encore888

Source: Car Connection

Lexus was #1 for the eleventh time in a row, as mentioned in threads in the Car Chat section. However, I thought the LS 430 deserved special mention here, as for the first time ever in the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), a car dropped below 100 problems per 100 vehicles. The 2002 LS 430, which was tracked for the VDS, scored 90 problems per 100 vehicles, the lowest score ever in the history of the VDS. That means that the average LS 430 had less than 1 problem after 3 years.

Congrats to those 2002 LS 430 owners out there, and to LS owners in general. These cars give new meaning to the term 'Lexus bulletproof.' I'm also heartened to see that the LS 430 is building on the tradition set by the previous LS 400 models. Not to mention moving past its competitor in the quality arena, the SC 430!

Excellent job to Lexus and its flagship sedan, the LS!

lkirchner

I have a 2004 LS430 and the car has been bullet proof. On the other hand I had a 2004 SC 430 that was a moving target for bullets; nothing but problems. I think Lexus should stick to what they do best and build quality sedans and leave the "sport car , highway touring cars" to those who know how to build them.

BrickHead

This is good to know. However, my girl's 2002 LS430 has alot of rattling and squeaking. No mechnical problems. Just alot of rattling from the doors. The dealer has tried to fix it many times. But the noise always comes back. It's interesting that I have not heard anyone else mention this problem. Maybe she is the only one experiencing this?

Gojirra99

Actually, Lexus did well in most of the segments , not just luxury sedans, & they' re based on experiences of thousands of owners, not isolated individual cases.

encore888

No, there are some rattles on our LS 430 as well, but its not a serious issue. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that the LS will stay trouble-free for a long time to come, and this JD Power report gives me hope..

stanatl

I have an '04 LS 430 as well and really love the car. It has not, however, been bullet proof. I've had the touch screen replaced when it died, gotten a new transmission, gotten a new fuel pump and had some minor issues with creaks and rattles that have been taken care of.

Even with these, I still enjoy the car more than my previous Mercedes or Audi. In my opinion, Lexus service is second to none. Every car will have some problems. It is the efficiency of repair and the overall treatment of the car owner during the repair process that is the key. Lexus does it right!

BrickHead

stanatl,
Do you take yours to Hennassey or Nally? I heard Hennessey has better service, is it true?

lkirchner

I'm glad that the LS430 has been bullet proof and has not had to go back to the dealer. With my SC430 the car went back about 8 times in 9 months and they were not able to correct anything that was wrong. In fact after each service they damaged something else until I finally gave up and traded the car. So I will strongly dis-agree that Lexus does it right. My dealer can screw up a steel ball with a rubber hammer.

stanatl

Brickhead, I take my car to Nalley Lexus in Smyrna. They have a location there and in Alpharetta. I've never had a car serviced by Hennessey, so I can't comment. All I can say is that Nalley is a class act based on my experience with them with two cars.

With respect to the comment by Ikirchner, I guess that there are good dealers and bad dealers. I know that there were some very negative posts recently about dealers in Sacramento. It appears that all dealers are not created equal. It does surprise me somewhat that Lexus of America would tolerate bad dealers if they knew about the problems.