GS300: Is this one good enough??

eleveneleven · September 8, 2021

Hi All, I'm new here been lurking for a while though seems like a great place.

I've been on the hunt for a GS300 for a while now. Always had a soft spot for Lexus although never owned one, My dad has a 2010 IS250 with 120k miles and it still sounds/drives like the day he bought it. I like both models but the IS is a tad small so I'm leaning more towards the GS

The problem is finding a good GS for under 6k is proving to be challenging...

I've been to see a few over the last month and all have turned out to be quite disappointing to be honest, but I went to view one today (06 plate SE-L) which turned out to be half decent. After a good inspection this is what I found.

The Good
+ Full service history, last service being Feb 2021 (mixture of Lexus, and independent dealer)
+ Headlights are in good condition no yellowing
+ Wheels are in great condition.
+ Sounds/Drives A1 no squeaks/rattles, gearbox smooth as silk, brakes feel sharp
+ 4 matching tyres with stacks of tread

The Bad
- Air con wasn't working (blowing out hot air)
- Ventilated seats weren't blowing as cold as they usually do
- The controls for the electric windows (driver side) wont allow me to open/close the back windows (but the back window controls work fine)
- Some Paint bubbling spots on the lip of the bonnet
- Indicator cover on passenger side missing.
- proof of service history and MOT but no recipes for any previous work (if any) carried out.

The Ugly
- A message popped up mid drive "Check VSC" (see attached image) The seller said it comes and goes but it seemed to stay there throughout the time I was looking at the car

That being said I have some questions/concerns

The price is pretty good, it's the colour I wanted both inside & out and I could probably get him to budge a little more on price. The buyer wants to sell it as is, so I'm wondering if it would it be worth just getting it and sorting out the faults?

What is VSC and how much will that set me back to put right? wouldn't want to spend more than £600 to put everything right. is that a possibility?

How worried do I need to be with it being an 06? I've heard the horror stories of engines needing rebuilds due to carbon build up so ideally wanted an 07 upwards.
am I rolling the dice here, would I be better off just waiting for a newer one?

Let me know what you guys think, if this one doesn't pass the forum smell test think i'll have to stop the search and settle for an IS250. there's a lovely one near me for sale with 80k miles and full Lexus history.

JDM-Fiend · September 8, 2021

25 minutes ago, eleveneleven said:

Hi All, I'm new here.

I've been on the Hunt for a GS300 for a while now. Always had a soft spot for Lexus although never owned one, My dad has a 2010 IS250 with 120k miles and it still sounds/drives like the day he bought it. They are a tad small which is why the GS is more appealing to me

Anyway...I've been to see quite a few GS'S over the last month and most have turned out to be quite disappointing to be honest, but I went to view one today (06 plate SE-L) which turned out to be half decent. After a good inspection this is what I found.

The Good
+ Full service history, last service being Feb 2021 (mixture of Lexus, and independent dealer)
+ Headlights are in good condition no yellowing
+ Wheels are in great condition.
+ Sounds/Drives A1 no squeaks/rattles, gearbox smooth as silk, brakes feel sharp
+ 4 matching tyres with stacks of tread
+ The price is pretty good, and i could probably get it down a little more

The Bad
- Air con wasn't working (blowing out hot air)
- Ventilated seats weren't blowing as cold as they usually do
- The controls for the electric windows (driver side) wont allow me to open/close the back windows (but the back window controls work fine)
- Some Paint bubbling spots on the lip of the bonnet
- Indicator cover on passenger side missing.
- proof of service history and MOT but no recipes for any previous work (if any) carried out.

The Ugly
- A message popped up mid drive "Check VSC" (see attached image) The seller said it comes and goes but it seemed to stay there throughout the time I was looking at the car

That being said I have some questions/concerns

The buyer wants to sell it as is, so I'm wondering if it would it be worth just getting it and sorting out the faults?
what is VSC and how much will that set me back to put right? wouldn't want to spend more then £800 to put everything right. is that a possibility?

How worried do I need to be with it being an 06? I've heard the horror stories of engines needing rebuilds due to carbon build up so ideally wanted an 07 upwards.
am I rolling the dice here, would I be better off just waiting for a newer one?

Let me know what you guys think, if this one doesn't pass the forum smell test think i'll have to stop searching and settle for an IS250.

Hi Liam,

I've actually in the last few months gone from a IS250 to a GS300 (now a GS430). The main reason I left an IS250, they are far too small for me personally. But, they are still a lovely car.

The one mentioned sounds OK, although the AC not working would worry me a fair bit as it could potentially be an expensive fix. I'm not sure how much, but might be worth finding out the potential costs, such as the AC Condenser. Usually, I believe they stop working due to a lack of use. I generally never turn mine off, all year round for this reason.

The Lexus history you could obtain from Lexus, should you purchase the car.

I'm also selling a GS300 if interested, which I've just added into the cars for sale recently if it's of interest.

Any other questions, I'll see if I can help.

eleveneleven · September 8, 2021

Thanks Chan, appreciated,

Was hoping it would just need re gassing but definitely cause for concern then if it could be something potentially more expensive to fix. The buyer did say the previous owner had only driven it 800 miles last year and traded it in with him for something smaller so I guess that ties in.

I'll have a look at yours but Kent is out of reach for me to be honest. Congrats on the 430 by the way would love to scratch my V8 itch at some point.

Any ideas what the VSC issue could be?

steve2006 · September 8, 2021

Is this a private sale or from a motor dealer?

The VSC could be a multitude of things from the fuel cap seal to O2 sensors, reading the codes should provide clues to the actual cause.

AC could again be many things usually condenser due to exposed condition, compressor or other items.

Paint bubbling is worrying, is this a sign of a poor previous repair.

Indicator cover missing....MOT fail therefore unroadworthy?

Personally I would walk away...something better will come up 😀

eleveneleven · September 9, 2021

14 hours ago, steve2006 said:

Is this a private sale or from a motor dealer?

The VSC could be a multitude of things from the fuel cap seal to O2 sensors, reading the codes should provide clues to the actual cause.

AC could again be many things usually condenser due to exposed condition, compressor or other items.

Paint bubbling is worrying, is this a sign of a poor previous repair.

Indicator cover missing....MOT fail therefore unroadworthy?

Personally I would walk away...something better will come up 😀

Car comes from a dealer.

With the indicator cover I'm referring to is that tiny little plastic part that covers the indicator light around the wheel arch area, not sure if that would affect MOT?

Not sounding too great so far then...had another browse through here yesterday and someone mentioned Lexus wanted £630 for the condenser is an IS250 and another £60 for re-gassing

On the plus side the dealer got back to me (as i'm typing this) and said he had the VSC checked and "its showing as a loose connection" Not entirely sure what this means and how much that'll cost but I'll check with him

steve2006 · September 10, 2021

If the indicator trim is missing fair enough it may be just cosmetic.

”A loose connection” after the VSC was checked, I’ve personally never seen any code reader that tells you that specific information before, if it’s just a loose wire why doesn’t the dealer tighten it up then?

Have you checked the MOT history via the gov.uk website?

Has it been HPI checked?

If you were spending £1K on a “banger” I would expect some problems but at £6K retail?

JDM-Fiend · September 10, 2021

On 9/8/2021 at 5:01 PM, eleveneleven said:

Thanks Chan, appreciated,

Was hoping it would just need re gassing but definitely cause for concern then if it could be something potentially more expensive to fix. The buyer did say the previous owner had only driven it 800 miles last year and traded it in with him for something smaller so I guess that ties in.

I'll have a look at yours but Kent is out of reach for me to be honest. Congrats on the 430 by the way would love to scratch my V8 itch at some point.

Any ideas what the VSC issue could be?

Ah that's OK, if anything changes let me know. I'd rather it went to a forum member.

The VSC issue could come up based on a number of things, as Steve has already said.

Get yourself an Bluetooth OBD reader and plug it in under the steering wheel - then connect your phone to find out what it is. Not difficult to do at all. That should give you some indication. I'd be put off slightly, as the dealer hasn't bothered putting it right. How much was the car out of curiousity?

Hope you find a good one regardless.

superatticman · September 10, 2021

12 hours ago, steve2006 said:

If the indicator trim is missing fair enough it may be just cosmetic.

”A loose connection” after the VSC was checked, I’ve personally never seen any code reader that tells you that specific information before, if it’s just a loose wire why doesn’t the dealer tighten it up then?

Have you checked the MOT history via the gov.uk website?

Has it been HPI checked?

If you were spending £1K on a “banger” I would expect some problems but at £6K retail?

I agree with this. 6 grand from a dealer everything should work as stated on an 06 Gs300. Yes, a few things could be a bit rough around the edges but you don't want to be budgeting (easily 1 grand) for possibly a new AC compressor, condenser and a re-gas. I once pulled a dealer up on the fact one of his cars was blowing out non cooled air. He stated that it probably just needed a re gas to which I replied with the obvious retort "well why hasn't it been done then?" Looked a little closer and the belt to the compressor had been removed.

As for the VSC....might be £50....might be £500 to fix.

Yes it sounds like overall the vehicle with a few hours of work could be okay....but I'd question why the dealer has presented it like he has.

JDM-Fiend · September 10, 2021

I've only just realised, so the car in question is about £6k?

That's crazy money for a MK3 GS, I should know as I now have 2.

It should be near perfect for that kind of money if I'm honest.

Steven Lockey · September 10, 2021

That is well overpriced for a car with issues.

The error could be anything, I'd not even consider it without ALL the above issues been fixed including the VSC light.

More than a few GS available without these faults for cheaper:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109067068548
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107155077247?price-from=500&radius=1500&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=ng15ga&model=GS 450H&advertising-location=at_cars&make=LEXUS&year-to=2021&sort=price-asc&include-delivery-option=on&page=1
for example.

However do remember on the older GSes, check to see if these parts have been replaced:
Exhaust
Shocks
Traction Battery (for H models)
as at some point they are very likely to go on older GSes. The exhaust is about £800 to replace
when it goes (or 2.2k from lexus) and the shocks are about £800 EACH from lexus or about £400 each
for a non-standard non-adjustable version. The 300 uses the cheaper shocks anyway and I think the 300's
shocks less likely to go as soon as its a bit lighter car.
You can get a non-standard replacement hybrid Battery from Hybrid Battery solutions for about £2k.

So if you do get an older GS, make sure you have the spare change to address these issues as they arise.

eleveneleven · September 10, 2021

13 hours ago, steve2006 said:

If the indicator trim is missing fair enough it may be just cosmetic.

”A loose connection” after the VSC was checked, I’ve personally never seen any code reader that tells you that specific information before, if it’s just a loose wire why doesn’t the dealer tighten it up then?

Have you checked the MOT history via the gov.uk website?

Has it been HPI checked?

If you were spending £1K on a “banger” I would expect some problems but at £6K retail?

All good points mate. He said his mechanic said "its a few hours labour to find the bad connection" and he's convinced that the aircon just needs re-gassing.
reckons it'll be about £300 to put right, and its willing to knock that off the price (so £3.5k in total which does sound very tempting) but you guys are right, if he's not willing to put his money where his month is I don't think I am either...

Shame really as the car drove beautifully and it's the colour I've been looking for.

Looks like it'll have to be the IS250...

eleveneleven · September 10, 2021

44 minutes ago, JDM-Fiend said:

I've only just realised, so the car in question is about £6k?

That's crazy money for a MK3 GS, I should know as I now have 2.

It should be near perfect for that kind of money if I'm honest.

No £6k is my budget, the car was £3,800 but dealer was willing to knock off £300 to cover the cost of the faults so £3,500

KayCee · September 11, 2021

Thats the oldest trick in the book. if its only 300 why doesnt he fix it

Walk away mate

steve2006 · September 11, 2021

Sorry guys I may have misled you with a £6K asking price.

Even at £3.5K the chances are £300.00 will not cover the repairs required cost, an AC recharge pre test will no doubt reveal defective components and the VSC “loose wire I haven’t got time to find” suggests it’s a bit more than that.

Play his bluff by telling him to fix all the faults for the full asking price and see what he says then.

JDM-Fiend · September 11, 2021

2 hours ago, steve2006 said:

Sorry guys I may have misled you with a £6K asking price.

Even at £3.5K the chances are £300.00 will not cover the repairs required cost, an AC recharge pre test will no doubt reveal defective components and the VSC “loose wire I haven’t got time to find” suggests it’s a bit more than that.

Play his bluff by telling him to fix all the faults for the full asking price and see what he says then.

Although the worry is, what else might he be hiding that he hasn't even mentioned.

But, calling his bluff is the smart move and watch his facial expressions and body language, as well as his words. Unless it's a phone call 😉

eleveneleven · September 11, 2021

6 hours ago, steve2006 said:

Sorry guys I may have misled you with a £6K asking price.

Even at £3.5K the chances are £300.00 will not cover the repairs required cost, an AC recharge pre test will no doubt reveal defective components and the VSC “loose wire I haven’t got time to find” suggests it’s a bit more than that.

Play his bluff by telling him to fix all the faults for the full asking price and see what he says then.

My thoughts exactly, My gut is telling me to avoid although part of me wants to get it and just spend the money on putting it right as its the first time I've found one with the colour I've been looking for and half decent ones seem to be few and far between these days.

think I'm going to be sensible about this though and walk away...

Thanks for the advice everyone its much appreciated, The Lexus search continues...

Chris111 · September 11, 2021

3 hours ago, eleveneleven said:

half decent ones seem to be few and far between these days.

With respect Lee from what you have said I don't think this car can be called half decent. Might sound harsh but that's my personal take from what you have written. And from the sounds of it the less said about the dealer the better! There are better cars, and dealers, out there but the truth is you may have to travel to find the right one. Also, I don't know if you are aware, but GS 300's registered after 23/03/06 are nearly £600.00 per year VED.