dantampa

I have been the proud second owner of a wonderful 1999 LS400 for about 7 years now. I bought the car with about 120k miles on it and it now has about 210k miles. The car has been nearly flawless so far -- it's truly incredible. The car still has TONS of power, ice cold A/C, a perfectly smooth and quiet engine, silky smooth shifting transmission, etc. But, it is starting to have little problems here and there. For example, the front passenger seat motor no longer works. Also, the steering wheel telescopic feature no longer works. There are some other little things as well. I still plan to keep this car for quite some time but I think that when I do replace her, it will be with an LS430.

What I'm wondering is, does anyone know how the reliability of the LS430 compares to the ridiculously iron-clad reliability of the LS400?

Thanks in advance,
Dan

dicer

LS400 is probably the better car, the newer the cars the more parts that were not made in Japan and by Lexus. And if the LS is in super shape cosmetically its dirt cheap to fix it compared to a new or newer car, that can end up with the exact same problems you have now, that is the newer used car.

dantampa

I guess I'm just a little wary of spending too much money on a car with over 200k miles on it. She needs the front passenger seat motor fixed, the telescopic steering motor fixed, a new paint job for the hood (paint has started peeling pretty badly), etc. Also apparently needs the valve cover gaskets redone, plus some other minor-ish work, according to multiple dealerships. Plus, the LS400 model is starting to look a little dated. LS430s look really sexy and fresh next to modern cars.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Variety of threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...xus-ls430.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...er-thread.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...our-input.html

as well checking through the 430 section for the current discussions of members issues.

dantampa

Thanks for the links.

sam12345

iTrader: (1)

460 maybe but 430 sexy? Maybe if Avalons are sexy

lextout

i'd say paint the hood only and sell it, steering wheel telescopic is not a real issue and seat, you can find some ls430's in the 5-6k range.

dantampa

Haha we all have our opinions I guess. I've always liked the look of both the LS400 and LS430. I'm not nearly as much of a fan of the way the newer LS's look, though (nor could I possibly afford one).

dantampa

I guess there are a lot of people that easily get 300k out of their LS400s. I could always put a couple thousand dollars into it and have a great car for years to come. I've got some thinking to do there.

pmarr

I too find the 430 attractive. May be my next upgrade but as stated above, a little bit of money for some simple fixes beats car payments; at least it will allow you to save for the 430 in the future.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

The new Avalons can look pretty nice. This is a chopped shot done by someone. Note that the wheels are not sharp where the rest of the body and foreground is. Decently done to give an idea though.

dantampa

That is totally an option I am considering. I bought my LS400 for about $12k cash and I'd like to be able to do the same with a super clean LS430.

dicer

If the paint is crap I'd sell it and find one lower miles and better paint, that is way cheaper than getting it painted.

dantampa

The paint is totally fine except for the hood. Not sure why.

dicer

Probably because it was repainted at some point in time. Or it just wasn't taken care of, do you wax it ?