Need Help From 1998-2005 Gs300 Owners

[pgonza2723]

I'm looking to purchase my first Lexus ever but I don't want to jump into it with 2 feet being totally ignorant about the car. The particular one I am looking at is a 1998 GS300 with 120k miles on it for $9,700. The miles don't scare me in the fact that everything I've ever known about the Lexus line-ups means they can be counted on for 200-250k with regular maintenance. Am I wrong in this fact? Features that were listed seem to be pretty standard:

A/C: Front, Cruise Control, Power Locks, Leather Interior, Memory Seats, Power Seats, Airbag: Driver, Airbag: Passenger, Airbag: Side, Alarm, Anti-Lock Brakes, Fog Lights, CD Changer, Premium Sound, Power Windows, Rear Window Defroster, Tinted Glass, Alloy Wheels, Sunroof/Moonroof.

To me, it seems that I could probably get it for $10k OTD which is exactly where I want to be. What are the things I need to look for when I go and view the car? The guy is a wholesaler so he doesn't have any of the records on whether it has been serviced or not. I called the dealership and they said that they don't have any records of it being serviced by a "Lexus certified dealer", so I'm not sure what to think of that. I'm for sure going to take the car to get the pre-delivery inspection at the dealer, but didn't know if there was any things I need to check out that only "owners" are privy too. Thanks for any help and insight you can give me.

PS. If any Dallas owners would be willing to check the car out (I live in Austin, so I would be doing the checking out/buying on the same day), let me know and I'd greatly appreciate it and send something your way for the help.

[djspawn00]

Did you get a carfax report on the car? Or even a report from http://www.autocheck.com/

The dealer should have no problem giving you a copy, just make sure that the VIN on the paper matches the VIN on the vehicle.

Do the basic inspection of a vehicle for signs of abuse and lack of maintenance... color of tranny fluid, discolored carpeting in the truck(water damage) having 4 different brands/types of tires, brakes, rotors, suspension, but the carfax is still your best friend.

10k OTD doesn't sound bad but i think the book value is about $1400 less, although with a GS you can hardly ever find one listed or being sold close to book value. (edmunds.com)

and now for the generic info... (consumerguide.com)

1998-2005 Lexus GS 300/400/430: Reliability

Trouble Spots

Consumer Guide's® Auto Editors have scoured repair bulletins and questioned mechanics to search for commonly occurring problems for a particular vehicle. In some cases we also give possible manufacturer-suggested solutions. In many instances these trouble spots are Technical Service Bulletins posted by the manufacturer, however, we have our own expert looking at additional vehicle problems.

Air conditioner: The A/C fails to operate accompanied by failure of the temperature gauge, transmission-selector light, and the outside-temperature indicator just displays two dashes, but the system returns to normal if the key is switched off and on, requiring replacement of the A/C electronic-control unit. (1998)

Audio system: If the CD player stops working, but returns to normal when the key is cycled, or the there is cross-talk on the AM band, the company will replace the radio-tuner assembly. (1998)

Electrical problem: Using the wrong cigar-lighter element (wrong size for the socket) can cause a short circuit. (1998-2000)

Oil consumption: Excessive oil consumption caused by sludge buildup on the cylinder heads. Company is extending warranty. (1998-01)

Goodluck and an early welcome to the Lexus GS Cult, I mean family.