skydynamic

Hi all, I'm looking to buy a 2012 Lexus LS460 with Comfort Package from a private seller. He bought it as CPO couple months ago. Is the CPO warranty transferable? And is there any concern on the car made in 2012? Thanks all.

RussLS460

Yes, CPO's are transferable.

CarGuy89

From the responses I got when I was shopping for mine, 2012 is the best year for the pre spindle grill LS. It has all the bugs from this generation sorted out. One heavily discussed item on here is the control arms which was addressed in the 2011 cars and as far as I know wasn't an issue on the 2012s. Air suspension is another talking point. Those with it say it adds another dimension to the ride at the risk of potentially failing early and causing a pricey repair bill. Up to you whether it's worth it or not. I've had my 2012 for 3 years, never had any major issues been very bulletproof. I use it year round in MI and it really hasn't missed a beat. I did have a xenon bulb go out but that's more wear and tear I suppose. Drive a few of them and see how you like it. Also, go check out the Lexus drivers website. This logs all the servicing the car has had. The scheduled service interval is 5000 mi. Good luck!

artesuave

I have a 2012 myself and just replaced the front lower control arms, guess you got lucky

UDel

The control arm issue was not fixed in 2011 or mid 2010 for the LS, it still exists even with the newer design form mid 2010 and on. There are several people who had control arm issues on their 2010's to 2012's and even 2013's and up, I test drove a few 2011's that were making a bunch of noise that was likely the control arms.

Some of the issues with LS460's were not ironed out in the 2012's like melting dash, brake actuator, ML amp, suspension components failing prematurely, etc so you still definitely need to have it looked over and look for issues even on a 2012

PCG

I also have a 2012 i've had for only 2 weeks. Hope I have the same positive experience you've had.

CarGuy89

Ugh I'm sorry to hear that. I was shopping for the car over 3 yrs ago so perhaps not as many issues surfaced yet. I got mine with under 18k on the clock, now I'm at close to 60k without issues with the suspension (but that is hardly high mileage).

I am surprised, I kept hearing 3 yrs back that the control arm bushings were re-designed to be tougher part way through the 2011 model year. I am a bit disappointed to hear that Lexus didn't address such a potentially expensive issue. Also a bit surprised to hear about all those other issues as well. I plan on keeping the car another 2-3 yrs so hopefully it will hold up until then. No car is immune to problems down the road I suppose. A pre purchase inspection is for sure a good idea.

I hope you will as well! I have really enjoyed my LS. The car is certainly more dynamic than the 430 it replaced, but still retains and improves upon the quietness and maintains the ride comfort IMO. If yours doesn't have a good set of namebrand tires on it, I highly recommend switching that out. I recently swapped the Kumhos the dealer put on with some proper Michelins and it made an already great ride even better and quieter. Good luck with yours!

PCG

Thanks! I'm glad you mentioned the tires. The dealer put on 4 new tires from a brand called Achilles (never heard of them). The reviews online i've read on them were pretty good as far as dry weather. Not so much on wet roads (though didn't have a problem when it rained) and the quietness. Now i'm certainly curious how much quieter it will be with some Michelin's.

msgs350

iTrader: (2)

Might want to double check this statement. I've read that the LEXUS CPO warranty is NOT transferrable.
When i bought my Lexus L certified/CPO, i was told it wasn't.

CarGuy89

It's amazing the difference a good set of tires makes. If you have 19s I would recommend looking at regular Premier A/S. If you have 18s (like me), then your closest option is the Premier LTX which is a crossover tire, but I feel our cars are heavy enough to pass for a midsize crossover lol. There are several other great options out there as well. Many other members like the Pirelli P7 plus'. I don't want to get into it too much here as there are a lot of tire threads (including one I recently started) which will give you great insight into the topic.

PCG

Thanks CarGuy! I appreciate you taking the time out to share! I have 18's like you. Will certainly look for LTX as well as your thread.

CarGuy89

No problem buddy, happy I could help!

Mbbarron

I was looking at 2012 MY when I was car shopping the first half of this year. What I was told is that they go through tires more quickly, say every 30k miles on average. Especially in areas with rougher roads. So look out for that. And I think control arms were reportedly still a potential problem with 2012, although maybe not as much as 2010-2011. Definitely go on the Lexus website (you have to register) and look up the service history by the VIN. Also, email Lexus Customer service and get the build sheet to tell you the specific options on that vehicle and the DOFU.