I'm helping my brother-in-law find a good used ES 350. Today, we're looking at a 2021 ES350 for sale, by owner, in a one-owner vehicle with 43K miles. The owner appears to have neglected the car by not having the scheduled maintenance done by a dealer or indy, but claims he got his oil changes done at a nearby JiffyLube (but no records)! Too, the vehicle is very dirty, but otherwise in good shape. One thing that caught my eye was the coolant being below the "low" line. Can the coolant escape through evaporation over four years, making the level low, or should I suspect the worse--either an external leak (none obvious), or a head gasket leak (allowing coolant go escape into a combustion chamber)?

Otherwise, the price and color combo are perfect, and it drives really well. He's asking $32.8K, which is a little high for what it is--a four-year old, dirty vehicle that has been neglected. We asked about taking the car for a pre-sale inspection, but, the owner is pushing for a fast sale (yet, has only been willing to come down $500 thus far)! We are going to walk away, but still wanted to know people's opinion on the low coolant for future reference. We might be interested at $30K, but I doubt the owner will ever go that low. However, if the coolant level is an issue, we're not interested.

 

Water pump on some of those engines leak. Check for traces of pink around the engine block.