UniqueCopy

My new to me 1999 does this. How can one tell the difference between a slipping transmission and this issue? It definitely feels transmission related. Press the pedal, rpm's rise, delay, then it moves forward. If it were throttle lag, the delay would be between the pedal press and the RPM's rising.

I could really use your advice guys. First LS400, and I'm not sure what I should do. Monday, October 13th - I responded to a CL ad for a 1999 Lexus LS400 with 174,000 miles, advertised as well maintained and clean. We sent several emails back and forth, after which I was still interested. I found out they live 1.5 hours away, but that they were coming into town to trade the car in on their new Subaru the next day. I agreed to meet them at the Subaru dealership. Tuesday, October 14th - I met them around 5pm to check it out and take it for an extended test drive. Overall, the car was quite clean. The interior was in great condition, and exterior was pretty decent. It seemed to run well, shift well, and everything seemed to work. After the visual inspection and test drive, there were three things that needed to be addressed: 1. Tires / Alignment - It pulled hard to the right, and one of the front tires is at the cords. Once replaced, it would definitely need an alignment. The rear tires were fairly new. 2. Unknown Timing Belt / Water Pump History - There was no record of the TB/WP service being performed. Regardless, it was/is almost time for it again. 3. Mystery Noise - There was a very faint sound that sounded like it was coming from the front end, only heard when braking or decelerating. I would describe it as a grinding or a friction sound. I've always taken vehicles in for pre-purchase inspections before making a purchase. It wasn't an option at this point, due to the distance and the time, but the sellers told me if I had the PPI done afterward, and I didn't want the car, that they would give me a refund. I wanted the car, and that sounded fair. They were asking $5000, and accepted my offer of $3500. The bill of sale reflected what they told me about taking the vehicle back, based on a PPI. Wednesday, October 15th I scheduled the PPI and dropped the car off later that afternoon. The results weren't horrible, but they were more than I was expecting. - Replace Timing Belt / Water Pump / Crank Seal / Rad Hoses - $1350 - Replace Power Steering Pump - $1170 - Replace Steering Column - $2400 :eek2: - I wasn't sure why this was recommended. The SA said it was due to a leak, but that doesn't make sense to me. I called today for clarification. Anyone ever heard of this? - Replace Leaking Valve Cover Gaskets - $740 - Replace Fog Light & Sidemarket Bulbs - $125 - Verified Mystery Sound - $130 for additional diag Thursday, October 16th I called and spoke with the sellers, who offered to take the car back. I'm really not sure what I should do, so I'd like some opinions. I'd like to keep it, I'm just not sure if I should look for one without the problems and maintenance due. What would you do? Pics attached

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Sounds like you got a great deal schujd3! I never ended up looking at the 1998 with 244k, but tonight I'm going to look at a 99 with 174k, which I like much better. 3 owner car, this owner for the past 7 years, well maintained (supposedly), and it seems to be in decent condition. The couple is driving it from out of town to pick up their new car, so hopefully it works out for both of us. They said it needs nothing, but didn't know the last time the timing belt and water pump were replaced. They actually said it had never been done, but I can't imagine that being possible. Either way, I'm going into this expecting it will need the job done very soon. They're asking $4500/obo. Anything else you guys can think of that I should look at, other than the standard stuff? Any LS400 specific things?

I've been looking for a dependable car to use as a daily driver, until I find the right CTS-V, and I'm only looking to spend $5k, at most. A while back I saw an ad for a 1998 LS400 with 244k on it for $4400. Initially, I wrote off the mileage as being too high. After considering that my 1996 Land Cruiser runs and drives great after clocking a rough 248k miles, I figured I'd email and ask about it. The lady wrote back and said that she's the original owner, bought it new in 1998. Clean title, very good condition, regularly maintained, has a new alternator, battery, and tires, and needs nothing but a replacement key fob. Photos look very clean. If this really is in good shape and everything checks out, what should I expect my ownership experience to be like? Do these go well above 300k, like the Land Cruisers and other Toyota vehicles? Any serious failures that start to pop up around this time? Would you buy this, if you were I, or opt for a newer Accord or Camry? What would you offer her, dollar-wise? Thanks guys!

Thanks for that info, good read! I was actually talking about the differences between a 1998, 1999, and 2000, and whether there is any meaningful reason to look for one over the other. As in, is there any reason I should pass up a clean 1998 to search for a 2000.

I'm almost certain an LS400 is my next car. I've read what has been written about the model year differences, but I want to make sure. Is there any reason to go with one year over the others, or should I just try to find the cleanest car in my price range?

I've been lurking all morning, reading up about the LS400. I'm looking for a nice, comfortable, reliable car to drive while I save the down payment for a V2 CTS-V. Gotta love these V8 sedans! Right now I'm daily driving a 1996 FJ80 Land Cruiser, which gets around 11mpg on my 40 mile work commute. I I just test drove a 2000 LS400 at one of the major dealers near me. It has 113,xxx miles, and they have it listed for $8,999. Overall, it's a very clean car. I noticed the chrome on the wheels is peeling (which will be replaced), the passenger headlight is cloudy, and I noticed moisture in the truck (though I didn't see any rust). The clueless sales guy 'thought' it was a local trade in, which I believe, due to the very good condition. It looked like the driver side headlight was just replaced, which usually worries me. I didn't see any indication of paint or body work, and that fender still had the VIN tag on it. Should have a pre-purchase inspection done? My main question, since I know nothing about the market for these cars, what do you think about their asking price? I think I'd have to be very lucky to find a cleaner 1999-2000 LS400 (and I do want one of those years), but the price seems high to me. The salesman said they usually don't negotiate on cars below $10,000. I've never purchased a vehicle from a dealership before, so I gave him my number in his office and told him I'm heading to look at a couple more. As we were walking out he softened his position a little, telling me to call him after looking around, make an offer, and he'll ask his manager. Any tips for this process would be appreciated. I'm looking to put $1k down and finance the rest, either through the dealership (for ease, if the terms are decent), or through my credit union. Money is so cheap right now that there's no point in paying cash for a car like this. Thanks guys, hope to join the club soon!