Possible Lexus Is300 Purchase

[pb3]

Hi Folks,

I'm after advice about whether to proceed with the purchase of a 2001 IS300. After viewing the car and test driving I gave the owner a deposit subject to a satisfactory RAC vehicle examination.

The RAC engineer contacted me and mentioned that the car had passed the examination and was in good condition aside from the a small dent and a scratch in the bonnet (which the owner had pointed out) and that it was 3 months overdue for its service. The RAC engineer then pointed out that while he was underneath the car he noticed marks on the sills consistent with the use of an alignment jigg, and that he believed that some work had been done on the rear panels of car in the past. He said that the quailty of the work was OK and that he could not see any evidence of chassis damage.

The owner told me that he had purchased the car as an approved used car from Lexus and was not aware of the work.

I contacted the Lexus main dealer in question this morning, and the RAC engineer was spot on in that they confirmed that the car had been in their body shop in 2002 and that a rear quarter panel, lamp panel and the bumper had been replaced, and some repairs carried out on the floor. I suspect it was either rear ended or the then owner reversed into a lamp post or similar :)

The current owner assures me he was not aware of this work (I have no reason to disbelieve him) and has given me the option to pull out of the purchase if I wish.

I still like the car however, and given that the repairs were done by a Lexus main dealer and that the car was subsequently sold by the main dealer as an approved Lexus used car I'm minded to continue. It did pass the full-blown RAC examination and the owner also has an RAC certificate issued when he purchased it from a Lexus main dealer slightly over a year ago.

Opinions as to whether I should proceed appreciated.

Best Wishes

Peter

[aido]

Hi and welcome to LOC Peter :)

I guess if the RAC are saying it is ok and the dealership performed the work it should be ok, maybe see if you can get a bit of discount seeing as you know now the work was carried out?

I have to admit I was told when I bought my car from Lexus a couple of years back now (that's gone quickly) they told me that they did not sell cars as approved if they had had any work done, turned out it was salesman bull as I later found out the car had had work done to it, and I complained to the dealer about that and they did a lot of stuff for me as a goodwill gesture, ie new refurbed alloys etc :D

Good luck

[Lex-aholic]

How much are they asking for the car ?

[MrADeveci]

Hello Peter, welcome to LOC

What's the price, and specs of the car ?

From what you are saying about the work, I'd say that's pretty good .... (the work carried out)

Let us know ......

Cheers.

[Kazi]

Sounds like both the seller and Dealer have been very honest and if RAC say its ok other than the little issues you should be fine.

Welcome to LOC :D

[baby_lexus]

I am not too impressed with the RAC at the mo. I bought an IS300 earlier in the month, the car kept pulling to the left. It's been at a local dealer twice and the supplying dealer since last wednesday. Even though I was assured that it had passed the RAC check. How I would ask ?????

However, it seems that the RAC guy is on the ball here. If it's been repaired ok then go for it.

[Mr Morse]

No-one appears to be trying to cover anything up here....but it's always worth holding out for a reasonable price reduction.

You should be aware though that any alignment work done on the chassis will have an impact upon the geometry and you're advised to have the geometry checked. This'll save you £000's in uneven tyre wear.

[pb3]

Hello Peter, welcome to LOC

What's the price, and specs of the car ?

From what you are saying about the work, I'd say that's pretty good .... (the work carried out)

Let us know ......

Cheers.

←

Wow - 5 replies already and my fingers have barely left the keyboard! You guys are really on the ball :)

Thanks for the warm welcome so far. I'm looking forward to becoming a member of the Lexus fold.

The car in question is a 51 Reg IS300 with the Satnav option. The price agreed prior to the inspection was £12,250. The only "problemettes" other than the previous main dealer repairs are the small dent and scratch on the bonnet ( the scratch probably means a respray) and slight kerbing on the tyres. Again the current owner was upfront about this all. The car has done slightly over 27000 miles and is 3 months overdue for its scheduled service. I'll have that done right away if I purchase.

If I purchase I'll also go for purchasing a warranty either online or perhaps from Lexus if the price isn't extortionate.

Peter

[Lex-aholic]

Hello Peter, welcome to LOC

What's the price, and specs of the car ?

From what you are saying about the work, I'd say that's pretty good .... (the work carried out)

Let us know ......

Cheers.

←

Wow - 5 replies already and my fingers have barely left the keyboard! You guys are really on the ball :)

Thanks for the warm welcome so far. I'm looking forward to becoming a member of the Lexus fold.

The car in question is a 51 Reg IS300 with the Satnav option. The price agreed prior to the inspection was £12,250. The only "problemettes" other than the previous main dealer repairs are the small dent and scratch on the bonnet ( the scratch probably means a respray) and slight kerbing on the tyres. Again the current owner was upfront about this all. The car has done slightly over 27000 miles and is 3 months overdue for its scheduled service. I'll have that done right away if I purchase.

If I purchase I'll also go for purchasing a warranty either online or perhaps from Lexus if the price isn't extortionate.

Peter

←

£12,250 ? Ermm.....I know my Lex is only an IS200 compared to your IS300, but it is a 51 plate, immaculate (ie, no scratches or dings), it has approx 51,000 on the clock, and I paid £11995 back in Jan this year. So I'm not sure but isn't this a high price ? I know the mileage sounds brill, but these cars go on and on being Japanese.

Me being paranoid and all, I would think about looking elsewhere. I know the RAC have checked it over, but I tend to walk away if there is the slightest little problem.

If you do still wanna go ahead with buying it, I would certainly have a go at knocking him down. Ring around and find out how much a respray for the bonnet, and repairing any other probs you know about with the car would cost. And then point these things out to him when you go back for a second look at the car, just to see if he'll shift on the price.

Best of luck whatever you decide on. :winky:

[Mr Morse]

Price looks about right considering the low mileage:

Prices are based upon 40K miles

Cost New ('01) £ 29015

Franchised Dealer £ 13470

Ind Dealer £ 12920

Private Good £ 12265

Private Poor £ 10185

Part Exchange £ 11280

[Swifty2005uk]

I bought my 51 plate IS300 in June from Lexus Liverpool for £13500 with 43k miles and satnav.

During the first 6 weeks it needed a new Battery which wasn`t covered by the warranty but Lexus Carlisle have been excellent and changed it free as a goodwill gesture even though they never sold me the car.It also needed 2 front shock absorbers which were fixed at Carlisle under warranty.

I don`t know if the RAC report should have mentioned the shocks problem because Lexus Liverpool never gave me a copy of the report,I am also still waiting for my RAC breakdown cover but after chasing the matter up several time with Liverpool and getting nowhere im going to contact RAC direct.

On the Lexus website it says all their approved used vehicles will not have been involved in an accident.

Price looks about right considering the low mileage:

Prices are based upon 40K miles

Cost New ('01)  £ 29015

Franchised Dealer  £ 13470

Ind Dealer           £ 12920

Private Good  £ 12265

Private Poor  £ 10185

Part Exchange  £ 11280

←

[pb3]

On the Lexus website it says all their approved used vehicles will not have been involved in an accident.

←

Hmmm,

I've had a look at the Lexus website and I quote the following:

A vehicle will not qualify as a Approved Pre-Owned Lexus if any of the following occur:

If the vehicle has been involved in a major accident

If the vehicle's structural integrity is impaired

If the body shell has been replaced

If the vehicle is a grey import

I'm not a lawyer but the above can be interpreted to mean that a vehicle can be involved in an accident yet qualify as an approved pre-owned Lexus provided that the accident was not major and the vehicle's structural integrity was not impaired.

I assumed that the main dealer would be obliged to tell you if you asked him point blank whether the vehicle was involved in a previous accident. If the owner of the car had reversed into a lampost then I guess this would be a gray area as technically it wouldn't be classed as an accident :)

Anyway I've managed to knock the price down to £12K and I'm happy given the RAC report, the fact that the repairs were done by the main dealer and that it was subsequently sold as a Lexus approved used car :)

Peter

[affy141]

If "private poor" is about £10200, then u shouldn't be paying more than i'd say about £11200-11400 for it. Did the RAC report mention whether it had ever been written off? The car's gonna need about £500 spending on it straightaway...repairs, servicing etc. And when it comes to sell, it'll be harder to get rid of. £11400 or wait for the next one... Also, use of a jig usually means a bent chassis doesn't it? Which isn't just reversing into a lamp-post!!

[pb3]

If "private poor" is about £10200, then u shouldn't be paying more than i'd say about £11200-11400 for it.  Did the RAC report mention whether it had ever been written off?  The car's gonna need about £500 spending on it straightaway...repairs, servicing etc.  And when it comes to sell, it'll be harder to get rid of.  £11400 or wait for the next one...   Also, use of a jig usually means a bent chassis doesn't it?  Which isn't just reversing into a lamp-post!!

←

No the car definitely has not been written off - all clear on the HPI check.

I would imagine that if there had been structural damage it definitely wouldn't have made it onto the Lexus forecourt!

The work done was mainly in connection with repairing the panels and the floor.

Peter

[pb3]

If "private poor" is about £10200, then u shouldn't be paying more than i'd say about £11200-11400 for it.  Did the RAC report mention whether it had ever been written off?  The car's gonna need about £500 spending on it straightaway...repairs, servicing etc.  And when it comes to sell, it'll be harder to get rid of.  £11400 or wait for the next one...   Also, use of a jig usually means a bent chassis doesn't it?  Which isn't just reversing into a lamp-post!!

←

You're getting me worried :o

Anyway I've rung Lexus again and confirmed that the car was definitely worked on in their bodyshop and definitely sold as an approved used car. Everything ties up and matches the HPI check.

Being a major dealership with an image and reputation to consider, they wouldn't touch a structurally unsound vehicle with a bargepole.

I'll bear your thoughts in mind regarding future resale value.

Regarding the Parkers figures quoted, I believe these do not include the Satnav option.

Peter

[Lex-aholic]

If "private poor" is about £10200, then u shouldn't be paying more than i'd say about £11200-11400 for it.  Did the RAC report mention whether it had ever been written off?  The car's gonna need about £500 spending on it straightaway...repairs, servicing etc.  And when it comes to sell, it'll be harder to get rid of.  £11400 or wait for the next one...    Also, use of a jig usually means a bent chassis doesn't it?  Which isn't just reversing into a lamp-post!!

←

No the car definitely has not been written off - all clear on the HPI check.

I would imagine that if there had been structural damage it definitely wouldn't have made it onto the Lexus forecourt!

The work done was mainly in connection with repairing the panels and the floor.

Peter

←

Blimey - good job you checked that then ! :)

I take it you'll not go ahead with the purchase ?

[pb3]

Blimey - good job you checked that then ! :)

I take it you'll not go ahead with the purchase ?

←

Given that the repairs have been done by a Lexus main dealer and the car has passed both RAC tests (done by Lexus when they sold it) and by me a year and a bit later.

I'm still minded to proceed. Am I being naive? :)

PB3

[Lex-aholic]

Given that the repairs have been done by a Lexus main dealer and the car has passed both RAC tests (done by Lexus when they sold it) and by me a year and a bit later.

I'm still minded to proceed. Am I being naive? :)

PB3

←

My personal opinion ? Yes.

I think you need to let this one go. There are plenty other Lexi's out there which are 100% okay. Go and buy yerself an Auto Trader and have a look around. :winky: Me being me would have walked away when I seen the scratch on the bonnet.

[pb3]

Given that the repairs have been done by a Lexus main dealer and the car has passed both RAC tests (done by Lexus when they sold it) and by me a year and a bit later.

I'm still minded to proceed. Am I being naive? :)

PB3

←

My personal opinion ? Yes.

I think you need to let this one go. There are plenty other Lexi's out there which are 100% okay. Go and buy yerself an Auto Trader and have a look around. :winky: Me being me would have walked away when I seen the scratch on the bonnet.

←

Right. I must admit your advice is sound, and after a great deal of deliberation I've just spoken to the seller and agreed to call off the sale given the previous repair work, especially the body alignment bits. He will refund my deposit.

To his credit he was remarkable gracious about it all, except he is planning to contact the Lexus Main dealer in question and take the matter to the top as he believes the car was misrepresented to him when he purchased it as an approved used car. He was allegedly told that the car did not have any accident history. He is muttering darkly about legal action as he is effectively stuck with a car which will be difficult to shift as he will need to declare these repairs if asked. He conceded that he would also have pulled out if the positions were reversed.

So I'm 310 quid poorer for the inspection but certainly wiser. I guess I can't stress the importance of a full RAC examination although I think I was lucky in that I had an inspector who was really on the ball.

Sadly I'll now have to bus it to/from work as my written off car was collected today. Oh the indignity! It will make me look forward to my future Lexus even more :D

Thanks a bunch to everyone who has contributed so far. Opinions as to whether to proceed have been mixed (and indeed it was the same with a straw poll at work). In the end the decision is down to me, and given the not inconsiderable sum of money at stake, I believe I have made the right decision. Then again I've known friends with new cars who have had problems within weeks.

Go figure...

Peter

[Mr Morse]

I'm sure you'll get your dream car!

Come back and tell us all about it :D

[Kazi]

Given that the repairs have been done by a Lexus main dealer and the car has passed both RAC tests (done by Lexus when they sold it) and by me a year and a bit later.

I'm still minded to proceed. Am I being naive? :)

PB3

←

My personal opinion ? Yes.

I think you need to let this one go. There are plenty other Lexi's out there which are 100% okay. Go and buy yerself an Auto Trader and have a look around. :winky: Me being me would have walked away when I seen the scratch on the bonnet.

←

Right. I must admit your advice is sound, and after a great deal of deliberation I've just spoken to the seller and agreed to call off the sale given the previous repair work, especially the body alignment bits. He will refund my deposit.

To his credit he was remarkable gracious about it all, except he is planning to contact the Lexus Main dealer in question and take the matter to the top as he believes the car was misrepresented to him when he purchased it as an approved used car. He was allegedly told that the car did not have any accident history. He is muttering darkly about legal action as he is effectively stuck with a car which will be difficult to shift as he will need to declare these repairs if asked. He conceded that he would also have pulled out if the positions were reversed.

So I'm 310 quid poorer for the inspection but certainly wiser. I guess I can't stress the importance of a full RAC examination although I think I was lucky in that I had an inspector who was really on the ball.

Sadly I'll now have to bus it to/from work as my written off car was collected today. Oh the indignity! It will make me look forward to my future Lexus even more :D

Thanks a bunch to everyone who has contributed so far. Opinions as to whether to proceed have been mixed (and indeed it was the same with a straw poll at work). In the end the decision is down to me, and given the not inconsiderable sum of money at stake, I believe I have made the right decision. Then again I've known friends with new cars who have had problems within weeks.

Go figure...

Peter

←

Would you plan on getting another RAC inspection for another possible purchase? I ask as this is all extra money being spent.........

Good luck with the hunt, but just hold fire till everything is how you feel it should be. Took me three months to find what I was after. What colour are you hoping for out of interest?

[pb3]

Would you plan on getting another RAC inspection for another possible purchase? I ask as this is all extra money being spent.........

Good luck with the hunt, but just hold fire till everything is how you feel it should be. Took me three months to find what I was after. What colour are you hoping for out of interest?

←

Yes indeed I would. I believe the RAC inspection was worth every penny in this instance as there was no way the past repairs would have been evident to someone who is not a mechanic. The tell-tale marks on the sills were discovered after the mechanic inspected the underside of the car.

I had spotted the dent and scratch in the bonnet but was willing to factor their repair into the cost of purchase. I was ready to purchase after test driving but wisely decided to give a deposit subject to a satisfactory inspection.

Had I not paid for the inspection, In the worse possible case, 2 or 3 years down the road I could have been in the same position that the current seller is in now.

The downside is that I'm will now be wary with any potential purchase even from a main dealer.

In answer to your question I'm hoping for a blue Lexus IS300. I'm after the IS300 as I've only ever driven 2.9 litre Ford Granadas to date. The IS300 will go some way towards giving me the type of power that I'm used to :)

Peter

[Kazi]

Would you plan on getting another RAC inspection for another possible purchase? I ask as this is all extra money being spent.........

Good luck with the hunt, but just hold fire till everything is how you feel it should be. Took me three months to find what I was after. What colour are you hoping for out of interest?

←

Yes indeed I would. I believe the RAC inspection was worth every penny in this instance as there was no way the past repairs would have been evident to someone who is not a mechanic. The tell-tale marks on the sills were discovered after the mechanic inspected the underside of the car.

I had spotted the dent and scratch in the bonnet but was willing to factor their repair into the cost of purchase. I was ready to purchase after test driving but wisely decided to give a deposit subject to a satisfactory inspection.

Had I not paid for the inspection, In the worse possible case, 2 or 3 years down the road I could have been in the same position that the current seller is in now.

The downside is that I'm will now be wary with any potential purchase even from a main dealer.

In answer to your question I'm hoping for a blue Lexus IS300. I'm after the IS300 as I've only ever driven 2.9 litre Ford Granadas to date. The IS300 will go some way towards giving me the type of power that I'm used to :)

Peter

←

Yeah the blue is really nice, good choice. Im sort of wishing Id have gone for the IS300 now but ive had my car getting on for a year in November and still chuffed to be though!