AJT123

Bought an 04 LS430 Premium....flawless....75k.....like a brand new car, seriously...

I've read almost the WHOLE FORUM (all 270 pages) on the LS430, and have seen not one engine failure that I can recall, and only one instance of overheating. I think I've seen tranny issues 3 times.....THREE!

Lol some people who do complain that it's about the steering wheel broken or mirrors...or a blown woofer.....lol IMO that does not an unreliable car make! I say all this with respect......guys, don't overlook this car because the steering wheel (that works 400xs a week) breaks. Many of the guys with other high end luxury cars would be happy if this was their only problem....

I know cars very well, and was very confident in my purchase, but I admit myself for the first week or so I was ridiculously scrutinizing the car, looking for things wrong with it....but, NOTHING. Solid as a rock. This really is one of the best cars ever made.

Mine lacks all the high end gizmos, but I'm fine with it....For example, I don't want some 8 year old Navigation system when my iPhone works 10xs better; air suspension, well that's going to be unreliable on ANY make; distronic cruise I can easily live without; I hear the ML system is junk; the only thing I wish I had is the smartkey and sport rims. But I think I'll live.

Could not be happier with my purchase! The car is amazing. It's a euphoric drive. Every time I get in her and start her up I smile......

Now I just need to think of a name for her....

mrsandman

iTrader: (2)

Welcome to the family. My 02 still rides like new. I agree, a great build by Lexus.

caddyowner

Welcome, and yes, we do grow to have a bit of distorted view of what "Reliabilty" means compared to other premium brands.

warminwisc

0 to 156K...no problems to date besides my trash can which jumped in the way last year, knock, knock.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

nice pickup and congrats... yeah i feel the same way, we do get pissed when something small happens cuz this is all we have to get pissed about

its like my neighborhood where i live at. they had like 3 cars get broke into (all convertibles) one night last summer and you would have thought jack the ripper (pun indented cuz they were slicing into the convertibles) was on the loose, but this is the only thing that had ever occurred in the last 15 years or so, so what else are they gonna complain about

Selah777

Did someone pee on your floor mat? haha. Other than that the car looks really clean. The only thing that has ever bothered me with my 430 is how it accelerates sometimes. If you are decelerating and then coasting, and then want to accelerated again, I find that you have to baby the throttle. Otherwise it lags, downshifts quickily and lurches forward. Just not very smooth

dfkd

Just got me an 02 a couple weeks ago and I have the same feeling. I looked at the A8 especially (as everyone seems to) and after going through the Audi forums I was absolutely petrified at the idea of getting one because of the number of both major and minor issues that they have. Things ranging from tranny rebuilds every 85000 like clockwork, to silliness like trunk hinge needing to be replaced every 50000. Meanwhile we're here putting in LED bulbs, looking for the quietest tires, and trying to get the perfect drop and the most flush offset for our wheels.

Comparing the A8 and LS forums is like going from a hospital ER to a plastic surgeon's office. Panic and scared people vs people who are generally perfectly fine but looking to be perfectly 'finer'. Complete contrast.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

wow that is an awesomely put statement... hahaha suckers who don't own an LS

warminwisc

If thats an 04 and you have the sensors as I see in the bumper you should have the smart key setup I believe. I think they came together not separate. I hope for your sake I am right as it is a prized feature IMO.

Jab ma man, you and Alex are always right Cadman also...and others

warminwisc

I guess the rubber buttons would be a give away though. Not many Premiums w/o smart access.

AJT123

Lol....the guys over at AcuraZine (my former domain...last car was a TL) said the same thing....it's just those crappy all weather floormats....the car came with them and I don't like them, but, that pee looking stuff is on those, not the OEM plush ones lol...I'll probably take them out of the car come springtime. Lol good eyes though

I know what you're saying re: acceleration. It doesn't bother me bc it's so ridiculously smooth and said acceleration is more than adequate 90% of the time (when you're not pushing it).. however it's like there's no medium. You're either accelerating normally or *****-to-the-wall. The power mode changes nothing; I wish it would hold onto gears longer and kick down easier....but I'm not complaining. It so smooth and euphoric to drive it hardly detracts from it, not to mention I don't see myself getting many tickets with this beast. I love the way it melts through the gears all at the same low RPMs....that's the thing in a car (mechanically) that imparts serious luxury the most IMO. Low revs, smooth, early shifting, and V8 engine note. Very Mercedes like.

Being such a car guy, I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I really had no idea it would drive this well..I just was all giddy about the fact that I can say I drive a Lexus LS...I didn't factor in how euphoric the driving experience would be.....Of course I knew how great of a car it was and I wasn't expecting a Cadillac Cimarron, but I guess I just needed to be reminded again that these huge flagship sedans, unlike some cars, you really are getting what you pay for....it's not just the name and status....it's the drive. The wealthy really do have it better lol....I still feel like the joke's on everyone else bc I'm driving this ridiculously sick car for way less than most people pay for their (inferior) rides!!!

AJT123

Well put. Don't get me wrong, I love the German cars (not really A8s....S classes are my fav)....but there's NO WAY IN HELL I would have bought an 8 year old $100k Benz. I'm not saying I'll never have a single issue with this car, but the ratings don't lie. The LS is one of (if not the) most reliable cars made.

The W140 is my favorite car of all time, but I'm 30 years old and not financially equipped to maintain one. Lol my LS is basically a copy of it, so that's the next best thing! Hehe.

caddyowner

I believe SmartAccess was a $1K option on all trim levels except UL in 04-06. I've never seen a car without it, but that's not to say they don't exist. Some used cars may have it and the fobs were lost sometime. My 01 LX came with only one plain key and no (non-smartaccess) fob built into the key. The dealer has one on order for me as part of the deal.

froboy272

congrats on the purchase. If you have shift issues with your transmission make sure that "TSB TC006-04 " Transmission Shift Pattern Upgrade was done on your car.

I had the update done and it made a huge difference.

TerrySmith

Congrats on your LS.

However, my 2003 LS430 UL as all the gizmos and I have to disagree with your assertion that the options your car does not have are somehow crap while the rest of the car is great. Actually it's all great. For example, I was using the 9-year-old Nav system today to navigate around and it worked great. I have an iPhone and it's very difficult to use, or even see, while your driving alone. The radar cruise control is a great feature and works really well. The air suspension has worked perfectly so far. It keeps this big, heavy car pretty level when turning rapidly. The ML is one of the best, if not the best, stock car audio system. <--- Period. In fact, to answer your question, everything on the car (except trunk-lid shocks) has worked flawlessly so far. (My car had 13 miles on it when I got it and it now has 72k miles.)

ML and Nav are must-haves for any future Lexus I buy and dynamic cruse control and air suspensions remain on my preferred list.

The point here is not to make you feel bad for missing these options, just to say that they are just as well executed as everything else on the car and most are nice to have.

Some of the bundled options my LS has that I don't want or need but add cost and weight include the rear-seat fridge (only works for 12-ounce cans), the rear-seat audio controls and the rear seat massage vibrators. The theory with this rear-seat stuff is that the owner has a chauffeur to drive and the owner is always in back. If I could afford an chauffeur, I'd have at least a LS460L or probably a big Mercedes. In my LS, none of that stuff ever gets used, but, of course it all works fine.

Anyway enjoy your Lexus and, FYI, the name "Betty" is taken.