FLIPPU

After researching here and reading about this UL package and AIR SUSPENSION...some people are very skeptical about this feature..Most of them fear the "COST" of servicing this componentt IF/WHEN it breaks...

So how many "OWNERS" here have had ISSUES that needed repair on their LS430 ULTRA with AIR SUSPENSION???


Please take the poll...

Also, How many have been TROUBLE FREE?

How about those people that added an after market "AIR CONTROLLER"?

This should shed some light about this "TROUBLE PRONE" (per my research) Air Suspension for the LS430.


Thanks
Mike

GRAND_LS 4

iTrader: (2)

Unless you plan on running it to the ground for over 10 years, you should be fine.

vicpai

.....and mine is an LS 400, I would like to comment about the Air Suspension. Personally, I am VERY VERY VERY DISSAPPOINTED with this feature!!! I view it more as a VERY EXPENSIVE GIMMICK serving ABSOLUTELY no purpose whatsoever ....my car is a 2000 model and it has about 60k miles on it. Recently, I was hearing some noise from the front end, and Longo Lexus told me that the FRONT air struts were showing signs of leaking and so they should be replaced. First off, these are frightfully expensive at about $1000 a piece. Anyhow, I coughed up the dough, thinking that it was worth it for the "comfortable ride" and replaced both of them. At the same time I replaced the lower ball joints as well. However, after they've replaced the shocks, the ride has become UNBELIEVABLY HARSH, especially when I hit potholes or road irregularities, and over broken pavement.. The ride becomes even more unbearably harsh, when braking on a rough stretch of road. It's as if the "damping" is becoming too firm or something!.....By the same token it appears to me that the ride "softens up" significantly at times. It appears to be "cycling through" a soft and hard phase. My cousin's Acura TL-Type S with super low profile tires rides smoother for cryin out loud

Even before I replaced the shocks, the ride was never all that "supple" to begin with, compared to my previous Silver 2000 LS with the coil spring steel suspension, but at the time, I just attributed it to worn out shocks. However, with the new shocks it's like there is no suspension underneath there sometimes....it's that bad. I have taken the vehicle back to Longo a couple times, and spoken to the Lead technician (shop foreman) who's taken a test ride with me, and they all tell me everything is fine, and that's just the way an Air Suspension equipped vehicle rides, and since it rides on a combination of air and hydraulic fluid, it cannot respond immediately or readily when hitting potholes, thereby causing the "jarring", "harsh" reaction. I find this explanation disingenous and incredibly hard to believe. When this car was new this option cost over $2,000!!! ....Unless someone was mentally retarded, why would anyone pay this kind of money for such a harsh ride, and no benefit, but rather a downgrade from the steel suspension??....just to get the adjustable ride height feature?? .....Yeah, right!!

I, then spoke to Mr. David Funk, the Asst. Manager there, and when I told him that the 4 cylinder Camry loaner they gave me was riding way smoother than my LS over broken pavement, he had the audacity to tell me that (and I quote) "the Camry is a much newer vehicle, so it's going to ride a lot smoother"......and I was thinking to myself, so you're telling me that my $65K LS 400 with Air suspension is supposed to ride waaayy worse than a $20K Camry just because the Camry has 15,000 miles on it, and my LS has 60,000 miles on it?? ......What kind of a stupid idiotic response is that??

I also ended up replacing the CASTER BARS, because they said these were bad too. At that time, they checked the new Shocks again and found them just fine, no leaks etc. So, I asked if there was a way to hook it up to a computer and see if the "AIR SUSPENSION COMPUTER" or other parts such as the Air compressor, accumulator etc. were malfunctioning, because I felt that maybe, since the shocks are "electronically modulated" in real time, the computer (or some other component) may be giving erratic messages to the shocks to "firm up" waayy too much at times. They said there was no way of doing this. I guess, the only way to get to the bottom of this would be to start replacing parts one by one (TRIAL AND ERROR), and I would be mentally insane to go this route, as it could end up costing me another $4000 or more!!.....and even that may not guarantee a fix!!

The moral of this story is that I should have never gone for an Air suspension equipped vehicle in the first place. It's JUST NOT WORTH THE HASSLE!!, and because of the sheer complexity of the system and the inability of dealerships to properly diagnose, an elusive problem could be virtually unresolvable!! .....I am scheduled to take the vehicle in again on Monday for a second opinion from another Shop Foreman, and if all else fails, I'm seriously considering converting my Air Suspension, to a regular (and much simpler) OEM coil spring setup. I'm told there is a conversion kit for this, and it can be done for around $700.

This whole thing has left a very bad taste in my mouth. Here I am in the Lexus Flagship sedan riding over broken pavement like a buckboard, and this is supposed to be the vehicle that is the benchmark for a smooth ride!!

FYI, I also took the vehicle to South Bay Lexus, and the service consultant there, who coincidentally happened to own an exact same vehicle like mine (same year and air susp. equipped) said that he finds the ride to be definitely not "normal". If Longo cannot do anything, the consultant at Southbay Lexus asked me to leave the car there for a couple days to see if they can figure out what's wrong. Will have to see what happens!

vicpai

The "HARSHNESS" I'm referring to above is the jarring/jolting when the vehicle hits a pothole or sharp bump combined with a BANGING / DRUMMING noise coming from the suspension, as opposed to the "rubbery" feeling one should get when hitting a pothole

ron36330

I have an 03 LS 430UL purchased new in Jan 03 and have not had the first problem with the air suspension or anything else for that matter. The car rides beautifully.
Ron

Loan Guy

I bouught my 02 UL new, the RR never seemed to adjust and that corner rode low. Come to find out I had a leaky shock and later the dealership also found a bad sensor, these were found around 3 years and 45000 miles. Still under warrenty, thank you.

solarea100

I've had the car for a couple of years, just installed the controller and have had no issues....I had a problem with the Navigation but was not related. No complaints.

mixednuts

Owner of 2002 LS 430 Ultra with 78600 miles on it. Air suspension kind of concerned me before I purchased it. However, no problems as of yet. Car has been fairly trouble free.

Nauticalx

02 LS 430 Ultra 75K miles, no problems as of yet (knock on wood) , car adjusts to ride height normally. Drives like a breeze.

lexuspete

Hi guys - from over the pond!
LS's are pretty thin on the ground over here, when my '04 LS was at my local dealer with failed height sensors (and the jacked-up bouncy ride that comes with it) couple of months back they said they'd had three in that week!!
Apparently it's a water ingress issue causing corrosion of the electrics, and affects RX and Toyota 4x4 as well. All the LS430's over here have air suspension, strange as the LS400 was only sold with coils here. The garage replaced my sensors under warranty, but 2 months down the line both rear shocks have failed, and as I've done 60990miles Lexus will only pay for the parts. Anyone else had shocks fail soon after the height sensors, seems to much of a coincidence to be unrelated. And any of the UK guys had any joy out of Lexus over labour for 'just-out-of-warranty' stuff?
Cheers
Peter

Threxx

I just wanted to comment that I'm still confused. I know at some point early in the history of air suspension on the LS it was actual AIR used in the suspension. Now days I've been told that 'air suspension' is still the term in use for the LS, but in reality it's just "AVS" (active variable suspension) which is a semi-active suspension system that sense the road ahead and adapts almost instantly based on conditions.

Yet in the LS - even the new LS600h they still refer to it as air suspension... in the GS and such it's called AVS - so are they the same thing or not? If not - is the LS still using a true air suspension and if so... why?? Just seems outdated.

bkw

Does Lexus still offer the air suspension in the LS? I've read that the UL LS430's had air suspension, what about the 06's where UL is not available and is now ML (Modern Luxury)?

FLIPPU

UL is available on the 06 LSs...I just saw a whole bunch of them in Longo Lexus..you can tell they have the UL because of a clear plate on the Front Lexus Logo (Bumper) that indicates the car has ULTRA with the PCS (Pre Collision System)

Mike

bkw

Ahh, thanks for that. Didnt see any LS's with the PCS when we went in to get ours.

swiftm001

Hi All: I have a 04 LS Ultra with 16k miles presently, my car rides
increasingly harsh and feel every small bumps and drain covers on the road; feel like it doesn't have shock absorpen and the air suspension is not working properly, I tried to use the normal or sport mode, it doesn't make a difference. Took it to the dealers(2) total 4 times, multiple test drives and inspections, both stated nothing wrong with the suspension system, stated original tires in 85% new without flat spot and no need to change tires per dealer, I had the tires balanced. I seeked assistance from Lexus customer care with phone calls and a letter, all stated nothing wrong with the car and they won't do anything about it, one head mechanic stated the ride quality is poor compared to 05 or above. Tires balance and alignment done recently. Paid $70k for this car, ride was like butter when I bought it, and noticed the change a year later, and now the ES loaner car takes bumps better than my own. Does anyone have the same problem or suggestions? Please advise, thank you. swiftm001

FLPPU: What is your final solution? Who do I see at Longo? I am from Irine. Thanks