Question for LS460 owners
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Question for LS460 owners
I own a '04 LX470 (my 3rd LX) and a '98 GS300. All my Lexus have been incredibly reliable. I'm considering letting go of my GS300 and upgrading to a '07-'08 LS460. Are they as reliable as other Lexus models? I think the styling is one of the all-time best for Lexus...can't take my eyes off of one when I see it on the road.
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I own a '04 LX470 (my 3rd LX) and a '98 GS300. All my Lexus have been incredibly reliable. I'm considering letting go of my GS300 and upgrading to a '07-'08 LS460. Are they as reliable as other Lexus models? I think the styling is one of the all-time best for Lexus...can't take my eyes off of one when I see it on the road.
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#6
Funny enough this has been my most problematic car and I've had a range rover, I have a 2010 awd l, I had a faulty right mirror, radio went out, windows don't always roll up on 1st attempt, rear struts, upper control arms, heated rear seats just stopped working, a constant squeak from the front that I thought the control arms would've fixed, brake actuator and I'm sure there's more, never in my life have I had so many things replaced on a car, good thing I bought the extended warranty, but still one of my favorite vehicles I've owned.
#7
I bought a new red '08 in '08.
There was a valve spring recall that took a week, but had a loaner. Also a few months ago it lost the acceleration from a dead stop, just felt like the 'snow' switch was engaged...but it wasn't.
(And speaking of 'snow', I have four Blizzak tires on in the winter. This is the most sure-footed RWD vehicle I've ever owned.)
Fortunately one of the guys on this forum was aware of a TSB for this problem. They reflashed the memory and no change. They changed the heads and a couple other smaller things and the car leaps again.
Drove it from Denver to Key West and it actually got 30 MPG on the highway at spirited speeds. It gets around 20 MPG in town.
Overall I've been very happy with the car with the exception of the NAV. It's the most UNintuitive NAV unit I've ever seen/owned. It shows detail fine, tracks fine and has good resolution, it's just a mess to load new locations and store them. Even with the book in hand I don't get the same prompts or screens/menus that it shows. I think the unit is operating as designed...and therein lies the problem. I also dislike not being able to make any changes while underway or above 12 MPH. This is a nanny/liability feature that most cars seem to share. (I installed an aftermarket, in-dash, Kenwood GPS, audio, Flashdrive, CD, even DVD player, etc. in my Tacoma, Garmin Based, and there is an option to bypass this nannyism by grounding a wire...love it!)
Whenever I take a long trip in the LS I use the portable $100, 5", Garmin 50LM on the windshield...no more drama. (I also have a Garmin Zumo 550 I use on the motorcycle on long trips.)
There was a valve spring recall that took a week, but had a loaner. Also a few months ago it lost the acceleration from a dead stop, just felt like the 'snow' switch was engaged...but it wasn't.
(And speaking of 'snow', I have four Blizzak tires on in the winter. This is the most sure-footed RWD vehicle I've ever owned.)
Fortunately one of the guys on this forum was aware of a TSB for this problem. They reflashed the memory and no change. They changed the heads and a couple other smaller things and the car leaps again.
Drove it from Denver to Key West and it actually got 30 MPG on the highway at spirited speeds. It gets around 20 MPG in town.
Overall I've been very happy with the car with the exception of the NAV. It's the most UNintuitive NAV unit I've ever seen/owned. It shows detail fine, tracks fine and has good resolution, it's just a mess to load new locations and store them. Even with the book in hand I don't get the same prompts or screens/menus that it shows. I think the unit is operating as designed...and therein lies the problem. I also dislike not being able to make any changes while underway or above 12 MPH. This is a nanny/liability feature that most cars seem to share. (I installed an aftermarket, in-dash, Kenwood GPS, audio, Flashdrive, CD, even DVD player, etc. in my Tacoma, Garmin Based, and there is an option to bypass this nannyism by grounding a wire...love it!)
Whenever I take a long trip in the LS I use the portable $100, 5", Garmin 50LM on the windshield...no more drama. (I also have a Garmin Zumo 550 I use on the motorcycle on long trips.)
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[QUOTE=Volman;8367107]Sadly I am reading about some premature transmission issues with this model which is surprising considering how many miles I've put on current & previous Lexus transmissions with no issues at all. I'll be doing some more research before making a final decision. How's the acceleration? Do they scoot? Thanks
I feel the AWD still has some issues that the AWD TSB does not resolve completely but still love driving the car. If you don't really need AWD then I would avoid it. Even in most winters RWD and winter tires will do a pretty good job. Does it scoot - well it is plenty fast for me but it is no LFA. It is pretty easy to find yourself well above the speed limit because the car is just so quiet and smooth.
Yes, this model is not as reliable as LS go but putting it all in context it is still way up there in quality. Not every LS will experience the problems and Lexus does a pretty good job of resolving issues.
I feel the AWD still has some issues that the AWD TSB does not resolve completely but still love driving the car. If you don't really need AWD then I would avoid it. Even in most winters RWD and winter tires will do a pretty good job. Does it scoot - well it is plenty fast for me but it is no LFA. It is pretty easy to find yourself well above the speed limit because the car is just so quiet and smooth.
Yes, this model is not as reliable as LS go but putting it all in context it is still way up there in quality. Not every LS will experience the problems and Lexus does a pretty good job of resolving issues.
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Hi All,
I changed my Yr 2000 LS430 for an 08 LS460. Have had the vehicle for 6 months, and although it's a very comfortable car, there are a few issues I need to resolve,....like a rattle / rumble with the air struts, slightly jerking transmission & drivers window air-noise.
I believe the LS430 overall is a better car. Only had one problem in 10 years of ownership.
I changed my Yr 2000 LS430 for an 08 LS460. Have had the vehicle for 6 months, and although it's a very comfortable car, there are a few issues I need to resolve,....like a rattle / rumble with the air struts, slightly jerking transmission & drivers window air-noise.
I believe the LS430 overall is a better car. Only had one problem in 10 years of ownership.
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