Hello,
I am looking at 2005 LS430 well maintained (was in Naples, FL) till 100k miles and then in Tennessee till the current 37k miles.

Per Lexus records, at 90 k miles and year 2014, timing belt alone was changed (they skipped the water pump, idler, tensioner).

I understand another service is due, but how big of a deal is this. I need to drive that car back home about 450 miles. No noises nothing, purchase inspection was done but obviously they can't comment about the water pump/ timing belt tensioner etc

thanks

 

If it is not leaking at inspection there would be no comment. Sounds like only required maintenance was done and not recommended. It is so easy to change the pump while there. When it is time to do timing belt or if water pump starts leaking that is when I would do both. I think Lexus says 10 yr also for belt but to give you an example I changed mine after that at 125k miles on advise of Lexus mechanics saying the 10/90 is the half life. When I replaced mine even bending backwards it had no cracks.

 

The service manual does not call out for changing those components at the first timing belt service likely for a good reason. I'm sure that there are many that fall for the old trick of replacing items "as long as we're in there". Hey, it's your money and you can spend it any way you like. Now that I've said that, I'll put my foot in my mouth by adding that I changed out those components when I did that service myself back in 2017. I used the Aisin kit so that added cost was fairly low and the labor was dirt cheap.

The bearings in all of the old components (original, ~118K miles, 14 years old) were in excellent condition and are built like brick ****e houses. I took apart the bearings to see what the condition of the races were in and there was hardly any wear on them. They could have easily gone another couple of hundred thousand miles.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over driving that car back home...