Want To Buy A 97 Lx450 And Got A Couple Questions

[bong2611]

I found a 97 LX450 with 90K miles for $18900. Is this a pretty good price? Also what are some things i should be looking for when buy a LX450? And last question. For those with the LX450 how has the reliabilty been? TIA :)

[dougjohn2]

90K & $18,900 is a bit high...even for CA. Get them to knock about $4k off the price and you're getting a good/fair deal. Does it have lockers? No...better question...do you ever plan on taking it off road OR will you plan on selling it in a few years? If so, you'll probably want one with locking differentials (a quick way to tell is by the "DIFF LOCK" knob on the dash just to the left of the steering wheel. If you're planning on getting rid of the stock wheels and putting 20" rims on it, then disregard the previous statement regarding locking differentials.

Skipping to the last question...the LX 450 is very reliable. The only thing to be concerned about is a possible issue with the head gasket. Before you get too alarmed...head gasket failure is not all that common, but has happened to enough that it should be something to look out for. That said, you'll never likely have to worry about replacing the transmission or the engine -- well at least not for the next 200k miles -- try to make that same statement with a Ford, Dodge, or Chevy! Keep up on the maintenance and you'll have no problems.

What to look for? Depends on what you plan on doing with your truck. Diff locks are something you'll want if you go off road. Check for leaks underneath the rig. Check the differentials for leaks. The antenna seems to be an issue -- make sure it goes all the way up and down.

Read the newbie guide at www.sleeoffroad.com.

Study the FAQs on www. ih8mud.com

Eduicate yourself before you buy -- which is what you're trying to do by posting...

If you have specific questions, please post them -- these were pretty general in nature.

Cheers.

[dougjohn2]

one more thing...read the other post in this forum about buying a LX 450.

[lt3m2002]

Hey, I just purchased a 97 LX 450 with 83k miles on it and paid 19k so the price you found isn't bad. Make sure you have someone look at it first or make sure all or most of the 80k service was done. Mine was a little overpriced but it had all new breaks, rotors, belts, bat., e-break overhaul and some other stuff. I have been told that the e-break will freeze if not used. Also the breaks and rotors go quickly. I did a lot of homework before I purchased mine and from all that I have read they are fantastic cars. Good luck.

[bong2611]

If i remember correctly all the belts looked band new as well as the battery. I need to ask about the brakes. It3m2002 were you able to get a warranty with your purchase. I debating if i should get one. Hopefully the SUV is still there this weekend.

[EnDLesS]

1 word :

Get it Bong2611 u won't regret it.

I personally owned LX450 for almost 8 yrs now.I picked & choosen her when she was virgin until now still ride on~ :D

Good Luck

[bong2611]

EnDLesS it that you ride in you avatar? Got amy more pics?

[Rookie]

Hey, I just purchased a 97 LX 450 with 83k miles on it and paid 19k so the price you found isn't bad.

←

No disrespect It3m2002, but I think you can do much better than that price now days. I paid a little under 18K for mine with 67K on it a little over a year ago, and the prices seem to have dropped significantly over the last year. I don't know exactly why that is, (gas prices may be part of it), but I know folks are routinely getting this year vehicle in the 14k range now. In many markets, the LX-450 sales cheaper than the landcruiser. I guess a lot of people don't realize the LX-450 is the luxury version of the LC.

Keep searching around, maybe check out autotrader or the likes to see what the typical pricing is. If you are willing to travel for it, it may make it worth your while. If you find one you think you are going to buy, post it up on IH8MUD.com. There's usually someone on that board that lives in the area that wouldn't mind taking a look at it for you. Besides, most of them will know what to look out for. IMHO, you can't get more for you money at the prices these things are going for right now.

Good Luck.

Rookie

[bong2611]

I looked on autotrade, cars, and yahoo and this seem to be the going rate the lx450 around here.

[dougjohn2]

I back what Rookie just said.

:D

To me, when someone asks "is this a good price for this truck?", it's sorta like when a woman asks, "does this make my butt look too big?"

I feel like I always need to take the diplomatic route. Honestly? Yes, the price is too high, but I don't know much about you...or the truck.

Maybe the truck is showroom perfect -- if that's the case, the the price isn't too high. If you've go gobs of cash spilling out of your pockets...then, no, the price isn't too high. If you need a reference point, I can tell you that we puchased a LX450 on Decmeber 31, 2003. The asking price at the dealership was $27k and change. I negotiated the price to around $19K -- with the final price (after tax, license, etc) just a few dollars above $20k. This was almost a year ago and the 450 was/is absolutely spotless -- it's showroom perfect (unlike mine :D)

I think a fair price for the 450 you're looking at would be in the mid-$14k to mid-$16k based only on miles on the odometer and assuming it's in good to excellent condition. But...that's just my opinion...I could be wrong...

Now that I've said that...forget what I said. The price won't matter in a couple months. Even at close to $19,000 you're getting a really nice vehicle. If you're not going to work on your 450 yourself (most maintenance is fairly easy if you have the Factory Service Manual) and if you can get an extended warranty, you should get one. Make sure the warranty covers EVERYTHING, bumper to bumper (obviously excluding wear items like brake pads and rotors). Little things will break -- if you get the work done at the dealership, it will be costly. Always remember that the LX 450 is mechanically identical to the Land Cruiser of the same model year, so you can get work done at any Toyota dealership -- it should save a couple hundred per shot...

When I bought my 450, it was a certified pre-owned vehicle (from Lexus). This meant that they extended my bumper-to-bumper warranty to 3 additional years or 100k miles.

Not to freak you out or dissuade you from getting the 450...During the 50k miles I had the warranty, I had the following replaced/repaired:

power steering pump

starter

windshield washer/diverter pump

power antenna cable and motor

power door locks

EGR valve replaced

clock spring in the steering wheel/steering column

cruise control switch (on the steering wheel)

cruise control sensor

turn signal stalk (with various other controls)

The last 4 were replaced due to the dealership !Removed! up with a previous repair, but had I not had the warranty, I would've had to prove to them that they caused the problem with their bungle.

The starter and power steering pump were replaced at my request as a preventative measure -- they were starting to go bad and I wanted the work done before I ran out of the warranty period.

My extended warranty saved my a bunch of cash.

The only major problem I've heard of with the 450 is a possible head gasket failure -- some 1FZ-FE motors have the problem, most do not.

But notice I haven't mentioned any issues with transmissions failing...engines being replaced...or anything else that some of my friends have had to have done with their vehicles with 80k miles?

Good luck with your search and your eventual purchase.

[Rookie]

I looked on autotrade, cars, and yahoo and this seem to be the going rate the lx450 around here.

←

The prices will vary regionally. I guess what I was saying is if you are willing to go out of your region, I think you can do better (price wise). I bought mine off of ebay (not necessarily saying thats a good thing). My logic there was, what could seriously be wrong with a 6 year old vehicle, that's built with the quality Toyotas are built with. Based on some experiences I've read, quite a lot if it hasn't been maintained properly. But to get the vehicle I got through a local stealer would have cost in the 22k to 23k range. Buying a vehicle site unseen has it's risks and shares of hastles (travel to pick up etc..). That's why I recommend if you do buy one you haven't seen (for that matter one you have seen), make sure to get someone who knows what they're looking at to check it out for you. For some, the potential savings may not be worth it.

As Doug said, if you don't mind doing your own maitenance, these vehicles are pretty easy to work on it you've got the FSM, and you can save some serious dough.

Rookie

[bong2611]

The thing is, is that i'm trading in a car. So going to through ebay or buying out of my region is very difficult. Thanks for everyones input. I will be going back to that stealership this weekend to see that I can work out. They said I can purchase warrenty with the rig. But if i recall correctly most warrenties only go to 100K miles. So i'm not sure if it would be worth paying $2K for only 10K miles. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how everything plays out.

[dougjohn2]

no...I wouldn't pay $2K for 10K of coverage.

Good luck! Remember...the trade in should take some off the taxable amount -- at least that's how it works in CA.

[Rookie]

Good luck!  Remember...the trade in should take some off the taxable amount -- at least that's how it works in CA.

←

**warning** Rant forthcoming.

Here's how it work's in Tennessee. You take in your well maintained, low mileage car, and they offer you some 2nd tier auction trade-in price that's about half blue-book value. On the other hand, they want above blue-book for their vehicle because it's got brand new tires (POS off brands), "low mileage" (15k per year), and cold air.

If you knew how much they actually paid for it you'd go postal. Dealer's Suck!

I'm sorry you have to go that route.

Rookie

[dougjohn2]

Rookie,

yeah, it works the same here in CA.

I never talk trade ins when I negotiate price. Trade-in value is a separate battle when I have to deal with the scum-suckers.

Because it usually works out like you described, I haven't traded anything in for a while.

Agreed -- dealers suck!

[bong2611]

Well i just talked to the dealer and he assures me that i can get a 3yr/36K miles warrenty for $2200. Is it worth considering the the rig has been well maintanined?

[Rookie]

Well i just talked to the dealer and he assures me that i can get a 3yr/36K miles warrenty for $2200. Is it worth considering the the rig has been well maintanined?

←

Boy... that's tough to say. It depends alot on you I think. On the one hand, it's a lot of dough. On the other, it may give you considerable peace of mind for 36K.

The main ticket items you might possibly have to deal with, with a questimate of cost and a WAG at probability to occur within 36K (from 90K) : head gasket failure (prices I've seen vary considerably, anywhere from $1500 to $3500, 15%), rear main seal replacement ($1000 to $1200, below 10%) and front axle knuckle seal replacement ($1000, this should be done as routine/preventative maintenance at 75k to 90k, and wouldn't be covered unless a seal started leaking), rear main arch pan seal ($900, 20%).

Like I said, a lot depends on you and your tolerance/ability to get your hands dirty and bust a few knuckles. A lot of DIY'ers have done the knucke/axle service, and there's alot of info available on how to do it. It's a full weekend job that will cost about $250 in parts if you replace all the bearings while you're in there. The others, you'd probably want someone else to do if they were to go bad.

As Doug mentioned, the tranny, drivetrain, and motor are solid. It would be rare to have a problem there with good maintenance practices.

Dougjohn: Please feel free to give your .02 on the dollar numbers and a WAG at the chances of failure if you think I've over or undershot something.

Warranties are like insurance. You probably will not get your money back out of them, but they're nice to have if something big goes wrong. Me... I'd put the $2200 in my pocket and deal with the problems, if they arise.

Rookie

[bong2611]

Thanks Rookie! That kinda what i was thinking. I guess i just needed a second opinoin.

[dougjohn2]

if the warranty covers the stuff listed by Rookie, then I think it would be worth it for the piece of mind -- especially with coverage of the head gasket.

I'm normally not a huge fan of extended warranties, but replacing the HG is pretty pricey -- you get that work covered and you've already come out ahead on the warranty.

Spread over the life of the loan...$2200 doesn't usually add much to the payment.