the 11K miles is because the car is a nightmare and not reliable.

Dunno, might be a great deal, but my BS meter is off the scale. OTOH, maybe my meter just needs re calibrating. Don't let me stop you, just my humble opinion. But definitely get the vehicle history as much as you can. Hopefully, it was serviced at a Lexus dealer or it won't be online at all.

tfischer

I agree with the above post. One should not classify a car a lemon because of the tires, which are not made by the auto manufacturer, and which come with a separate warranty. A little bit of basic research will show that the SC430 is one of the most reliable cars ever made, with the highest owner satisfaction ratings and with one of the lowest incidents of defects and repairs.
An SC430 with lots of problems would be a rare find. This sounds like a good deal to me, but, like any used car purchase, I would have it inspected by my own mechanic. If the current owner speaks the truth, this looks like something to jump on.
If you like the color.

jasone36

Personally I would run from this type of car... the info the owner is telling you is typically only the tip of the iceberg... there's usually stuff wrong that the owner will never admit to... and with a lemon title that's nearly guaranteed.

Jabberwock

Have fun trying to resell this car in the future if something is wrong with it - or even if its fine it might be a huge hassle to get rid of unless you give it away. Unless you have very limited budget and you plan to keep car forever, I'd pass. And also unless the back story on the car is documented in writing by the dealer you need to assume its 100% pure unadulterated horse manure.

talwang

iTrader: (4)

Don't gamble your hard earned money on a lemon car.

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

yea with so many out there I wouldnt take the risk, look for a nice 06.

tfischer

Upon further reconsideration, and having read and digested the preceding several posts, I hereby respectfully change my mind. There are too many good SC 430s out there (virtually all of them) to screw around with one having a questionable pedigree.
Keep looking.

barncat

You're allowed! I never thought of the re-sale issue. It would be a tough sell and there are like 400 SC430's listed on Cars.com. Take your time and get maintenance reports.

2jSC3

heeeeeelll no night as well go to the auction and buy a lemon if u can for way cheaper thank 23k

garybc230

Having worked for a few new car and used car dealers in the past, I can tell you that a branded title no matter how good the price is, is just that. Unless you plan on keeping the vehicle for 5 years or more, will never get you back the money spent. And that is saying that everything else is ok. In the event that you need to resell it quickly, most folks are going to be like you on the fence and in the end unless it's a fire sale will pass.