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Lexus SC 430
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Comments
This is only my opinion and you know what they say about opinions! In any event I bought a new 03 SC430 and I purchased an extended warranty (Platinum) for $1800.00.
Any consumer savvy person will tell you that extended warranties are a rip off. No1. However,I do like to sleep at night!!!
No2. I plan to keep the car for 7 years.
A car as complex as the SC can be very expensive to repair.
Example: Should anything go wrong with the top mechanism you could eat up $1800.00(cost of warranty) real quick.
Lexus are very reliable but, they are only machines and over a period of years/miles things will go wrong.
So, you have to answer these two questions:
1. How long do you intend to keep the car?
2. Are you willing to stand the cost of repairs should something break?
Yes, I paid $1800.00 up front but I can sleep at night knowing that for the next 7 years repairs are covered should a failure occur. Incidentally, normal wear and tear items brakes, filters, etc are NOT covered by the warranty.
Hope this helps and does not further confuse the situation.
Ron
(1) Before buying any extended warranty, make sure the dealer / Lexus / the insurance company will readily accept and pay for claims. I know of several people who have had disputes with Lexus on items that should be covered under the original warranty. One of my employees had to go through 3 1/2 months of legal action before he finally got Lexus to buy back his GX470 which was exhibiting the "clunking" and resonant vibration problem common to those vehicles. Another associate had to fight to get Lexus to replace failing suspension components on a GS430 that Lexus initially claimed were "normal wear" after only 45,000 miles.
(2) I respectfully disagree with ron36330. The SC430 is not a "complex" vehicle compared to most $60k+ vehicles. The engine and drive train are common within the Toyota / Lexus line-up, as are the major suspension components. That is the major gripe of some who think the SC430 falls short of what it could be if Lexus were to build a ground up sports car / coupe without borrowing so many spare parts from other models. However, that is good news relative to ease of repairs.
The other good news is that ron's $1,800 7/100 extended warranty is pretty reasonable. My brother in law paid $4,200 for one for a new 911S, which really is a far more complex car. But my neighbor only paid $1,000 for an extended warranty on a Honda S2000, which is a completely unique ground up car. If you need to sleep at night with no worries, go for it. But try to negotiate in price (there is usually a 50-100% mark-up) and get some references on claims resolution.
I'd "self-insure" and keep my money in my pocket (i.e. investment vehicle) for as long as possible. But, if you really won't be able to sleep at night, negotiate the best deal for your extended...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
obviously, it is a complex matter, with multiple factors involved, personal, financial, mechanical, integrity of dealership.
I will have to do alot of research into the situation.
COMMON BREAKDOWNS OF YOUR SC?
Haven't had anything go wrong on 03 SC. I do have issues with RFT's regards hard ride over bumps but I intend to cure that with different tires when the OEMS wear out.
Ron
irontoad.com (a Lexus dealer in PA who will sell parts at reduced prices); your local recycler (there may be a wrecked one where the wheels are OK or the local dealer (most $)
Thanks
Thanks,
David
Also what features dont I have opting for the used versus the new which made my pocket book much happier??
It is Black with the Saddle? and Black Interior and best that I can figure is loaded.
It does have 53000 miles on it but also must have had an owner like me cause it looks brand new.
I did spring for the extended 48000 more miles warranty so I could sleep at night but got them down to 1600.00 for it and it is the deluxe covers everything one so I am okay with it I guess.
So anything good or bad you have to tell me. This was my dream car so I am excited.
However, the run-flat tires are very dangerous on this car in light snow. The car has virtually no tracktion. I tried to stop at a stop sign one day after it had lightly snowed and Slid right into the intersection. The only thing that saved me was that it was a side street and the pick up truck that would have crused me, was going slow and went around me. SOMEONE OR SOME COMPANY REALLY NEEDS TO MAKE A RUN-FLAT TIRE FOR THAT CAR THAT HAS AT LEAST SOME TRACKTION IN AT LEAST LIGHT SNOW. IF NOT THEN THE RUN FLATS NEED TO BE DISCONTINUED ON THE CAR FOR SAFTEY REASONS. THE CURRENT RUN-FLAT TIRES ARE GOING TO GET PEOPLE KILLED IN LIGHT SNOW CONDITIONS.
DR. LISK
Does the lights go auto off?
I had the running lights on and it did NOT turn off overnight.
Also, I was driving with the headlights on for daytime safety and it did NOT turn off after I pulled the key and was walking away.
I think if switch is on "AUTO" that it does but does it if it's on the first or second click?
Is there a dealer correction that can be made?
I find it really inferior compared to my Garmin 2620. I'm planning to take my portable while I'm riding this car. I don't want to pull off the highway into a strange and probable bad neighborhood when I decide I want a short detour.
I'm thinking seriously of buying an '02 SC430 with 47K miles, with the platinum extended warranty. I was planning on getting the new IS250 but the looks of the SC430 blew me away. I tend to keep my cars a good ten years or so and have a soft foot. As an empty nester, a coupe works fine for me. I don't want to be impulsive.
Do you '02 owners like your 430?
Thanks for any info!
Sue in Dallas
Thanks so much for your remarks! I've seen so many horror stories on this forum, and they seem to all be related to the run-flat tires. Do you have them on your wife's car? How often have you replaced the tires? And how's the gas mileage? I really had planned on putting down a deposit for the new IS250, but then the SC430 blew me away!!
Sue in Dallas
Thank you SO MUCH!!!!! What tires did you put on it? Did you have to change the wheels too (please pardon me if that's a dumb question!)? After reading so many not-so-favorable posts, I was really getting depressed. I appreciate your remarks and any other suggestions you might have. Sue
The tires I put on my car were Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 and you do not need to change the wheels. I did change my wheels because I didn't like the look of the factory wheels(they look like manhole covers) so I went with the Zinik Z5 Ikeda. The car looks like a million bucks with this combo but it didn't come cheap!And Sue you will hear a million complaints about the regular tires that if you don't have a spare, what are you going to do in case of a flat? Please, do what I did and get a $5.00 dollar can of fix a flat or better yet become a member of the AAA, its cheap insurance for roadside emergencies.
Thanks again, so very much, for all the info! I think I'm going to ask them to just go ahead & take off the run-flats. I've had a can of Fix-A-Flat in my Buick for years and have always used it instead of trying to change a tire (fortunately I'm talking about only once or twice). We've been AAA members for years. From a lot of gloom & doom on the forum, to your encouraging words.....NOW I'm getting excited! Thanks again, Sue
JTMav
I just wanted to tell you that I'm picking up my '02 430 on Tuesday afternoon. Egyptian Sand with ecru. Almost got an '04 Amethyst but it had sold earlier in the day (yesterday). I'm a very practical person & this car doesn't seem too practical to me, but the "wow factor" could not be ignored! Thanks for your guidance!! Sue
Good Luck
JTMav
P.S. what did you do about the tires? :confuse:
JTMav, thanks for the encouraging words! As I was cleaning out my "practical" '95 Buick Regal today, I was thinking I've lot my mind! Whenever I'm not at the Lexus dealership, I think I've lost it & should call them and tell them nevermind the SC and I'll get an IS. And when I've gone there, I fall in love with the SC again! We decided to keep the Dunlop run-flats that are on the car, and when it's time to replace them, we'll do so with "regular" tires. We drove on the Dunlops for almost an hour & they felt fine to us....granted it was just an hour.
Biancar, the car is an '02 with roughly 45K miles on it, and it's certified, for $37K. I think we got a fair deal. I don't think we 'stole' it. I think we hit a number that everyone was comfortable with. We felt that our salesman worked really hard - he put up with all my anal-ness!
I'll pick it up either tomorrow or Tuesday. We have 5 days before it rains again - I gotta get some play-time in!!
Sue
I'm new to the forum.I currently am leasing a beautiful dark green 2003 lexus.I have a 3 year lease which will expire in a year.My payoff at that point will be $38,000.
I will have only about 12,000 miles in a year when my lease is up.I'm contemplating buying the car rather than turning it in and leasing a new lexus.My reason is that with such low mileage I would be better off to buy it and trade it in on a new Lexus...What do you think ?
Also,are there any prototypes of the 2007 SC 430??Will there be radical changes??
Anyway,I may well just payoff the car and keep the 2003 because of the very low mileage but I suppose alot hinges on what the 2007 will look like.
Any thoughts would be appreciated...Dave
CK
I say take the wing off and fill and repaint the holes!
I got mine from Discount and couldn't be happier. They get me right all over the country and they rotate and balance as soon as I come in. No matter where I am.
I tried that with Costo and the SOB's made my wife sit 6 hours when they said they would get right on it. They said they sold a lot of tires that day and that they do the installs first! THey just let my wife sit there without even telling her why. She kept asking, "how long" and they would say "very soon now" BS. When I found out I called and raised holly hell!! To compensate my wife for her 6 wasted hours, they gave her a coupon for a free hot dog!!!
BFD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love Costco and still go there for everything else, but NEVER, NEVER again for tires!!!!!!!!!!
My wife went in for a rotation. I have heard it's even worse for a flat!
You now you have arrived when you pull up in your new SC430!!!
I am so glad you chose the proper direction. The more you drive your new baby the more you will fall in love with it!And Sue, try the wax made by Magquires in the purple bottle. That wax really gives the most shine of any product out there.If you are like me nothing is to good for your baby! As for the other cars I drive, well for my daily driver its a LS400 Lexus sedan and my wife drives a RX330 Lexus SUV (Can you tell I like the Lexus brand)Well enjoy you new car as I know you will!!!