1998 Gs 300 Lifespan Questions?

[superman03]

1998 GS 300 Lifespan Questions?

I have a 1998 GS 300 that requires collision repair. Before I begin to sink any money into the car I want to determine how long the car may last.

The car has approximately 125k miles and I drive approximately 15k miles per year. The 120k service was just completed. The timing belt was changed at 90k miles. Within the last 2 months I replaced the tires as well as the front brakes / rotors. The car is located in CA, so rust should not be an issue.

Here are my questions; assuming all regular service is performed:

I am wondering what mechanical problems I can expect to encounter over the next few years? What is the average lifespan of the motor (total mileage)?

What is the average lifespan of the transmission (total mileage)?

Thank you!

[Lexusfreak]

The engine & tranny on almost any vehicle if properly maintained & not abused should last the life of the vehicle. There are Lexus owners with over 350,000+ miles on their cars and still going strong so I wouldn't worry much about mileage.

Over time and as a car ages I think alot of common problems tend to be electrical gremlins, exhaust, suspension and possibly service to the air conditioner will be required.....the ladder being wear and tear items.

How bad is the collision repair that you need? Make sure it's done professionally & use OE replacement parts would be my best advice.

[SHAWNGS300]

The engine & tranny on almost any vehicle if properly maintained & not abused should last the life of the vehicle. There are Lexus owners with over 350,000+ miles on their cars and still going strong so I wouldn't worry much about mileage.

Over time and as a car ages I think alot of common problems tend to be electrical gremlins, exhaust, suspension and possibly service to the air conditioner will be required.....the ladder being wear and tear items.

How bad is the collision repair that you need? Make sure it's done professionally & use OE replacement parts would be my best advice.

MY 1998 GS HAS 125K MILES, I CHANGED STARTER, CALIPERS, ROTORS, PADS, I HAVE A KNOCKING NOISE FROM FRONT END, CAR WONT START INTERMITTENTLY, GOT STRANDED A FEW TIMES. YOU ARE ONLY PAYING FOR THE NAME, NOT WORTH IT, LAST LEXUS I BUY!!!

[fordsvtmfl]

dont listen to this shawngs300 guy...he is just bitter cause he got a lemon...lexus is great, and has outlast any car anyone of my family has ever had.

[SW03ES]

MY 1998 GS HAS 125K MILES, I CHANGED STARTER, CALIPERS, ROTORS, PADS, I HAVE A KNOCKING NOISE FROM FRONT END, CAR WONT START INTERMITTENTLY, GOT STRANDED A FEW TIMES. YOU ARE ONLY PAYING FOR THE NAME, NOT WORTH IT, LAST LEXUS I BUY!!!

Your car is 11 years old. The knocking noise is probably a worn bushing, the life of which depends a lot on the types of roads you drive on. The starter would probably explain the intermittent no-start. As for the rotors and pads, in 11 years and 125k miles I expect that you would have gone through several sets of pads and a couple rotors.

You also mention in other posts you've had blue headlights, have heavy 19" wheels which cause a lot more wear on suspension components than stock and that you live in NY. You also mentioned that a mechanic told you that you had a blown head gasket from oil on the spark plugs that you never bothered to repair. My guess is you've been pretty hard on your vehicle over the years, had you treated it and maintained it properly you would probably be more satisfied, as the rest of us that have are.

Do us all a favor too, and please stop posting in all caps.

The Lexus is a machine like anything else, its a high quality reliable machine but it still has to be maintained and wear parts still have to be replaced. Most people who are dissapointed expect too much.

[SHAWNGS300]

MY 1998 GS HAS 125K MILES, I CHANGED STARTER, CALIPERS, ROTORS, PADS, I HAVE A KNOCKING NOISE FROM FRONT END, CAR WONT START INTERMITTENTLY, GOT STRANDED A FEW TIMES. YOU ARE ONLY PAYING FOR THE NAME, NOT WORTH IT, LAST LEXUS I BUY!!!

Your car is 11 years old. The knocking noise is probably a worn bushing, the life of which depends a lot on the types of roads you drive on. The starter would probably explain the intermittent no-start. As for the rotors and pads, in 11 years and 125k miles I expect that you would have gone through several sets of pads and a couple rotors.

You also mention in other posts you've had blue headlights, have heavy 19" wheels which cause a lot more wear on suspension components than stock and that you live in NY. You also mentioned that a mechanic told you that you had a blown head gasket from oil on the spark plugs that you never bothered to repair. My guess is you've been pretty hard on your vehicle over the years, had you treated it and maintained it properly you would probably be more satisfied, as the rest of us that have are.

Do us all a favor too, and please stop posting in all caps.

The Lexus is a machine like anything else, its a high quality reliable machine but it still has to be maintained and wear parts still have to be replaced. Most people who are disappointed expect too much.

Well since yo know so much 'SW03ES' maybe you can explain a few things to me.

-Like the worn bushings? Where are they located?

- Is it something i can change myself?

-The starting problem, i had the dealer replace the starter a few months ago, back then it was clicking but wont crank, or turn over. Now it cranks (tries to start, but doesn't) but won't turn over/start.

-I find the Lexus Dealership repair here in Orlando,Fl (where i now live) is incompetent, i took my car to them 4 times already for the same problem spent alot of money and they still can't figure it out, so yes i am bitter.

[fordsvtmfl]

well..my advice would be to find a very good local shop that deals with imports and just forget the dealer...most dealerships ive had to deal with just want your money...so maybe you could find a good cheaper local shop and get it fixed for relatively cheap

[SHAWNGS300]

well..my advice would be to find a very good local shop that deals with imports and just forget the dealer...most dealerships ive had to deal with just want your money...so maybe you could find a good cheaper local shop and get it fixed for relatively cheap

Yea i guess i'm gonna have to do that, ill post a reply.

[SW03ES]

Well since yo know so much 'SW03ES' maybe you can explain a few things to me.

-Like the worn bushings? Where are they located?

- Is it something i can change myself?

-The starting problem, i had the dealer replace the starter a few months ago, back then it was clicking but wont crank, or turn over. Now it cranks (tries to start, but doesn't) but won't turn over/start.

-I find the Lexus Dealership repair here in Orlando,Fl (where i now live) is incompetent, i took my car to them 4 times already for the same problem spent alot of money and they still can't figure it out, so yes i am bitter.

No reason to be bitter, its an old car. Want less problems, buy a newer one next time. Perform repairs as directed by your mechanic next time. Your issues have to do with the vehicle's age and the way it has been treated and maintained, not Lexus. If it were any other car you'd have the same issues under the same circumstances.

Lexus dealers are great for scheduled maintenance with style, but when it comes to diagnosing and troubleshooting problems they're not great because they don't do it very often, 90% of their business is scheduled maintenance on <5 year old cars. Their labor rates are out of this world too, which makes diagnostic work cost a fortune. As the other poster says you should find a independent mechanic that works on Lexus vehicles, you'll be a lot better off.