Buying A Older 450H- What To Look For?

[minchu]

Newbie to the forum here looking at ( well really i WILL be buying) a 450h- i have a budget of @ £5,000-£7,000 so i would expect a 06-57 plate and preferably under 100,000 miles which from a good look at autotrader seems doable.

FLSH is a must but are there any other things to look for in particular

also a question re the battery/hybrid system- is it age or mileage that would be most detrimental to the system?

also also my most local Lexus dealership is Bolton- any good?

i know the area and suprised that theres a lexus dealership there as its quite rough round those parts lol

[cruisermark]

hi martin

I haven't got one but been looking for a while as a replacement for my LS430.

The main faults to look out for are:

1) Leaking shock absorbers - these can start as early as 60k miles and the only replacement as i write is lexus parts.

2) Hybrid problems can start to surface the closer you are 100k - mainly these relate to failing individual cells within the Battery - these can be replaced with used ones but will cost you £700 by specialist companies.

3) There has been 2-3 cases of failed transmission pumps - lexus will probably quote for a new gearbox - however a member here " hayne" fixed his for alot less - look fout for warning lights on test drive

4) Seized calipers is another to look out for.

thats all i can think of - when looking take an extended test drive to ensure no warning lights come on. I look on auto trader and other sites every single day and these cars are very slow movers so negotiate.

As you can see the list is small but relative costs are high for example £700 buys alot of fuel

Many member have opted for an extended lexus warranty which costs £995 for 2 years - this also covers the Hybrid Battery.

Lexus will also do hybrid Health check and warranty the Battery for 12 months and costs £59

hope this helps

[minchu]

Thanks Mark,

i suspect the 2 yr warranty would give great peace of mind but i doubt i will be able to afford a dealership car at their prices.

the health check tho sounds a good deal.

i am currently in the philippines so only able to do my research online but will be back in the UK soon to take up a new position which will involve a fair bit of driving- hence deciding on the Lexus after reading many reviews about how comfortable it is.

and great advice about them being slow movers so deals to be had- music to my ears

[Carl911]

I can certainly recommend an extended warranty. You don't need to buy the car from a Lexus dealer to buy the additional warranty.

I know first hand that it's one of the most comprehensive warranties I have ever had. Really does put your mind at ease.

It will set you back around £900 for two years but worth every penny. I have had exhaust, shocks, water pump and engine oil leaks replaced and repaired all under the warranty.

These are reliable cars but like all cars with this amount of technology, when things do need fixing they attend to be a little more expensive.

Carl

[minchu]

I can certainly recommend an extended warranty. You don't need to buy the car from a Lexus dealer to buy the additional warranty.

I know first hand that it's one of the most comprehensive warranties I have ever had. Really does put your mind at ease.

It will set you back around £900 for two years but worth every penny. I have had exhaust, shocks, water pump and engine oil leaks replaced and repaired all under the warranty.

These are reliable cars but like all cars with this amount of technology, when things do need fixing they attend to be a little more expensive.

Carl

thanks Carl- if you become a gold member do you get 10% off the warranty as well?

seems that would pay for itself in one go

must admit thats great news- the costs that i have seen are a bit offputting so from what you say this would be the best option and puts a decent private sale into the equation

if there any criteria of car/mileage etc to be able to qualify for the warranty?

[Carl911]

i have never checks with regards to discounted warranty. I believe it is usually only off servicing, parts and labour but you never know.

Regarding the small gold membership fee I got mine back in no time using the Halfords purchases with 15% off each time. Also it's up to 15% of some dealers. I seem to be endorsing everything tonight but the gold membership pays for it self very quickly.

Oh, going back to warranty, I think there is a maximum mileage they will cover initially speaking but you would have to check the Lexus website. Think it's something like 120,000 when you take it out.

Carl

[Mike Hartland]

Regarding the warranty, I had a feeling that it is only for cars up to ten years old - which is one end of the age range you are looking for - so I have just taken a look. It is indeed ten years or 140,000 miles.

Now, whether that is ten years when the warranty is taken out or ten years when it finishes, I do not know.

[cruisermark]

Regarding the warranty, I had a feeling that it is only for cars up to ten years old - which is one end of the age range you are looking for - so I have just taken a look. It is indeed ten years or 140,000 miles.

Now, whether that is ten years when the warranty is taken out or ten years when it finishes, I do not know.

well there is a 07 plate GS450h for sale which has 23 months warranty included - so going by that the cars needs to be less than 10 years old when the warranty is taken out.

[minchu]

just found this on the Lexus UK website- seems the warranty includes 2 years breakdown as well and you can pay monthly over ten months- just gets better value the more i read

Key Features:

• Coverage available on Lexus models up to 10 years old or 140,000 miles*.
• All policies include Lexus Roadside assistance with European cover.
• MOT Cover included to protect you from unexpected repair bills.
• Cover for car hire and hotel expenses if required.**
• Cover for the majority of parts and labour charges.
• Repairs carried out by an official Lexus Service Centre.
• Unlimited mileage cover.

[Carl911]

I pay over 10 months and had to use the breakdown cover for my wife's car the other week. It was AA that turned up

[Jamesf1]

Just to reference your question re Lexus Bolton, I've had my IS250 in for a recall and a service and I've no cause for complaint. They did a very good valet job on it too.