Possibly buying used 2024 LC LC

[swtech]

Went to test drive a 25 4Runner as I planned to purchase a Limited or Platinum hybrid 4R. Test drove a 25 TRD premium non hybrid and it drove fine. Asked to drive an LC as I wanted a feel for the hybrid drivetrain and found that I like the LC interior, drive and visibility more than the 4R. The only negative to the LC is it is louder than the 4R on the freeway.

The LC I drove was a 2024 LC LC that was turned in the day before. 4k miles as it was a corporate employee lease and only driven since December. I inquired about pricing and it is close to 9k below original invoice. Upon inspection I noticed minor paint chips (3) and small scuff on the plastic front bumper near the paint chips. No distortion to the bumper or body panel. Additionally, the driver side headlight mount was broken on the top left back toward the engine bay. This caused the headlight to be loose and it free rocks back and forth easily by hand, motion is about a quarter inch. No damage to the light itself. No accidents on the vin record. The dealer was not aware of the issue but said they will repair it and address the paint chips.

It is not a certified preowned vehicle. I’m not sure that really matters in this case due to mileage and limited use. This is also my first Toyota so I wanted to check here for any advice from people with experience. My gut feeling is that the vehicle is fine and the damage minor and fully repairable. But my gut doesn’t trump experience, so here I am.

If I go forward I’ll pick it up tomorrow after work. Otherwise I’ll look at new or go back to my 4Runner plan and have the dealer find one for me as they become available.

Sorry for the long first post.

 

[t3lcfe]

Went to test drive a 25 4Runner as I planned to purchase a Limited or Platinum hybrid 4R. Test drove a 25 TRD premium non hybrid and it drove fine. Asked to drive an LC as I wanted a feel for the hybrid drivetrain and found that I like the LC interior, drive and visibility more than the 4R. The only negative to the LC is it is louder than the 4R on the freeway.

The LC I drove was a 2024 LC LC that was turned in the day before. 4k miles as it was a corporate employee lease and only driven since December. I inquired about pricing and it is close to 9k below original invoice. Upon inspection I noticed minor paint chips (3) and small scuff on the plastic front bumper near the paint chips. No distortion to the bumper or body panel. Additionally, the driver side headlight mount was broken on the top left back toward the engine bay. This caused the headlight to be loose and it free rocks back and forth easily by hand, motion is about a quarter inch. No damage to the light itself. No accidents on the vin record. The dealer was not aware of the issue but said they will repair it and address the paint chips.

It is not a certified preowned vehicle. I’m not sure that really matters in this case due to mileage and limited use. This is also my first Toyota so I wanted to check here for any advice from people with experience. My gut feeling is that the vehicle is fine and the damage minor and fully repairable. But my gut doesn’t trump experience, so here I am.

If I go forward I’ll pick it up tomorrow after work. Otherwise I’ll look at new or go back to my 4Runner plan and have the dealer find one for me as they become available.

Sorry for the long first post.

You are the only one should know what to do for yourself.
Any “opinions” here have zero responsibility to your important decision.
Good luck…

 

[HammerTheWall]

When you say corporate employee lease, do you mean a personal lease by a person that happened to have a corporate job that required travel? Or a corporate lease driven by employees of that corporation?

I only ask because it might be worthwhile finding out if Toyota will give a Certified Preowned status to corporate least vehicles (the latter of the two questions above). I might be wrong, but I also remember if any parts had to be repainted or replaced that weren't OEM it may not qualify. Either way, I'd see if they'll provide a Carfax or more info on why it's not and then go from there. Minor highway use wear and tear is expected...just be sure it's not something else.

 

[gxsandiego]

You can't go wrong either way.

 

[swtech]

You are the only one should know what to do for yourself.
Any “opinions” here have zero responsibility to your important decision.
Good luck…

Absolutely true. Seems like there are no bad experiences at least in this forum. I’m assuming Toyota will stand behind the product. I haven’t read any negative experiences while searching around today. I’m sure they exist, but it seems they are not common.

When you say corporate employee lease, do you mean a personal lease by a person that happened to have a corporate job that required travel? Or a corporate lease driven by employees of that corporation?

I only ask because it might be worthwhile finding out if Toyota will give a Certified Preowned status to corporate least vehicles (the latter of the two questions above). I might be wrong, but I also remember if any parts had to be repainted or replaced that weren't OEM it may not qualify. Either way, I'd see if they'll provide a Carfax or more info on why it's not and then go from there. Minor highway use wear and tear is expected...just be sure it's not something else.

The person is with Toyota. I plan to ask about the certified status. However with such low mileage the factory warranty still has a lot of miles and time remaining.

Thanks all

 

[t3lcfe]

Absolutely true. Seems like there are no bad experiences at least in this forum. I’m assuming Toyota will stand behind the product. I haven’t read any negative experiences while searching around today. I’m sure they exist, but it seems they are not common.

The person is with Toyota. I plan to ask about the certified status. However with such low mileage the factory warranty still has a lot of miles and time remaining.

Thanks all

Good luck! Hope you found the one that you love for many year.
New gen LC is great vehicle which I am happy to own it.

 

[dubel]

If you are getting it $9k under invoice (invoice for 2025 LC LC is $57455, $9k under invoice would be $48455), plus tax title, even doc fee but no dealer adds like paint protection/alarm, then I think that's a great deal for 4k miles used vehicle. Note that invoice is already $5k under MSRP. If you mean $9k under MSRP ($53450) it's still a pretty good deal and I'd probably still do it if it is the vehicle you want. Also you don't pay destination ($1450) for a used vehicle.

But if you mean $9k under the dealer sticker price (which can be anything and include overpriced junk you don't want), then no.

Sorry for the complicated answer but so many people confuse invoice with dealer sticker and/or MSRP, and that makes a huge difference as those starting points vary by $5k to $10k or more, potentially negating your perceived savings.

As for the damage... scuffs and rock chips are normal, and sounds like the dealer is replacing the headlight mount so I'd be totally okay with all that. I don't PPF my vehicles and accumulate plenty of chips over the years.

 

[EOD Guy]

Went to test drive a 25 4Runner as I planned to purchase a Limited or Platinum hybrid 4R. Test drove a 25 TRD premium non hybrid and it drove fine. Asked to drive an LC as I wanted a feel for the hybrid drivetrain and found that I like the LC interior, drive and visibility more than the 4R. The only negative to the LC is it is louder than the 4R on the freeway.

The LC I drove was a 2024 LC LC that was turned in the day before. 4k miles as it was a corporate employee lease and only driven since December. I inquired about pricing and it is close to 9k below original invoice. Upon inspection I noticed minor paint chips (3) and small scuff on the plastic front bumper near the paint chips. No distortion to the bumper or body panel. Additionally, the driver side headlight mount was broken on the top left back toward the engine bay. This caused the headlight to be loose and it free rocks back and forth easily by hand, motion is about a quarter inch. No damage to the light itself. No accidents on the vin record. The dealer was not aware of the issue but said they will repair it and address the paint chips.

It is not a certified preowned vehicle. I’m not sure that really matters in this case due to mileage and limited use. This is also my first Toyota so I wanted to check here for any advice from people with experience. My gut feeling is that the vehicle is fine and the damage minor and fully repairable. But my gut doesn’t trump experience, so here I am.

If I go forward I’ll pick it up tomorrow after work. Otherwise I’ll look at new or go back to my 4Runner plan and have the dealer find one for me as they become available.

Sorry for the long first post.

Welcome to the Jungle!

 

[swtech]

If you are getting it $9k under invoice (invoice for 2025 LC LC is $57455, $9k under invoice would be $48455), plus tax title, even doc fee but no dealer adds like paint protection/alarm, then I think that's a great deal for 4k miles used vehicle. Note that invoice is already $5k under MSRP. If you mean $9k under MSRP ($53450) it's still a pretty good deal and I'd probably still do it if it is the vehicle you want. Also you don't pay destination ($1450) for a used vehicle.

But if you mean $9k under the dealer sticker price (which can be anything and include overpriced junk you don't want), then no.

Sorry for the complicated answer but so many people confuse invoice with dealer sticker and/or MSRP, and that makes a huge difference as those starting points vary by $5k to $10k or more, potentially negating your perceived savings.

As for the damage... scuffs and rock chips are normal, and sounds like the dealer is replacing the headlight mount so I'd be totally okay with all that. I don't PPF my vehicles and accumulate plenty of chips over the years.

That was MSRP of the original sale. I don't think anyone is selling near invoice in my area. Good tip regarding destination fee.

 

[TR's LC]

Last month, I bought a "slightly used" LC FE which had just been turned in following a 3 month "Toyota factory/corporate lease". It also had <4k miles on it and was about $6k below the original MSRP. The sales agent didn't have the specific details but implied that these leases were nice perks for the Toyota employees.
It's been my daily driver now for a month with no issues. So, for what it's worth, it is working out for me so far.

 

[uraniumrich]

Absolutely true. Seems like there are no bad experiences at least in this forum. I’m assuming Toyota will stand behind the product. I haven’t read any negative experiences while searching around today. I’m sure they exist, but it seems they are not common.

The person is with Toyota. I plan to ask about the certified status. However with such low mileage the factory warranty still has a lot of miles and time remaining.

Thanks all

You may also be able to get the extended warranty, if so desired. Be sure to check out the extended warranty thread to get the best deal!

 

[Madscientist]

There have been a number of discussions on this forum regarding (a) Toyota recommendation of premium fuel, and (b) forum members recommending an early oil change (for example, at 1000 miles) to remove mfg debris from the engine. If the history on these items is not known, you might want to weight the importance of these potential unknowns to long-term ownership (i.e., how OCD are you for vehicle maintenance if you intend to keep it long-term).

 

[swtech]

You may also be able to get the extended warranty, if so desired. Be sure to check out the extended warranty thread to get the best deal!

Dealer deferred pickup until later this week. They had to order a new headlight, shauld be there tomorrow. I actually just logged in to read the warranty thread.

There have been a number of discussions on this forum regarding (a) Toyota recommendation of premium fuel, and (b) forum members recommending an early oil change (for example, at 1000 miles) to remove mfg debris from the engine. If the history on these items is not known, you might want to weight the importance of these potential unknowns to long-term ownership (i.e., how OCD are you for vehicle maintenance if you intend to keep it long-term).

I normally would have changed the oil at 1000 miles. I’m sure the prior lease holder did not. I didn’t when driving corporate lease vehicles (different oem). Not to worried about it, dealer said they will change the oil before delivery. I’m planning every 5000 miles there after. I do plan to keep it long term unless it has frequent problems.