daniel3ooo

iTrader: (3)

Hey guys, my dad is thinking about purchasing a 2001 LS430

It has 100k miles and the seller is asking $10,000 for it. It's loaded with navigation.


Are there any typical problems with this car that we should be worried about? Are the LS430's as reliable as most of Lexus's/Toyotas?


Thanks!

yuri.ber

iTrader: (7)

Hello and welcome to CL. It's a great experience, I mean owning an LS430.
First off, find out which package it is (navi doesn't mean fully loaded), if it has rear audio/AC controls it's an Ultra Luxury package, but $10k is too cheap for a UL.
If it has Mark Levinson Audio System check to see if any speakers are blown and most important the subwoofer - it's very common to blow (!!!!Rear deck ONLY houses a SUB, no speakers!!!!).
Oxygen sensors are weak. And 100Kmi is about the time they can go. Keep in mind there is four oxygen sensors. If you do it in the shop it's about $200 per sensor with OEM Lexus Denso part, dealer will charge about $450 per sensor.
Mirrors! All packages have power auto dimming and auto folding mirrors. Make sure they work.
Power steering power adjustable steering column. Make sure there is no rattling sound coming from it when retracting and back. Big $ to fix if broken.
If it has parking sensors make sure to test all of them. Just sit in the car and let somebody walk near 'em and see the reaction on the screen.
Make sure all electrical switches and ***** work.
Also take it for a testdrive. It has to drive very smooth and you should barely feel gears shifting. Take it to the shop and let 'em put it on the lift to make sure it's all nice and dry underneath.
If it has air suspension make sure the car stays up and is even on all four corners. If it has regular springs you can feel if they are still good or need to be changed on a test drive, drive over some potholes to feel it.
One of the most important things: Call any local Lexus dealership and give them the vin #, they will tell you how, when and where the car was serviced given that it was serviced @ the dealer. If it was not don't touch it and look for a different car. If it was, look for major service records like 60k service which includes alot like timing belt and water pump. If all major services were done you're good to go given that all of the above is in order. I'll post as I remember more.
P.S. Don't be shocked, this car is very reliable. I'm just trying to cover all the bases.

daniel3ooo

iTrader: (3)

^^ thanks a ton yuri.ber....that was a very thorough response and I really appreciate it.

I will probably check out the car this weekend and report back to you guys. I will check all the things you listed. Thanks again~!

StanVanDam

Agree with the above, a few more I can think of:

Check the trunk struts. The trunk lid should pop up slightly when the button is pressed, and the struts should hold the lid in place at 50-100% opened. The lid should definitely not fall down when the lid is fully opened, but this is a common problem.

Make sure that the oil was changed regularly (manual says every 7500mi/8000km). I read found a story today about oil gelling in a 2001 LS430 - see http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/lexus.html

If the car is Ultra Luxury, check that the car sits level. Several forum members have reported problems with the air suspension. An early symptom is the rear passenger side sitting lower than the rest of the car. From what I've read, when the suspension goes bad, the car will have a cross-axis bouncy ride on the highway. My 02 LS430UL is good so far at 80600km.

If the car has laser cruise control, ensure that it functions correctly, otherwise you will have to disable the laser every time you want to cruise. It should slow your car down if the car in front of you is about 4-5 car lengths away. I am not sure if it automatically brakes if you get too close. Someone cut me off once and it automatically downshifted the engine, but I don't think it applied brakes.

Wouldn't hurt to make sure the brake pads are still good. Owners manual states 1mm is the lowest you can go before replacement. I'd feel better changing them at 2 or 3.

You could also check the Navigation DVD to ensure it covers the areas you are going to drive in. The older versions allowed the override. New versions do not. I upgraded my original DVD to version 7.1 (2007) to get my neighbourhood on the map, but it still isn't there. My neighbourhood was built in 2003..

At 100k miles, be sure that the timing belt, water pump, and coolant has been replaced.

BC Rider

Only think I know about not previously mentioned was that the 2001 Mark Levinson amps were a weak link. They were redesigned in later years. They can fail and require replacement.

There is an audio self diagnosis procedure posted here somewhere - requires a specific sequence of buttons to be pressed. You can find this info on this site.

The power window motors are a bit of a weak spot IMO - compare how the drivers side sounds relative to the others - that should tell you if it is worn relative to those that don't get used much.

The messege from the Lexus link system for this year can drive you batty if it is not disconnected correctlly. The service campaign to disconnect these old analog systems is now over - so you'll need to do it yourself if it's an option you have.

Jabberwock

These cars are bulletproof if well maintained. If not they can be a huge money pit.

If the specific car has an excellent well documented service history that you can verify then no worries, if it does not, take your $10K and run in the other direction.

tromly

Welcome to CL, agree with Jabberwock, most important item is the 90,000 mile service with the timing belt, Good Luck

airahcaz

What LS money pit expenses has anyone witnessed? (besides air suspension?)

Kansas

I've been driving Lexus LS cars for right at 20 years and the most common "money pit" LS cars I've seen have been cars on which the owners had done just about zero maintenance -- no brake fluid changes, no coolant changes, no or few oil changes over 100,000 miles of driving, no fixing interior or exterior flaws as they occur. Problems just pile up.

And it is certainly not usual to see LS cars for sale at around 100,000 miles that have not had the rather expensive 90,000 mile service performed.

It's hard for me as a car enthusiast to understand how some people completely ignore car maintenance. But some people do. I'll never forget when one of the senior vice presidents where I worked told me that his goal was to never open the hood of a car; he bought fairly expensive cars, kept them 3 to 4 years, drove them to about 100,000 miles without doing even a single oil change, and would then sell them privately to an unsuspecting buyers with faked maintenance records. He seemed mighty proud of himself -- a real sleazebag.

He must have had to open the hood occasionally to add windshield washer fluid since he works at the home office in Schaumburg IL where the winters are pretty sloppy.

airahcaz

Ok, but this applies to almost any vehicle right? Or Lexus actually lasts a bit longer with zero maintenance.

My question surrounded regular maintenance, but bigger ticket common repair items attributed to the LS430... (like air suspension)

I6turbo

iTrader: (1)

Pretty much as bulletproof as cars get, despite having so many electro/mechanical subsystems on them. IIRC, the LS430 is the most problem free car J.D. Power has ever found in their 3-year ownership survey -- an average of about one problem per vehicle in the initial 3 years of ownership. I've had 2 of them that have accumulated a total of ~115K miles over a combined life of 12 years, and the only thing that's happened to them was the auto-folding mirrors wore out on one, and the remote adjustment button needed replacing on the other, both under warranty. I blew the subwoofer surround on one of them, but that wasn't the car's fault.

Jabberwock

I think the main thing to be aware of on this car is that it is very, very reliable, but parts and labor are very expensive when things do break. So its important to buy a car that's been well taken care of so you don't have to repair problems with transmission, power steering pump, master cylinder, rear differential, radiator - all problems that can be caused by lack of recommended fluid changes and no regular maintenance work on any model of car including the LS.

airahcaz

Is the LS THE most reliable Lex?

I6turbo

iTrader: (1)

THE most reliable CAR according to the JD Power survey I mentioned above.