LS430Luxe

Author: Blogger

  • What a ride

    car

    Once the front end work gets completed the ride will get better. In the meantime the upper control arms were replaced and alignment done – with the original tires – she runs great. Finally starting to enjoy the car after sorting out most of the issues.

  • Radio Repair

    The LCD on the OEM radio has been replaced. The part was ordered through Ali-Express and is a 7″ Toshiba replacement part used by Lexus across different models.

  • Some History

    Some History

    Digging into the VIN here are the archived auction records and VIN-listing pages. I bought this salvage title LS430 because of it’s pristine Lexus records spanning 3 previous owners. The car was serviced at Jacksonville Lexus by all 3 previous owners.

    Specifics

    • The car is listed as a 2004 Lexus LS 430 — VIN JTHBN36F240147772. (BidCars)
    • Copart archived lot 1-84149464, sale date Dec 26, 2024, location Jacksonville North (FL). The seller is shown as State Farm Insurance. (BidCars)
    • Odometer shown at the auction: 160,208 miles (approx). (BidCars)
    • Damage reported on the lot: Front end. Condition listed Run & Drive. (BidCars)
    • Document / title at sale: Certificate of Title — salvage / rebuildable (Florida) (i.e., branded at the time of sale). (PLC Group)

    Implecations

    • Because the seller is an insurer (State Farm) and the title shown is salvage/rebuildable, the vehicle was likely declared a loss by the insurer before auction and then sold at Copart as a salvage/rebuildable vehicle. (PLC Group)
    • That being said I applied for a rebuilt title in Florida and had the car inspected as “rebuilt” with the minor fender and bumper repairs.
    • “Front end” damage + salvage title means you should suspect structural, frame, or significant mechanical/front-systems repairs may have been done (or may still be needed). The lot said “Run & Drive,” but that doesn’t guarantee the repairs were structural-quality. (BidCars)
    • There was no frame damage and the car was serviced at Lakeshore Autobody