Advice on Buying this 200

[auchief]

Has AHC ever been serviced?

I don't see it on any of the services I'm able to look up. Other fluids have all been checked and/or replaced multiple times. That can't be great. I was able to raise and lower the height. But I would definitely want to have that looked at and build repair/service cost into the purchase.

 

[4gotalot]

"Significant wear on the drivers seat" tells me lots of stops with 2 primary drivers that may have been just off the highway 90% of the time.

 

[Hammeredsole]

I’d pass and wait on a proper Land Cruiser. The extra chrome and AHC are a big turn off for me, not to mention the high miles. Wait a bit and look longer, something will turn up.

 

[auchief]

Update: I'm looking for a place to get a pre-purchase inspection. I had a couple of general mechanics recommended to me by some of my wife's co-workers(she works in the same city the car is for sale in, about an hour from where we live), but nothing I'd consider a rock solid recommendation. I have a few options. One is a hole-in-the-wall mechanic based on one of those recommendations, and the inspection would be free.

The next option is a shop I found through some google searching for a Lexus specific shop. They aren't that, but they do have favorable google reviews (whatever that is worth) and they'll do a visual only inspection for $55 or a more thorough inspection where they take a closer look, remover wheels and other things to get a better look. This service is $155

And finally there is just the old chain Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers (which I've had good experiences with in the past for basic work on both a Toyota and a Pontiac). They'll do a standard pre-purchase inspection for $20.

I'm having a tough time deciding what I should do here. I feel like I'll get what I pay for with a free inspection. Same with the $20 one really.

I just want to know if there are any time bombs waiting to explode, I'd feel much better taking it to someone that deals with these cars on a regular basis, but that seems to be non existent in the Columbus, GA area. The owner has ruled out taking it to Atlanta, which is over an hour away.

 

[grinchy]

I had my lx remote inspected by lemon squad. There are several companies in this space. It’s a lot like a home inspector, lots of pictures and a road test report, but they’re not disassembling anything.

I wouldn’t use a free inspection, definitely get what you pay for.

Could always ask a mud member to look at it.

 

[32cls6speedmt]

I purchased a 2013 lx 570 out of Tallahassee, Florida from a bmw dealership. There was no lexus dealerships in town so it was taken to a toyota dealership. I requested that the master tech inspect on lift. They charged $125.00. I didn't receive any photos but a reassurance that it was in great condition. It is definitely worth paying for the peace of mind of an inspection.

 

[auchief]

I purchased a 2013 lx 570 out of Tallahassee, Florida from a bmw dealership. There was no lexus dealerships in town so it was taken to a toyota dealership. I requested that the master tech inspect on lift. They charged $125.00. I didn't receive any photos but a reassurance that it was in great condition. It is definitely worth paying for the peace of mind of an inspection.

I've contacted the Toyota dealership (Rivertown Toyota in Columbus, GA) a few times. Each time I got varying answers. The last time I was told they won't do anything more than just the free inspection they do with every oil change to any vehicle older than 2010. That seemed weird to me. I may call them back tomorrow and see if I can get through to an actual tech. I would like someone with at least a cursory knowledge of these vehicles to take a look. Trouble is, I don't even think they sell LCs at this dealership. These things are rare, and purchases are made in Atlanta/Birmingham/Montgomery.

 

[Mendocino]

Auchief, you sound quite emotionally invested in this rig. I consider that a red flag. The tranny would be an immediate disqualification for me. I'm only mentioning this because you asked for feedback. I'd let this go, write down exactly what you want that is a stretch to source but within your budget, and go find it. Good luck, YMMV.

 

[auchief]

Auchief, you sound quite emotionally invested in this rig. I consider that a red flag. The tranny would be an immediate disqualification for me. I'm only mentioning this because you asked for feedback. I'd let this go, write down exactly what you want that is a stretch to source but within your budget, and go find it. Good luck, YMMV.

I appreciate your perspective and feedback. As you said, I did ask for it! I am letting this cool off until the holidays are over, and then I'll reassess.. The tranny replacement seems to be a divisive topic, both here and elsewhere. On one hand you have those that think a new transmission is a good thing, because it's new. On the other hand you have those that see it as a very bad sign. It seems to be pretty evenly split 50/50.

I'm giving till after the holidays before I make a decision on whether to move forward with an inspection and then possible purchase. I know this truck will need work, and I do not want to pay $15k knowing I'll need new tires, possibly a new starter, water pump, drive belt, etc soon. IF i can get the truck for closer to the $12k range and it checks out upon inspection, this is exactly what I'm looking for, save the color, which is growing on me after seeing a few other black 200s on this site. If not, I'll be walking away.