Should I pull the trigger - 2003 LX470, 100k Miles, 18k (1 Viewer)

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Apr 23, 2017
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Location
Utah
Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been looking for a while for a 100 series. I finally found what i'm hoping is the right car, but I want some input on some of the issues found and any gotchas that I should look out for.

The Truck - It's a 2003 out of New England with about 100k miles. Carfax has all the maintenance being done at the Lexus dealer it was purchased at. after 14 years, it was returned to the same dealer who put it up on auction. Now for the list of issues/worries I have (i'm numbering them so if someone only wants to chime in on 1 of the items, they can just list the number they are answering:

1. Rust - To a newb, the rust didn't look bad underneath, but there was definitely some rust on the frame and underneath (the muffler didn't look too bad from underneath). How much should the rust be underneath? Is a New England car a worry?

2. Lexus Link - When I turned the car on it said "Lexus Link is active" audibly. After about 15 or so seconds, the car said "There is a Lexus Link Error". any insights/troublshooting? Is this a major issue?

3. the AHC worked when we turned on the car for the first time. i checked getting it into Low, Normal, and High mode and it got into them all. After we drove for about 20 minutes and parked, i tried getting it into high mode again and there was some clunking in the back and it never got up into high. it still got between low and normal just fine. It was only me and my wife in the car. I noticed the fluid for the AHC was a bit low, could that be the issue?

4. Accident - there was history of an accident, however supposedly the airbags weren't deployed. I checked the front inside the engine bay and found the tags on both front fenders that matched the car. I didn't see a tag for the front support for the radiator, is there usually one on there?

5. Price - 18k for a 2003 with total service records out of the same Lexus Dealer, Timing belt has already been changed and the rest of the service looks more like normal maintenance. It's a high price, but i'm wondering if it's justified by the low mileage and the associated records.

Thank you all in advance! I love reading the forums. If there is any tidbits of advice, or things I've missed, please let me know.
 
Update: looks like the Lexus link is as simple as basically pulling a fuse. So I'm not too worried about that one anymore. :)
 
Hmmm i don't know about this one, new england gets a lot of snow, and their salt treatments and chemicals on the road eats away at the under carriage like no other. Do you live in Utah per your location? There are better ones out there with clean records, accident might be minor, but it's something that usually deters me away from buying a vehicle, mainly if i sell it later it'll be hard to sell.

I wouldn't do it, that clunk and not getting back into Hi might be an issue as well.


I'd look at something like this, someone posted it in another thread

2003 Lexus LX 470 (Toyota Land Cruiser)

Lexus LX470 2005 LX 470 Land Cruiser
 
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Seems like an alright deal save the rust / New England part. Look in Cali, and Arizona. I think you can do better.

If you use Android I can send you the Craigslist scouring app I used.

If you plan to lift it there is one in NM in sanddollar pearl that has dead ahc.
 
I'm from NY, live in Maine, and I flew to Arizona for my truck- be patient and take advantage of the fact that you are out west- do not buy a truck from the north east.
 
I must agree with the above folks - Two years ago I paid $19,500 for my 03 LX with 93k miles, full service records, no AHC faults - However it was a 1 owner FL vehicle with no under body or frame rust.

Although $18k price for this example is a fair price, ultimately the 14 years this vehicle has spent in the salt belt will shorten it's life, and increase maintenance costs in the long run. Vehicles from the northeast tend to be lower priced, however Rust is the main reason...

I have purchased two different vehicles from the northeast and ultimately have regretted both of them - hidden rust in wheel well area and rockers and tailgates, frozen bolts in suspension and brake calipers, etc. Ultimately they are a nightmare to work on and maintain.

Southern / western vehicles can be found in the same price range.

As for LexusLink - I believe there is a voluntary recall where Lexus will uninstall this from the vehicle at no charge. There is also a recall for the side curtain airbag controller on this vehicle.
 
As a comparison, there is a 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser parked in a lot where private individuals put their cars up for sale. I called about it last night. White exterior, tan interior, really nice visually. Owner states that it has 168K miles, wants $14K, has new interior, regular maintenance including timing belt, Florida car all its life except for last 2 years here in N.C. This "new interior" comment makes me think its had a lot of "family duty". Owner says his phone is getting blown up with people calling about it. I suspect he will get the $14K he wants.
 
Thanks Ya'll for your input, it's gonna be tough to back away slowly from this truck. However, I don't want a nightmare on my hands. I may ask the sales guy for some underneath pictures and i'll post here if I get any.
 
Offer 13 and see what they say.
 
Offer 13 and see what they say.

That was my plan if I couldn't get the AHC to function properly. I'd borrow it for a day, get a quote from a local Lexus dealership and take it back to them and ask for a 100% discount for the repair... and then put my own lift on it. I'm guessing they will laugh at me, and i'll laugh back. :)
 

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