Just Bought A 2002 Sc 430, Looking For Guidance.

[Shelley]

Hi everyone,

First of all, I'm a "girl", so I won't understand your reply if it's really "techy". Here's my situation. I've had SUVs for years and thought it would be nice to have something sporty and showy for a change. Years ago, I had a convertible BMW and hated the soft top, so I first started thinking about the SC 430 because of the retractable hard top. My logic went like this: in bad weather, I can use this car just like any Lexus Sedan for commuting etc. , and in good weather, I can retract the top. So, I started looking to buy a new SC, but decided to look into used when I saw a significant price difference. I ended up finding a 2002 with only 16M miles on it at Carmax. It is in mint condition and Carmax put new tires (Dunlop run flats) on - and reinstalled the tire pressure monitors. Anyway, I got a loan and wrote a check, and drove my new car home the night before last. Since then, I've started to get worried. From reading this forum and others, I began to learn that this car isn't really a luxury commuter car, that this type of use is really going to get expensive. First, I learned that the tires seem to wear out by 15M miles, then I l called the dealer and inquired about what it will cost to replace them. The answer was $1,700. I started getting scared. Next, a co-worker told me that the headlights cost $2,000 each. Then I heard that you can't just get tires anywhere because of the pressure monitors, so even if I found the tires for $1,000 at Tire Rack, I would have to have them installed at the dealer. Now I'm almost afraid to drive the car because all these things are going to cost so much. Keep in mind, I'm not broke, but I wasn't thinking that service and maintenance on a Lexus would run several thousand per year. I know, I know, I should have thought more clearly before buying, but I now am left with simply trying to maximize my enjoyment of the car while minimizing the cost of maintaining tires etc. Any advice about saving money while owning (and using ) the car? Thanks guys for any tips.

[dcfish]

Welcome to the lexus community , The tires will last 40,000 - 60,000 just do not drift around and stay away from fast acceleration , drive the car with care , you have a beautiful auto and it will treat you as you treat it , regular maintenance should always be kept on schedule , run flats are really not the best choice but do offer a feeling of security , seen as they are new get your wear out of them and then look at your options . I am not really convinced that tire pressure monitors are really necessary , check pressure with a reliable guage at gas fill or once every two weeks which ever you feel comfortable with . I personally choose Michelin tires , always smooth and reliable . Hope this helps you . B)

[Shelley]

Thanks dcfish for your kind words. Here's the thing about the tires, the runflats are OEM since the car has no spare, and the pressure monitors are mandatory when you use runflats. I guess it's so you aren't driving endlessly on an empty tire (should only use for a couple miles) and get into some horrible accident. From what I've read here and elsewhere, keeping in mind that what I've read has been very "techy", the monitors are hard to disconnect. If you simply stop using them, I think the car keeps giving a warning beep and light on dash.

I would be THRILLED to get even 40M miles out of the tires. The dealer says 20M is the max, and a number of posters mention heavy wear at 5M, so I would certainly be willing to change tires, but not sure they make a better choice in 225/40 18's . They are all "performance" tires. Oh well, we will see what happens.....

[dcfish]

Lexus offers a spare kit [ doughnut tire ???] and the pressure sensors can be used with any tire you choose to enjoy on your SC , Lexus also says that the most miles that you will get out of the runflat tire is 20,000 I DISAGREE [ only my opinion ] the pressure sensor is not possible to disable . And the headlight issue -What is your concern , breakage ? The only thing that would occur is fogging of the lenses or burnt out bulbs fogging - 10 years or more You will never have to replace them .

dc

[sightdev]

I don’t think the maintenance cost will be any higher than three series BMW. Actually it may cost less since you don’t have to worry about vandal ripping your soft top or changing because of wear. It will cost you $1200 to replace. Tires are expansive when it is 16 inches and higher, so it depends on model and year of the three series you had but if it was later model, those tires would have cost as much as the tires on Lexus. Run flat is not popular among car enthusiast because of the extra weight it has to roll because it reduces performance. Any reputable tire shop can install the tires so you don’t have to worry about that. Some drivers replace the runflat tires with regular tires but carry emergency tire repair can. Over the years the maintenance cost will be same or less than the BMW because I had BMWs before and the cost is about the same.

[cwhtrains]

I have a 2002 SC430 with 32,000 miles that still has original tires on the rear of the car. The front two tires were replaced by the dealer at no charge due to defects in the tires at 24,000 miles.

The biggest issue I have had with the car is that with the original run flat tires traction was terrible in the snow here in Indiana. My Corvette ran better in the snow. If you not in the snow belt, you should be fine. Enjoy the car for what it is, a great crusing car, wonderful with the top down and pretty damn nice with it up.

[JPI]

I will add some more to the list. I've seen these run flat tires go out at 12k miles, Also camber adjustment is really big on these and they are tend to throw out of spec. For those of you who haven't dismount these tires, they are a pain in the rear. Also you need to slow down over bumps, these are low profile tires so there ain't that meat on the tire to absorb the energy. Good luck with the SC, I still think it's expensive to keep up with this car.

JPI

[AWJ]

Maintenance on any car is expensive if you keep up with it. This one is a little more. But as was mentioned earlier, the quality is top notch. If you keep up on oil changes and drop an air filter in there every 15k or so; you will be right on track. Most SC430 drivers I've come across shed the run flats around 15k. They also go to traditional style radials on the stock rims or other aftermarket 18's. The sensors can be switch by anyone who is clever enough. Try import specialty shops like JPI and steer clear of dealerships. When you get oil changes, go to those kinds of shops and pay a little extra over the Jiffy Lube. Ten bucks extra here or there will get it the kind of care where the tech will say - Hey your tires are wearing on the inside, you should do an alignment and camber. Rotate your tires. The next big service is 60k, 80k and 120k. Change the oxygen sensors at 80k and take care of it. It will run a million miles. Enjoy the car. No big deal. Do be careful in the snow though and even heavy rain. They love to step out. Mine does at least. Even when it's dry. But that's a different story.

[1Ponkte]

Agree with those who say not to worry and enjoy the car. Rotate and balance the tires frequently. Check the alignment frequently. You should be OK.

[bpoole]

When it does come time for the new tires, just make sure you shop around. If you stick with the Z-rated run-flats, they are going to be expensive. However, you also need to consider the cost of mounting and balancing. I just put chrome upgrade wheels on my SC430, and Lexus wanted $400 just to remount the tires on new wheels. That price was the same regardless of whether I bought the wheels through Lexus or not. I found the exact same wheels on E-bay for a little more than half the cost and had a custom wheel shop mount them for only $100. In all I saved over $800 off the price at the Lexus dealership.

Also shop around for your routine maintenance. Lexus wanted over $700 for my 30,000 mile check up. The best I could tell was that was for all new fluids and tire rotation and a few routine checks. Got the same service from another shop that specializes in imports for half the cost. Don't let Lexus scare you into thinking you can't go anywhere else for your routine service....

I'm sure you'll be happy with your new car - I have had absolutely no regrets with mine. There aren't many cars out there that turn heads like the SC430.

[SW03ES]

Any Lexus can be a very expensive car to maintain, the dealers are very expensive parts are costly etc. It doesn't have to be though. look for a good independent shop like JP's and you can save a lot. A lot of people scrap the runflats for normal tires because they ride better and last longer, you could think about that when the time comes. Headlights cost $2000? Thats way off base. First of all the HID system should last the life of the car, if not the bulbs are around $200. Its not nearly as expensive as your friends are telling you.

Don't worry, enjoy the car ;)

[Theodore]

You did not buy a honda civic or hundayi, you bought a lexus. Cost will be higher for maintence. BUT THATS WHY we are all on this Message Forum, TO CUT OUR COSTS. Dont worry about anything.

[psolov]

Hi everyone,

First of all, I'm a "girl", so I won't understand your reply if it's really "techy". Here's my situation. I've had SUVs for years and thought it would be nice to have something sporty and showy for a change. Years ago, I had a convertible BMW and hated the soft top, so I first started thinking about the SC 430 because of the retractable hard top. My logic went like this: in bad weather, I can use this car just like any Lexus Sedan for commuting etc. , and in good weather, I can retract the top. So, I started looking to buy a new SC, but decided to look into used when I saw a significant price difference. I ended up finding a 2002 with only 16M miles on it at Carmax. It is in mint condition and Carmax put new tires (Dunlop run flats) on - and reinstalled the tire pressure monitors. Anyway, I got a loan and wrote a check, and drove my new car home the night before last. Since then, I've started to get worried. From reading this forum and others, I began to learn that this car isn't really a luxury commuter car, that this type of use is really going to get expensive. First, I learned that the tires seem to wear out by 15M miles, then I l called the dealer and inquired about what it will cost to replace them. The answer was $1,700. I started getting scared. Next, a co-worker told me that the headlights cost $2,000 each. Then I heard that you can't just get tires anywhere because of the pressure monitors, so even if I found the tires for $1,000 at Tire Rack, I would have to have them installed at the dealer. Now I'm almost afraid to drive the car because all these things are going to cost so much. Keep in mind, I'm not broke, but I wasn't thinking that service and maintenance on a Lexus would run several thousand per year. I know, I know, I should have thought more clearly before buying, but I now am left with simply trying to maximize my enjoyment of the car while minimizing the cost of maintaining tires etc. Any advice about saving money while owning (and using ) the car? Thanks guys for any tips.

I had the same issue with my SC430. I found a good shop that was able to install a set of Michelin Pilot AS tires instead of the run flats for $1000 out the door and was even cheaper than TireRack. The funny part was that the dealer didn't even have the equipment to mount run flats (Lexus of Silver Sprng MD). Instead of the spare just get AAA and they'll patch it up for you or you can wait a day or so until it's replaced, it still beats paying $300 a tire that will get you 12K miles vs $1000 a set of all season that will give you a better ride and 3x the wear.

Paul

02 SC430, 95 SC400, 00 RX300

[UCF3]

welcome fellow Marylanders. :D

I'd say just follow your maintenance schedule, and don't deviate from it that much.

The HID system is not lifelong-ten years tops before the ballast burns out, but by then the price of ballasts will drop significantly. Luckily you still have a warranty, which should take care of many things. Remember, warranty travels with the car, not the original owner.

Shocked to hear a bad comment about Lexus of Silver Spring. That's one of the dealers I use, but lately Lexus of Rockville has been the best option, if I have to use their expertise.

[Maximaboy1]

I understand your concern about the cost of maintenance. I am very price conscious as well on maintenance. The best choice for tires, strictly in my opinion, is to go to Costco Wholesale for tires. They are reasonably price and provide excellent customer service. Also, if you look in the maintenance guide, you can go to any mechanic that advertises experience in Lexus vehicles, and request that they do the following maintenance items per your maintenance requirement. Also, if you prefer the "dealership experience," then you can always go to most Toyota dealerships for the identical repair for significantly less. Toyota is offering to replace my timing belt for 390 while Lexus is 600+. Most dealerships will service your car.