New member in ATL/DFW intro and buyer's guide question

[Flying Fish]

All,

Wow! I came across this site a few weeks ago when I was doing research to purchase a used 4Runner and have now decided on a 2007-09 GX470. I had no idea these things were based on the Land Cruiser and thought they were only grocery getters!

Anyway, I have been reading and using the search function until my eyes bleed and can't seem to find a buyer's guide or what to look for when buying a used GX. All I see are:

1) Documented 60/90k maintenance up to and including timing belt/water pump change
2) Driveshaft "clunk." Is this in all years?
3) ?

My plans are for a daily driver and reliability with light trail use, although I will definitely de-soccer mom the truck. Removing the rear air suspension and lift the truck to accommodate some 285's or 295's would be priority number one. I'd like to have it looking like DanKunz just after the lift or TFJ4Runner's truck. I'm having trouble posting pics.

I'm planning to take a look at this 2008 with 73k at a place in Marietta, GA. Is there anything obvious that I should be looking at? I'm brand new with the intricacies with these vehicles.

Trying to post a few pics but the forum user guide directed me to Irfanview which doesn't support iPad.

Here's the link -

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...=[LEXUS[GX470[]][]]&listingId=391260082&Log=0

Oh yeah, I spend some of my time in Atlanta and the rest in Dallas.

Thanks for all the threads on y'all's builds, I'd be lost without the knowledge on this board.

-Brad

 

[The Great Him]

i hate to redirect or link you to another forum for info but its so well done there that im not even gonna try and redo it hear. once you look through it and evaluate it, come back here lol.

http://www.toyota120.com/html/lexus_gx470.html

the GX basically stayed the same from 2003-2009. while yes it is a Land Cruiser Prado 120 (everywhere else besides north america), for us here in the US its closer to a 4th gen 4runner(2003-2009), they share the same chassis, and have the same optional power train -the 4runner had the option of the 4.7l v8 that the GX uses. also the limited 4runners had rear air suspension. along with that the Toyota FJ Cruiser also shares the same platform only in a shorter wheel base, so again most suspension components are interchangeable.

some things to look out for in the GX is the air suspension -make sure it works, it can be costly to repair -but if you are planning on lifting it thats kinda a mute issue. also consider the navigation system, its old, out dated and very limiting... all of the HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) controls are done through the nav unit, so replacing the system with an aftermarket one is basically impossible unless you dont want heat or AC anymore. then comes the speaker system, it too is kinda its own thing... it runs on a special ohms feq and not very many aftermarket speakers are compatible. so if you ever blow a speaker you might be stuck with having to go back to Lexus to get one from them and paying 4-5x what its worth quality wise. -if you can, find a truck without navigation, i know it sucks, and makes things harder. when i was looking it excluded a lot of rigs i wanted, as people who bought a Lexus new typically wanted every option available. there are a couple nice aftermarket systems out there that replace the base stereo with a nav unit that is much newer -running on either the android os or wince os.

KDSS can be a hindrance when it comes to aftermarket bolt on accessories such as sliders, so thats also something to consider.

most of the GXs came with 3rd row seating, but some did not. id recommend getting one that did, as you can always remove the rear seats if you want them completely gone, but its much harder to install a set in a truck that never had that option. hope this helps your searching a little

 

[The Great Him]

after looking at that link, id buy that one right now, thats a killer price for that kinda mileage! and its none nav with the 3rd row!

 

[Sam Stewart]

I live in Marietta and would be happy to take a look at the truck. And I work for beer!!! There are a few "normal" problems on these and the 4Runners but nothing too bad. The later ones seem to be pretty trouble free. If it's got the hydraulic suspension they are temperamental and most people just remove it if it goes bad. There is also a transfer case actuator that has a seal that can sometimes leak. It's a very expensive repair at the dealer but there is an easier way to do it and it can be done much cheaper. Let me know if you'd like for me to look at it with/for you.

 

[Flying Fish]

after looking at that link, id buy that one right now, thats a killer price for that kinda mileage! and its none nav with the 3rd row!

Thanks for the info and link, I had stumbled across it before and that's how I narrowed down the year to 2007. I want the updated engine from 2005 but also prefer bluetooth.

I also had no idea that the HVAC controls were on the nav system. I had read about people wanting non-nav but didn't know why. It seems like another point of failure and I want to limit that as much as possible. That's the same reason I don't want KDDS or the air suspension, trying to keep it simple.

I live in Marietta and would be happy to take a look at the truck. And I work for beer!!! There are a few "normal" problems on these and the 4Runners but nothing too bad. The later ones seem to be pretty trouble free. If it's got the hydraulic suspension they are temperamental and most people just remove it if it goes bad. There is also a transfer case actuator that has a seal that can sometimes leak. It's a very expensive repair at the dealer but there is an easier way to do it and it can be done much cheaper. Let me know if you'd like for me to look at it with/for you.

Sam, that would be awesome if you could take the time to look at it with me. I'll definitely pay for your experience with beer!!

I'm near the perimeter mall and could meet you at your earliest convenience. Send me a pm.

Thanks guys!

 

[Flying Fish]

Well carfax shows it was involved in a a front end collision and had to be towed at around 35k miles, plus it was a lease car new and had two total owners. I didn't realize the door handles went to crome in 2008, I'd like them color matched since I plan on blacking out all crome.

I'm going to pass on this one and hunt for a 2007 non Nav or KDDS with a better service history.

 

[The Great Him]

if i may offer some opinions here, finding one with that low of mileage, and as new with no nav, well good luck. if you ask me the chrome door handles are only a minor issue. it would be much cheaper and easier to have them painted to match than to undo a nav truck or find the right non nav one... out of the nation wide search i did when i was looking for mine, i only found 5 non nav rigs that fell into my search. out of those 5, only 3 had the 3rd row, 2 of those 3 where in my price range, and 1 of those 2 had the interior color i wanted... as far as being in a accident, i say who cares personally. i have never owned a vehicle that has not been hit at some point prior to me owning it -never bought a brand new car, probably never will(lose too much money on it). anyhow as long as it is repaired correctly there should be no issues -most auto body shops are not corner cutters and do reputable work, after all just like any other business they have a reputation and or name to uphold. not to mention most are individually owned but of a corporate franchise, meaning that if they are caught cutting corners they lose everything and go under. not many shops are willing to risk that. and being as the vehicle is new enough it was probably an insurance paying job so the insurance co would require it go to a reputable and certified repair facility, not some dudes carport on the side of his house... my 4runner, my wifes Yaris, and my GX have all been hit, and i can not tell you where by looking at them if i did not know or know what to look for -a friend of mine owns two body shops locally, and has taught me a lot about spotting where and how a vehicle has been repaired. if it was a fresh out of the shop repair i might tend to be a little more hesitant on it, but if its been back on the road for 3 or 4 years now and no issues, it should be a trouble free vehicle for you.

i guess the only other thing id look at on it is if it came from back east, or mid west where rust is an issue. my GX spent its first 3 years in NJ and has some rust issues, it took me about a week to clean the frame and recoat it with epoxy paint. but its clean now and should last longer than me if i continue to take care of it as i do all my vehicles. this one being an 08 and 4 years newer than mine should still have plenty of mileage left in it. for what its worth when i was looking at them this past dec(when i bought mine) if they had around or under 100k mi they were closer to $30k and one i saw with 68k mi was going for $37k. you can keep looking if you want but good deals dont always pop up, especially when looking for one. id say for the $10k difference in average asking price you could easily have all the handles, the rear chrome strip, and the grille all stripped and color matched to the factory color and still be ahead by ~$8k but thats just my thoughts

 

[Flying Fish]

if i may offer some opinions here, finding one with that low of mileage, and as new with no nav, well good luck. if you ask me the chrome door handles are only a minor issue. it would be much cheaper and easier to have them painted to match than to undo a nav truck or find the right non nav one... out of the nation wide search i did when i was looking for mine, i only found 5 non nav rigs that fell into my search. out of those 5, only 3 had the 3rd row, 2 of those 3 where in my price range, and 1 of those 2 had the interior color i wanted... as far as being in a accident, i say who cares personally. i have never owned a vehicle that has not been hit at some point prior to me owning it -never bought a brand new car, probably never will(lose too much money on it). anyhow as long as it is repaired correctly there should be no issues -most auto body shops are not corner cutters and do reputable work, after all just like any other business they have a reputation and or name to uphold. not to mention most are individually owned but of a corporate franchise, meaning that if they are caught cutting corners they lose everything and go under. not many shops are willing to risk that. and being as the vehicle is new enough it was probably an insurance paying job so the insurance co would require it go to a reputable and certified repair facility, not some dudes carport on the side of his house... my 4runner, my wifes Yaris, and my GX have all been hit, and i can not tell you where by looking at them if i did not know or know what to look for -a friend of mine owns two body shops locally, and has taught me a lot about spotting where and how a vehicle has been repaired. if it was a fresh out of the shop repair i might tend to be a little more hesitant on it, but if its been back on the road for 3 or 4 years now and no issues, it should be a trouble free vehicle for you.

i guess the only other thing id look at on it is if it came from back east, or mid west where rust is an issue. my GX spent its first 3 years in NJ and has some rust issues, it took me about a week to clean the frame and recoat it with epoxy paint. but its clean now and should last longer than me if i continue to take care of it as i do all my vehicles. this one being an 08 and 4 years newer than mine should still have plenty of mileage left in it. for what its worth when i was looking at them this past dec(when i bought mine) if they had around or under 100k mi they were closer to $30k and one i saw with 68k mi was going for $37k. you can keep looking if you want but good deals dont always pop up, especially when looking for one. id say for the $10k difference in average asking price you could easily have all the handles, the rear chrome strip, and the grille all stripped and color matched to the factory color and still be ahead by ~$8k but thats just my thoughts

You make some good points and still up in the air on this one. I've been on autotrader the past hour and haven't seen any other trucks with this mileage and asking price. I want to make sure everything is correct and don't really have a time frame for this purchase.

It has been a Florida vehicle since new so no worries about road salt, only issues with being a coastal vehicle. I'm not sure if the salty air can be a factor. Carfax shows it was recent a trade in up here in Atlanta. The wreck was in 2010 and under 24,000 miles. I'm sure it drives fine, it's just the unkown.

Hell, I've got nothing to do tomorrow and might as well just check it out and go for a test drive.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

With great respect for The Great Him, my advice would be to follow your gut and avoid a vehicle that's been in a major front end collision (or any collision, for that matter). My observations of body shops are decidedly less optimistic than TGH's views. If you're not in a hurry, the right truck will come around eventually. No need to settle. There's a lot of these vehicles on the road, so plenty to choose from.

 

[Flying Fish]

With great respect for The Great Him, my advice would be to follow your gut and avoid a vehicle that's been in a major front end collision (or any collision, for that matter). My observations of body shops are decidedly less optimistic than TGH's views. If you're not in a hurry, the right truck will come around eventually. No need to settle. There's a lot of these vehicles on the road, so plenty to choose from.

I'm in no hurry to purchase a GX470, it will happen but I'm on the fence about this one. Carfax shows the last owner having the vehicle for only two months. Something just seems fishy.

http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistor...r_id=100029516&car_id=391260082&partner=ATD_W

 

[JLee]

Thanks for the info and link, I had stumbled across it before and that's how I narrowed down the year to 2007. I want the updated engine from 2005 but also prefer bluetooth.

I also had no idea that the HVAC controls were on the nav system. I had read about people wanting non-nav but didn't know why. It seems like another point of failure and I want to limit that as much as possible. That's the same reason I don't want KDDS or the air suspension, trying to keep it simple.



Sam, that would be awesome if you could take the time to look at it with me. I'll definitely pay for your experience with beer!!

I'm near the perimeter mall and could meet you at your earliest convenience. Send me a pm.

Thanks guys!

For what it's worth, KDSS is generally very reliable and I believe all GX470's have air suspension.

If you do run sliders with KDSS, you will have to modify one of the brackets on the driver's side and do a minor re-route on a KDSS line. I looked at Adventure Driven's slider setup and it didn't look difficult.

I have an 07 with KDSS/nav and I am very pleased.

 

[Flying Fish]

For what it's worth, KDSS is generally very reliable and I believe all GX470's have air suspension.

If you do run sliders with KDSS, you will have to modify one of the brackets on the driver's side and do a minor re-route on a KDSS line. I looked at Adventure Driven's slider setup and it didn't look difficult.

I have an 07 with KDSS/nav and I am very pleased.

I've read that KDDS is nice to have but its just something else that could break and cost money to fix. Trying to keep everything rather simple.

As far as the rear bags are concerned, I want to replace them with springs no matter what. I'm planning to do a 3" lift so the rear bags are going to be removed anyway.