Service History

[Mr DJC]

Hi,

I’ve been looking at an LS460 which has full dealer service history until 2018. However after that the car hasn’t been serviced. The car was on 142k then. The owner states the car didn’t get used through lockdown and some of 2021. So the cars now done 149k miles. Should I be worried that it’s not had a service in 5 years and 8k miles? The car has had loads spent on it in terms of maintenance and it looks a nice example. 

[LenT]

54 minutes ago, Mr DJC said:

Should I be worried that it’s not had a service in 5 years and 8k miles?

The short answer is surely…yes.

The scheduled service periods are either on a mileage basis - or annually.  I have mine serviced annually because I’m not doing the mileage.
Has it been garaged or parked outside?

The risk is that seals will deteriorate and metal parts will corrode - and how old are the tyres?  They may have plenty of tread left but tyre compounds also deteriorate with age and exposure - and may need replacing.

Presumably, though, it has had an annual MoT to keep it on the road.  You can check the MoT history for any failures or advisories.  And while you say that it’s had loads spent on it in the past - which may head off any potential problems - that all stopped five years ago.

On the other hand, it is a fifteen year-old car!  Would the Owner be willing to let you have it inspected by a Lexus dealer or, for example, the AA?  

What is the asking price?  Can you find similar examples in, say, Autotrader, with which to compare it?

I’m sure owners of that specific model will be able to suggest particular areas of concern.  But whatever you pay for it now, you should surely factor in the cost of a full service once you’ve bought it.

Personally, I would go the pre-purchase inspection route, just to head off any nasty immediate surprises.  But if it’s a really low price, the current owner may not be very co-operative.

Ultimately, it all comes down to how much you want it - and the chances of a better one coming along!   So I’m not sure how much help all this has been!

[Tinonline]

You can validate the mileage and get a good idea of condition and maintenance from the Government MOT history website.

Vehicles still need oil and filter changes so lack of service should be reflected in the price. 

My method of buying is to get the lowest mileage I can, although there’s a price premium. Any work required is worth the investment for long term ownership. Optimum balance is 70k to 80k miles as a Lexus is barely run in!

 

[Malc1]

4 hours ago, Mr DJC said:

Should I be worried that it’s not had a service in 5 years and 8k miles?

really all as above  ....  mine Ls400 only covered about 4k miles a year during all this covid lockdown stuff BUT those small annual miles i considered kept everything working and in fine fettle .  I hoped .  and provided she's done a couple of 000's a year over a regular monthly basis then i would consider that to be probably ok going forward .......

Can you reveal the regn no. to us etc ? price whatever ?  that's going to be the crux of the predicament you're in 

Remembering, if it's any comfort to you,  I bought my ( M470HWO ) Dec 1994, and 2nd Ls400 from a garage in Windsor back in 2007 with only  3827 miles with a Full Lexus service record and even a cambelt change .  'twas amazing tbh ..........  from brand new AND she was like a brand new car too ...........  never had a single moments trouble with her .  oh, until a write-off 4 years later ..  sadly in 2011

Malc

[Brian R]

Personally I'd be a little wary, had the oil been changed then perhaps not so much. There's no doubt, a car that is used will usually fare better than one that sits still. Having said that, I couldn't agree more with Len and if an inspection indicates no problems, buy it and then get it serviced immediately. It would also be interesting to know what oil is currently in it, i.e. mineral or synthetic. If the latter than probably better news than having the former owing to inherent longevity.

[PCM]

6 hours ago, Mr DJC said:

Hi,

I’ve been looking at an LS460 which has full dealer service history until 2018. However after that the car hasn’t been serviced. The car was on 142k then. The owner states the car didn’t get used through lockdown and some of 2021. So the cars now done 149k miles. Should I be worried that it’s not had a service in 5 years and 8k miles? The car has had loads spent on it in terms of maintenance and it looks a nice example. 

Have you seen it live and driven it and spoken to the owner?

[Spock66]

6 hours ago, Mr DJC said:

Should I be worried that it’s not had a service in 5 years and 8k miles? The car has had loads spent on it in terms of maintenance and it looks a nice example.

I think if a car is doing very low miles you can push the service to every 2-years, but 5-years is a stretch too far.

[Bluemarlin]

I'd probably be more concerned about it having sat around than a lack of an oil change in 8k miles.  All other thngs being equal, if it was synthetic oil, I'd take a look down the fill hole to see if there any signs of sludge, and take a sample of the oil to see what it looks like. Any other problems, such as engine wear if the old oil wasn't doing it's job would either show up in terms of how the car drives, or (if less serious) be invisible without an oil analysis. If all looks ok, and the car drives well, it wouldn't be my biggest concern.

I would however check for any signs of corrosion or wear due to lack of use. As mentioned by others, a pre purchase inspection would be useful. Check also what other scheduled service items are outstanding from that missed period, such as brake fluid,  spark plugs, timing belt etc.

Unless it was priced noticeably better than others of a similar age/mileage/visible condition, I'd probably look elsewhere though. If you do end up buying it then I'd suggest doing a second oil change after about 1000 miles or so, to clear out any possible crud.

Ultimately it all boils down to the price and the overall condition of the car, as any used car carries a risk.

[Malc1]

Daniel, might you be able to take her out for a blast up hill and down dale and Motorway and all in between .  before you commit to a purchase ...  It's amazing what a simple " blow out " could dislodge and remedy to give effect to a brilliantly performing car 

Again remembering two older cars I had bought on my garage forecourt .  a sluggishly turgid BMW 3 series and a Volvo estate ..  a good blast up a local hill changed them from laggardly decrepit no hopers to wonderful brilliant performers. ....... as I was hoping

A good blast-out can redeem lots of problems

Malc

[PCM]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:12 AM, Mr DJC said:

Hi,

I’ve been looking at an LS460 which has full dealer service history until 2018. However after that the car hasn’t been serviced. The car was on 142k then. The owner states the car didn’t get used through lockdown and some of 2021. So the cars now done 149k miles. Should I be worried that it’s not had a service in 5 years and 8k miles? The car has had loads spent on it in terms of maintenance and it looks a nice example. 

Have you had any further thoughts on what you might do?

[Howplum]

You might find the handbrake cables will need work, or replacing, due to lack of use. I had to replace mine because the car had been off the road for two years, and the previous owner never used the handbrake, a common scenario with automatics.