Reliable cars get surprise bills too. Simple oil change on '08 Lexus GX470 turns into $1200 repair 

But wait - the Chevrolet Traverse/Acadia owner did get a 'smoking deal," just not necessarily in that order. First the 'deal' - the 'smoking" comes later.

Car Wizard, it's called "preventive maintenance" which is something that many people neglect with their vehicles. Your walk-around/through/under inspection is what finds these issues and you are doing your job by alerting the customer that they will have more serious problems if these items are not addressed. Great video, thank you!

If hoovie owned a lexus the car wizard would still be in that tiny shop

Being from the northeast, I used to dream of flying out west, buying a cool, older rust free car and driving it back. Now the dream is to stop at the wizards in the way and have it fully serviced first

My favorite is "It's just a broken fan belt. Why do I need new radiator hoses and a wiring harness repair?" Well, because that belt wrapped around the fan clutch when it broke and did it's best weed whacker impersonation. Maybe you should have replaced it the last 3 times you came in and we suggested it.

As a young man, I would normally do most of my own repairs. I happened to be working on a job that did not give me time to take care of my car, so I took it to a small Gulf Oil Station to get a oil change and lube. I showed up to pick up my car, he was still working on it. I started watching him work, he had a small wooden box of different types of oils and small tubes of grease. He was going around and lubing everything that moved, Hood hinges, truck hinges, Doors hinges and latches. I was amazed, I told him I never seen anyone do that as part of a lube. He told me well, apparently they weren't doing a very good job. From then on out when I do a lube job on my car, I do it all. Next time you pay for a lube job, see if they do what they are suppose to do. They dont.

That Lexus is in great shape and worthy of a $1200 repair.

I have had a similar experience. As a professional, I am asked to inspect and advise. However the customer is more impressed with the price and color. Even to the point of discouraging the customer on the purchase due to necessary repairs and know deficient issues. Keep up the good work Mr. and Mrs. Wizard. I am proud of you both. The old school guy.

Good advise Wizard. I discovered Lexus over 20 years ago. I have owned four of them since my first. Used ones are reasonably priced and luxurious. minimal repairs needed. I listen to the repair stories by my friends, neighbors and relatives and just smile.

$1,200 is nothing for this GX. These repairs will last many years, so long the drivers aren't aggressive.

In this case it's $1200 well spent.

Good mechanics are always long winded. I ABSOLUTELY trust The car wizard!

Thanks, Wizard and Mrs. Love the Lexus GX470, looks in great shape for age. Oil change, brakes, cv boot, so $1,000 for maint still cheaper than $500 monthly car payment and higher insurance for a new car. Good, we are almost done with the Ferrari - my birthday is coming up 😁

I appreciate your channel. Yourself, car nut and Scotty are very honest mechanics. You all preach the exact same message and thanks to your videos I know own an 04 GX 470 great condition. Thank you.

If there was a Car Wizard in my area, without no doubt I would have no problems writing a blank check. Thank you for another great video, much respect to you.

Key note to having an inspection on your car, DON’T bring it to it quick lube or Jiffy Lube! not the tire shop!

I have this same vehicle (same color, too) except mine is a 2007. Bought it in 2018 with only 130k miles. The owner was asking $12,000 at the time and I was able to buy it for $11,500. I now have 150k miles and it drives beautifully, and is probably worth $15-17,000 now. Truly, this is one of the best everyday vehicles I've ever owned.

I bought one of these for 8k, drove it for a bit and then resold it for 14k. The guy I sold it to resold it again for 17k. The market on these vehicles is insane.

First off, this car looks amazing. Second $1200 is likely all they spent on repairs since they bought it.

Wizard you are the man! You’re the most honest mechanic I’ve ever seen. 1200 is nothing for such a gem of a vehicle.

I used to have an 04 without nav and I loved that thing so much. Sounded great and never let me down.

You do a fantastic job at giving your customers trust. 💯%

That’s why I fix everything myself outside of rebuilding engines and transmissions.

That happens to me every time I bring my cars in for any service lol. What I think a lot of people do not realize is there is a cost associated with owning a car that goes beyond the payments You have to maintain your vehicle especially one that's not a lease going back to the dealer to keeping all these items there routine maintenance items and they do add up especially these days. Thanks for great video.

"Reliable". Brands are not reliable. Certain models usually are. However there will always be exceptions to the rule. You, as a mechanic see the worst of the worst. That alone shouldn't be your standard to judge cars on. Anyway, I appreciate your honesty and the nuance that you see in judging cars.

I own a 2005 GX470 (178K miles). Solid solid trucks. Absolutely love it. Super reliable. Easy to work on too. Lots of aftermarket parts. Fortunately, I bought mine in June 2020 before prices went crazy. If you're wanting a SUV similar to this size you will NOT be disappointed. Just get a truck with little to no rust. Not even Lexus/Toyota's are immune to the road salts.

While these type of emergent repairs aren’t welcomed, all items mentioned are consumables or normal wear and tear. Still to go from $100 to $1200 would not be a welcomed event; however, if I trusted the mechanic I say ok.

I’ve thought about driving my 09 GX470 down to Kansas to star in a Wizard vid. It’s a great example of just how tough and dependable these things are. It’s got 235,000 miles on it now and the last owner abused the hell out of it for years on gravel roads with minimal maintenance before putting it through a fence in a blizzard, which removed half its front bumper, half a headlight, the grille, rear spoiler and rear glass, yet somehow the only mechanical damage was a single bent tie-rod. The gal then continued driving it that way for a few months until the tire on the bad tie rod side was bald (which is super bad for the transfer case). Finally, she dumped it as trade-in at the local GMC dealer. I like to believe that she got what she deserved and ended up in one of those POS Acadias that Wizard loathes. Anyway, I ended up buying what was left of the GX for VERY cheap and then set about getting it caught up on all its neglected maintenance. Timing belt, tie rod, tires, TPMS sensor, alignment, windshield, as well as a gas cap to clear the Christmas tree of warning lights. Then I changed out the front sway bar bushings, flushed the transfer case and did an oil change and replaced a leaking air spring. The total for all that was roughly $1,500 (that’s the beauty of being able to turn a wrench myself). That was 2 years and 30,000 miles ago. Nothing has broken or gone wrong since. I still haven’t fixed the cosmetic stuff, mostly because of Covid and because Lexus parts are spendy AF but I have a growing pile of them in the garage and plan to have it back to looking like a Lexus should before winter. I always thought it’d be a great Wizard vid as it sits now though. The fact that something that looks so bad and has been so beaten and abused yet is mechanically functioning like new with no warning lights or clinks or clanks, perfectly sums up why Toyota/Lexus trucks are worth every penny. Only problem is, nothing’s broken so I have no reason to drive down to Omega Auto! What a glorious problem to have.

I have a 2004 GX470 with 277,000 miles on it and I am still happy with it. The black Onyx paint is really good shape like a big black mirror, the engine is still quiet running and shifts smoothly. It doesn't have any leaks anywhere on it and has never been smoked in, every button or lever works, to me I still feel like I am driving a brand new GX....my sister went with the Chevy model and hers has spent more time in the shop for sunroof constantly leaks, electronics went haywire, front tires always flat, tv doesn't work most of the time, bumper sensors going off for no reason while driving it, navigation can't be relied on always places her in a neighboring city....yet she feels she still thinks she got a good deal on it.....I know she puts it in the shop every 2 weeks for the past 5 years and they keep it for a week.

A proud gx owner here, bought mine at 158k, still no cv leaks/problems. I was willing to have the 4wd in return for all the advantages. However i did look at its cousin 4runner which Ive owned several, and it is 2wd OR 4wd, but it was harder to find one in great condition. Thanks for pointing out its value!

It's like when I go in for my 6 month dental cleaning, and next thing I know, I'm getting my teeth drilled.

Wizard: "Thats the life of a GMC Arcadia..." Me: Wizard can be savage quite casually, sometimes.

Unfortunately GX470s are increasing in value, even before the upward trend of all cars. They are excellent off road and luxury on road.

I own 2 of these and a rx350. My 04 gx has 227,000 miles and runs great. The maintenance is easy enough for me to do it (except timing belt and water pump). Toyota dealer did it last time for $900. I recommend Toyota and lexus to everyone! Great video.

I bought a 2008 Lexus RX350 6 months ago with 151,000 miles, and it runs like a champ. One of the best purchases I made in a long time.

I bought a 04’ GX470 with 160k on it and it’s the greatest value 4x4 out there.

Always Great content and Great Advice, Thanks Wizard!

“Hey wizard, I need a car that’s fast, reliable, and handles like a dream. What would you recommend?” “I think the Lexus IS 350 is a good pick and fits all your needs” “Thanks wizard” *buys a bmw*

It’s titanium metallic. Dash was likely replaced under warranty. We have the same vehicle. Took me over a year to find one. Almost every one had three main issues: frame rot, cracked dash and cracked leather seats. The dash had a recall and I believe the frame did too. Always surprised how lousy Toyota/Lexus leather is. I’ve also owned numerous Honda’s and Acura’s with miles as high as 350k and I’ve never had ripped leather. I found a one owner, every service down at the Lexus dealer. I replaced the leather on drivers seat, the dash had been replaced and the frame was excellent. The GX is Toyota’s/Lexus’s best kept secret. Bought it with 156k and now at 179k. Extremely nice vehicle. Rides better/smoother than the 4Runner. I guess it’s the air suspension. My daughter has the 4Runner, so I know there’s a difference. It’s a Land Cruiser Prado in other parts of the world. Highly recommend it. You do now see a lot of overlanders using the GX now. Wife drives ours and she loves it. If you decide to buy one, better make sure the frame is not rotted.

Learned that "air in the spare" lesson the hard way... at least it wasn't raining!

When talking of the unreliable competitors, he always forgets Land / Range Rover, which are in fact the least reliable on the road. Rubbish.

I am a fan of the 2008 Lexus GX 470, because it is a lot more reliable than any GMC Acadia.

Im seeing so many trust fund kids convert those in insane luxury off-road beasts now lol

My Commodore V6 has the GM v6 made at the Holden Port Melbourne Engine plant when it was running in 1997. It's done 200,000km and still runs ok. Here in Australia there is a lot of V6's with 350,000 + km's still running around. One car I had I put into the shop for exhaust work and they showed me the brakes were shot on all 4 wheels, the cost went from $300 to $1100, which I paid as it needed doing. You dont mess around with your cars safety.

Don't forget the Wizard's shop rates are in a lower cost of living area. Go to the coasts, and shop rates are 2x or 3x higher. Gets scary. Keep up the good work, Wizard.

Love the "cover your ass" video reasoning. I do the same when I rent a car. They've tried the "that ding wasn't there when you left" on me to no avail.

I bought my 07 Avalon in 09, still in warranty. I've never had to do anything to it other than the scheduled maintenance items. I make one exception, I change the oil every 3k miles rather than wait for the oil change light to come on. It still looks stylish, it rides beautifully, very quiet, the performance is plenty for me. Most importantly to me is everything still works like new. It only has 86k miles on her. I don't plan on ever buying another car.

Lol like my sister started complaining her hyundai elantra needed alternator first thing to ever break on it after 12 years and 200k miles. Most reliable vehicle I've ever seen haha

Wizard, the owner is lucky that he is getting an HONEST Inspection and review of this nice Lexus. I rather know my vehicle's problems and one that needs immediate attention (and safety issues) and what can be done at a future date. I believe this owner feels the same. He has taken care of this vehicle, and it shows the owner's pride and attention.

In market for this car and you’re very kind. Pleasant video. Thanks brother & miss

Mr. and Mrs. Wizard - always happy to hear from you, such a sweet couple.

Good thing we got our 130k 06 GX back in Feb 21 for 10k.. probably get 15 plus for it now

Excellent video, love your channel wizard! Having owned a gx470 I can promise you that is not the original dash. Lexus had a full replacement warranty coverage on the entire dashes, due to cracking.

Very Well Done! I wish Most mechanics and Shops were just like you. Good work ethic is almost a myth now in days.

just had the same issue on my 4runner v8 with both front axels slinging grease. fixed for 600 bucks at local shop!

Checking out the spare tire reminds me of an adage from our local tire shop: "You can tell how much a man loves his wife by the pressure in her spare tire". Corny, yes, but true...

She sucked you right into that, Car Wizard! AND she has a record of it being "her car" now. 😂 Love the videos!

Wizard ! I'm a life long Toyota/Lexus owner and so was my father. Got my little sister a nice 01 Avalon with 110k miles for $3.8k. Everything was perfect minus a simple torn cv axle. Rides and shifts incredibly well.

4 years ago, I bought a Lexus SUV with a very unique color palette & package. I wanted something nobody around me had because I'd hate walking out & seeing 3 of the same car, having those owners get my car mixed up with theirs & try get in it. I know I was the only one in my smaller town with one when I did buy it because I had my detective cousin check & I had to have it shipped to me. For the few months afterwards, I'd catch people looking inside the windows of my car & weirdly, kicking my tires. I always had people asking questions about it. Now I see them every day & I'd guess there are at least 30 of them in my town of 2,700 in only 4 years. I find it annoying but people will be people. I haven't worked on it other than oil changes & other really basic maintenance. It's a hybrid & still It's been the most carefree car I've ever had.

I went back and forth with my wife 2 years ago when looking for a used SUV. She wanted a cheaper Acadia or traverse. We watched the car wizards videos on what not to buy. She finally agreed with me and I found an ‘08 GX470 with 75,000 miles. It’s been a great vehicle.

They drive Toyota in many 3rd world countries because you need reliability since parts and repairs will take a long time

I got a 2002 Highlander from my Mom when she passed on last month. I really like it. It’s a base model with the 2.4 L 4 banger but it only has 38000 miles on it and was serviced at Toyota since it was new. Great little SUV.

My best friend has the same car with 500 k miles. Runs and looks beautiful. He is going to keep to one million miles. 2 sets of brakes and tires. THAT'S IT. Oil change every 4000 miles. Bought new.

holy crap it is gorgeous classic mid 2000s SUV design

I actually got two Lexus of this era. A 2008 Rx350 and a 2013 GX and they have been wonderful. Especially my dads 2015 LX and my aunts 2019 GX have been wonderful. A couple of maintenance required soon in the gage cluster and a couple of recalls but Lexus have been wonderful to us and we will keep driving them for years.

The amount of times he mentions the chevy traverse and the like is hilarious

I looked at a 2017 Tundra last week, already rusting through the bed from the bottom up where it mounts to the frame. Toyota makes some good stuff, but their body on frame vehicles, FJ's, 4Runners, Sequoia's & Tundra just don't last in the salt belt.

One time I took my 1994 Acura Integra in for an oil change and there was a small tear on the CV boot on my passenger side. The mechanic said it's fine for now as the grease inside the boot was barely leaking out. I asked him how much to change out the CV axle. He said $180 total with parts and labor. I told him to change it immediately. Was taking no chances. 385,000+ and still running.

I have a 2009 highlander hybrid about to hit 249,000 miles runs great just had to do only normal maintenance. Never had it break down. Have it for over 2 years now and plan to never let it go

Besides the 90’s Lexus LS400, this is my favorite Lexus generation. These look so good 12-15 years later.

She got ya Wizard - it's _her_ car.

I'd always thought these GX470's would be great for off road once they fully depreciated, much like the early 2k Landcruiser's were a value a few years back. Just did a search and many have a mild lift with 31's or 32's. Still, they are all over $15k, the good ones over $20k.

I just bought my first new car, I bought a new Toyota. I had someone offer me a friend's and family discount because he used to work for GM. I said pass, he said you could get so much more from them. 22 years of driving and being aware of what friends, family and acquaintances drive tell me no I won't.

that’s the cleanest looking gx470 inside and out I’ve seen. I got a 06, same color, same amount of miles however it’s no where near as shiny and clean as this one sheesh. I’d gladly pay 1.2k for that service. Money well spent

I love my 2010 Toyota Sequoia. Built to last, safe and reliable. And so comfortable on long trips…

Couldn’t agree more Wizard. Although it took me owning a VW to finally knock some sense into me I now drive a 97’ Camry and the wife drives an 08’ Lexus RX350. These have been great vehicles. Cheap and simple to maintain as well as work on. At this point, outside of maybe a Honda, I don’t see why I would ever leave the Toyota lineup.

Lexuses are one of the few vehicles where it's cheaper to rebuild those axles into replace them after working at different dealers for many years it is way cheaper to rebuild those.

If you want reliable high performance sedans the Lexus products (ISF, GSF, RCF, LC500, IS500) with the 470hp 5.0 v8 are great options. My daily driven 2016 GSF has been a great experience so far. As for expenses - $1200 repair would be $2500 for a equivalent service of a German brand. Worth it.

great vedio, by the way recently people are using these cars for offroad which indeed will need more maintenance. i like toyota because am a frequent roadtrips guy, but it is remain an automobile which will need maintenance on a frequent periods, make sure to drive your car in a proper way to last for a longer time, media and RU-vid video shows that cars are tanks .. but unfortunately cars are not tanks and they may get damaged from a rock that hits its lower body ( if not protected and well prepared for offroad) and it may also need a real repairs work ( costs $ ) so i advise all young buyers be prepared and drive carefully your car 💪🏻

I have a 2004 and they do have major issues which is the cracking dashboard and transfer case leak from the stepper motor. I bought it cheap because of the transfer case leak because dealer/shop wants $2000 to crack the transfer case and put new seal/o-ring. Luckily the stepper motor can be removed and seals/o-ring replaced without taking out the transfer case unlike the Toyota models (sequoia and 4-runner) It's like a $60 fix.

Being a very critical car/truck enthusiast as well a good mechanic, i could listen to the car wizard all day long! Hes the BEST!!!

If I was in your area, I'd definitely bring my stuff to you.

I’m not planning to wait until I’m retired to enjoy my life!

It really depends on the effort when building a car. Have a 07 Kia Rondo made in Korea w 148k miles. Still runs like a clock. Did all fluid maintenance myself, only major breakdown was the compressor. Suspension a bit stiff but only paid $19k when new.

Wizard. I have a mechanic that does all my car's and has done for over 25 years. He operates very much like you. He will tell us of anything that he finds wrong and need attention rite now or will need to be done next service. He also gives us an estimate on costs to do the works. There are cheaper places around but I'm not interested in cheap. I know I can get in either car at any time and go wherever I need to. I could get in my car and drive to the other side of the country (Western Australia to the east coast) and know I can get there and back with zero breakdowns. You have to have confidence in your mechanic to do that in Australia!

It’s a good idea to spray all of those rubber boots with silicone spray once in a while like maybe every other oil change. It keeps them from drying out and cracking. Been doing it for years.

6 years - 60,000 miles. I would change the timing belt just for peace of mind. Just had mine jump over a teath 4 years and 30000 miles after it has been changed. Luckily no damage.

I'd rather have a reliable Lexus than a 'high-end' Porsche Cayenne from the same years that's going to be an unreliable and expensive to fix car.

I changed my RX350 oil for $27, which is the cost of a 10 quarts of full synthetic oil from Costco. If you want to drive luxury cars, it would be good to know how to do simple thing like oil change, brake pads and rotor replacements, etc. Mechanics (not saying to the mechanic this video) have brainwashed people with enough fears and dishonesty that people have succumbed into their high prices and most of the low quality work. $1200 for all the works that Car Wizard charges is a good price! Finding a good mechanic is RARE. Most mechanics do sloppy jobs, and some even do more damages than actually fixing things for the customers.

100% true every time I send vehicle in for a service I always assume probably a $1000 and when its under that I am very happy. I keep on top of my vehicles and cheaper in the long run!

“It’s not a Porsche Cayenne or something high end” was painful to hear. Wizards 1% showing through.

Those rigs do great off road. Saws all and bigger tire will do most famous trails and drive home.

Good point Dave, "Most American cars are made to last 3 to 5 years" (and the owner financed them for 6-7 years) "and then they bankrupt ya"

This guy is so good. I wish fellow mechanics emulate him

Worth mentioning about the CV boots, getting the tripod joint apart to replace the boots is a good bit more labor than just replacing the entire CV with a new one.

"I got a smokin' deal" 5 weeks later: "Hey Wizard, my car is smoking, a lot, and there's a knocking sound at all RPM's" "Aren't you glad you got a SMOKIN DEAL?"

Issues I had with my 2007 Sequoia, which went 265K before I recently got rid of it - rear mail seal went, upper oil pan gasket leaked, steering rack started leaking, lower front control arms were very squeaky and needed to be replaced, OEM cats were stolen and I had to replace with cheap aftermarket ones. Other than that, just had general maintenance items. Was an incredibly reliable vehicle and would highly recommend. Listen to the Wizard, people!

Car Wizard: Toyota products are well designed. **Yaris owners have entered the chat**

I purchased a 2016 Avalon that had 12 miles. Love my car and I'm keeping it for a long time, now I looking for a Lexus GX or LX to purchase. I'm retiring in the next few years and both vehicles will complete my life story of transportation.

Good advice as always. It is an unusual failure on the CV boots. Especially being the inner boots they don't really see that much flex. Probably good to swap them if you have the money, the inner CVS are not going to give you much warning that they're beginning to fail. The outers will start to click when you're turning and under load. The inners are more likely to just come apart and do exactly what he said start flailing around smashing stuff.