Help - Air Leak In Cabin?

[anteante]

First time poster here, and needs some help and or advice.

I purchased a very low km, year 2000 GS300 from EBAY.

It was from a reputable dealer, and he purchased it from LEXUS (I have the papers).

Car arrived in Toronto, I took it for a test spin, and noticed a LOT of intrusive noise

in the cabin from the outside - I can hear every car and truck whizzing by.

Now, took it to a LEXUS dealer and they said the car had been in an accident front

and back left door (all drivers side) - hence what they call an AIR LEAK.

I checked CAR fax before purchasing the vehicle, they said it was clean.

I called the dealer and he said he got it from LEXUS and was unaware of any accident history.

So, now I'm driving this very expensive car which I have this outside noise which makes me feel like

I'm driving a Cavalier from the 80's with all this "air/traffic noise". It's extremely noticeable.

I asked LEXUS if they could fix it - and they told me they have no idea for a quote,

they would have to tear apart the panels and measure to see where the air was seeping in.

Wouldnt it be better just to get 2 doors from the salvage - would that solve the problem?

I have no idea as to how to solve this problem without spending thousands of dollars

for my first LEXUS.

Help in Toronto.

Thanks

rand

[GuyTelefunken]

My advice is never buy a car unseen. Period.

My first reaction would be to return to the seller or trade the car in immediately for a Certified Used Lexus at a Lexus dealer.

The repair of this car depends on what has been damaged. Door and panel alignment, interior panel fit as well as sound and air/water proofing films may all need replacement or adjustments. If the car had signifigant body damage, which I will suspect it did, the fit may never be made as good as it was when new.

Shops I have worked in have repaired thousands of cars of every make and model. Personally, I would not want to drive 99.8% of them after repairs. While they all looked nice, I saw them when the came into the shop. I haven't met a repairman yet that was willing and able to take that time that I do when working personally on my own car, to make sure it is done 100% correctly.

In your case, since you have gone through the trouble to purchase the car already and returning it may not be an option, the only alternative is to fix it. Find a dealer you trust, preferable a Lexus dealer, because access to information and experience are vital in diagnosing a problem like this.

If the doors on the car are original (look for matching VIN tags on each door) they should not be replaced unless absolutely necessary. Furthuremore, if you were to replace them with salvage parts the problem may still exist after spending thousands of dollars on the doors, labor, and painting. If the problem is in a body contour where a door seal touches the main body parts, additional body work will have to be done to repair it.

If you are lucky, some good serviceperson will find some seal missing or some window not fully closed. Good luck!

[anteante]

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated, and will follow through on the advice given.

RAND

My advice is never buy a car unseen. Period.

My first reaction would be to return to the seller or trade the car in immediately for a Certified Used Lexus at a Lexus dealer.

The repair of this car depends on what has been damaged. Door and panel alignment, interior panel fit as well as sound and air/water proofing films may all need replacement or adjustments. If the car had signifigant body damage, which I will suspect it did, the fit may never be made as good as it was when new.

Shops I have worked in have repaired thousands of cars of every make and model. Personally, I would not want to drive 99.8% of them after repairs. While they all looked nice, I saw them when the came into the shop. I haven't met a repairman yet that was willing and able to take that time that I do when working personally on my own car, to make sure it is done 100% correctly.

In your case, since you have gone through the trouble to purchase the car already and returning it may not be an option, the only alternative is to fix it. Find a dealer you trust, preferable a Lexus dealer, because access to information and experience are vital in diagnosing a problem like this.

If the doors on the car are original (look for matching VIN tags on each door) they should not be replaced unless absolutely necessary. Furthuremore, if you were to replace them with salvage parts the problem may still exist after spending thousands of dollars on the doors, labor, and painting. If the problem is in a body contour where a door seal touches the main body parts, additional body work will have to be done to repair it.

If you are lucky, some good serviceperson will find some seal missing or some window not fully closed. Good luck!