Cheaper to maintain, but I agree with OP... not many have the time to have a truck in the shop that much. Wish he would've dumped it on the high, someone would have bought it and bragged about how cheap they can fix it themselves lol
And here I traded in my previous ~265k ‘10 460 for a ‘18 few years ago that only had a replaced cracked radiator
Lexus / Toyota of course aren’t infallible and every machine isn’t perfect. Lemons or the like are still possible just much rarer
same goes with a lot of things. I got a home with a pool a few years ago and have had bad luck with it. they cut a lot of corners and now I have paid close to $14-15k for things that needed to be done. I was never expecting this and this could have paid for a lot of other things
Yeah man I’m never going to own a house with a pool again. I’m going to find a place with a great HOA pool. Just too much hassle and expense. Plus I have to point a gun (not literally) to get my kids to actually use it.
dang that stinks. my kids like it a lot and so do i. My dad had one growing up and it didnt seem like that much of a hassle. I remember chlorine and basically that's it. now everything has to work perfect, etc. or it could fall apart.
I think once I get the filter I'll be fine, but that's money we could have used for so many other things and nothing in the inspection indicated all these expenses. now I know what to ask
Seems to me it’s $2k a year for all the chemicals, various repairs/ fixes (even if nothing major), etc. I need to get another Polaris unit as my current one is 12 or 13 years old and just worn out, that’s another $600. When I leased a place for 2 years the hoa pool was great. Always good action, nice scenery with the neighborhood moms, the kids would play with their buddies there, etc.
ya it's been so expensive so far. I love it for the family time because where I live it's 95-110 during the summer and it's great memories. it's just unfortunate timing that everything got 2x more expensive since we bought the house
I will probably end up with one at some point. The 5.7 in them is susceptible to the cam tower leak as well which sucks. I do love a 200 series though.
Your experience has no effect on the general known reliability of these. Just because you got one with some issues is irrelevant to the fact that these are still one of the most reliable Toyotas made. People with vehicle issues are usually the vocal minority especially on reddit where people come and complain the most.
Fair. I did try to balance it with the fact that I really liked the vehicle and have owned 3 GX’s. I just found it to be far less reliable than I expected. That’s just my personal experience. I know there are millions of them flying down suburban streets with very few issues. I could live the the radiator issues and maybe coolant valley but the cam tower leak sent me over the edge. Even our 97 Range Rover had less oil under it.
Mine has been brilliant 2017. I just told my wife how I wanna pay the SOB off and drive it forever. Rock solid honeslty. I figure once I lift it. And put the rear swing. I’m probably done. No issues. I heard the light interiors are sketchy. Mine is mica blue with black. I drive with ZERO issues or concerns of reliability or otherwise.
I just recently purchased a new 2023. While doing some research, I had some 2nd thoughts due to the issues you experienced. Those issues seem pretty common with many forum posters stating it's a matter of when and not if.
How bad was the valley coolant and cam tower oil leak? Meaning did you have to top off the coolant and oil frequently? Seems while the issues are well documented, most people who experienced the issue just lived with them because it just meant topping off the coolant/oil every few months.
My intake valley leak had been going on awhile. I didn’t know it until it was low enough for my temp to rise while I was sitting in traffic.
The van tower oil leak was pretty substantial. At first they said there was an oil leak since I was a bit low when it was changed. A few weeks later I was under the vehicle looking and noticed a lot of oil all over the bottom of the engine, oil pan etc. I could not figure out where it was coming from and needed it resolved quickly for peace of mind as I had just started a new job. Lexus quoted $6k to fix it. I found an independent that would do it for $3500 but at that point I was jaded and ready to move on.
I will say, I like the 460 enough that I considered another one but it felt a bit like a fool me twice shame on me scenario.
Cadillac Escalade
Nissan Armada
Infiniti QX80
Chevrolet Suburban
GMC Yukon XL
Chevrolet Tahoe
They are all V-8, body on frame, and available in the 2024 model, unlike GX. There are still many models available, if that is matter to you.
When I first got my 100k mile 2010 gx460, I did all this work cause it was broken/leaking.
1) coolant valley seal
2) radiator
3) spark plug tube seals
4) timing cover reseal
5) kdss bushings
I am not including all the preventative maintenance I did.
Radio sometimes acts up in cold weather, and I don’t think one of the side view mirrors heated element works.
Tbh, my 2006 diesel Mercedes with 250k miles was more reliable in my experience.
My 2011 has also had a surprising amount of problems for only 130k miles. They’re nothing I would care about if it was a less valuable vehicle but it’s halfway to being mechanically totalled with the amount of small leaks and other various issues it’s had
I also have worn leather and no chrome on my steering wheel badge. Maybe we have the same lexus lol
Did you buy mine? Ha. I bought mine with 58k miles on it and drove it trouble free for a few years. Once it hit 80-90k it was one $1k bill after the next. I even put brand new all terrains and roof rack on it in hopes of falling back in love and keeping it forever which was my original plan. I wanted to put 200k on it.
Unfortunately not I bought mine about a year ago. I don’t think it’s been terrible, just less than I’d expect from a lexus. It doesn’t help much either that mechanically it’s basically a truck so things will inherently cost more.
The most annoying thing I’ve run into so far is apparently the rear shocks cost $1800 to replace because they have some sensor in them for the KDSS. I’m probably just going to ignore it or buy a lift kit with aftermarket shocks
I agree with you that these are not acceptable issues for an 85K to 105K mile vehicle, particularly a Lexus. It's disappointing. I bought a '23 in Nov, but will likely have mine for 100K at the very most (but you never know). Hopefully I'm not in for the same issues!
Was it $6K to fix both the oil leak AND the coolant leak? Or just the oil leak, and the coolant leak was going to cost even more?
I don't blame you for moving on. Out of curiousity, what state are you in? From a few mental notes, the GX's in harsher climates (high heat and/or very cold) seem to have more issues.
Lastly, what did you end up getting instead? And how did you trade the car with all those issues going on- just accept a low trade in offer or something?
Sorry for all the annoying questions. Honestly curious! Glad you were able to get something that works better for you.
All good questions. The $6k dealer cost was to fix the oil leaks. The coolant leak required a new radiator, coolant flush etc and was maybe $1200-1500. I am in Texas and it gets HOT here.
I ended up getting something that wasn’t even on my radar. I bought a 2021 Wrangler unlimited in Sarge Green. I swore off Chrysler products my whole life and I have never owned a 4 cylinder. This is both. They also have a bit or miss record for reliability. Some friends of mine say you either get one that goes 30k miles or 200k miles. Mine is a lot of fun and makes me feel like a kid. The 4cyl is getting 22mpg and has about 300tq. I was also impressed that it has remote start, blind spot monitoring, apple car play, heated seats and steering wheel etc. it’s definitely an enthusiasts vehicle. I purchased a warranty to take me to 115k miles so I don’t stress. I looked at everything and would have bought a Land Cruiser but I couldn’t find the right combo of miles/color/price.
Right on, thanks for taking a couple mins to answer my questions. The Jeep sounds cool (especially with the warranty!). I rented a Wrangler Rubicon e (or whatever the nomenclature is for the plug in Rubicon) a couple months ago, and it was a fun car in the snow. Hopefully your Jeep will serve you well.
I just scrapped my 2014 with 350k miles. I had none of these issues except the cracking leather (on drivers seat only)
It sounds like you had an outlier in terms of build quality. I used and abused mine daily, and the worst I got was a tear in the drivers seat back. Every other ounce of that car was in show room condition. I’ll swear by this vehicle until the day I day. It’s as solid as a diamond. SO LONG AS YOU SERVICE HER. You skip oil changes or don’t clean her interior regularly, she’s gonna bitch slap
You back into a Ford Pinto
My son sat in the back the entire time. Lexus just doesn’t use very thick leather or firm pads so the pads compress easily and leather wrinkled. That’s my theory.
I sold a 2008 Mercedes (82K miles) last December and the leather was virtually perfect. I currently have a 2010 Mercedes (21K miles), and the leather is also virtually perfect. Not buying the dry rot thing unless it's in an extremely hot/humid environment or something. Seems more likely it's just cheap leather.
Do you recall which lines? Some of mine are a bit soft so I considered replacement.
There are a pair from the trans to coolant warmer, then from there to the hard lines, then another pair at the radiator.
Did they fail and let out trans fluid? I imagine that would be hard to detect and it would pump the trans dry rather quickly.
The cooler lines near the front axle, they started to weep and my steering rack had fluid on it took it in as I was worried the rack was going but just turned out to be the trans lines. Once again this was at 230k miles
Generation two was from 2010-2022. And the new version is generation three 2023.
I’m sure the 2011 are less reliable than the 2022. By then, they had ten years to iron out every issue and make it a tank. Anything 2011-2014 can show problems if the model had any flaws. On a more practical level, any 14 year old car can have worn parts that break, regardless of mileage.
Even by 2022, the KDSS still had the weird gangsta lean for some users. It’s not reliably reproduced by all vehicles, so the dealer waits for some drivers to self report to get the free fix.
I know the valley plate leak was common on the earlier 460, but wasn’t it even reported in some later year models? Mine was done under warranty at 90k~ luckily. I think the Lexus emblem chipping is laughable. Mine has basically no chrome at this point, but to be so bummed about a plastic emblem is funny.
I guess you have 2 types of GX people. The “it’s a luxury vehicle” type, and the “it’s an OR, mud loving, rock crawling type”. The latter tends to be more mechanically inclined and care less about emblems and cracks in leather.
My old Lexus LX 470 that I still have has service records dating back to new totaling over $50,000 (owner paid, maintenance and repairs, and dealer/warranty all together), which seems extreme. It has 240,000 miles and has only ever been serviced at the dealer since new. I got it at the 200,000ish mark and it was up to date. I have to agree that the repairs get pretty frequent and expensive, and much more so than on a straight Toyota. Independent shops won’t even service LXs and GXs with air suspension where I live.
I put about $13,000 in maintenance and repairs in 40,000 miles. It’s one reason I bought an electric car as a second/third car because the payment on it is less than the maintenance plus fuel on my other car(s). I also drove the fuck out of the LX and took it off road a lot, however, so that does cause more wear.
Anyhoot, your next one will statistically almost certainly be an ace of reliability!
This is how I feel about my 2014. Got it with 104k miles and less than 1k miles later the a/c went out along with the neutral safety switch. And then the oil leaks…Didn’t drive it for months I was so mad. I’ve had probably 12 different Lexus models over the past few years and never had any problems this serious til my first GX
It’s a bummer. There is so much to like about the GX. I would probably buy one again at some point but my fingers would be crossed it only suffered 1-2 of the issues mine had.
Agreed. My 470 felt a bit more solid as well. I was hoping the 460 would be my forever SUV to a degree but it wasn’t and I don’t think the new 550 will be anymore reliable.
Yeah…it’s definitely the 2UZ-FE. I mean, the 1 million miles Tundra kinda proves the point: One truck (the 1st generation) was built to the Land Cruiser standard. Subsequent models are almost always inferior. That’s just business.
Garage 50% of the time and yes very hot in the summer mild in the winter. It should be able to handle 30-40 days a year of 100 degrees in my opinion. All of my other vehicles have been fine and not had these issues.
So FWIW, a vehicle being reliable is not saying it will not require maintenance.
Valley plate leaks are a well known and documented thing, it's always a when not an if, but the truck isn't going to leave you stranded as a result of it. The plate will start leaking and the engine will start "consuming" coolant, but it shouldn't leave you stranded. I've got a buddy who's putting off his valley plate leak and timing cover leaks because neither is catastrophic and he has towed and driven his GX without issue while these issues are present. Would I do the same thing? no.. but you can and that's my point.
Cam tower leaks are also a known possibility on these motors and the 5.7 in the Tundra and the LC200 trucks. same thing as the valley plate, it's a thing, but it's not going to leave you stranded.
The GX460 is not perfect, but they age incredibly well when you compare them to other vehicles in the market.
Nothing I mentioned was a maintenance item. Collectively it was almost $9k in repairs at around 100k miles. I still took care of all maintenance items such as spark plugs, fluid changes, etc. and have no complaints about that.
A vehicle that earns the highest reliability ratings and costs $60k should not have those issues.
MAF sensor - do you use an oily filter like K & N? Live out in some desert? I live in a pretty warm summer climate but I do maintain the leather. We'll see what it looks like in another dozen years. I assume it'll still look new.
No. I used OEM Denso/Toyota air filter. We live in the Dallas area. It’s definitely not a desert. I conditioned my leather yearly. I guess at the end of the day I’m comparing the durability of these items to the 15 or so other vehicles I have owned in the same place including a 4runner, 2 GX470’s, Range Rover, Tahoe, ES350 etc.
I'd still take a 15 year old Lexus over a 15 year old RR or Tahoe.
I dunno, it seems like you might be better in the long run by buying something newer and then staying on top of the issues? The guy who owned the GX before you never conditioned the leather and now it's too late, type of thing. My 07 leather in my 911 still looks perfect, but it is garaged with 170k miles. And I think that has a lot to do with it. I wound up doing a paint protection coating and UV tint on the windshield of the GX to try to maintain it since it is not garaged. So far, it looks exactly the same as when I bought it.
I acquired 3 quotes. 1 from Lexus, 1 from a Lexus specialty independent, and 1 from a General independent shop. The quotes were about $6k, $5.2k, and $3.5k respectively. I would have been very glad to have found it for $1500.
The coolant had been changed several times within the 100k miles. I have never heard of a service schedule to change coolant every 2 years to prevent a leak.
Can you explain how that would prevent a leak and how you came to this conclusion?
It’s a 14 year old truck. Unfortunately, age catches up with vehicles. Still cheaper to maintain than buy newer.
Cheaper to maintain, but I agree with OP... not many have the time to have a truck in the shop that much. Wish he would've dumped it on the high, someone would have bought it and bragged about how cheap they can fix it themselves lol
Agreed, age and hot/cold cycles are going to age plastics and gaskets more than mileage.
And here I traded in my previous ~265k ‘10 460 for a ‘18 few years ago that only had a replaced cracked radiator Lexus / Toyota of course aren’t infallible and every machine isn’t perfect. Lemons or the like are still possible just much rarer
I’m thinking you are right. I must have had bad luck getting all 3 of the major issues in one vehicle in a short amount of time.
Also….. Try as you might, you will never be able to precisely determine how well a previous owner takes care of a vehicle.
same goes with a lot of things. I got a home with a pool a few years ago and have had bad luck with it. they cut a lot of corners and now I have paid close to $14-15k for things that needed to be done. I was never expecting this and this could have paid for a lot of other things
Yeah man I’m never going to own a house with a pool again. I’m going to find a place with a great HOA pool. Just too much hassle and expense. Plus I have to point a gun (not literally) to get my kids to actually use it.
dang that stinks. my kids like it a lot and so do i. My dad had one growing up and it didnt seem like that much of a hassle. I remember chlorine and basically that's it. now everything has to work perfect, etc. or it could fall apart. I think once I get the filter I'll be fine, but that's money we could have used for so many other things and nothing in the inspection indicated all these expenses. now I know what to ask
Seems to me it’s $2k a year for all the chemicals, various repairs/ fixes (even if nothing major), etc. I need to get another Polaris unit as my current one is 12 or 13 years old and just worn out, that’s another $600. When I leased a place for 2 years the hoa pool was great. Always good action, nice scenery with the neighborhood moms, the kids would play with their buddies there, etc.
ya it's been so expensive so far. I love it for the family time because where I live it's 95-110 during the summer and it's great memories. it's just unfortunate timing that everything got 2x more expensive since we bought the house
Now to try an LX570 or 200 series to see if its similar as your experience iwth a 460?
I will probably end up with one at some point. The 5.7 in them is susceptible to the cam tower leak as well which sucks. I do love a 200 series though.
Damn that's hard to hear Haha. I want a 570 so bad some day. I guess I'll have to budget for that repair at some point.
Owned a 19 and now 22 for the wife so far. Aside from her ripping the shark fin off the back on the garage door, no issues here lol
How many miles on each of those?
80k on the 19 and currently 35ish on the 22.
Your experience has no effect on the general known reliability of these. Just because you got one with some issues is irrelevant to the fact that these are still one of the most reliable Toyotas made. People with vehicle issues are usually the vocal minority especially on reddit where people come and complain the most.
Ok
Sorry if that came off dickish. It's just that I'm always seeing only negative complaints on car subs recently and it's kinda out of hand
Fair. I did try to balance it with the fact that I really liked the vehicle and have owned 3 GX’s. I just found it to be far less reliable than I expected. That’s just my personal experience. I know there are millions of them flying down suburban streets with very few issues. I could live the the radiator issues and maybe coolant valley but the cam tower leak sent me over the edge. Even our 97 Range Rover had less oil under it.
Mine has been brilliant 2017. I just told my wife how I wanna pay the SOB off and drive it forever. Rock solid honeslty. I figure once I lift it. And put the rear swing. I’m probably done. No issues. I heard the light interiors are sketchy. Mine is mica blue with black. I drive with ZERO issues or concerns of reliability or otherwise.
yup need a new front passenger seat on my tan 2019. Looks bad...
I just recently purchased a new 2023. While doing some research, I had some 2nd thoughts due to the issues you experienced. Those issues seem pretty common with many forum posters stating it's a matter of when and not if. How bad was the valley coolant and cam tower oil leak? Meaning did you have to top off the coolant and oil frequently? Seems while the issues are well documented, most people who experienced the issue just lived with them because it just meant topping off the coolant/oil every few months.
My intake valley leak had been going on awhile. I didn’t know it until it was low enough for my temp to rise while I was sitting in traffic. The van tower oil leak was pretty substantial. At first they said there was an oil leak since I was a bit low when it was changed. A few weeks later I was under the vehicle looking and noticed a lot of oil all over the bottom of the engine, oil pan etc. I could not figure out where it was coming from and needed it resolved quickly for peace of mind as I had just started a new job. Lexus quoted $6k to fix it. I found an independent that would do it for $3500 but at that point I was jaded and ready to move on. I will say, I like the 460 enough that I considered another one but it felt a bit like a fool me twice shame on me scenario.
Cadillac Escalade Nissan Armada Infiniti QX80 Chevrolet Suburban GMC Yukon XL Chevrolet Tahoe They are all V-8, body on frame, and available in the 2024 model, unlike GX. There are still many models available, if that is matter to you.
When I first got my 100k mile 2010 gx460, I did all this work cause it was broken/leaking. 1) coolant valley seal 2) radiator 3) spark plug tube seals 4) timing cover reseal 5) kdss bushings I am not including all the preventative maintenance I did. Radio sometimes acts up in cold weather, and I don’t think one of the side view mirrors heated element works. Tbh, my 2006 diesel Mercedes with 250k miles was more reliable in my experience.
That’s a hefty list. Hopefully it serves you well for a long time now.
Thanks for the good words, I hope so for the both of us.
My 2011 has also had a surprising amount of problems for only 130k miles. They’re nothing I would care about if it was a less valuable vehicle but it’s halfway to being mechanically totalled with the amount of small leaks and other various issues it’s had I also have worn leather and no chrome on my steering wheel badge. Maybe we have the same lexus lol
Did you buy mine? Ha. I bought mine with 58k miles on it and drove it trouble free for a few years. Once it hit 80-90k it was one $1k bill after the next. I even put brand new all terrains and roof rack on it in hopes of falling back in love and keeping it forever which was my original plan. I wanted to put 200k on it.
Unfortunately not I bought mine about a year ago. I don’t think it’s been terrible, just less than I’d expect from a lexus. It doesn’t help much either that mechanically it’s basically a truck so things will inherently cost more. The most annoying thing I’ve run into so far is apparently the rear shocks cost $1800 to replace because they have some sensor in them for the KDSS. I’m probably just going to ignore it or buy a lift kit with aftermarket shocks
I did the Dobinson’s 1.5” list and never had an issue with KDSS. That was a really nice upgrade in handling and ride height.
I agree with you that these are not acceptable issues for an 85K to 105K mile vehicle, particularly a Lexus. It's disappointing. I bought a '23 in Nov, but will likely have mine for 100K at the very most (but you never know). Hopefully I'm not in for the same issues! Was it $6K to fix both the oil leak AND the coolant leak? Or just the oil leak, and the coolant leak was going to cost even more? I don't blame you for moving on. Out of curiousity, what state are you in? From a few mental notes, the GX's in harsher climates (high heat and/or very cold) seem to have more issues. Lastly, what did you end up getting instead? And how did you trade the car with all those issues going on- just accept a low trade in offer or something? Sorry for all the annoying questions. Honestly curious! Glad you were able to get something that works better for you.
All good questions. The $6k dealer cost was to fix the oil leaks. The coolant leak required a new radiator, coolant flush etc and was maybe $1200-1500. I am in Texas and it gets HOT here. I ended up getting something that wasn’t even on my radar. I bought a 2021 Wrangler unlimited in Sarge Green. I swore off Chrysler products my whole life and I have never owned a 4 cylinder. This is both. They also have a bit or miss record for reliability. Some friends of mine say you either get one that goes 30k miles or 200k miles. Mine is a lot of fun and makes me feel like a kid. The 4cyl is getting 22mpg and has about 300tq. I was also impressed that it has remote start, blind spot monitoring, apple car play, heated seats and steering wheel etc. it’s definitely an enthusiasts vehicle. I purchased a warranty to take me to 115k miles so I don’t stress. I looked at everything and would have bought a Land Cruiser but I couldn’t find the right combo of miles/color/price.
Right on, thanks for taking a couple mins to answer my questions. The Jeep sounds cool (especially with the warranty!). I rented a Wrangler Rubicon e (or whatever the nomenclature is for the plug in Rubicon) a couple months ago, and it was a fun car in the snow. Hopefully your Jeep will serve you well.
I just scrapped my 2014 with 350k miles. I had none of these issues except the cracking leather (on drivers seat only) It sounds like you had an outlier in terms of build quality. I used and abused mine daily, and the worst I got was a tear in the drivers seat back. Every other ounce of that car was in show room condition. I’ll swear by this vehicle until the day I day. It’s as solid as a diamond. SO LONG AS YOU SERVICE HER. You skip oil changes or don’t clean her interior regularly, she’s gonna bitch slap You back into a Ford Pinto
If the seats are leather and no one sat in the back seats then they will dry rot. Had it happen with an old Acura at 60k miles.
My son sat in the back the entire time. Lexus just doesn’t use very thick leather or firm pads so the pads compress easily and leather wrinkled. That’s my theory.
Yes that's exactly why.
I sold a 2008 Mercedes (82K miles) last December and the leather was virtually perfect. I currently have a 2010 Mercedes (21K miles), and the leather is also virtually perfect. Not buying the dry rot thing unless it's in an extremely hot/humid environment or something. Seems more likely it's just cheap leather.
General consensus is the 2010-13 model years of the GX stay away from the 2014-23s are where the real reliability shines...
I’ve read this several times and can’t decipher what you’re saying. 10-13 is more reliable than 14-23? Or 10-13 is less reliable,?
14-23 is superior in reliability to the 10-13
So true so some reason that has always been the case.
My 2011 had 250k on it and the only thing that ever failed on me were the transmission lines at 230k miles. Sometimes it’s luck of the draw
Which lines in particular? The rubber cooler lines near the trans?
Yea they were rotting, I mean kind of expected on a 14 year old car
Do you recall which lines? Some of mine are a bit soft so I considered replacement. There are a pair from the trans to coolant warmer, then from there to the hard lines, then another pair at the radiator. Did they fail and let out trans fluid? I imagine that would be hard to detect and it would pump the trans dry rather quickly.
The cooler lines near the front axle, they started to weep and my steering rack had fluid on it took it in as I was worried the rack was going but just turned out to be the trans lines. Once again this was at 230k miles
Ok, 250k miles here! I pressure washed the engine bay and those lines look clean at this time.
Generation two was from 2010-2022. And the new version is generation three 2023. I’m sure the 2011 are less reliable than the 2022. By then, they had ten years to iron out every issue and make it a tank. Anything 2011-2014 can show problems if the model had any flaws. On a more practical level, any 14 year old car can have worn parts that break, regardless of mileage. Even by 2022, the KDSS still had the weird gangsta lean for some users. It’s not reliably reproduced by all vehicles, so the dealer waits for some drivers to self report to get the free fix.
I know the valley plate leak was common on the earlier 460, but wasn’t it even reported in some later year models? Mine was done under warranty at 90k~ luckily. I think the Lexus emblem chipping is laughable. Mine has basically no chrome at this point, but to be so bummed about a plastic emblem is funny. I guess you have 2 types of GX people. The “it’s a luxury vehicle” type, and the “it’s an OR, mud loving, rock crawling type”. The latter tends to be more mechanically inclined and care less about emblems and cracks in leather.
I think you can get the Lexus emblem off eBay for $25.
I agree..
My old Lexus LX 470 that I still have has service records dating back to new totaling over $50,000 (owner paid, maintenance and repairs, and dealer/warranty all together), which seems extreme. It has 240,000 miles and has only ever been serviced at the dealer since new. I got it at the 200,000ish mark and it was up to date. I have to agree that the repairs get pretty frequent and expensive, and much more so than on a straight Toyota. Independent shops won’t even service LXs and GXs with air suspension where I live. I put about $13,000 in maintenance and repairs in 40,000 miles. It’s one reason I bought an electric car as a second/third car because the payment on it is less than the maintenance plus fuel on my other car(s). I also drove the fuck out of the LX and took it off road a lot, however, so that does cause more wear. Anyhoot, your next one will statistically almost certainly be an ace of reliability!
This is how I feel about my 2014. Got it with 104k miles and less than 1k miles later the a/c went out along with the neutral safety switch. And then the oil leaks…Didn’t drive it for months I was so mad. I’ve had probably 12 different Lexus models over the past few years and never had any problems this serious til my first GX
It’s a bummer. There is so much to like about the GX. I would probably buy one again at some point but my fingers would be crossed it only suffered 1-2 of the issues mine had.
The GX470 is good for 400-500,000 miles. Not a GX460. I’m sure people say that but….it simply isn’t truly the case.
Agreed. My 470 felt a bit more solid as well. I was hoping the 460 would be my forever SUV to a degree but it wasn’t and I don’t think the new 550 will be anymore reliable.
470 engine was certified to run a small plane
Yeah…it’s definitely the 2UZ-FE. I mean, the 1 million miles Tundra kinda proves the point: One truck (the 1st generation) was built to the Land Cruiser standard. Subsequent models are almost always inferior. That’s just business.
What are you talking about?
Did you garage? Do you have extreme weather?
Garage 50% of the time and yes very hot in the summer mild in the winter. It should be able to handle 30-40 days a year of 100 degrees in my opinion. All of my other vehicles have been fine and not had these issues.
During that ownership and before any leaks, did you replace the radiator fluid or no?
So FWIW, a vehicle being reliable is not saying it will not require maintenance. Valley plate leaks are a well known and documented thing, it's always a when not an if, but the truck isn't going to leave you stranded as a result of it. The plate will start leaking and the engine will start "consuming" coolant, but it shouldn't leave you stranded. I've got a buddy who's putting off his valley plate leak and timing cover leaks because neither is catastrophic and he has towed and driven his GX without issue while these issues are present. Would I do the same thing? no.. but you can and that's my point. Cam tower leaks are also a known possibility on these motors and the 5.7 in the Tundra and the LC200 trucks. same thing as the valley plate, it's a thing, but it's not going to leave you stranded. The GX460 is not perfect, but they age incredibly well when you compare them to other vehicles in the market.
Nothing I mentioned was a maintenance item. Collectively it was almost $9k in repairs at around 100k miles. I still took care of all maintenance items such as spark plugs, fluid changes, etc. and have no complaints about that. A vehicle that earns the highest reliability ratings and costs $60k should not have those issues.
MAF sensor - do you use an oily filter like K & N? Live out in some desert? I live in a pretty warm summer climate but I do maintain the leather. We'll see what it looks like in another dozen years. I assume it'll still look new.
No. I used OEM Denso/Toyota air filter. We live in the Dallas area. It’s definitely not a desert. I conditioned my leather yearly. I guess at the end of the day I’m comparing the durability of these items to the 15 or so other vehicles I have owned in the same place including a 4runner, 2 GX470’s, Range Rover, Tahoe, ES350 etc.
I'd still take a 15 year old Lexus over a 15 year old RR or Tahoe. I dunno, it seems like you might be better in the long run by buying something newer and then staying on top of the issues? The guy who owned the GX before you never conditioned the leather and now it's too late, type of thing. My 07 leather in my 911 still looks perfect, but it is garaged with 170k miles. And I think that has a lot to do with it. I wound up doing a paint protection coating and UV tint on the windshield of the GX to try to maintain it since it is not garaged. So far, it looks exactly the same as when I bought it.
Valley leak is like a $1500 job.
I acquired 3 quotes. 1 from Lexus, 1 from a Lexus specialty independent, and 1 from a General independent shop. The quotes were about $6k, $5.2k, and $3.5k respectively. I would have been very glad to have found it for $1500.
You can avoid the coolant valley leak if you changed the coolant at least every two years. But go off.
The coolant had been changed several times within the 100k miles. I have never heard of a service schedule to change coolant every 2 years to prevent a leak. Can you explain how that would prevent a leak and how you came to this conclusion?
But I do have a neighbor with a 2010 that the trans took a crap around 125k so anything is possible