Okay, so I am considering getting a GX470 prolly something between 05-09 everything I have seen has high mileage , in the 170z230k range. I'm no stranger to a high milage toyota. I'm curious as to how many miles YOUR GX470 had when you got it. What are things to look out for?
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- Thread starter crawyota
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Fargo eh? Hey there neighbor, you're welcome to check out mine and see all the things that I would look for if I were to buy another one (and I would).
I bought mine with 210k miles, now at 222k miles. I fought a coolant leak for a month which was annoying and did a few other maintenance things but haven't done much otherwise. Pretty solid rigs and I really enjoy mine. Most of the ones in this part of the country will have some frame rust, so find the one that has a level that you're willing to deal with.
I bought mine with 210k miles, now at 222k miles. I fought a coolant leak for a month which was annoying and did a few other maintenance things but haven't done much otherwise. Pretty solid rigs and I really enjoy mine. Most of the ones in this part of the country will have some frame rust, so find the one that has a level that you're willing to deal with.
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For me it would be rust. Pretty much everything can be fixed but rust makes it all far more difficult. Obviously if frame is bad then don’t buy, but any rusty nut, bolt, etc can become a massive pain. Then I’d look for service records. Then I’d make sure not to buy a gold one
Bought mine with around 140k, up to about 185k, I have spent plenty of money on parts and many hours in the garage but totally worth it. The gx is so reliable and fun.
Bought mine with around 140k, up to about 185k, I have spent plenty of money on parts and many hours in the garage but totally worth it. The gx is so reliable and fun.
I bought an '08 in 2020 for $11k that had 169k miles and it was a phenomenal truck. It was a garage queen from Huntington Beach CA so zero rust and zero leaks. We ended up selling it to a fellow member in 2022 who's still got it. We regret selling it but that's life.
I'd strongly recommend buying a south/southwest GX. You'll likely not have any rust to deal with. My GX460 was a west Texas truck and is pretty clean underneath.
Good luck!
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Last June, I bought my '07 with 151k miles on it. 1 owner Southern California car. I did have to drop like 3k at the get-go to get its suspension refreshed (bushings were all torn and dampers were worn out/dead) and a new CV axle but that's pretty much it.
135K on mine when I bought it in 2020 and 190K on it now.
With any higher mileage rig, it's gonna need stuff. As mentioned above, I'd budget for replacing the entire suspension and many of the steering components (control arms, tie rod ends, maybe the steering rack). That stuff just wears out with age/miles. These rigs are getting kind of old now, so they are going to need parts.
Other problems it might have could be a cracked dash and worn leather seats. I did those too in my rig. If this is just an off-road beater, those are always optional. HVAC servos can also be problematic and may require dash removal as well. But, the jobs are not impossible.
Now that I've been all of the way though mine it is a solid and sorted rig that I've driven all over the place. It just took a lot of my time and money to get it there
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With any higher mileage rig, it's gonna need stuff. As mentioned above, I'd budget for replacing the entire suspension and many of the steering components (control arms, tie rod ends, maybe the steering rack). That stuff just wears out with age/miles. These rigs are getting kind of old now, so they are going to need parts.
Other problems it might have could be a cracked dash and worn leather seats. I did those too in my rig. If this is just an off-road beater, those are always optional. HVAC servos can also be problematic and may require dash removal as well. But, the jobs are not impossible.
Now that I've been all of the way though mine it is a solid and sorted rig that I've driven all over the place. It just took a lot of my time and money to get it there
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Oh that would be nice e, where in MN do you live
Bought mine in 2019 with about 169K. Installed new Bilstein shocks up front and replaced the rear airbags with springs and Bilstein shocks. They worked, but I wanted a slight lift. I replaced the timing belt, thermostat, water pump, tensioner, pulley, and heater/radiator hoses at 180K. I've had nothing but normal maintenance activities to keep up with. Consider signing up at the Lexus Owners website. Once you have an account setup, you can add the VIN of a vehicle you interested in to your garage. From there you can review the service history of the vehicle that has been performed at a Lexus dealer. It's great information to have. My vehicles history showed regulator oil changes were performed every 5000 miles, and showed no major issues. Don't worry too much about the mileage. The 2UZ-FE engine will last a very long time with the proper maintenance.
Got my 2003 with 180,000 miles now has 226,500. Spent a lot of time working on maintenance items and refreshing stuff. Mechanically its very reliable but the body and interior are kind of starting to fall apart. Generally i expect to constantly be working on small things keeping it going
My dad got our 2006 brand new in December 2005. It's been in Chicago it's whole life, which means it's rusty, by far its worst trait and what I would avoid most if I were to buy another. It recently rolled 150k. 60k of that since 2021.
This is everything I remember ever going wrong with it, not including maintenance or upgrades.
Alternator
2 radiators.
Seized caliper up front, upgraded to 460 fronts.
Both front wheel hubs.
AC Evap core failed, I took the dash out myself. The dash is also cracked. Not as bad of a job as you think if you're organized. Pricy though.
One tie rod end, it's due for the rest though.
It's got seeping power steering lines and valve cover gaskets.
The SAIS system failed, which I bypassed with a Hewitt kit.
MAF CONNECTOR failed, causing weird lean and rich conditions and awful transmission behavior.
KDSS connector failed due to corrosion.
One lower ball joint up front. Pressed in a new one due to how expensive KDSS 470 arms are. Non KDSS, not a big deal.
Overall, very reliable little truck. Never ever left any of us stranded from anything more than a dead battery one time. Always made it home.
Rust sucks. These rust worst by the AC drain in front, the radiator support, the rear bumper beam behind the spare, but generally they just get eaten alive with no care in salty environments. I'd recommend traveling for a rust free one if you can.
They're easy to take care of but quality parts are not cheap and you may occasionally find yourself chasing a weird gremlin. But they drive so nice for what they are and feel high quality AF. Obviously, if you live in a big city and will daily it, you can expect eye watering MPGs. Like 11-12.
This is everything I remember ever going wrong with it, not including maintenance or upgrades.
Alternator
2 radiators.
Seized caliper up front, upgraded to 460 fronts.
Both front wheel hubs.
AC Evap core failed, I took the dash out myself. The dash is also cracked. Not as bad of a job as you think if you're organized. Pricy though.
One tie rod end, it's due for the rest though.
It's got seeping power steering lines and valve cover gaskets.
The SAIS system failed, which I bypassed with a Hewitt kit.
MAF CONNECTOR failed, causing weird lean and rich conditions and awful transmission behavior.
KDSS connector failed due to corrosion.
One lower ball joint up front. Pressed in a new one due to how expensive KDSS 470 arms are. Non KDSS, not a big deal.
Overall, very reliable little truck. Never ever left any of us stranded from anything more than a dead battery one time. Always made it home.
Rust sucks. These rust worst by the AC drain in front, the radiator support, the rear bumper beam behind the spare, but generally they just get eaten alive with no care in salty environments. I'd recommend traveling for a rust free one if you can.
They're easy to take care of but quality parts are not cheap and you may occasionally find yourself chasing a weird gremlin. But they drive so nice for what they are and feel high quality AF. Obviously, if you live in a big city and will daily it, you can expect eye watering MPGs. Like 11-12.
