2002 LX470. High Mileage...is it worth purchasing? (2 Viewers)

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Joined
May 6, 2020
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Location
Hayward, CA
Hi everyone, I'm new to this and looking at purchasing a truck for long trips/off road. I have found an ad on craigslist for an LX470 in the Bay Area of California which interests me. I haven't taken a look at it in person yet as the high mileage is making me wonder whether it's worth the time. If someone can address the average life span of these trucks or advise on whether the high mileage is of concern that would be great. My main purpose would be for trips to LA from the Bay Area, as well as gradually building an off road rig.

I've copied the ad description below:

2002 LX470
odometer: 245,000

I am selling excellent condition 2002 Lexus LX470 4D automatic Wagon/ Sport Utility 4x4. It's 8 cylinder 4.7L engine, very strong and fast. It runs perfect with no mechanical problem. The engine is functioning properly and has no issues. The transmission shifts very smoothly This would be a great commuter car for family. Lexus LX model is very reliable car. Its very good condition for the years; only minor wear and tear at the bumper as to be expected but all over the paint is excellent condition for its age.
Clean title, never been in the accident. All maintenance on time and at Dealer only. I've upgraded all LED lights in interior. The car is Flawless!
It has All-Mode 4 WD with 2WD, Auto, 4WD Locked. Its AWD so would be perfect for someone who would like to explore the mountain or snow. I've just spent a lot of time and several thousands of dollars worth of work and maintenance!

Just paid one year registration until Sept 2020
Mostly freeway miles and regular maintenance

***Recent services of this car:

-New Fuel Pressure sensor
-Transmission fluid & filter @ 240k miles
-Front and rear differential oil and transfer case @240k miles
-Coolant flush @ 240k miles
-New mobil 1 oil @ 240k miles
-At 240k miles = new NGK Iridium spark plugs, denso alternator, transmission flush,
power steering flush, brake flush
-Timing belt @ 240k miles
-New axle in front at passenger side
-Throttle body cleaning
-New air filter, new cabin filter
-New PCV valve
-New air filter
-New cabin filter
-3 years alignment at Pep boys

I've installed two off road lights on the front and back so basically its super bright at night.

***Custom Bluetooth hand free and music for smartphone
***Custom dash cam so it makes you feel confident when driving
***Custom two USB and charger in the back
***Custom LED lights strip and controller in front and second row seats

All electronics is fully function able no check engine lights or anything like that. Its ready for another 200k mile. This is my collection car; only my wife used for dropping and picking up Kids from school;

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mileage doesn't concern me. price is within realm especially considering recent maintenance( make them provide reciepts). what does concern me though is why all the maintenance then suddenly selling. especially the fuel pressure sensor. that's not a normal maintenance item. i think they were trying to fix a driveability issue and discovered a bigger problem.
also 99% likely they replaced that CV axle with an aftermarket which will cause you trouble. if the dealer did the work on these items I'd be interested in at least an inspection. but if not, I personally would walk away. improper maintenance is worse than no maintenance at all IMO.
 
Seems like a good price. I paid alittle more for my 02 and it had alittle more mileage. So far it's been a great truck and I have no regrets.
 
I would approach that LX with caution. The ad is written odd and flowery. "All-Mode 4 WD with 2WD" is a strange thing to state under the same breath of mentioning AWD. Either the owner doesn't have a clue or is lying, both a possible cause for concern.

If the past and recent maintenance can be verified via receipts and the Lexus owners site and the vehicle meets your needs, it would probably be a solid buy if you plan to do some maintenance yourself and thoroughly inspect it before purchase. I bought my '99 with 246k miles a few years back and encountered some catch up maintenance despite a solid service history. You can see my experience in the link in my signature ⬇
 
That looks like a pretty decent deal to me.
 
I would approach that LX with caution. The ad is written odd and flowery. "All-Mode 4 WD with 2WD" is a strange thing to state under the same breath of mentioning AWD. Either the owner doesn't have a clue or is lying, both a possible cause for concern.

If the past and recent maintenance can be verified via receipts and the Lexus owners site and the vehicle meets your needs, it would probably be a solid buy if you plan to do some maintenance yourself and thoroughly inspect it before purchase. I bought my '99 with 246k miles a few years back and encountered some catch up maintenance despite a solid service history. You can see my experience in the link in my signature ⬇

How much would you say you spent in additional maintenance right off the bat?
 
I would press hard on why there's all these expensive maintenance / baseline items then the LX is put up for sale.
 
I might request pictures of the Power Steering Fluid and Coolant, or at least shots of the respective reservoirs. If it’s not ATF and the correct color coolant and flushes were just performed on both systems, that would be cause to run. If things were done correctly and the overall condition of the body, interior, and underside check out, I would say it’s priced right. If the wrong fluids are in the aforementioned systems, they are worse than before the flushes and I wouldn’t trust any of the other repairs/maintenances that have been performed.
 
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So I purchased this 2 weeks ago for my son. It’s a 98 with 230k miles, 2owner with extensive records. I also purchased an 02 for my daughter 2 years ago so I know these rigs fairly well.

I have refurbished both of them.

The 98 above required the following

New leather seats in front, labor and materials $950
Strip and finish all 4 wheels $650
All new amsoil lubes front to rear $350, I did the labor...if I had paid out of pocket id guess $500
Timing belt and water pump parts and labor $600..Ex Toyota tech good deal for sure.
All new filters $75
Exhaust leak $150
But here’s the real kicker...I purchased the rig for $3700....it seems that in certain areas people have no idea what an lx470 is, they only know what a Land Cruiser is, so for me it worked in my favor.

I’m all in under 7k.

With the economy the way it is currently you can get some very good deals for sure.

Just thought this would help with values and estimating costs.
 
How much would you say you spent in additional maintenance right off the bat?
It's impossible to say without actually looking at the LX. I would estimate $1-3k if you do the work or $2-5k if you pay to have the work done. My guess is it will need the same stuff that all the 250k mile rigs need: Steering Rack, front end wheel bearing service, ball joints, AHC flush/adjustment, radiator, heater tees, swaybar link bushings, control arm bushings, etc.
 
Looks like a potentially decent deal to me. Anything under $10K will need more maintenance than expected, some of it critical and some that could be put off for a little while. On this one the timing belt is done and the interior is clean, no rust from the looks of it... inspect it and then make the guy an offer. Norwegians are a generally honest bunch.
 
The mags tell you you have 2 options.1) buy with all the fruit , buy higher. Buy without the fruit - buy lower then add fruit.
Good service history 1 or 2 owners, older owner who takes care of it, no young people who flogged it. Look for dings underneath in diff hubs, sounds when starting the car.

The alternator is about the cheapest part in the engine you will replace (Denso about $770 AUD here) . AC Compressor will probably be close to gone. $1500 at least to change this.

Filters etc are easy fixes, I would not be persuaded by these details. Anyway good luck, looks like a pretty standard vehicle so ask whats his lowest price. :)
 
Sounds very much like my rig when I bought it, put a couple grand in for a handful of smaller items, and love it every day. It's even the same color.
 

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