Is this a good buy?

tomashen · October 4, 2023

Hi all,

Not a very mechanically savvy person, still picking up things here and there. I have my eye on this CT but not sure since i read a lot about EGR clogging and headgasket blowing up issues and oil burning issues.

I called the seller , according to seller, no leaks at all, no engine vibration/rattles. All engine covers under body still there. Car maintained very well was said.

This is a good spec from what i gather. €9K price but may be able to get a little lower.

170k miles. 2012 year. S DESIGN

NCT for another couple months only. But last NCT seems to have passed

Any suggestions please?

HornettM · October 4, 2023

The CT200 is a great car, is really comfortable and will do 55+ mpg. Make sure you are happy with the way the CVT gearbox works it is not like other cars, I am now used to the way it works and find it no problem. There is always lots of advice on the internet about what can go wrong with a car but it really does depend on the individual car. A thorough inspection of both the car and paperwork is a good idea, you could get someone like the AA to do an inspection for you for a reasonable charge.

Spacewagon52 · October 4, 2023

6 hours ago, tomashen said:

Hi all,

Not a very mechanically savvy person, still picking up things here and there. I have my eye on this CT but not sure since i read a lot about EGR clogging and headgasket blowing up issues and oil burning issues.

I called the seller , according to seller, no leaks at all, no engine vibration/rattles. All engine covers under body still there. Car maintained very well was said.

This is a good spec from what i gather. €9K price but may be able to get a little lower.

170k miles. 2012 year. S DESIGN

NCT for another couple months only. But last NCT seems to have passed

Any suggestions please?

I thought it a bit expensive considering the mileage. However, I am not up on secondhand prices in Eire.

LenT · October 4, 2023

44 minutes ago, HornettM said:

A thorough inspection of both the car and paperwork is a good idea, you could get someone like the AA to do an inspection for you for a reasonable charge.

This is an excellent suggestion - especially considering the considerably higher than average annual mileage. An alternative would be to take it to a Lexus dealer.

Tom mentions the ‘paperwork’…ideally this means all the Service Records, Parts Receipts and MoT Reports.

Armed with the reg. number, you can also check the MoT reports on the DVLA website.

Check to see if it has all the original equipment / tools / spare wheel / manual that it was sold with. Things like jacks tend to go missing over the years and can offer a negotiating point as you will want to replace them.

tomashen · October 4, 2023

34 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I thought it a bit expensive considering the mileage. However, I am not up on secondhand prices in Eire.

Yeah i would ask lower price , mileage is high and if im not mistaken, lots of maintenance coming up?

42 minutes ago, HornettM said:

The CT200 is a great car, is really comfortable and will do 55+ mpg. Make sure you are happy with the way the CVT gearbox works it is not like other cars, I am now used to the way it works and find it no problem. There is always lots of advice on the internet about what can go wrong with a car but it really does depend on the individual car. A thorough inspection of both the car and paperwork is a good idea, you could get someone like the AA to do an inspection for you for a reasonable charge.

Hey, i have Auris hybrid 2015 year though where many engine issues were resolved from my findings. I enjoy the eCVT very much.

Not getting rid of auris but need 2nd car. I would like to keep another for 5 years minimum. I am skeptical of this now after purchasing the history check , which shows some weird stuff.

Tax has short periods. Makes me think the seller paid short durations hoping they will sell it quick.

And history :

I dont understand , why garage owns this and is sold privately, or is someone trying to unload it privately avoiding the requirement to provide warranty and be liable for refunds etc.?

Its imported from UK. If i was to go test drive i would ask for lower price for sure.

tomashen · October 4, 2023

6 minutes ago, LenT said:

This is an excellent suggestion - especially considering the considerably higher than average annual mileage. An alternative would be to take it to a Lexus dealer.

Tom mentions the ‘paperwork’…ideally this means all the Service Records, Parts Receipts and MoT Reports.

Armed with the reg. number, you can also check the MoT reports on the DVLA website.

Check to see if it has all the original equipment / tools / spare wheel / manual that it was sold with. Things like jacks tend to go missing over the years and can offer a negotiating point as you will want to replace them.

Hi, i have not inspected the car and have no confirmation of what paperwork is available yet. NCT seems to have passed no problem from history check i paid for ( MOT equivalent) I dont have the original UK plate number sadly to check dvla.

good call to check for equipment! Would i be crazy to ask for 1-2k less?

LenT · October 4, 2023

25 minutes ago, tomashen said:

I dont understand , why garage owns this and is sold privately, or is someone trying to unload it privately avoiding the requirement to provide warranty and be liable for refunds etc.?

If you’re saying that the registered owner is a garage that bought it less than a month ago, but you’re dealing with a ‘Private’ seller, then you could well be right that this is a ruse by the Dealer to avoid their legal responsibility.

I can’t see the point as, according to the Ownership History you’ve already acquired, the Garage is the registered owner so it should be their Agent selling the car - so they are liable anyway. If the seller is operating without the Garage’s knowledge, then they’re stealing it!

You also make a good point about any upcoming Service requirements that you may have to cover. As for price, have you looked on the Auto Car website and searched for similar cars for sale near you?

It might even turn up there! At the very least, you might find another Lexus that’s less problematic.

tomashen · October 4, 2023

Yeah there are more but none with the extras, heated seats, popup display and sensors.

I dont want this Lexus without atleast heated seats+popup display. ML audio system is not so important to me, i know some come with panasonic 10 speaker setup also but no idea how to check this...

Another ct200h is for sale with heated seats+display+keyless start stop for 1k more but 20k miles lower. May be a better bet. What should i check on inspection? Engine rattle i know to listen for...

LenT · October 4, 2023

12 minutes ago, tomashen said:

Another ct200h is for sale with heated seats+display+keyless start stop for 1k more but 20k miles lower. May be a better bet. What should i check on inspection? Engine rattle i know to listen for...

I don’t know enough about this model to comment, but I’m sure someone will come along who does! But I would say that most sellers expect a buyer to negotiate down, so that may help you - as may all the comments already made.

As for the ML audio, as far as I’m aware it was only available on the top spec models. Otherwise you got the Pioneer system - which was perfectly acceptable for most people.

Good luck in your search….

tomashen · October 4, 2023

Thanks for chiming in!

Also , regarding the head gasket failure it seems that this mostly happening in the USA and I have not seen many, if any posts from europe on this issue. Maybe its nothing to worry about then here as long as maintenance/service is done appropriately?..

Kaptkremmin · October 4, 2023

I think it's about £3k over priced, most CT's on auto trader with that mileage are around the £6k mark, but having the Hybrid Battery check is a must as they'll cost you around £3k to replace at a Lexus garage, they all come with the display and I haven't seen one that hasn't heated seats, the reversing camera would be what I would look for, don't quote me on this but I was under the impression it was the EGR what clogged up on diesels and the CT doesn't come in a Diesel.

tomashen · October 4, 2023

In euro then its probably 1k overpriced.. seems all similar ones are at same or 1k higher ...

In ireland most have no heated seats, nevermind anything else.

And from my understanding the hybrids have egr pipe too?

I really dig a nice hatchback butmy max budget is 9k euro and donedeal doesnt have many listed...

Hybrid is my choice because roadtax is the lowest currently owning auris hybdrid i really like the system. But this head gasket thing is making me paranoid. It seems to happen from temperature changes especially under 5c temps?

Battery health would be good but these are all private sellers so far i found...they wont waste their money/time when they are selling

Spacewagon52 · October 4, 2023

The first car you mentioned (170K miles) I would avoid - too many alarm bells ringing.

Is it expensive / difficult to import from the UK?

tomashen · October 4, 2023

You may be right to avoid it!

Importing from uk is a headache i think? VRT can be expensive so not sure.

What uk website is best to look for cars?

Spacewagon52 · October 4, 2023

2 minutes ago, tomashen said:

You may be right to avoid it!

Importing from uk is a headache i think? VRT can be expensive so not sure.

What uk website is best to look for cars?

You need to check the total cost of import - Google it.

You can get a vehicle for half the mileage with a full service history for your budget.

Try AutoTrader UK

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertising-location=at_cars&flrfc=1&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=CT 200h&postcode=ct147th&price-to=9000&sort=price-desc#202307240010879

tomashen · October 4, 2023

Import cost (VRT)varies between each car. I can guess it would be about 4k euro for this model... max..

Thanks i will check through! 🙂

tomashen · October 4, 2023

14 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

You need to check the total cost of import - Google it.

You can get a vehicle for half the mileage with a full service history for your budget.

Try AutoTrader UK

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?advertising-location=at_cars&flrfc=1&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=CT 200h&postcode=ct147th&price-to=9000&sort=price-desc#202307240010879

Found this seems good spec.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308130737082?sort=price-asc&advertising-location=at_cars&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=CT 200h&postcode=ig26xx&price-from=5500&price-to=8000&fromsra

Calculated vrt import cost 1,100euro total it seems.

So would be around 8k euro total roughly maybe less. But i have no way to test drive and it sux

Spacewagon52 · October 4, 2023

2 minutes ago, tomashen said:

Found this seems good spec.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308130737082?sort=price-asc&advertising-location=at_cars&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=CT 200h&postcode=ig26xx&price-from=5500&price-to=8000&fromsra

Calculated vrt import cost 1,100euro total it seems.

So would be around 8k euro total roughly maybe less. But i have no way to test drive and it sux

Sadly, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

tomashen · October 4, 2023

Unfortunately. I just cant figure out this.

All the head gasket failure reports ive found, are from USA car owners. And maybe 1 or 2 odd from europe.

If the head gasket failure is not so common in europe perhaps i am overthinking this and should just take one i see best fit (not the 170k one because dodgy feeling haha.

LenT · October 5, 2023

6 hours ago, tomashen said:

perhaps i am overthinking this and should just take one i see best fit (not the 170k one because dodgy feeling haha.

Possibly you are…but it’s still a significant sum of money that you’re risking on what I would call a ‘pig in a poke’! At this end of the market, buying a car you cannot test drive - especially from a private seller - may well be a risk too far!

Perhaps a test drive and/or an inspection should be your minimum requirement?

So your search should be confined to respected local Dealers, where you’ll have a degree of legal protection; local private sellers you can check on; or better sources such as Autotrader (not necessarily Auto Car, as I absentmindedly typed in an earlier post!)

It may also be the case that your model spec is too restrictive. These cars were not big sellers in the first place, so you may be waiting quite some time for the ‘right one’ to come on the market.

There’s always the risk that you’ll compromise on your ideal purchase - only to have it turn up once you’ve bought what was available!. But thinking like that could mean you’re never going to make a decision! Once I buy something that suits, I stop looking!

Malc1 · October 5, 2023

Tom hi and welcome to lots of the sound advice from above 😇

Dublin and the euro might be challenging on determining best pricing and taxes etc if you're even thinking to import from the mainland UK

Whatever you decide just make sure it's affordable and what you want ( of course ) and also get that fresh but independent MOT equivalent AND a body like the AA to give your likely chosen car a good check over . could be money well spent to make sure you're not buying a lemon as you say you're not very

20 hours ago, tomashen said:

Not a very mechanically savvy person,

ALSO, if you're on finance for this purchase, the economic situation won't be helping you going forward with likely interest rates whatever

Good luck

Malc

tomashen · October 5, 2023

Thanks for replies! I will 100% do test drive and listen to the engine and aim to go to the seller so the engine is cold to start.

Malc1 · October 5, 2023

Fingers xd and faith in the leprechaun then 😉

Malc

Kaptkremmin · October 5, 2023

Unlike you I had a bit more in my budget to spend so I got a 2014 it's not leather interior which would have been nice and no reversing camera which I wanted but it has sat-nav, heated seats, reversing sensors front and rear and everything else, cost me £14k with 49,000 miles full history from a Lexus dealer with 12mths warranty, the head gasket issue as you say was mainly in America but they had mega mileages on the clock.

tomashen · October 5, 2023

28 minutes ago, Kaptkremmin said:

Unlike you I had a bit more in my budget to spend so I got a 2014 it's not leather interior which would have been nice and no reversing camera which I wanted but it has sat-nav, heated seats, reversing sensors front and rear and everything else, cost me £14k with 49,000 miles full history from a Lexus dealer with 12mths warranty, the head gasket issue as you say was mainly in America but they had mega mileages on the clock.

Thank you for this message. I did think that USA was the main market with those issues.....

Yeah leather i dont really fancy as in summer it can be crappy to sit in. Cloth heated seats better in my opinion.

I found just 2-3 out of about 50 with sat nav/reverse cam/heat seats in my market for about €12K with varying mileage, 120k KM/ 150k KM / 180k KM ....