Opinions please. Looking at a possible purchase. Undercarriage questions. (1 Viewer)

[petveedub]

We’ve been looking for a GX460 for my wife, and I’ve found one that checks all the right boxes (color, price, mileage, etc.) except living it’s first two years in Indiana.

It's a 2012 with approximately 160,000 miles, regular approximate 10,000 mile oil changes according to myLexus service history, and has resided in Texas after its first two years. The oil changes were consistent, but their were several instances of mechanic remarks ”CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER”. Most of theses were not accompanied by whatever the declined service was.

However, those that were are as follows:

SERVICE: ALL WHEEL DRIVE DIFF SERVICE (REPLACE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASE FLUIDS)
DESCRIPTION: ~|~ ~|~,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER

SERVICE: SERVICE TRANSFER CASE
DESCRIPTION: ~|~ ~|~,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER

SERVICE: COVER, FRONT - ENGINE TIMING - RESEAL
DESCRIPTION: ~|~ ~|~,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER

All at 150,477 miles.

Also, there is what appears to just be surface rust on the undercarriage, and what could be the remnants of leaks to the left and right of the skid plate.
So my questions are how big a deal is it if the diff and transfer case services haven’t been done yet? If the engine timing reseal is the same problem that I have read others have had how concerned should I be if it wasn’t done? Also, what services were possibly declined that weren’t noted specifically on myLexus?

…and of course what are your thoughts on the undercarriage, as far as the rust and the possible leaks?

The GX is a few hours away (Dallas area) and I won’t be able to see it in person until Monday, but I am going to have a FaceTime walk around tomorrow. So is there anything specifically I should get the seller to show me?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Rednexus]

While the undercarriage looks, IMO great, I would be hesitant to pick up a high-mileage vehicle that only had 10K oil change intervals and may be running on the original differential and transfer case fluids. The 10K OCI's alone on a high-mileage vehicle would personally be enough for me to pass on it. Especially on a timing chain motor like a 1UR, there are simply a lot of components that require fresh/clean oil. 10K OCIs can easily result in the buildup of a lot of varnish and sludge inside the engine. Yes, I know this is the factory OCI, but the manual is also clear that it basically only applies for highway driving - any short trips, towing, dust, etc, requires a shorter OCI.

If the PO didn't bother to stay on top of the easy stuff like oil changes and gear oil changes (which are super-cheap and easy to complete), I'm also betting it's running the original transmission fluid (which is known to be problematic on the A760F for some 460s), and who knows what other kind of maintenance they deferred on. There are just a lot of questions/risks caused by a service history like that - the rig should be considered a dice roll on how what kind of skeletons it may or may not have hiding.

Toyotas may be reliable but they are susceptible to neglect just like any other vehicle.

 

[petveedub]

Thanks for the informed reply.

I started this thread at 1:43 this morning. I should have been in bed, so I missed a couple of things in the service history. the timing cover leak was noted at about 150,000 m. Well at about 167,000 when it was being inspected for sale the leak was noted again along with a coolant valley leak. If the previous owner had taken care of the leak I don’t imagine it would be leaking again just 17,000 miles later. So I doubt the PO took care of much if any of the declined services.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Hiluxforever]

I would recommend a pass

 

[jeremy j]

I would pass too. The under carriage looks great but any truck that spent most of it's time in Texas will look good. Rednexus made some great points about OCIs and now that it might have the coolant valley leak, I'd pass even at an aggressive sale price.

 

[ericm979]

I think it's going to be hard to find a GX that's had its oil changed more often than the factory light service recommendation. I know many here do it more often but we're in a tiny minority. Essentially everyone considers the factory light service schedule to be the maximum. I think it's even more common when service is "free" for some period, because that's the schedule they use.

I'd look for a unit that went in every 5k miles even though the oil was only changed on half of those, wasn't taken off road, and had other service done like transmission fluid changes. That shows at least 90th percentile care.

 

[Hiluxforever]

I think it's going to be hard to find a GX that's had its oil changed more often than the factory light service recommendation. I know many here do it more often but we're in a tiny minority. Essentially everyone considers the factory light service schedule to be the maximum. I think it's even more common when service is "free" for some period, because that's the schedule they use.

I'd look for a unit that went in every 5k miles even though the oil was only changed on half of those, wasn't taken off road, and had other service done like transmission fluid changes. That shows at least 90th percentile care.

The bigger issue is the lack of service on the transmission transfer case and diffs. The way a lot of folks drive, bebopping around, 10k intervals is fine.

 

[Banandalorian]

The declined services at 150k, then trade-in 10-15k miles later gives strong "I brought it to the mechanic for an issue, didn't want to pay for it, then 10k miles later it failed catastrophically" vibes.

 

[Rednexus]

I think it's going to be hard to find a GX that's had its oil changed more often than the factory light service recommendation. I know many here do it more often but we're in a tiny minority. Essentially everyone considers the factory light service schedule to be the maximum. I think it's even more common when service is "free" for some period, because that's the schedule they use.

I'd look for a unit that went in every 5k miles even though the oil was only changed on half of those, wasn't taken off road, and had other service done like transmission fluid changes. That shows at least 90th percentile care.

It could be a reason to consider a nice 470 over a 460. The 470 maintenance light turns on at 5K. My 470 had multiple owners and I don't have a complete service history, but where I do have history it was every 5K. My 2UZ is spotless inside.

10K OCI's could be OK under some scenarios - like a low and newer total mileage GX, or a higher-mileage GX where there is some data to indicate the driving was legit highway mileage. I've never exceeded 8K for OCI's on any vehicle, and where I have hit 8K the oil has been disgusting and not something I want running in my engine (regardless of what the owners manual says).

 

[r2m]

10k miles per oil change is on the long side, even if it's done regularly and they used synthetic oil. Oil changes should be minimum at 7k. Was there any mention of a transmission flush/fluid change? It should probably have had one of those too.
Also with the declined service on a vehicle with that mileage, my vote: Pass.

 

[SteadfastRocky]

It could be a reason to consider a nice 470 over a 460. The 470 maintenance light turns on at 5K. My 470 had multiple owners and I don't have a complete service history, but where I do have history it was every 5K. My 2UZ is spotless inside.

10K OCI's could be OK under some scenarios - like a low and newer total mileage GX, or a higher-mileage GX where there is some data to indicate the driving was legit highway mileage. I've never exceeded 8K for OCI's on any vehicle, and where I have hit 8K the oil has been disgusting and not something I want running in my engine (regardless of what the owners manual says).

the light comes on at least in ours, at 5k, not 10k. I don't really understand how or why someone would go an extra 5k with out getting the reminders every start and stop. At 7k (pushed because of a long trip closer than i would have liked to the end of the oil life.) the oil looked fine 9.xx quarts is a lot of oil. However I am still a beliver in the 5k interval but I don't sweat it going a k over.


I dont think I would be spooked by the actual issues on this rig OP so much as the cost to sort and fix those issues and get a good baseline on the rest of it. ie fluids so on.

 

[Rednexus]

the light comes on at least in ours, at 5k, not 10k. I don't really understand how or why someone would go an extra 5k with out getting the reminders every start and stop. At 7k (pushed because of a long trip closer than i would have liked to the end of the oil life.) the oil looked fine 9.xx quarts is a lot of oil. However I am still a beliver in the 5k interval but I don't sweat it going a k over.


I dont think I would be spooked by the actual issues on this rig OP so much as the cost to sort and fix those issues and get a good baseline on the rest of it. ie fluids so on.

My biggest worry with a rig like this would be question marks regarding the transmission, TC, and diffs. Poor maintenance practices can trash any and all of those by 160K. The maintenance log tells a story of someone who did below the bare minimum to take care of their GX and ignored multiple scheduled services. A person who didn't bother taking care of a $60K investment - who knows what else they did or didn't do to it. Maybe the rig will be just fine as Toyotas are tough, but replacing any of those items are $$$$$.

FYI, you are right, our Highlander has the Maintenance light come on at 5K for the tire rotation, not 10K. So the 460 and other Toyotas with a 10K OCI must be the same. On our Highlander I do an oil change anyway at 5K as it costs all of $30 to do such and my wife drives a lot of short trips. Totally overkill in a hybrid, and the oil is usually not that dirty, but we plan on keeping the vehicle for a long time and protecting our $50K investment.

 

[SteadfastRocky]

My biggest worry with a rig like this would be question marks regarding the transmission, TC, and diffs. Poor maintenance practices can trash any and all of those by 160K. The maintenance log tells a story of someone who did below the bare minimum to take care of their GX and ignored multiple scheduled services. A person who didn't bother taking care of a $60K investment - who knows what else they did or didn't do to it. Maybe the rig will be just fine as Toyotas are tough, but replacing any of those items are $$$$$.

FYI, you are right, our Highlander has the Maintenance light come on at 5K for the tire rotation, not 10K. So the 460 and other Toyotas with a 10K OCI must be the same. On our Highlander I do an oil change anyway at 5K as it costs all of $30 to do such and my wife drives a lot of short trips. Totally overkill in a hybrid, and the oil is usually not that dirty, but we plan on keeping the vehicle for a long time and protecting our $50K investment.

I hear ya, and completely agree about the trans and the diffs.

 

[blinder52]

We’ve been looking for a GX460 for my wife, and I’ve found one that checks all the right boxes (color, price, mileage, etc.) except living it’s first two years in Indiana.

It's a 2012 with approximately 160,000 miles, regular approximate 10,000 mile oil changes according to myLexus service history, and has resided in Texas after its first two years. The oil changes were consistent, but their were several instances of mechanic remarks ”CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER”. Most of theses were not accompanied by whatever the declined service was.

However, those that were are as follows:

SERVICE: ALL WHEEL DRIVE DIFF SERVICE (REPLACE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASE FLUIDS)
DESCRIPTION: ~|~ ~|~,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER

SERVICE: SERVICE TRANSFER CASE
DESCRIPTION: ~|~ ~|~,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER

SERVICE: COVER, FRONT - ENGINE TIMING - RESEAL
DESCRIPTION: ~|~ ~|~,CUSTOMER DECLINED SERVICE -CUSTOMER WILL HAVE WORK PERFORMED LATER

All at 150,477 miles.

Also, there is what appears to just be surface rust on the undercarriage, and what could be the remnants of leaks to the left and right of the skid plate.
So my questions are how big a deal is it if the diff and transfer case services haven’t been done yet? If the engine timing reseal is the same problem that I have read others have had how concerned should I be if it wasn’t done? Also, what services were possibly declined that weren’t noted specifically on myLexus?

…and of course what are your thoughts on the undercarriage, as far as the rust and the possible leaks?

The GX is a few hours away (Dallas area) and I won’t be able to see it in person until Monday, but I am going to have a FaceTime walk around tomorrow. So is there anything specifically I should get the seller to show me?

Thanks for your time.

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Coolant valley leak and timing cover oil leak are two major repairs. That’s a poison pill for sure. Other stuff is speculative. Undercarriage is fine.