1999 Lx470 ... Thinking Of Purchasing

[fdavid100]

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector. It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes. The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color. In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV. I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

[erupert]

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector.  It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes.  The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

←

Wondering about the paint issues. Maybe the truck wasn't garaged. I have a '99 with 118K on the clock. I have the gold paint and it's in beautiful condition, no fading at all. In fact, when it's detailed (2x year) it looks brand spankin' new. Other than factory scheduled maintenance (did all service at dealer until 60K then switched to self-service for everything but the major at 90K which I get done at Toyota) I have had only one problem with the truck, a bad fuel injector at 105K. I am on only the second set of Michelin's and just put new pads all the way around. This is only the 3rd set but I have a very slight shimmy which I think is a slightly warped rotor.

When I pull out from a stop, there is a "shudder" in the driveline. It's slight, but annoying and I think it has to do with the fulltime AWD. Check the one you are buying. I am thinking about switching to another type of diff fluid to see if it helps.

Other than that, no failures at all. I think that I've only replaced one headlamp (recently) and one or two taillight bulbs! It's been a great truck. We also tow a race trailer with it on occasion and I love the active suspension.

I don't think the wind-deflector on the rear was offered in '99. They are great trucks but I would be leary of one with bad paint, doesn't sound cared for. Check the book for service stamps.

[2nd LX470 Owner]

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector.  It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes.  The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color.  In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV.  I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

←

Drove my 98 (99 model year) till 163k miles on it. Traded it in for a new 2006. Car was amazing, had very few issues and mainly just did oil changes and brakes. Suspension started to go bad the last few thousand miles which forced me to make the trade. From what i remember i had an ABS brake issue, color peeling off the airbag steering wheel cover, and chrome bubbling up on the rear liftgate trim all of which was covered under warrantee. Best car i ever drove and didnt think anything else out there was as reliable and offered the value so i bought another one.

[erupert]

Drove my 98 (99 model year) till 163k miles on it.  Traded it in for a new 2006.  Car was amazing, had very few issues and mainly just did oil changes and brakes.  Suspension started to go bad the last few thousand miles which forced me to make the trade.  From what i remember i had an ABS brake issue, color peeling off the airbag steering wheel cover, and chrome bubbling up on the rear liftgate trim all of which was covered under warrantee.  Best car i ever drove and didnt think anything else out there was as reliable and offered the value so i bought another one.

←

Can you detail some of the suspension issues. I plan on at least two more years for my truck which now has 118K on it. The one thing that I have noticed in the past year is that sometimes it takes awhile for the autoleveling to kick back in. I know that the doors have to be closed, but even then, I'll sometimes have to get in after unhitching my race trailer and put the suspension into low to get it to level back out.

After 118K, I've had very few issues. Some things that you pointed out happened to me too - airbag on wheel is peeling up in the corner, the lumbar area on the driver's side has worn pretty badly, there is a rust blister on the rear hatch, a lot of the paint has worn on the running boards where your feet drag when you get in. But overall, the paint is fantastic. After a detailing it looks like an '06 from 5' away.

[jrwright]

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbieUZJ100.htm

[cfbrenton]

You probably already made the decision, so it is too late.

One thign to worry about right now with any used car is water damage. There is a glut of used cars out there that came from flooded areas due to Katrina and such. The titles will not show up as "salvaged", since most savvy used car brokers have figured out how to scrub bad titles by moving them around to a few states (or something like that).

to check for that, look under the hood and into the compartment behind the dashboard, or other areas where it would be hard to get to. If you see a waterline, do not buy the car.

The Lx470 is mad to be fairly water tight, so it might not be as easy to detect as on other vehicles.

Also, there is not usually paint fading on these cars. The car in question must be form the South, and probably was outside all the time.

[LX 470 Owner]

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector. It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes. The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color. In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV. I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector. It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes. The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color. In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV. I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

I have the same exact car and color. We are having the same problem with the paint fading on a garage kept 470. I approached Lexus and they have agreed to pay for half though I'm not happy with that solution. My thought is if we get together we will see there is a problem Lexus needs to address.

Thoughts?

Mike

[BARNEYHYPHEN]

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector. It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes. The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color. In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV. I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

Mike, we now have five people with the same problem. LX470 with faded paint on hood/upper tailgate/roof. We need to get together on this issue. Please feel free to E-mail me tdf@newhall.biz. Thanks.

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector. It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes. The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color. In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV. I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

I have the same exact car and color. We are having the same problem with the paint fading on a garage kept 470. I approached Lexus and they have agreed to pay for half though I'm not happy with that solution. My thought is if we get together we will see there is a problem Lexus needs to address.

Thoughts?

Mike

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector. It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes. The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color. In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV. I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

Mike, we now have five people with the same problem. LX470 with faded paint on hood/upper tailgate/roof. We need to get together on this issue. Please feel free to E-mail me tdf@newhall.biz. Thanks.

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking of getting a 1999 LX470 that seems to be pretty well loaded with everything but the rear wind deflector. It has approx 90K miles on it and it seems to be in excellent condition as far as the interior goes. The exterior looks in good shape with the exception of paint fading on the hood, tailgate, and roof.

Was there a problem in this year with the Smokey Topaz color. In general, is there anything I should look for before purchasing other than the normal wear and tear and abuse of an SUV. I had a Sequoia but turned it back in after the lease last year and didn't think I was going to get another large SUV but this just called to me as I drove by.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on this model year and paint issues.

thanks

fdavid

I have the same exact car and color. We are having the same problem with the paint fading on a garage kept 470. I approached Lexus and they have agreed to pay for half though I'm not happy with that solution. My thought is if we get together we will see there is a problem Lexus needs to address.

Thoughts?

Mike

Mike, TomLX & Pitbull....Looks like we have five people so far with exactly the same problem. Hood/Upper tailgate/Roof PAINT FADING. We need to address this issue with Lexus. Feel free to contact me at tdf@newhall.biz. Thanks.

[slabman]

I bought a 1999 smokey Topaz LX new 7 yrs. ago and have had the paint peeling and clear coat fogging issue for the past 3-4 yrs. Today I traded it for a 2006 model. The salesman told me they only used that color in 99 and 00, probably because of the paint issues. So it's no secret that color is problematic. I'd recommend you avoid it and find another color. As for the car, I ran it 140K and only put two sets of rear brakes on it. That's all. Bullet-proof car as far as I'm concerned. That's why I bought another one.