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I recently purchased myself a 2005 Lexus LS430 after about 5 years of watching the market. I've owned the car for a week now and while its great overall there have been a few minor problems, paramountly the burnout of one of the interior tail lights. Based on what I've been able to find online the LEDs present on the facelift cars are not individually replacable. However, I still have a lot to learn about these vehicles, and would appreciate any insight that more experienced LS430 owners are able to provide about possible alternatives to outright replacing the assembly.
Thank you all,
CMoney
Picture attached, somewhat blurry but still displays the affected area.
In the same predicament myself. I modded my outer lights by drilling a fat hole into them with a Harbor Freight stepper bit and used a basic LED brake light bulb from Advance Auto connected to two wires that would have lit up a portion of the panel. I hotglued the bulb into place. They work enough to keep me legal til I can find a set.
The inside of my lights are destroyed from the stepper bit and will not be able to be repaired in the future. But, I got a ticket for my lights being nearly completely out and had to do something. There's no LS430's in the junkyards and the tail lights are the first things to sell on people parting them out.
Replacements online are also stupid expensive on eBay and Alibaba sellers are deceptive with their prices and tack on an extra $200+ on tariffs for a set so they come out to be around $650 to $800 for a full set which is insane. They will not budge on the price. So besides repairing them or doing a destructive mod like I did. Those are your options.
Every LS430 that hits the junkyards here in SE Florida - the tail lights magically are removed before the car is even on the inventory locator -
So you hit the yard the day the car has been advertised as new and go find it - but the tail lights, head lights, ML Amp all seem to be gone -
I think this is an inside job
H.
I'm on the thread that Yamae mentions above, but to save everyone time, unless you are pretty good with electrics, you are not going to fix it.
It's $168 at Bell on sale through Monday: https://parts.belllexusnorthscottsda...NjieFoJoCeomc5
You can't know if the other was replaced so I guess hold off on buying the other side. It's the trunk mount ones, so everyone instinctively slams a trunk because they don't understand the soft close mechanism. I address that in the thread too. The labor to put the assembly in is easy! There is a thread on that too. It's 2-10 mm nuts and a screw I think. There is a rubber gasket in there you may need to replace, but maybe not, I didn't. It's $10 or so at the dealer so not a crusher if you find you need it.
Last edited by CA2WALS430; Nov 1, 2025 at 12:05 PM.
New Owner - 2005 Tail Light Out
