LS600h Reliability Issues?
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,785
Likes: 154
From: The South
Ohhhhh how times have changed...Lexus timed that 8 year warranty just perfectly. Needless to say I dumped my 600 and moved on from hybrid for a 460L after my battery issue. A friend of mine also having hybrid issues got rid of his too...
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 233
From: Nebraska
But keep in mind that there are thousands of 2008 LS600hL's still on the road, and no one is reporting widespread battery failures as all of these cars are hitting their 8-year mark.
I'm comfortable with the very real possibility I may have to replace the batteries at some point over the next 5 years or so--I knew going in that it was quite possible, and I simply consider it the "price of admission" for driving Lexus' flagship luxury sedan. It could be worse -- I could be spending $5K each year to maintain a BMW 7-series...
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 5,371
Likes: 526
From: BC Canada
I could be spending $5K each year to maintain a BMW 7-series...
Batteries can already be had for a relatively reasonable price, and I anticipate the prices to drop as more get into the game. The added bonus is that the labor (other than the sheer weight of the battery), is also relatively easy. I'd rather deal with that than some of the more delicate, complicated and very costly issues found in other brands and models of luxury automobiles.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 5,371
Likes: 526
From: BC Canada
When I purchased our CT200H for my wife, I looked into the possibility of a battery replacement. There are brand new battery packs that can be had for 1500 dollars. Not bad. If I lived in CA, I can get one for 799 dollars with free install!I realize the LS600 is a different animal.
Last edited by roadfrog; May 31, 2016 at 07:53 AM.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: indiana
new member with a 2008 Lexus 600hl
The 2008 Lexus LS 600 HL is a great car to purchase, I've had mine since April and love it. I got it with 41k miles and have only had 1 issue with the Mark Levin amplifier went out and it cost 1000k to fix at the Lexus dealer.
Make sure you purchase some type of warranty because rarely does something go wrong, but when it does it's expensive.
Make sure you purchase some type of warranty because rarely does something go wrong, but when it does it's expensive.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,846
Likes: 117
From: Sacramento, CA
Same as everyone else still extremely quiet no tranny problems battery has died and stills works fine, though I want to replace is just for peace of mind. Only slight rattles due to my large sound system loosening everything but its a lot more quiet than a 460L i was in still.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 233
From: Nebraska
LXurious, are you saying you're able to drive your 600hL with a failed hybrid battery? Can you, or someone else, please confirm this? It would relieve a lot of anxiety about owning a 600 if we could still start, and drive, the car when the hybrid battery goes out. My understanding was you needed a working hybrid battery to operate the car (or to even start the engine). Please tell me I'm wrong.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 757
Likes: 61
From: GA
I researched this a little bit and it seems that there is great similarity to the Prius, You can drive with a weak battery as long as it still has juice to spin the gas motor. It will eventually get to a point where it is weak enough not to start the motor and then change is a must.
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 233
From: Nebraska
I researched this a little bit and it seems that there is great similarity to the Prius, You can drive with a weak battery as long as it still has juice to spin the gas motor. It will eventually get to a point where it is weak enough not to start the motor and then change is a must.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 757
Likes: 61
From: GA
Interesting... I know the LS600hL comes with a separate Starter Battery used for starting the gas engine, so I'm surprised that your research found that the batteries will "eventually get to a point where it is weak enough not to start the motor..." It's always been my understanding that once a critical system fault is detected in the hybrid battery pack by the onboard LS600 computers, the car was no longer drivable. I could be (hope I am) mistaken! I'll have to go back and re-read CJITTY's description of what happened when his hybrid batteries failed...
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 533
Likes: 7
From: California
The battery could degrade 90% and still have enough juice to turn the MG1. The code will be thrown with 60 to 70% of the the capacity left and since the degradation is an exponential decay, if it took 8 years for the ECU to say the battery is bad, it would take many decades after that before it could no longer turn the MG1.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,586
Likes: 279
From: Ohio
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Wa
2013 ls600hl
Ok.. I am a big fan of Lexus products. I have an RX350 with 160k on it and it drives like new. 0 issues with this car.
So this weekend I bit the bullet and bought the LS600hL
executive package. 65k on it
I flew to DC and drove it 2700 miles back to seattle.
Holy smokes, this car is amazing. Almost drove itself..
Distance and lane keeping ability was great.
Tunes are awesome..
Not a sports car but plenty of go when you want to push it..
It was part of the US department fleet.
Kept up nicely.
Going to personalize it with tint and wheels but that's about it.
Perfect Dad ride.
I'm 56 so want to dress the part and this I feel was a steal at 37k.
My son and I have been dressing up his SC400 and I got jealous. LOL.
So this weekend I bit the bullet and bought the LS600hL
executive package. 65k on it
I flew to DC and drove it 2700 miles back to seattle.
Holy smokes, this car is amazing. Almost drove itself..
Distance and lane keeping ability was great.
Tunes are awesome..
Not a sports car but plenty of go when you want to push it..
It was part of the US department fleet.
Kept up nicely.
Going to personalize it with tint and wheels but that's about it.
Perfect Dad ride.
I'm 56 so want to dress the part and this I feel was a steal at 37k.
My son and I have been dressing up his SC400 and I got jealous. LOL.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,586
Likes: 279
From: Ohio
Congrats, Fun1, you are a brave soul to drive cross-country in a newly purchased used car! I looked at its records after you first posted. Its fully optioned with a good service history. You did well - enjoy!