Almost 200k GX- Worth it? (1 Viewer)

[crbalthazor]

Hi All-
Hate to post a 'value' question, but just want some re-assurance from the pros. I am going to most likely buy a 04 GX470, with 192,000 miles on the odometer. Two owner truck, current owner has had it from '07 til now. Service records are complete (well, it's a 2" thick folder), with all Lexus dealership oil changes but the last timing belt at 123K from an Indy Shop. No leaks or drips, and everything worked like designed for the most part. Only negative is that the engine does have green coolant in it (looks like it was a good flush, doesn't look brown in radiator).

The only things I noted were that the 'low' range light on the dash did not come on when the truck is engaged in 4wd. Forgot to mention, that the dash was just replaced by Lexus however, so maybe they left an indicator off behind the dash and I could have them repair pro-bono? I also did not have a good hill to check the DAC on, but have not heard of any issues with it generally.

Asking was 10900, I am at $9800. I would like to do some gentle overland and trails, plan a 2"lift, bumper, and bigger tires... After I do a timing belt, water pump, and flush the cooling system with toyota SLLC.... Would the mileage lead anyone to believe there are failures around the corner?

2004 Lexus GX470 Excellent Condition

 

[jclarke450]

I bought an 03 with 167k for my mom and paid 9300. No regrets at all. My recent acquisition of a 2004 with 210k is for it to be my DD. I have 199k on my 100 LC and feel its just as strong. As long as the right stuff has been done, I don't get concerned on these drivetrains as long as the price is fair. The 4.7 is a STRONG platform for longevity to beat as long as its taken halfway decent care of. My buddy had 263k on his 2004 V8 4runner had original plugs,WP/TB when I changed them at Xmas time this year. Still ran like a top.

 

[freddydt]

The only things I noted were that the 'low' range light on the dash did not come on when the truck is engaged in 4wd.

I'm not aware of a 4LO dash light. If there is, mine's out too. Lol. It's a full-time 4WD drive system so you're only switching between 4HI & 4LO, not 2WD & 4HI/4LO (You may know that. Not insulting your intelligence). My shift knob is also from a 100 series so the H-N-L is backwards from the actual gear positions.

 

[crbalthazor]

Right on! I just couldn't remember if the other '04 I test drove had a light for 4Lo... Guess I am used to that from American products. I knew these are 4wd full time, so there was no 4hi position for the lever to go into; But it's rad to know that there is no 4Lo light indicator that is potentially broken.

 

[GXO]

Yep. Some systems disable when in 4L. That's about all you see with the shift

 

[dnp]

I bought an 03 with 167k for my mom and paid 9300. No regrets at all. My recent acquisition of a 2004 with 210k is for it to be my DD. I have 199k on my 100 LC and feel its just as strong. As long as the right stuff has been done, I don't get concerned on these drivetrains as long as the price is fair. The 4.7 is a STRONG platform for longevity to beat as long as its taken halfway decent care of. My buddy had 263k on his 2004 V8 4runner had original plugs,WP/TB when I changed them at Xmas time this year. Still ran like a top.

I agree with this assessment about longevity. Our first GX was an '03 we bought with 36,000 miles and sold with 168,000. ZERO problems - probably the best all-around vehicle I ever had. My '00 Land Cruiser has 306k miles on it now, and it runs like a top (same engine, different transmission than a GX). You just about can't kill a 2UZ....unless you run it out of oil or overheat.

I bought my '04 with 156k miles last October for $9,000, and in retrospect, I think I paid too much. Even as unbelievable as these trucks are, for some reason, they've really dropped in price over the last year. You can regularly find them less than $8,000 in this market......any many with lower miles. In your case, $9,800 for a GX with 192k on it sounds high to me. Unless it's the exact truck you want and you'll never find another one, you can beat that price.

Just my opinions based on my observations.

 

[jclarke450]

@dnp , here in Az they are not coming down that low in price. Although you also don't deal with any rust, just fading paint if it wasn't garaged and that's fairly obvious. I see them for under $10k once in a while, but very rare unless they are dogged out. Totally different markets. Just my $0.02.

 

[dnp]

@dnp , here in Az they are not coming down that low in price. Although you also don't deal with any rust, just fading paint if it wasn't garaged and that's fairly obvious. I see them for under $10k once in a while, but very rare unless they are dogged out. Totally different markets. Just my $0.02.

Yeah, you definitely have to weed through them to make sure you're considering a decent vehicle, but for instance, there are 32, sub-$9,000 GXs on Autotrader right now. Some are higher mileage, but many of them are not, and many are from non-rustbelt states. You definitely have to search the market. My '04 was a lifelong Texas truck. ZERO rust, 158k.

 

[mexellent]

Bought a 2000 Lexus LS400 for 7000 from a very wealthy man once. The car was about to break 200k when I bought it. They had a bunch of property in east texas and thats where they lived, however, every month or so they would go spend some time in Dallas to appease the wife. Went and looked at the car and it was AMAZING. I didnt even negotiate with him. He had the car detailed and then I went to pick it up at his mansion about a week later. I swear, it looked like the car was on the cover of a brochure. The car was black with a platinum package. The paint looked WET because the car was so nice. I had that car for two years and then sold it to my dad. My dad still has it and he loves it. I drive that car back and forth between DFW and San Antonio every once in a while.

Moral of the story: Im more concerned with the previous owners of the car and the service history rather than the mileage. I wouldn't hesitate buying a high mileage Toyota/Lexus from the right owner.

 

[GXO]

Service matters most. I have seen trucks with 50k miles and rust, leaks, and problems. I have seen trucks like the Lexus above. It is more about the owner, the climate, and the service history.

 

[crbalthazor]

Decided to hold off on this one, even though I was very, very tempted to get it. I was a diesel technician for many years, and after seeing the havoc caused from switching coolants on older engines first hand, I postulated that I was potentially putting myself into a situation where a timing belt/water pump job as well as a flush back to SLLC could lead to some issues given the mileage. Holding out for one with the red juice...

 

[moab cj5]

I bought my 2003 GX470 with just shy of 97000 for $10,500. My deal was too good to be true as I have already spent over $5k on the TB/WP, Sunroof replacement, and the latest, the Hydraulic Brake Booster Assembly. Mine has service records from mile 1 to 72k, then fell off the map a bit until right before I bought it. I am now looking at having to replace the rack and pinion steering assembly in the coming year.

Anytime you are buying use, no matter the miles, I recommend paying a reputable shop to do a thorough inspection. I wish I had on mine, as I would have had some tell tell signs of issues that would have dissuaded me from buying this rig.

Good luck in your search!

 

[BlackCat]

Decided to hold off on this one, even though I was very, very tempted to get it. I was a diesel technician for many years, and after seeing the havoc caused from switching coolants on older engines first hand, I postulated that I was potentially putting myself into a situation where a timing belt/water pump job as well as a flush back to SLLC could lead to some issues given the mileage. Holding out for one with the red juice...

I wouldn't let that hold you back. Do a thorough flush with water and fill it with red. No big deal.
I bought an old 3rd gen 4Runner that had green coolant in it. Drained it, thoroughly flushed it and filled it with yota red. Never gave me a single issue.
As a matter of fact, my DD is a 2006 Infiniti M35x, which has the wrong color coolant in it. It was done years ago according to the PO, and the car has 208k on it and runs like a champ. Don't sweat the small stuff if the truck is otherwise exactly what you're looking for. If it was sludging, you'd have tell tale signs in the radiator and coolant reservoir. I'm a journeyman Infiniti tech and it didn't even bother me. And Infiniti's are EXTREMELY picky with fluids and filters.