modameru

Greetings !
I am planning to Buy the above Lexus. This was used by my Uncles (2 people only have used this car); It was brought with all bells-n-whistles then...like the rear seat Massage !
I have scheduled for a "Buyer inspection" at the local lexus dealer.

Apart from that... i just need some guidance... what are the key aspects i should look for? Owning one of these was my dream ! honest question... is it worth it? Any DIY to get the sparkle back in the "dull" headlights? and any useful info for me to make the decision to buy. Will the insurance be high? any guidance appreciated. I live in Boston area. Thanks in advance. Wish me luck.

DrVlikhell

Go for it! And don't look back. Buying a car from people you know is the best way to buy a car. That way you know how the car was treated and maintained and can ask them openly about the car. The rear seat massage means the car you're looking at has the Ultra Luxury package, aka a UL model. It has an insane amount of options and you should absolutely be excited to own it.

You can do a buyer inspection at the Lexus dealer if you want, but I personally wouldn't bother. These cars are known to be extremely reliable. Also, the Lexus dealer will charge often rather high prices for anything they might think needs attention. Depending on what they find, their high repair prices could scare you off or dampen your spirits. But don't let that happen. These cars are not very difficult to work on and many things can be done yourself with a decent tool kit. Learning to work on it yourself will save you a tremendous amount of money.

Insurance will depend on your age, driving history, and where you live, but it should not be any more expensive than any other large sedan. The headlights suffer from oxidization and cloudiness like most other cars of that era. There are tons of DIY methods to bring back their shine. The best ones involve multiple wet standing steps and end with special UV clearcoat designed for plastic. There are many YouTube videos comparing different products available and a rather good video by ChrisFix detailing how to do it yourself.

Common problems include the motors for the power tilt/telescoping steering column will die, power folding mirror motors die, the center section of the exhaust rusts through, the speaker foam disintegrates and causes the stereo system to sound "tinny" and may cause rattling or buzzing noises, the key snaps in half (easy $10 fix), the power door lock actuators might also die. Other than that, people mostly just have to do regular maintenance with the occasional random repair. Also take note, out of everything I listed, none of them will leave you stranded. Dire problems with core operating components are rare.

Bocatrip

Buying from family is a great plus...Any accidents or rust? How's the transmission? Let us know how you make out?

modameru

Dr. Vlikhell,

Thank you so much for your incredibly detailed and helpful response! You are truly a cornerstone of this forum. Communities like this thrive because of kind and knowledgeable members like you who take the time to guide others. Your insights are invaluable, and I will definitely put your advice to good use. I’m so excited to own this car!

If you don’t mind, I have one more question. At what mileage is a timing belt typically replaced? That’s something I should check, right? And, if it hasn't been done yet, how much does a timing belt replacement usually cost?

Thank you again for all your help.

modameru

Thanks for the kind reply. I have not run a CARFAX... again it costs too ! I shall get the inspection done...then i will know the details. I shall keep you posted.

DrVlikhell

The timing belt is to be done every 90k miles. The water pump gets replaced at the same time since the timing belt runs the water pump. With higher mileage cars it is a good idea to also replace all of the idler pulleys for the timing belt as well, including the weird one with four legs. Most of these cars had their first timing belt service done at the, dealer so if your uncle doesn't know when it was changed and there are no service records for the car, you can contact a dealer and ask them if they will look up the car to see if/when it was in for a timing belt service. If the dealer doesn't have a record of the service, look for a sticker somewhere under the hood, under the engine cover, or possibly in the driver door jamb. Timing belt kits usually come with a sticker for the mechanic to stick on the car that tells the date and mileage of when the timing belt service was done. If you can't find the information anywhere, you can either assume that it was done at 90k miles and that you have 30k miles to go before it needs to have the timing belt changed again, or you can assume it has never been changed and change it now.

Costs for replacing the timing belt and water pump are usually somewhere between $1200 and $1500. If you're used to working on cars yourself, it's not a particularly tough job, it's just lengthy. By doing it yourself you could save around $1000 because parts are only about $350. Also, there's generally no need for a Carfax report when buying the car from a family member, your uncle can probably tell you if he's been in an accident with the car or not. When you have the car in for a buyer inspection at the dealer, that would be a good time to ask them to check their records to see if/when the timing belt has been changed, and also ask them if they can print out a service history for you. Though you may want to make sure they don't charge extra for that. If they'll do it as part of the inspection that would be great, that will get you a large part of the information contained in a Carfax.

aypues

UL’s have air suspension so be ready for some big bills for that. If the ride is fatiguing or bouncy at all it’s time to replace. Impex Japan has them for 1/3 the cost (about $700 each) of US retail if you want to keep the system on air which I recommend. I just replaced my rears which weren’t even leaking oil but the ride was awful at 20 yrs and 14 yrs old, respectively….now it just glides down the freeway and the handling is much more sure footed, I even did a section at 100mph and it was so smooth and confident, I felt in total control.

The trick on the headlights/foglights is to have Xpel or similar film applied right after the plastic is refinished. It keeps them crystal clear for about a decade.

TominPT

Regarding the headlights, I have had good results with the Sylvania Headlight Restoration kit; and re-applying a UV protecting spray coating every year or so. Mine look like new.
As far as the general question of whether you should go for it, I would say yes. The build quality is just outstanding and if maintained will last many many years, even though the car now is 20 years old.
If the Lexus dealer inspection looks like a lot is due, it might be inflated or suggesting things that may not be necessary, post it up here before you freak out.
The only main drawback I could see to buying the car is if there is serious rust issues with it, in which case I would reluctantly say pass on it.

modameru

Greetings everyone !
I did get the Lexus dealer inspect the car. here are the findings... apart from these all else looks good.
few observations...
Mechanical:

•  
  • Oil leak estimated to cost $1500.
  • Navigation display not working.
  • Mirror adjustments are not smooth.
  • Rear right window glass has a hazy blob.
  • Timing belt replaced at 98k miles.
  • The Dash has bubbles due to exessive heat in the region the car was in... for now there is a suede cover; no way to fix this; have to live with.
  • Lexus dealer confirmed no accidents looking at the various parts and their alignment and mint condition; however CARFAX not done.

My Questions:

1. Oil Leak: Is the $1500 repair for the oil leak a necessary expense or a potential overcharge? I couldn't verify the leak personally.
2. Tires: The tires as per records 10 years old and show signs of wear/ cracks/ chiped. My uncle has been using it for past 5 years and he did not replace tyres. Should I replace them immediately?
3. Overall Value: Considering the potential costs of the oil leak and tires adding up to $2500, is the car still a good value at the KBB price range of $3260-$5970?

Sincere Thanks in advance to all the responses and guidance.

ninetwo

The cars a great value, grab it for the low end of kbb, buy yourself a nice set of Michelin tires and monitor your oil leak.
When you buy the car you should jack it up and clean the spots you can see oil has leaked onto, get under with a rag and get the thing shiny clean. Change your oil, drive the car, then jack it back up and find your oil leaks, if they aren't severe you should be totally fine just monitoring your oil level for now.
The rest of the issues are superficial to me and would just be negotiating points to get to the bottom of KBB or lower - if the car drove nice and I wanted to own it.

If the leaks were severe enough, fix them - you dont have to give it to Lexus if you can save 500 or 1000 from a different shop with a good reputation, that takes pride in their work. Just do your homework.
Timing belt job would be coming up in a year or two of daily driving.

I would buy it, I'm going to look at one tomorrow with 130k on it, guys asking $3500.
Great vehicles.