jj1400

Hi there,
I am new to this forum. I just purchased a used 2007 LS 460 yesterday from a Honda dealership. I used to have many Mercedes but they all gave me headache. My mom has a 1992 ES 300 with 390,000 miles on it and she said the ES feels better than her new Nissan altima. So I switch to Lexus for reliability.

Currently the LS has 87500 miles on it. The previous owner took very good care of it. He maintained it every 5k miles and all from Lexus dealer. But information is missing after 70k mile. But I bought it from a large dealer so I assume they tune it up before they sold it to me.

My question is, is 87k mile a lot for a 2007 LS? What should I do next to keep it running well? There is no information regarding brake change on carfax, and I felt the car shakes when I brakes.

Thank you in advance.

silver305

iTrader: (1)

well, i bought my 09 ls460 almost one month ago. It has 64k miles and i did find some of the services performed on it. That being said, my car does the same "grabbing" on the brakes when you are coming to a slow stop. I was told it is definetely my rotors that need to be turned or just replaced.
You might want to look into the valvesprings being replaced under warranty. It should be done for free by lexus. It was a recall for the 07-08 models.
How long should it last? well, i would say if it was well taken care of and maintenained, probably another 40k miles before you start seeing big problems with it. I have yet to run into a ls460 with the crazy high miles that you see on toyota camrys. People just dont drive them so much so most of them have moderate to low miles. I think when mine hits 100k miles in about 3 more years, i will call it a day and start looking for another one. The last thing i need is for it to give me a big repair bill.

Valley101

Do the math! It works out to be about 14,600 a year. That is below average per year for most cars.

Luxofreak

I have a 2007 that I bought new and now has 35K miles. The shaking when you brake is due to warped rotors. Take it to your Lexus dealer and they will drive it, look at the rotors and see if they are good candidates for a pass on their machine that re-surfaces them (actually it will remove material to make it flat again).

Once this problem is solved, don't break hard when the disks are still cold. Heavy breaking right off the garage in the morning is what warps rotors.

If you take care of your 2007, feed it good gasoline and keep filters and fluids always fresh, it should run for 400K or more miles without major problems. My car with 35K miles feels like it's still brand new.

Fhobbs

I plan on at least 250k on my 2007. 60k at the moment. Does Lexus warranty a recall regardless of mileage/age and current ownership?

silver305

iTrader: (1)

yes.... mileage does not make a difference. It is a noted issue with the car that they overlooked.

jj1400

Thank you for your response! My warranty has expired. You mentioned the recall, can I bring my car any time to Lexus and change the valvesprings? Will they change it regardless of my current status of warranty?

I don't plan to keep this one for a long time. This is my first Lexus so I just want to give it a try. I think I will buy a new one in like two years if this car meets my expectation.

The Mercedes are jokes. For the 6 mercedes I have, all have some sort of transmission and suspension problem. But I hear that Lexus transmission is super reliable? Is that true?

jj1400

Yea! 400k sounds fantastic! My mom's has 390k right now. But I heard that the older lexus is more reliable? At idle, there is I can definitely hear the engine running, and feel the car shakes a little bit. Is it just normal wear and tear? Or do I need to replace anything?

silver305

iTrader: (1)

lol you noticed it too?? i know this engine is not as smooth as the is250 when idling. I have to believe it is due to the fact that it is a v8 and it has more power. I would say the slight vibration you feel on the steering wheel while idling is normal.

silver305

iTrader: (1)

powertrain on this car is supposed to be bullet proof. I didnt have a single issue with my lexus is250 in the three years i owned it. These cars dont break.

jj1400

Thats great! Thank you. Next thing I am considering is the maintenance. I looked at the carfax again today and I found the last "official" maintenance done is 1 and a half years ago, and information is missing from then. Do you think the 90k service is really necessary?　Dealer quote at 630 dollars. But it is primarily oil change. Should I just do oil change? And if I assume the original owner did not change the oil from 1.5 years ago, will my car break even though I will change the oil tmr?

Fhobbs

What are some of the symptoms if valve springs need to be replaced?

Luxofreak

There are no symptoms. If your valve springs break, you'll need a new engine. Imagine an open intake or exhaust valve being slapped by the piston because it didn't close due to its spring failure... If you didn't have them do the valve spring recall, do that asap. They claim the original springs are brittle and can shatter/break without notice.

Luxofreak

Engine should not shake. Could be the gasoline used, dirty fuel filter or injectors. Perhaps spark plugs. All little things that can be verified when you take the car in for regular service, hopefully at an authorized Lexus dealer.

silver305

iTrader: (1)

I believe he means the slight shaking you get on the steering wheel when idling. I notice it primarily when the vehicle is cold, but once it is fully warm then it is smooth. It could be perhaps spark plugs etc, but i wont confirm until my mechanic swap them out. Heck, it could even be worn out motor mounts for all you know. There are too many factors.