vtmodern

Chris, Here is a very informative link for you: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...rference+engine Read posts 23 and 25. I would not ask the Toyota mechanic for a new timing belt based on what I read. It's a gamble if the Toyota mechanic knows how to replace it. In this one respect, the Supra engine is not the same as the GS300 engine.

Chris, Carfax could be interesting reading, but the most valuable information for you will be from Lexus service records which the Toyota dealer or local Lexus dealer can easily download and print out for you. You will be able to see what if any problems were covered under warranty. If the car was serviced at the dealer, you will know about every oil change it had. Most importantly, carfax and dealer records will give you some confidence about the true mileage on the engine. Given that they made a mistake on the timing belt last time, maybe you should just let them install the engine. The more work they do, the more likely a problem will be created. Getting a lawyer will cost you money, unless you have a friend who will do you a favor writing letters. I would get a written warranty from the dealer for a period of time you are comfortable with. I doubt that the compression will be low on this engine, even after 150,000 miles. I would have them inspect the seals before they install the engine, and I would try to find out how/where the car it came from was hit.

If you are open to accepting the used engine, you could possibly find out more about its past. Engines have serial numbers and those can be matched to the VIN. Your Toyota/Lexus dealer has access to the service history for the car that engine came out of, so you could see its maintenance record. With only 18,000 miles, it may very well be an engine out of a 2 or 3 year old car that would still be under warranty if it were running.

There are two "schools of thought" about transmission fluid in higher mileage cars. One is: change or flush all you want, it's good. The other is: In older transmission, there is some small amount of debris that clings to the various surfaces. New transmission fluid can act as a detergent and work some of that stuff loose. That, they claim, can clog up some of the very fine passages in the transmission. Here is what I would do. I would drain all the fluid you can get out by removing the drain plug. Don't take the oil pan off. Then I would refill with the same amount of new fluid. If you do that at every engine oil change, you will gradually replace the transmission fluid. Use only the Toyota transmission fluid, it's different from the commonly available transmission fluids. Yes, the fuel filter is in the tank. Unless the car received fuel from a dirty pump for a prolonged period, there is no need to change the fuel filter. No need to chage to synthetic. Just stick with regular oil every 5000 miles or so. I think your mechanic said everything correctly. Good luck!

Synthetic will not give you longer oil change intervals, but it will not hurt either. I use regular oil with 5000 mile intervals and see no reason to spend the extra money. The GS 300 engine with regular oil will probably oulast everything else on the car. There are many who feel that the synthetic oil is worth the extra money

Calling Lexus Corporate will only get you more upset. They will politely tell you to contact the manager of the dealership. They will tell you that they are confident this will all be worked out to your satisfaction by the dealer. I would say, you have seen enough of their "work". I would not even let them wash my car in my presence. I bet the problems go all the way to the top of the dealership, so talking to the general manager will be just as upsetting. If you can get a partial or complete refund (not credit) for the "work" done, take it and never go back again. I would request that in a carefully composed letter. Otherwise, I would try to let go of the experience and find an independent shop.

No comparison with the Audi in terms of longevity. Make sure the 90,000 mile service included a new timing belt. This is really the only significant service item on this engine. You may be able to get the maintenance history from a Lexus dealer if you give them the VIN and if the car was maintained by a Lexus dealer. That would certainly tell you a little about the car. In terms of maintenance for the next 60,000 miles - very little. Spark plugs, serpentine belt, engine oil, antifreeze, occasional partial transmission fluid change (about 2 qts. at a time), brake fluid, brake pads and rotors, cabin air filter, engine air filter, all really easy stuff. If the car was owned by someone who drove it hard and made suspension "improvements", the ball joints and control arm bushings will probably need service. I would stay away from cars that have been modified. As far as the price is concerned, I can't tell you if that's a good deal. Check Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds. Anything below "private party" is not an outright ripoff as long as the car really is as good as it looks. If the car is from a dealer, remember that they really know how to make anything look "like new".

The 1998-2005 GS300 has the in-line six, not the V6 with the potential sludge problem. The sludge V6 was found in Camrys, the ES300 and some other Lexus vehicles (maybe the RS??? - I am not sure). The in-line six is a superb engine, just like the V8, absolutely no history of sludge problems ever. If you like extra power above all else, the V8 is probably the better choice for you. Maybe I have mellowed out a lot with age, so the GS300 has all the power I need. The 2006 GS300 has a V6, but I doubt that it has any sludge problems. I think it's a brand new design. My main concern with the 2006 GS300 is that it's the first production year. I prefer to wait until the factory has figured out all the problems, even with a Lexus. I like the interior of the 2006 better than that of the 2nd gen. However, I am not impressed with the tiny trunk opening and several features that sacrifice function for looks. The 2006 seems a little lower, which I like. I also like the gas shocks for the trunk lid as opposed to the lever arms that destroy luggage. If you are considering a 2006, check a few posts from owners on this forum and the Club Lexus forum. You may get a better idea of what they are dealing with. http://www.clublexus.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=153

Unfortunately, they will not do any work voluntarily unless you demonstrate the problem and complain about it in no uncertain terms. Even then, my dealer was skirting the issue and never admitted to the existence of the TSBs. I had to find the TSBs myself after the fact to learn what is going on. You may however get lucky with your dealer's service department. Definitely prepare by reading all the bulletins that relate to the car you are considering - I wish I had done that. I understand that for about $10, you can buy a 24 hour membership in the Lexus/Toyota technical information database. Here is the link: http://techinfo.lexus.com/ That site may contain more TSBs and it will cover all models as well as model years. After I bought the car, I ended up spending a lot of money at the dealer on rattle repairs. They didn't end up fixing any of them. At that point, it became obvious to me that they have nothing to lose by charging for "troubleshooting time" until I get tired of throwing my money away. That's why I would go in well prepared and test the car for rattles and noises. The only time you have a negotiating advantage is before you sign the deal. My impression is that the service department will take their own sales people more seriously than the owner of a car, so I would form a good working relationship with the salesman. Even with a certified car warranty, I would find it tiresome to make repeat vists to the dealer - it's just better not to have to go there or argue about the work done / not done. It's such a waste of time and energy. Not all the cars in the SN range have the rattles I mention. The stabilizer bar problem that's described in one of the TSBs is very common, you can almost count on it. It is also the most trivial one to take care of. One of the TSBs says that at a certain VIN they changed the design so those bolts wouldn't fall out any more. I think it's fine to get the car with the older design as long as you check those bolts once in awhile. The squeak from the front strut spring is not so common. I also had a very annoying clonking noise that turned out to be related to the top strut mount. The one kind of rattle you don't want to deal with is in the dashboard. Taking dashboards apart and putting them back together is a job for meticulous and experienced technicians. There is one common rattle that appears to be in the dashboard, but it's actually on the other side of the windshield (outside). It's the plastic cowl under the wipers. I am really glad I found that one before doing any work on the dashboard, or worse yet, paying the dealer to do it! These cars have the potential to be extremely quiet when they are put together correctly. This is why rattles that would not bother you on other cars become very annoying. Also, make sure that the car didn't have any body repairs done. Body shops are under pressure to get the cars out fast and it can often happen that things no longer work and fit as well as when new after even smaller repairs. Dealers will generally not admit to any body repairs unless they are registered in the Carfax report. I don't mean to dissuade you from any of the cars you mentioned, they are all good cars. I am not that familiar with the GS430. The problems I read about relate to failed starters and idle speed problems. I don't know how common those are. I do know a couple of independent Toyota repair shops that will not work on Lexi(SP?) with V8 engines - too built up, they say. Keep in mind that you may want an independent shop to do some service on your car. Toyota shops are less expensive and there are more of them to choose from. The engine in the GS300 is similar to the one in the Toyota Supra. Best luck!

Hi Kevin, The manufacturing date and serial no. are on a label which you can see on the post when you open the driver's door. The following applies to the GS300 serial numbers (not GS430): Serial numbers JT8BD69S#20172604 and up have all the fixes for 2002, so all else being equal, I would get one of those. Serial JT8BD69S#20165000 and below can have the suspension rattles that I mentioned. Inbetween those two SN, there are some minor improvements, nothing so important to stop one from buying the car. I am however very disappointed by the suspension rattles, so I would pay attention to that, and if the car you are interested in has those noises, I would ask the dealer to fix all that before you sign anything. The noises are most audible when driving slowly on bumps. Most of these rattles happen on smaller bumps. Also, listen for creaks when pulling into driveways. A real shame - otherwise a very quiet car! Remember one thing: the warranty is worthless if there is no competent technician to repair the car. It's best to get a car that doesn't need to see the service department in the first place.

Hi Kevin, Here is how I would go about it: Go to this site and look at the TSBs (service bulletins) for the various years. http://www.clublexus.com/index.php/article/archive/20/ I bought a 2002 GS300 recently and I wish I had found a later model 2002 or a 2003 GS300. My serial number falls in a range that has some squeaks and rattles from the suspension. I didn't think it would be a big deal to correct them, but once I started looking at the work, I realized that it will cost me a weekend of work and some parts. I think during late 2002 and 2003, the 2nd generation GS got finally as good as they would ever be. BTW, there is also a small problem with the transmission and engine software that Lexus will correct under the emissions warranty if you complain. It shows as a rough shift from 2-3, but under somewhat unpredicatble circumstances. That's covered in those TSBs for the 2002MY that you will find at the above link. You are also getting some left-over warranty with a 2003, and possibly none with a 2002. I didn't really expect to need any warranty work, but as it turned out, the dealers are brutal after the warranty expires. I am partial to the in-line 6 cylider engine. You can actually work on it! It's an amazingly wonderful and reliable engine, the only significant service it requires is a timing belt replacement at 90k miles. If you do like more power (but also more weight), then the V8 may appeal to you. Otherwise, I see no advantage as the 3L engine is really smooth.

Hello forteatwo and list, First post from a new list member. I too purchased a GS300 recently and am still getting used to the car (mine is a 2002). I did measure the gas mileage last week; driving about 70 mph with the AC on and a very small amount of city traffic mixed in, I got 25.4 miles/gallon. My driving style is fairly mellow. I too am trying to figure out if the ECU has a learning mode that adapts to the driving style. Regarding the throttle, it seemed a bit on the sensitive side to me when I first drove the car, but now I am used to it. I can only compare it to my previous car which has a less sensitive gas pedal. VT