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.