Considering a GX470.. for a daily driver (1 Viewer)

[BuckleDown]

Hi, new to the forums, not new to Toyota (have owned a couple corollas, a taco and a rav4, looking at selling my 2013 wrangler and picking up a GX470. Besides taking a look at the under belly for frame rust, I live in northern VA and this area is very known for the immense amount of road salt used in the winters, is there anything I should pay any particular attention to? if the seller is open to it, I’d like to have a used car inspection done by my mechanic, which logistically will be very inconvenient because any work requires them to basically have a vehicle for the majority of the day.

I’ve been poking through this forum and like any forums, most posts are people asking questions about issues they are having, so on the surface all I’m seeing is that a vehicle of this age has a lot of issues. Not sure I want to inherit somebody else’s slowly sinking ship.

I’d like to lift it and put 33’s to look a bit more aggressive, but I probably won’t use it too much for off roading but would like the ability to do some.

Also this will be a daily driver putting on about 1000miles a month.

 

[SteveH]

Any GX470 will be old and have 100K+ miles. Many will have had a lot of work done. I would look well outside your area (go West, young man) for a non-salt-belt truck. These are complex vehicles with a lot of features, and stuff will break. Personally, I would look for one that doesn't need a timing belt job (most of $1k), has had a factory-recalled dashboard installed, the possible transfer case actuator leak fixed, and perhaps has had suspension or steering rack work. What you don't want is one that is going to need $1K of repairs, month-after-month, simply because stuff is worn out. You want the last guy to have shelled out the money for that

Catching up on PM (greasing, oil changes, axle/xfer/trans fluid changes, CV boots) are things you can mostly do yourself and should be expected.

A PPI by a good Toyota mechanic (or someone familiar with the breed) is a very good idea, even if very inconvenient. Also, get Carfaxes. Most of these trucks were maintained by Lexus for the first 50-100K, and the Carfax may reveal a lot of warranty work that was done.

There are pretty good deals to be had on rustbuckets, but you don't want one!

 

[RustyGX]

Totally feasible. Despite my rust thread I just posted, I put 1500 a month on mine, I have 265/70's and Bilstein 5160 bypass shocks in the back - so that is not quite a lift and 33s, but it is an excellent daily driver. I have driven mine 70k+ miles in the last 5 years, lots of 500 mile round trips in there. The timing belt maintenance is the big thing to look at, I think. My boss also owned a 2013(!)JKU until recently, he had a lot more issues with his vehicle than I have had with mine. The thing I have liked about the GX, you can go online and search any bizarre obscure issue that pops up, and it seems like someone else has had the same problem, and hey have already provided you the solution.

 

[RattleAndRoll]

We have a 2003 GX470 that we picked up nine years ago and has been my wife's daily driver ever since. We love it! We've put 130,000+ miles on it with minimal repairs. We replaced the timing belt as scheduled, had to replace the serpentine belt tensioner (only time it left us stranded). Have had other normal issues such as water pump and airbag compressor. It drives nice, is very comfortable, and has a nice power plant. I have towed a 4500 lb tent trailer up mountain hills at 15 over the speed limit with six people inside. It has 225000 miles on it now and I'd drive it across the country tomorrow without hesitating. We are looking at updating to a new GX and letting our son drive this one. I have been contemplating lifting it, but I have my 96 Cruiser for off-road, so not sure if I will bother with lifting the GX or not. I have taken it off-road on multiple occasions and it does great stock, just have to watch the clearance. I highly recommend the GX470. All used vehicles will have issues that need to be addressed. The GX will have fewer than most others.
Good luck!

 

[Rednexus]

My GX is my DD for short in-town trips, although I use my Mazda3 for longer highway trips due to the MPG difference. A GX is a great DD for putting around town (comfortable, easy to see out of, easy to get in and out of, roomy, great for family use). However, they do have poor MPG and, as others mention, you will need to work on it more often. However, parts are shared with lots of other Toyota vehicles, readily available at any parts store, and most routine maintenance is easy for a DIY. My GX gets around 1,000 mi/month on average, with a lot of that being longer weekend trips for camping/hiking/etc, and we took it to CO/UT for vacation this year. My kids love riding in the GX and it's a great family SUV.

As others mentioned, try to find one with the TB/waterpump and dashboard already fixed. The starter and exhaust manifolds are other common items that are known to fail and very expensive to fix - listen for exhaust leaks indicating that the manifolds need to be replaced (a $2K+ job for a shop) and be prepared to do the starter at some point (~$1K job if done by a shop, not an easy DIY job). The rear airbags also usually fail as these get older; I lifted my GX after they started leaking.

If you have the VIN you can also check the maintenance history on the Lexus website. Ideally you can find one with all service done by Lexus, and a good record of oil changes and everything else. I would be hesitant to buy one without a maintenance history.

Regarding the rust, if the rust is only surficial, it can be treated and stopped with undercoating. If the rust has structurally compromised the frame, definitely run away. My GX had quite a bit of surface rust on the frame, but none of it was structural. I power washed the frame and undercoated everything with Woolwax and have stopped the surface rust. This was < 1 day of work and worked better for me (getting a local GX here in MO) compared to flying to TX/AZ/CA to get one with a pristine underside.

 

[BuckleDown]

Thanks for all the replies! what are your thoughts on purchasing from a private party vs most of them I see advertised are those small corner used car lots..

 

[RustyGX]

Thanks for all the replies! what are your thoughts on purchasing from a private party vs most of them I see advertised are those small corner used car lots..

I like private party better, myself...corner lots are okay depending on area. With what was mentioned above to check history, take the VIN and go on Lexus Owners site, create an account and put the VIN in as if you are the owner - it shows dealer service, some (but not necessarily all) may be on a Carfax already. I found more detail for mine on the Lexus Owners site.

 

[VSPro9]

Chiming in with support for what others have said: these are extremely reliable vehicles. I daily drive a 470k mile gx, run up to the UP and on the sand dunes with it and its still strong.

Rust is an issue yes, the best place to tell is behind the passenger side front wheel well on the frame. it seems to be bad there and where you will see the first evidence of bad rot.

as for people asking about issues - well the mud community probably takes better care of their vehicles than most, is more likely to want to fix something minor.we are probably not the original owner, most GXs are on their 2nd or 3rd owner and buying one means youre gonna have to budget for what the other guy didnt know to fix or didnt bother to fix. if the fundamentals are sound thought, most of this is just wear and tear we are correcting. biggest headaches ive heard of are: timing belts needing replacement, center locker not actuating (you may be the first one to use the center locker!,) and exhaust manifolds cracked. id check for all of those. aside from that, hoses and fittings can wear out just like any vehicle, same thing with drive line like the cv axles etc.

i put a Old man emu lfit on mine to replace the failed airbags, and am running 265/70/17s right now until i replace them for some larger A/T tires. daily driving it is fine, i dont care about fuel economy, but its not great (15-17mpg)

my truck is probably about the most beat and abused truck on here and it still brings me all over the place with no hassles.

 

[RattleAndRoll]

Thanks for all the replies! what are your thoughts on purchasing from a private party vs most of them I see advertised are those small corner used car lots..

I think it comes down to the lot and the private party. Much can be said for listening to your gut. I've bought most of my vehicles through private parties over the years but we bought our GX from a small used dealer and had a great experience. I would go back to that lot again with confidence. I've looked at vehicles at some small dealers that just felt off and after looking at and driving the vehicles, there was always something that was an obvious problem that was downplayed when I brought it up. That said, I bought a Bronco years ago from a private seller who was claiming it was in great shape and had been babied. After a couple weeks discovered a plethora of problems. Truck had been driven hard. Check out dealer reviews and get a sense of the lot. There a plenty of good used car places out there. I really dislike it when salesmen don't listen and try to show me stuff I'm not interested in. I'll often just leave at that point. One thing that I wasn't expecting the first time through a used dealer was their fees, usually in the hundreds of dollars, that are in addition to the final sale price and sales tax. It would be good to ask what the fees are before making your decision. They are normally not brought up until right at the end of the paperwork.

 

[Rednexus]

IMO private party is the way to go, but requires a lot of sleuthing (i.e. Craigslist, AutoTrader, etc). You'll more likely to find one from the original owner who has had it for 14-15 years and just wants to unload it, so the price will nearly always be better. You may also need to look for one for 6+ months to find the one you are looking for. Car lots are always a gamble - but that's my opinion from always buying and selling my vehicles private party (outside of the vehicle we have bought new).

But that takes me to my earlier point. I was luckily to find a GX that was 90% of what I wanted and close to home within ~2 months of starting to seriously look. They've since been snapped up in the used car rush since then and you might be looking for a long time for something that isn't rusty, beat up, or high mileage. I have a buddy who has been looking for a clean first gen Tundra for 10 months with no luck. I still check Craigslist for them occasionally (hoping to find one cheap to flip) and haven't seen a decent one posted yet this year in my local region. GX460's are much more common.

 

[VSPro9]

IMO private party is the way to go, but requires a lot of sleuthing (i.e. Craigslist, AutoTrader, etc). You'll more likely to find one from the original owner who has had it for 14-15 years and just wants to unload it, so the price will nearly always be better. You may also need to look for one for 6+ months to find the one you are looking for. Car lots are always a gamble - but that's my opinion from always buying and selling my vehicles private party (outside of the vehicle we have bought new).

But that takes me to my earlier point. I was luckily to find a GX that was 90% of what I wanted and close to home within ~2 months of starting to seriously look. They've since been snapped up in the used car rush since then and you might be looking for a long time for something that isn't rusty, beat up, or high mileage. I have a buddy who has been looking for a clean first gen Tundra for 10 months with no luck. I still check Craigslist for them occasionally (hoping to find one cheap to flip) and haven't seen a decent one posted yet this year in my local region. GX460's are much more common.

This is a good point. Buddy at work has been shopping for a 4Runner/GX for about a month now. We’ve gone and looked at some on local lots and he’s beginning to realize if he wants a mint one he’s gonna have to travel for it.

 

[RustyGX]

This is a good point. Buddy at work has been shopping for a 4Runner/GX for about a month now. We’ve gone and looked at some on local lots and he’s beginning to realize if he wants a mint one he’s gonna have to travel for it.

Being in Michigan too, I had been looking to replace mine (or add another GX) since March. Still pysched from my own thread to see VSPro9 has a 470K mile GX in Michigan, gives me hope. I have yet to find one here that is clean enough to my satisfaction. A lot of frames reaching their end of life here. I find it very frustrating, it is such a good platform. If I was down in Virginia like OP, I'm sure the search would be easier, though.

 

[Arailt]

I love my GX for daily driving and wheeling. Tall and skinny makes it very practical as a mall crawler and an off-roader.

I agree that I would definitely find a rust-free, well maintained southwest vehicle if I had to do it all over again. My northeastern GX has a good bit of frame rust (that I keep at bay with Fluid Film). It also required several initial repairs attributed to the rough snow belt life it lived, including seized front brake calipers (x2), cracked manifolds (x2), rusted out rear control arm (x1), rusted auto-height adjuster (x1). I was lucky enough to have a 3-year Toyota Platinum warranty with mine, so I didn't pay a dime out of pocket for all of that. Otherwise, it would have easily been north of 5k.

That said, it has run flawlessly outside of the initial repairs/level set. I've put 35K miles on mine in ~5 years of ownership (currently at 85k total). I had Lexus replace my timing belt last year because the vehicle was over 10 years old. It was $900 OTD including the water pump.

As a final though, I have rented a 2021 GX460 (Lexus service rental), a 2021 Tahoe (vacation), and 2021 Suburban (vacation) in the past several months. All great vehicles and each of them got me thinking it was time to upgrade as I was driving them, but every time I get back into my 13 year old GX, I'm amazed at how much better it drives compared to the newer vehicles. Better power delivery despite the lower horsepower and my 60lb Coopers and better ride despite the 13 YEAR OLD FACTORY SUSPENSION!. I'm going to hold on to it for a while longer.

 

[Mr Chuck Norris]

My slightly educated estimate is that 98% of used car lot vehicles come from auctions, so they are typically second-rate rigs that nobody initially wanted on the open market and a dealer could not sell for one reason or another. Avoid them like the plague.

Rust, maintenance history, and mileage will be your main concerns. As the miles climb into the 200k+ range you're going to be getting into more chassis parts just plain old wearing out. You'll need something with good service records... Timing belt and water pump is a big job, but not impossible to DIY for $1k in parts. A history of good maintenance goes a long way on any Toyota product. And in general, avoid anything with moderate to serious rust. It's just not worth it.

These are great rigs but are thirsty. With 33s, plan for maybe 15mpg average even with some highway commuting (which I assume is what makes up your 1k/mo mileage).

 

[Rednexus]

My slightly educated estimate is that 98% of used car lot vehicles come from auctions, so they are typically second-rate rigs that nobody initially wanted on the open market and a dealer could not sell for one reason or another. Avoid them like the plague.

I would say it depends on the dealer who initially picked up the GX (e.g. on a trade). A dealer with a higher-end lot (i.e., new car dealer) typically deals in more expensive used cars that are <10 years old where the margins are higher. Many of these dealers don't want to deal in sub $20K vehicles and would rather reserve lot space for more expensive used cars where the margin is higher. So, I'm betting some GX's that are traded in to a Lexus or other new car dealer go straight to auction rather than taking up space on a dealer's lot (albeit this may have changed during the used car shortage).

 

[RufusPoppa]

I also got rid of my JK and got a gx470. Went private party, 190K got it pretty cheap and immediately had my mechanic do the timing belt, water pump, replaced radiator, alternator, and did the secondary emissions bypass. Runs like a top, with the peace of mind that most of the major maintenance was done. Being on the west coast, no rust issues, it was an AZ truck before it got to me. Check the VIN on the Lexus site, Carfax to confirm clean title.

Trying to figure out what lift to get now...

 

[VSPro9]

I also got rid of my JK and got a gx470. Went private party, 190K got it pretty cheap and immediately had my mechanic do the timing belt, water pump, replaced radiator, alternator, and did the secondary emissions bypass. Runs like a top, with the peace of mind that most of the major maintenance was done. Being on the west coast, no rust issues, it was an AZ truck before it got to me. Check the VIN on the Lexus site, Carfax to confirm clean title.

Trying to figure out what lift to get now...

I love my old man emu lift, a lot of people are getting dobinsons or Ironman though

 

[RufusPoppa]

I love my old man emu lift, a lot of people are getting dobinsons or Ironman though

Thanks. I have been leaning towards the emu lift. I think the trick is to find it in stock before pulling the trigger.

 

[gxblade1]

My slightly educated estimate is that 98% of used car lot vehicles come from auctions, so they are typically second-rate rigs that nobody initially wanted on the open market and a dealer could not sell for one reason or another. Avoid them like the plague.

That is not necessarily accurate. 99% of trades ins at dealerships go to auction.

Most large new car dealers take the car in at a very low trade in value (or a high value, but you get screwed on the new car) and then make a quick buck auctioning them off. Dealers make a lot of quick money auctioning trades.

Even if a Lexus dealer gets the most pristine, one owner, babied GX470 traded in, chances are they're not going to put a ~15 year old car on their lot. The person shopping at a Lexus dealer is not looking for a GX470, they're buying new or CPO.

Keep in mind that Carmax, Carvana and Vroom also take thousands of cars on trade in and only keep ones that are either the absolute cream of the crop or meet their age/mileage/accident/owner number guidelines.

As someone who was/worked for a legitimate (not a buy here pay here lot) used car dealer, there are tons of really nice cars at the auctions.

With the vehicle shortage, things are a bit different. Dealers are retaining more to fill their lots, but there are still lots of nice cars going through.

 

[Arailt]

Timing belt and water pump is a big job, but not impossible to DIY for $1k in parts.

FWIW, you can get an OEM timing belt and water pump kit for under $500 and far less than that for non-OEM. Mine was changed at a Lexus dealer with OEM parts for $900 (including labor) just last year.