Looking at 05 LX but not sure about frame rust (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jan 17, 2023
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Location
Chattanooga, TN
Hey everyone! After having our third kid I need something a little bigger than my six-speed hatchback. I stumbled across the 100 series and liked the idea of a big SUV that could last upwards of 300k miles. Plus the wealth of resources on a place like this is a huge incentive.

I found an 05 LX at a dealer in another state. It has a clean carfax and has always been serviced at the Lexus dealer. Just had the timing belt done in the last 15k miles and is just under 200k miles, so it checks a lot of boxes. It has been in the south its whole life but on the coast. I asked the dealer for some pictures and got these. They aren't the greatest pictures but give a rough idea. The side rails look ok but there is some rust on the front skid place and it looks like some of the frame behind the skid plate.

Would anyone mind weighing in on if this is something to be concerned about or a normal level that could be cleaned up? If it doesn't seem that bad I'll have a local mechanic give it a fuller look over. Thanks in advance and hopefully I can join the ranks in the near future.

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What rust? This thing is pretty damn clean. The spots that even look like they are coming close to thinking about rusting can be managed with wool wax, fluid film, etc.

Side note: we really do need to make a frame rust scale post pinned by the FAQ’s. Make it different grades with photos from excellent to the one guy that always says that’s not rusty’s level of actual rust.
 
Thanks for weighing in, that is super helpful. I tried to find something like that before I posted but didn't stumble across one. Looks like I'll try to get it to the mechanic!
 
No offense to you either in my side note. There have just been several posts lately about frame rust. I think we could make a post as a reference so people can get a solid idea without ever having to guess.
 
No offense to you either in my side note. There have just been several posts lately about frame rust. I think we could make a post as a reference so people can get a solid idea without ever having to guess.
Absolutely none taken. Just trying not to be that guy who lazily gets an answer to his one question and then disappears forever!
 
Hey everyone! After having our third kid I need something a little bigger than my six-speed hatchback. I stumbled across the 100 series and liked the idea of a big SUV that could last upwards of 300k miles. Plus the wealth of resources on a place like this is a huge incentive.

I found an 05 LX at a dealer in another state. It has a clean carfax and has always been serviced at the Lexus dealer. Just had the timing belt done in the last 15k miles and is just under 200k miles, so it checks a lot of boxes. It has been in the south its whole life but on the coast. I asked the dealer for some pictures and got these. They aren't the greatest pictures but give a rough idea. The side rails look ok but there is some rust on the front skid place and it looks like some of the frame behind the skid plate.

Would anyone mind weighing in on if this is something to be concerned about or a normal level that could be cleaned up? If it doesn't seem that bad I'll have a local mechanic give it a fuller look over. Thanks in advance and hopefully I can join the ranks in the near future.

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Regardless of Make/Model and location, this thing is essentially rust free. Nothing to be concerned with at all.
 
What rust? This thing is pretty damn clean. The spots that even look like they are coming close to thinking about rusting can be managed with wool wax, fluid film, etc.

Side note: we really do need to make a frame rust scale post pinned by the FAQ’s. Make it different grades with photos from excellent to the one guy that always says that’s not rusty’s level of actual rust.
Amen on that frame rust scale.
 
As noted , rust is not an issue here. This is a beauty of a 100 series. In a perfect world they would drop that rear tire so you can check the back end. Some people use these rigs for boating and the rear end may have seen salt but otherwise it looks great.

Shift your attention to maintenance history. Yes these rigs, especially the 2UZ motor, are extremely dependable but that doesn't mean they can go for 20 years of neglect and expect to get to 300k. Dealer service history is a big plus.

With that being said you may find yourself going down the rabbit hole we all go down as you start to swap out old parts with new to ensure another 200k , and that can get spendy but these rigs deserve it.


Take some time to check over fluids ( take a sniff of the trans fluid and look into radiator for clean pink / red coolant ) Timing belt recently done is a huge plus .


How much are they asking????

>> you could also ask for the VIN and put it into Toyota Owners to check for past repair history.
 
As noted , rust is not an issue here. This is a beauty of a 100 series. In a perfect world they would drop that rear tire so you can check the back end. Some people use these rigs for boating and the rear end may have seen salt but otherwise it looks great.

Shift your attention to maintenance history. Yes these rigs, especially the 2UZ motor, are extremely dependable but that doesn't mean they can go for 20 years of neglect and expect to get to 300k. Dealer service history is a big plus.

With that being said you may find yourself going down the rabbit hole we all go down as you start to swap out old parts with new to ensure another 200k , and that can get spendy but these rigs deserve it.


Take some time to check over fluids ( take a sniff of the trans fluid and look into radiator for clean pink / red coolant ) Timing belt recently done is a huge plus .


How much are they asking????

>> you could also ask for the VIN and put it into Toyota Owners to check for past repair history.

This car was regularly and exclusively serviced at the Lexus dealership. Oil changes and everything. I don't see a lot of repairs of having done any suspension components or anything like that but brakes, fluid flushes and the like are all in there. What I can't see is whether or not they did water pump or pulleys when they did the timing belt.

They are asking 15,999. I think I'm going to ask a mobile mechanic to come check it out. These guys do about an hour or more of pre purchase inspection. I'll ask them to look at fluids, AHC system, heater tees etc... Since I'd fly down and drive it up, this seems like a wise first step.

I am a little wary of this becoming a money pit, but if it can be a dependable and fun ride that needs the TLC appropriate for its age, and something a little different than what everyone else drives, then I think it'll be a winner.
 
As noted , rust is not an issue here. This is a beauty of a 100 series. In a perfect world they would drop that rear tire so you can check the back end. Some people use these rigs for boating and the rear end may have seen salt but otherwise it looks great.

Shift your attention to maintenance history. Yes these rigs, especially the 2UZ motor, are extremely dependable but that doesn't mean they can go for 20 years of neglect and expect to get to 300k. Dealer service history is a big plus.

With that being said you may find yourself going down the rabbit hole we all go down as you start to swap out old parts with new to ensure another 200k , and that can get spendy but these rigs deserve it.


Take some time to check over fluids ( take a sniff of the trans fluid and look into radiator for clean pink / red coolant ) Timing belt recently done is a huge plus .


How much are they asking????

>> you could also ask for the VIN and put it into Toyota Owners to check for past repair history.
Also I just put the vin into Lexus service history. Wow, lots more detail there. Thank you for that!
 
This car was regularly and exclusively serviced at the Lexus dealership. Oil changes and everything. I don't see a lot of repairs of having done any suspension components or anything like that but brakes, fluid flushes and the like are all in there. What I can't see is whether or not they did water pump or pulleys when they did the timing belt.

They are asking 15,999. I think I'm going to ask a mobile mechanic to come check it out. These guys do about an hour or more of pre purchase inspection. I'll ask them to look at fluids, AHC system, heater tees etc... Since I'd fly down and drive it up, this seems like a wise first step.

I am a little wary of this becoming a money pit, but if it can be a dependable and fun ride that needs the TLC appropriate for its age, and something a little different than what everyone else drives, then I think it'll be a winner.
In the end it'll still be cheaper than leasing a new vehicle and you get way more out of a this truck than anything else on the market .

AHC may be destined to fail but I'm not a lx guy so I'm not sure how to get an idea of lifespan , maybe fluid condition? Make sure it cycles easily through the modes.

It looks to be in solid shape , proceed with caution and report back here but otherwise full steam ahead.
 
Depending on where you’re flying into, there may be a member in the area willing to check it out with a little more direct knowledge of the rig. A case of beer can usually tender this exchange well.
 
Depending on where you’re flying into, there may be a member in the area willing to check it out with a little more direct knowledge of the rig. A case of beer can usually tender this exchange well.
That's a good thought. I'd be flying into Orlando. Would you suggest putting up a new post about this? Or searching for forum members in the city?
 
I'd like to pop that front skid plate off and drop the rear tire to get a full view of the underside . The reality is it's a high mileage truck so you take a bit of a risk but this is one of the few vehicles worth taking the risk on. Maybe the dealer would let you dive into it more before purchasing or maybe that thing will sell before you have a chance to get down there.

How detailed was that Toyota owners results , Did you find any other maintenance stuff that has already been dealt with? You've got to imagine that anything that is still original on the vehicle has potential to need replacing . Parts aren't crazy expensive for these rigs but some are spendy . If you do basic work on your own that will help with future repairs .

AHC system has been known to have some issues due to a life of minimal maintenance on most vehicles. Some people just install standard suspension and other take the time to flush and maintain the system to keep it alive. Make sure you check the hi- lo function of the suspension.

These are good vehicles and you most likely won't regret buying a dealer maintained 100 series .
 
I'd like to pop that front skid plate off and drop the rear tire to get a full view of the underside . The reality is it's a high mileage truck so you take a bit of a risk but this is one of the few vehicles worth taking the risk on. Maybe the dealer would let you dive into it more before purchasing or maybe that thing will sell before you have a chance to get down there.

How detailed was that Toyota owners results , Did you find any other maintenance stuff that has already been dealt with? You've got to imagine that anything that is still original on the vehicle has potential to need replacing . Parts aren't crazy expensive for these rigs but some are spendy . If you do basic work on your own that will help with future repairs .

AHC system has been known to have some issues due to a life of minimal maintenance on most vehicles. Some people just install standard suspension and other take the time to flush and maintain the system to keep it alive. Make sure you check the hi- lo function of the suspension.

These are good vehicles and you most likely won't regret buying a dealer maintained 100 series .
The results were pretty detailed. New radiator and hoses in the last 10k miles, timing belt and water pump done in the last 20k miles, rebooted cv axles 20k ago, new valve cover gasket seals in the past 25k miles, spark plugs at 120k, those were the main things, other than that normal brakes and oil changes.
 

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