sparky3

I bought a 2004 LS430 in December 2006 and the car now has 144,500 miles.
In the 5+ years of ownership, the following has happened:

1. Driver's side power mirror would extend out too far. Solution: I took the door panel off and cut the wire that controls the in/out movement of the power mirror. For some reason a signal is sent by default to extend the mirrors briefly when you start the car. Now the driver's side mirror won't fold in/out, but I don't care.

2. Telescopic steering wheel motor is almost dead. Solution: Set the wheel the way I wanted, and had the dealer adjust the C-best setting so it doesn't move up or down when getting in or out of the car. Only once has this bitten me when a really short mechanic moved it down too far when driving my car into the engine bay. Don't care; not spending the money to get it fixed.

3. AFS light on the dash would come on and stay on periodically. My headlights still go around the corners (and even if they didn't) - Solution - took the cluster out of the dash and put black electrical tape over the AFS light bulb (you cannot see this hack job in the car). Now I don't see it anymore and I don't care either.

4. Wondering on the highway. Grown used to it, don't care.


Maybe I'm just getting old, but I used to have to have all my cars "perfect". I drive other vehicles and always compare them to the LS430 in my mind, and they never do. Granted I'm not driving Bentleys or anything, but the average new car just pales in comparison to my 8 year old LS430.

55 thousand miles to the 200k mark, and then it will get another timing belt and water pump. Other than that, this car has been VERY cheap to maintain since I don't bother fixing the minor annoyances.

Just thought I'd share. What are some things that stopped working that you just don't care about in your car?

sojah

iTrader: (1)

i have 3 or 4 buttons that don't light up at night anymore and i haven't bothered replacing them. i left some nice rims on my car all winter and yesterday they got salt all over them for the first time and i noticed some not cool stuff on them this afternoon. my drive belt squeaks when the car is started up for the first min or 2 when it is damp out for some reason, ever since i took it to jiffy lube for an oil change and they spilled something on the belt...

my retracting steering wheel has started to make an ever so slight squeak when its retracting in the last month or so. ohh and my rear sunshade slightly bounces

i want to buy something new but not sure if something new will beat my current ls430 in everything else the car does do well, you know¿

caddyowner

Not with my LS, yet. However, my 01 LX with 135K miles has a number of minor items that won't be fixed or will be cobbled together.

bigjon42

Both of my outside rearview mirrors no longer retract/ or reset. I'm sure the expense to have Lexus fix them would be prohibitive, so I have said 'the hell with it'. They both still adjust correctly, and tilt down when in reverse, so not a big problem. At 120k miles, all else still works like a dream. I have owned the car for about a year, and I am still amazed that so many gadgets all work perfectly !

vraa

iTrader: (2)

I miss my LS430, it was bulletproof, no rattles or squeaks
LS430 was best LS so far

Stu

Please tell me how to get used to this ! This one problem may cut short my ownership of my otherwisw perfect LS ... what wheels and tires do you have ?

The only item not 100% is the tilt wheel function is not working, I tried to grease it up myself and nothing. I don't care, and never had it looked at.

I agree, the LS is one awesome ride.

Kansas

I can't imagine letting a car go like the OP has ... and we have driven a number of cars to around 200,000 miles. And you are on a Lexus enthuiast forum?

My wife and I are severely in "the geezer zone" but everything on our 12 and 14 year old Toyota and Lexus vehicles works perfectly. Keeping everything in working order over the long haul makes a vehicle much more enjoyable and the cost of doing so is surprisingly low when amortized.

scottgolf

these are all not problems. wait till you get another car, you will have real problems, like starters and electrical on american cars. expensive but rotten strut suspensions on euro cars, on your LS total cost of ownership is among the lowest i have ever had on any car. i have had over 30 cars.

you can have them dissable the telescoping at the dealer, should be free if you are in for something else

sparky3

LOL that's letting it go? Couple of minor things?

To me not doing the service or maintenance would be letting it go. Amortizing $1000 for a retractable steering wheel on a 8 year old car with 144k miles is just silly IMO.

sparky3

Drive it for 5+ years to work and back 5 days a week. You will get used to it. Mine's not that bad actually; it's just that way when it's really windy out and on certain roads.

I have the factory 17" chromes with Michelin Primacy tires.

sparky3

Scott's right - I've probably had 20 cars over the last 23 years. Good 'ol GM cars with failing A/C components, falling headliners, electrical problems, rattles, squeaks, etc. I don't miss it.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

has anyone with highway wondering problems just tried to add the OEM rear anti-sway bar? i would say there is a high probability of this helping if not correcting the problem altogether...

Stu

really ? why would you think it would help ? I thought sway bars helped keep a car flat when cornering - my car corners fine, it just doesn't like to go straight !

Forbidden

I have only had one problem with a 02 sensor that went bad on my 01 ls430. My power steering wheel adjustment still works but I had the dealer deactivate it to prevent the motor from burning out

sojah

iTrader: (1)

since it kept the rear wheels tighter i thought it would help in a straight line too. i do see your point but please tell me what is causing the car to wander then?? are the front wheels toe'd out or something?

all i know is mine hasn't wandered since i put on coilovers and lowered it. it felt even tighter straight line or turning (more noticeable at high speeds for the straight line bit) when i had the rear sway bar installed.