Hello fellow Lexus owners!
After a long and hard battle within myself, scavenging on the internet after information on reliable non-boring cars I've come to the realization that Lexus appears to fit the bill (I drive an old, but oh so reliable and boring Volvo right now...)! I've lived in Japan a couple of years and know a fair share of Japanese too...so I may be quite biased.. :P
I have a few questions and concerns that I need help with.
(I'm from Sweden by the way, and I have no idea if there are any differences concering the MK3 release year.
The model I'm looking at is the GS300 MK3, 2005 - 2006 which is what a budget of 10 000£ will allow. I took one for a spin last weekend and, what a car! Although 10 years old, 110kmiles on the meter, the sound of the door lock mechanism, the handling, the seat etc. felt like it was barely used. Then there's the sleek design, sexy rims etc etc etc. :D I also looked at the IS250 model and though fun to drive it wasn't my cup of tea, not even a 2015 model. ;)
So, my questions to you Lexus GS300 veterans are:
- What should I keep in mind when buying a GS300 with 100 - 120kmiles on the meter? Will it still run like the state of the art fault free car it's said to be or will I be looking at high-cost maintenance in a not to distant future (expensive parts breaking e.g TCA, Catalyst, AC Compressor etc). What about the gear box or exhaust system?
Regular maintenance parts like break pads, wishbones, bushings, lower-upper balljoints, belts(?) etc. are parts that I can replace myself without much help.
- Are there any expensive services coming up around 100 - 120kmiles? The engine doesn't have a timing belt but usually I'd count that as a more expensive service.
- Do you service your car yourself or do you leave it to a "no name" dealer or toyota, or is a proper Lexus dealer the proper way to go?
- Lexus spare parts are scarce in Sweden, are there any good online stores in England, Germany etc. that you use? I'm not going to buy new front shocks at 600£ a piece from Lexus in Sweden when the time comes...
(As I said, I own a Volvo, hence my DYI questions ;) )
One last question. There were error codes present in the ECU(?) of the GS300 I test drove, P0102 and P2118.
Are these common errors, or should I be concerned? The dealer said it wasn't a big deal and that he'd take care of them without it affecting the asked price.
Thank you very much!