AL13NV8D3R

I am looking for a reliable 95-2000 LS400 to buy as a gift for my dad. I was wondering what are things i need to check if i am looking at these cars. And specific problems these cars have that I should spend special attention? Is all LS400 sold in the market bulletproof? How many thousand miles will these cars last?What is considered low milage for the LS400? Thanks all for all your help.

sam12345

iTrader: (1)

Get a 98 or newer 50 more hp

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Any LS that was taken care of will run for a long time but remember you still will have to do some basic maintenance to keep it problem free. Mainly suspension work. Everyone likes their year the best but I would really recommend a 99 or 00 model year sine they were the best IMO. I have a 98 which is the same except lots of things the were options on the 98 became standard on the 99-00 models. Whichever year you look at just coe back here with the specs and you will get plenty of help.

Kingsoup

Like they said, the 98+ are argueable the best, nothing to really look for other then a service history.
As so many more senior people have owned these cars, there is a very good possibility to find one, single owner, in mint condition serviced at Lexus.
Wait until you find one of these examples for your dad.

randal

AL, the LS is good but certainly not bulletproof. It all boils down to maintenance. With over 400 posts, surely you are no stranger to the many issues discussed? ;-)

AL13NV8D3R

Well, my daily driver is a 2014 GS350 and my previous vehicle was a 2006 LS430 Ultra Luxury. I have always bought my cars new and those cars mentioned was no exception. I have ZERO experiance with used cars and I am afraid to get burned.

You might ask, why dont I just buy a new 2015 LS 460L and call it a day since money is not a problem and I would love to buy him a brand new one but here is my reason for buying used.

My father is a Vietnam Vet. He spent many years there fighting and was one of the lucky ones that came back alive. Since I was little I have always knew he always wanted to drive an LS400 because it was his dream car. But because of his health problems he barely made enough money to feed us and make our lives comfortable. I have five other brother and sisters so there was alot of mouths to feed. We suspect agent orange was the chemical that made him sick. My father work hard all his life and I want to give him the same enjoyment i get from driving my Lexuses. So there you have it.... I am going to buy him his dream car an LS400. Also i know he does not like the styling of the newer cars so newer models are out of the equation.

SW17LS

I would definitely get a 98-00. These cars do come around with really low miles from time to time. I saw one a few months ago with 25,000 miles on it I almost bought...they wanted silly money for it though.

SW17LS

Actually, it's still on eBay motors. Like I said though, silly money:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lexus-LS-1-OWNER-2000-lexus-ls-400-1-owner-serviced-super-low-27-k-miles-carfax-florida-car-/191459233373?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2c93dc0e5d&item=191459233373&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

AL13NV8D3R

Wow this looks too good to be true. A wise man once told me "if its too good to be true then it must be" but this might be an exception. How can a car only driven 25k miles in 15 years! I drive that much in one year.

Hey SW13GS, are you a forum admin? Because you are in every clublexus forum. I see you in 4GS, 3LS, 3RX, RC, 3IS, NX, and 1LS forums. Youre everywhere!

SW17LS

I am not, I just have a big mouth and no life

All kidding aside I just love the brand and talking about it, any and all models. Mostly the new models but I do read in here and the LS430 forums because my dad had them. Especially the 400.

That car really does look like the real deal. These examples are out there, FL snowbirds that only drove them 2-3 months a year when they were down in FL, etc. That car is just not a $19k car no matter if it had 0 miles, it's 15-16 years old.

enigma94

iTrader: (1)

I agree with the others that a 98-00 will be the best bet as it has more power and get a bit better gas mileage. Here are some things that are common issues that you want to have looked at:

Motor mounts and tranny mount. These will go out and cause a lot of vibration issues with the car. If you test drive one and there is vibration don't just assume it's wheel balancing.

Rack and pinions are very common to leak, along with the high pressure hoses.

Lower ball joints, strut rod bushings, upper control arms. All will cause a knock on ruff roads and are common wear items to look for.

Timing belt and water pump should be done every 90k so if you buy one over that make sure it's done as it will run you 700-1800(dealer) to have done.

Check for leaks around the valve cover gaskets, they are pretty common to develop leaks over the years.

They are amazing cars and will run forever if you are willing to maintain them. I have bought 3 and all have been over 130k miles and wouldn't hesitate to buy one arond there for your father. Obviously the lower the miles the more it's going to cost. I suggest having whatever you end up deciding to buy checked out by a Lexus mechanic. Also expect to do a tranny/diff flush after purchase as most people don't do this regularly and every one I've bought has had black fluid.

Good luck in your search

randal

You are wise to be skeptical. However, there are some LS's out there with very low mileage because the owners just use them for special occasions (like going out to dinner, short vacation, etc). I bought an 02 LS430 in 2010 with only 13k miles. And it was like new for a fraction of the price. They are definitely the exception.

I do not know about you, but I cannot buy a car sight unseen, especially when I am laying out a sizable chunk of change. If you are the same way, you will need to be prepared to travel on short notice to find a good example. I have heard that the Florida, both West and East coast (think Ft. Myers and Boca Raton areas) have lots of nice LS's for sale. Lots of retirees and well-heeled.

I would also recommend the 98-00 body style. However, you *might* give some consideration to the LS430. It is just an amazing vehicle. You can find clean examples of 05-06 LS430's with low mileage and they are an absolute dream to drive.

Finally.... I wish I had a son as thoughtful as you to buy me an LS!

AL13NV8D3R

Thanks everybody for your input. Great advice! Still looking but not in a hurry. I will eventually find a good one for a resonable price.

Legender

Good on you AL13n...
I did the same for my Vietnam veteran dad who also is partially disabled due to agent orange and other things related to combat. First, I got him a gently used 93 that only had 100k miles on it... after a few years upgraded him to a 99...even trade for his 93. He loves the 99 better than mom's LS430. He loves the ride and the comfort. Just keep looking. I agree that 99 and up are the best cars and you should be able to get one around 100k miles for 4-6k dollars and still have plenty of life left. Good luck in your search. Not being in hurry is the best thing. Let the deal come to you and just keep looking. It's out there.

mappo

That one on ebay has an asking price of $19K, but also has a "make an offer" button. Maybe the seller has the ridiculous asking price just hoping a sucker will make an offer of $12K and think he got a deal. Why not offer him $9K and see what happens? The worst that could happen is he says no.