I just watched my 92 LS 400 drive off this morning(running rough as hell and belching smoke). I got $1,000 for it, which is what dealers were offering me before it broke down on Monday. After all the issues I had with it, I decided now is not the time to own an expensive(to own) car.

I'm graduating in December and need a more reliable commuter vehicle than the LS. Also need something that does better than 10 MPG city.

 

The LS400 is actually one of the cheapest cars I have owned, to maintain, but that is because I can do any mechanical work myself - it seems there is always a $50 solution to almost any LS400 issue.

But I agree that if you have to rely on expensive mechanics, a 22 year old car is not a good plan! - but in the LS400's defense, most any other 22 year old car would have far more issues!

 

It was really the latest problem with the water pump/timing belt that caused me to sell it. I'd been looking at fixing the other problems next year when I found a job. After looking at the compressor, I decided that it shouldn't be too difficult to change on my own. But when this problem hit, I felt that the cost to keep the car going outweighed the value of it.

EDIT: Also, I wanted to thank you for your advice in my A/C thread. I kind of feel like I wasted your time. I may end up having to change the compressor on my parents' 91 as well if for some reason they decide to keep it(this one we know for sure is done).

 

Any car can have some major problems with it... just as any car can be trouble free. My lottery experience has been the Lexus cars have a much higher chance of being trouble free than other vehicles I've owned. My 95 Toyota Avalon had a lot more little issues than my 95 LS400, or even the 93 LS400 that my father drives. Just held up better over the years. Sorry this one did not work out for you. Hope you can find something in the mean time till you're ready to drive an LS again. Good luck.

 

I wouldn't mind someday driving a GS or IS.


And i'm not opposed to working on vehicles as long as it's something I can figure out, that I have the equipment to do, and if it's not my daily driver that I need to have running within hours of starting the repair.

 

We hope the next LS or Lexus doesn't present you with such issues.