Opinion on 2004 GX?

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rstl99

rstl99

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Threads
80
Messages
406
Location
Canada
Looked at a 2004 GX470 today.
About 125,000 miles.
Two owners, current owner bought it when 2 years old.
Started life in Texas for 2-3 years, and been in the N-E since.
Very good body, good interior, no rips or tears.
No accident record.
Solid chassis for N-E truck (has been rustproofed a few times), compared to others I've seen.
Drives well, no error dash lights, no vibration at speed.
The air suspension in the back has been replaced to regular coils 2-3 years ago, using one of the kits. The original suspension had given the owner plenty of grief and costly repairs.
Timing belt and water pump replaced 2 years ago.
New rear wiper motor, recent exhaust.

Bad:
Dash is cracked in several places (Lexus Canada says warranty only applies in the US)
AC doesn't blow cold (a line was replaced a couple of years ago and system topped up, maybe there's a leak, maybe it's more of an issue)
Tires are worn and will need replacing soon.
Brakes replaced 40,000 miles ago so may be due for some work there.

Asking price 11000 US, was offered 9500 by someone else and refused.

Consider further or walk away?
 
just as an FYI, I just paid 12K for an 06 non sport with bad tires but fresh brakes, water pump, timing belt and a perfect exterior and interior. Had 107K miles on it.
 
I paid 7500 for my 03 with 150k miles. No rust anywhere. Needed tires and brakes. No warning lights, cold a.c. And nav. I also have the cracked dash and my front diff went out last month. Overall I think I scored. Replaced the front diff for 125 and kept on truckin. I will have to do the timing belt and water pump as I have no idea whether it was done by the previous owners, but overall I'm mechanically capable of taking care of it.
 
Thanks. I suppose everyone has a different story about buying a used GX470. It's all a combination of cosmetic condition, need of mechanical repairs, rust and corrosion underneath, any accident damage/repairs, purchase price, and post-purchase costs.
In these parts, these trucks are not plentiful, so supply and demand kicks into the equation.
Bottom line, I don't think I could live with a cracked dash in such a nice vehicle, so will pass on it. I saw another one for sale locally with good dash but not as nice a body and more rust underneath, and uncertain mechanical condition.
Decisions decisions...
I know, I know, they are plentiful and rust-free down South... :-)
 
Yeah, now I'm hung up on the cracked dash thing. I mean if I'm going to spend money to buy a Lexus, I don't want to be staring at cracks on the dash everytime I drive the darn thing. Cracked rear bumper who cares, but the dash? And I obviously wouldn't go through the expense of getting the dash replaced at my cost (since Lexus's warranty evidently does not apply to Canada).... Darn. If it hadn't been for that, I'd probably be buying this truck for $10k, everything else is good or I can live with it (like the air suspension removal).
Nothing perfect in this world (except someone else's creampuff GX bought for a song and dance from an old guy yadayada :)
 
I agree with you, even if you bought a used dash in perfect condition, the time and hassle for you to change it makes it not worth it. Id keep looking for a crack free example.
 
Have you contacted Lexus USA about the warranty? Since it was originally sold in Texas, it should have USA warranty even if it happens to be in Canada at the moment. Maybe you would have to bring it to a USA dealer for the dash replacement, but there is an off chance they might coordinate with a Canadian dealer to do it.
 
Agreed not worth time and expense to replace dash or have it done on my dime. I did contact Lexus USA who first said I might be eligible since it's a U.S. Truck but later said it was us only. Seller suggested my getting it done at Lexus deAler across the border but why would they do it if truck is licenced in Canada. The seller spent winters in Florida but didn't know about it and never got it done while down there. Too bad. If the truck was a bargain I might live with it but not after paying market price. So I'll pass on it. Darn you, Lexus!
 
Seller just got front and rear brakes repaired, the AC now blows cold (needed a top-up it seems), and he's getting the dash cracks repaired by a reputable local car upholstery guy. Not as good as getting a dash replacement from Lexus (not going to happen in Canada) but I appreciate the gesture on his part to address this as well as can be done.
If the dash looks good I'll probably buy it (around $10K). Seller has maintained it well, and it's as nice a GX as I'm likely to see in these parts.
 
How comfortable are you with the dash repair? Seems like replacement is the best method or will the repair hold out? Also, unless the AC has never been charged, its possible there is a leak somewhere and topping it up might be masking a problem. just my .02 :D
 
Yeah, I will really look at the dash repair before making final decision.
And about the AC, you're right, if it needed topping up there may be a leak in the system. I'll try to speak to the mechanic about it.
Thanks for keeping me honest on this!
 
No worries! I wasn't trying to talk you out of it, just looking out for my fellow 'mud members. :beer:
 
No worries, I appreciate it.
The pluses about this truck: refreshed brakes, recent exhaust, air suspension replaced with conventional, long time owner, TB WP done, good body and pretty solid underneath (rare in these NE parts), no clunk, rims restored, only minor accident in history, no NAV, clean out and in
The so-so: will need tires next winter, AC may be suspect
The bad: the dash, but maybe the upholstery guy can do wonders (surely some GX owners have gone that route, those guys have been repairing dash cracks for decades in old collectible cars).
I prefer dealing with an owner so I can see the records and get a sense for their maintenance approach, than buying something at a dealer that comes from an auction with no info whatsoever...
 
Yea I hear you there and there are a lot of good things about it like you mentioned.
 
If all goes well this truck will be mine soon. Will report back if-when I get it in my driveway. Thanks for the input and thoughts.
 
Well, it MUST have been a good deal because the ad wasn't up very long!

Things are hopefully lining up for tuesday on "my" GX, once remaining pre-sale work is done to it. Hope it works out well because I'm already starting to plan out things I want to do to it (no major rock-crawling mods, those days are behind me). Here's a couple of pics to show you what it looks like. I like the color (mica blue I believe).

IMG_7656.webp

IMG_7661.webp
 
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