Wandl

Considering a 13 LX currently, and curious as to your experiences; at what mileage range did the air suspension start leaking? From what I read (correct me if I'm wrong) around 60-80k miles?

Test drove a new 2016 LX about a month ago, salesperson raved at that the air suspension was tops in the market, far more reliable than MB/Audi etc. However all good things must come to an end, and just need to mentally prepare myself if I need to front a $4k repair every 80k miles....or just buy a 13 Landcruiser.

hankinid

Where did you read "around 60-80K miles"??

Note that failures of AHC are posted on the web, but you rarely see a post where someone notes that their AHC has no issues whatsoever. .

Given your time here, it's interesting to note that you think the AHC is a pressurized air system. You may want to educate yourself about the truck just a bit prior to purchasing it. If your so-called salesperson thinks the AHC runs on air, he obviously knows nothing about the truck and probably needs to get back to selling Range Rover crap. If the possibility of spending $4K down the line bothers you, the Land Cruiser is the obvious choice. Your salesperson is correct in that the AHC is FAR more reliable than MB and / or, especially, Audi...reliability info on various makes and models is all over the internet and should not be too hard to locate.

For more info specific to AHC in a 200 series, log onto ih8mud.com and educate yourself; or PM user Paddo here for advice.

In my own experience, I picked a '13 Land Cruiser...and I did not select it because I felt I'd be doomed with AHC in an LX. It was simply a far better deal than an LX for essentially the same truck, less AHC. Wife's '01 LX has zero issues with AHC with 180K miles. Pro tip: If you opt for the LX, change the AHC fluid every 60K or 2 years. $50-60 for 2 cans of fluid and half an hour of your time.

hth

Steve

Wandl

Thanks Steve - sorry been used to the LS460 forums so new to the Lexus suv arena, your post was very helpful!!

hankinid

Wandl, we lived in Flower Mound for 15 years and last year I came close to flying to DFW and driving home a new to me LX, until a better deal for a Cruiser showed up 400 miles north of me.

I hope you get the truck you want...I always suggest patience as only around 7000 200 series are shipped to the U.S.A. each year...600 or so per month divided by 50 states doesn't leave much locally. Sewell in Dallas seems to move a lot of 200's, not sure of their equivalent in Houston or Austin or SA.

Good luck

lexusrus

We have a 2013 LX570. No problems.

No air suspensions like in the MB. In the LX570, it uses the proven hydraulic system often found in mission critical applications. Ever wondered why airplanes do not use "air systems"to control the flaps and etc? Instead airplanes use hydraulic systems.

Before the 2013 LX570, we had a 2000 LX470. Traded it in for a brand new 2013 LX570 with approx. 280K miles on the LX470. Again no problems. We had the LX's regularly serviced on schedule.

Yes, it is costly to maintain and repair the LX's, but there is nothing like the LX out there. The European peers may be faster and whatever, but WILL WITHOUT A DOUBT COST YOU MORE TIME AND MONEY FOR REPAIRS AND EVEN JUST ROUTINE MAINTENANCE! !!

Considering all factors involved, LX is a bargain. If COST of repairs and maintenance really really really scares you, then I think you potentially have three options on a used 2013 LX570:

1. Get a Lexus platinum extended service contract or CPO L Certified LX570 from a Lexus dealer.

2. Forget about the LX570. Just go for the Land Cruiser.

3. Even more "safe". Get a totally different way cheaper SUV and hope for the best AND bank the difference and hope for the best too. I used to think this way, but I finally figured out why people in the know in the remote regions of the world go for the Land Cruisers/LX570. I also figured out who is the "MAJORITY BUYER" worldwide for the Land Cruisers. The answer is United Nations. This is because when you are running away from enemy fire and rescue missions, the last thing on your mind is any break downs. In the movies, you see a lot of Range Rovers (provided free of charge, I might add AND with mechanics on standby!!!) . But in real life situation in remote areas, you see Land Cruisers as in the United Nations operations.

Wandl

Test drove the 13 today, wife liked it (would be her car), really didn't like the dual-screen DVD set up nor the dealership though. In essence I think wants a 2010 (with usb/bluetooth integration) or newer but low enough mileage where certification may be a possibility...or a 13+ with no DVD which actually do exist. Found a 15 L certified with 17k miles in San Antonio, just not sure we want to splash $70k on one at this moment. Great handle, great car....salesperson (it was at a Chevy lot) spent about 50% of the time telling us how the Tahoe was superior though. Wife test drove a new 16 Tahoe LTZ just for the heck of it, handled nowhere close to what an LX did.

hankinid, as you say...the search goes on =)

Chocolate

Dual screen DVD set up is a joke, existing to pad the price of the model at point of sale by 2,000 dollars. I did the same search but you will be very limited searching for those without it. The few models without the DVDs will virtually always be base models, without the upgraded stereo. I looked at many models on Autotrader and not one without the DVD had the ML stereo or luxury package with the cool box and some other things. You get no benefit as a consumer with these models which seem to always be priced near identically even though they lack 6+ thousand dollars worth of options.

lexusrus

X2. Lexus HQ purposedly packaged the options that way.

When we travel in the LX570 with our older teenagers, nobody uses the dual screen DVD. They each have their smart phones!!! But the dual DVD system is there with its own wireless headphones! !!

jrmckinley

I'm the OP- thought I would update on a few things now that I got the LX repaired. I also have a question about AHC.

First, I am the one who incorrectly used "air" when referring to the suspension- I will take the heat for that. I also own an LS and had the terminology of the LS air ride on my brain.

Second - to answer Wandl questions- I bought the truck in May 2014 CPO with 60k miles (it's a 2010). During a routine oil change at 87k miles 2 weeks ago is when I was told my struts were "leaking." I took it to the Lexus dealer who had it for 3 days (1 day delay on parts) - no charge to me due to CPO coverage. Paperwork I signed was for $1,200 worth of parts and labor which was not NEARLY as bad as I would have guessed. They also replaced my windshield fluid pump which was included in the $1,200 bill. The advisor told me that if the truck wasn't under warranty/CPO the price would have been a bit higher (warranty company gets a discount) - so maybe $1,500 or so?? Again, not too bad. He also said it is pretty rare for them to see that failure on an LX.

Re: Tahoe. I have driven some of the new Tahoes as rental vehicles and I have been impressed. The ride quality is nice - styling is nice, etc. Recently stayed at a hotel that used new Escalades to get you around town and they were beautiful on the inside. My prior boss had a 2010 LX and ditched it for a 2015 Yukon Denali and is actually happy with the switch. He hated the 3rd row jump seats (he needed 3rd row occasionally but also needed the space when not using them) and how small the gas tank was on the LX- says the Yukon gets similar MPG but he re-fuels less often. My only beef with GM Tahoe/Yukon is if you drive one that's 5-6 years old you will feel it in the ride- rattles, squeaks, etc. A 5-6 year old LX still feels like a silent tank. Plus I find the LX to be incredibly nimble compared to a Tahoe when maneuvering in a parking lot. To each his own but to me there is no comparison between the Tahoe and the LX. And I see Tahoes and Yukons everywhere... I have only seen 3 other LX's in my town.

Good luck in your search- as it has been pointed out here many times, these are hard to find, but totally worth the wait. I wasn't dead-set on having the LX over a Land Cruiser- I just jumped on what came available first that matched the color combo I preferred and had mileage and cost in my comfort zone. I will never forget one of the first commercials showing the LX 470 - there was a part in the commercial where they showed the back of the truck and it had the Toyota logo..! Get what suits you best as they are virtually identical.

AHC question: is there a way to keep the AHC turned "off" (I know the height will adjust when you reach highway speeds; I'm fine with that). I just don't want the truck adjusting when I set on a hill at a stop light (completely unnecessary). On my 2010 when I press the "off" button, I don't find it to be consistent in remembering that I want it off...meaning sometimes I turn the truck off and when re-starting it later in the day the AHC returns to "on" more often than it seems to stay "off". In short, it's not consistent and I'm wondering how to make it always default to "off".... or do i just have to push the button each time?

Wandl

how true jrmckinley; did a nationwide search on autotrader and all 13/newer LX models without DVD also came without ML....if anything, just have the kids on their own devices and glad we aren't the ones "fronting" the $2k cost of the dvd screens. No distinguishable price difference between a DVD-equipped one and without, so wouldn't make sense to purposefully buy one without. It comes down to mileage, condition and price as the main deciding factors...

hankinid

The holy grail may indeed be a truck without the Levinson, which iirc means a truck without DVD's. My LC has them, but they've been unused since I bought it...all that comes to mind would be streaming Dog TV from DirecT for the back seat passengers. Lacking the Levinson system may allow you, as it does on 100 series without nav / audio / climate combined, to replace the sound system with something more modern...e.g., a more modern head unit may accept USFS topo maps for GPS.
I've only seen one un-loaded LX locally, and that was for a 2011 with ~40K miles that was beyond over-priced.

Steve

Chocolate

I apologize for my previous post. The correct terminology for this option is the Pimp My Ride System (PMRS).

The Pimp My Ride System in the 2016/2017 Land Cruiser has improved screens, but doesn't look so great and gets in the way of the folding seats.
To me, this is not a big deal at all, just a LC/LX quirk.

yakim

All that moanin' and groanin' about $2k DVD screens on a used LX...except if you factor in that pesky depreciation, them DVD screens add only about $500.00 to teh overall cost of your rig. Jes' tell yer dealer you aren't paying for them and he'd be happy to take an extra $1/2K off

Chocolate

That's because there's little to discuss in this forum except ventilated seats that don't blow strongly enough and Canadian dealers that refuse to give window stickers.

hankinid

Originally Posted by yakim
All that moanin' and groanin' about $2k DVD screens on a used LX...except if you factor in that pesky depreciation, them DVD screens add only about $500.00 to teh overall cost of your rig. Jes' tell yer dealer you aren't paying for them and he'd be happy to take an extra $1/2K off



2 issues with the sound system...it cannot be upgraded insofar as a head unit, since the new head unit would also need to run GPS, the climate control, maintenance records, etc. Perhaps the amplifier could be improved, if and only if you could decode the wiring. That leaves you
with speakers, which should not be too challenging.

Beyond the lack of upgradeability, the 2 DVD screens get in the way of folded 2nd seats. As I explained above, wife and I pack up and leave for a week or 2 and explore the mountains. Folding the 2nd row forward gives us the room we need. We tend not to watch video driving up and down USFS or BLM roads...we're not out there to watch videos.


Eh? There were also discussions on floor mats being not "luxurious" enough and seemingly many lessons on how to buy a new or used truck, complaints about the LX not being as fast as a supercharged Range Rover, discussion of 24" wheels, and body "upgrade" kits that make the '16's uglier (imo), if that's possible.