I have a 2003 LS430 that I purchased in December. Unfortunately, whenever I drive on anything other than brand new (perfect pavement), the ride instantly goes from whisper quiet and silky smooth to noisy with minor vibrations. I replaced the original Dunlop tires even though they still had a lot of life left in them. There was some improvement but not quite what I expected. I can't believe the LS430 has developed the impeccable reputation it has by only providing a luxurious ride on new or perfect pavement. And I'm not talking roads that are full of ruts and potholes, this happens on a good roads that simply have a worn rough surface. The dealer says this is normal but I don't believe it.

I don't know what else to do. I love this car but I'm starting to think I should get rid of it because it simply doesn't ride like a luxury car should. I'm embarrassed to take my clients in the car because of the road noise. Am I expecting too much? Have any of you experienced this problem with your LS430? Does your car have a whisper quiet ride on all road surfaces? Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

A frustrated LS430 owner!

 

I have a 2005 LS430 that is slightly less than a year old. It has the OEM Dunlop tires on it. I have no issues with it at all. I previously had a Mercedes E-Class and also own a 5-Series BMW. The Lexus LS430 wins hands-down in the "ride-department." Road noise is not an issue at all on freeways, city streets, or rough pavement. I'm sure you have already had your suspension examined by Lexus, so can offer no further suggestions.

 

How many miles? Have you thought about replacing the shocks? I am about to replace the shocks on my 99 GS400 (with 79,000 miles). Just a thought.

 

I had a 99 LS that would vibrate only on asphalt highways. The dealer put a mob hit out on me because I brought it in so many times to complain. I finally just let it go as a idiosynchracy of the LS.

You may have the same issue. As the dealer if they can take the wheels and tires off another used vehicle to see if anything changes in your ride.

Other than that- good luck....

 

I think it all depends on what you are accustomed to driving and what your expectations are. I have had Buicks and a Town Car before buying an LS400. If you expect a luxury car to coddle you and isolate you from the road, I don't think the Lexus is for you. Sometimes the Lexus ride can be a little irritating, transmitting road vibrations and uneven pavement, even with Bridgestone Turanza tires, but that is the trade-off between ride comfort and handling. The trade-off is the Lexus will corner and hold the road unlike any Buick or Town Car.

 

Do you have the AIR SUSPENSION on your vehicle??

My car is not a 430, but a 2000 model LS 400 with air suspension, and I'm having these same issues of a harsh / stiff ride over broken pavement and when hitting sharp bumps or potholes, after putting new air shocks........and like you said, it rides beautifully over a perfectly smooth road, but on a rough stretch with sharp bumps or potholes, it seems like the shocks are not "absorbing" anything, but just transmitting the "hit" in a jolting / jarring way accompanied by a very disconcerting "bang" noise.

The Air Suspension is notorius for problems, and because of it's sheer complexity it is very difficult to diagnose a problem. I've taken it to the dealership several times and they tell me it's "normal" and "just the way the air suspension LS rides". I think this is nothing but a bunch of total BS, because at times the ride seems to get "nice and compliant". ....Personally, I think they just have no clue of how to diagnose this problem, so they give the "it's a normal characteristic of the vehicle" BS

I had posted details of my problem here:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=207458

 

Boy no one posted anything about tires or tire pressure? Yes if your LS rides to stiff try 32 or 36 lbs in the tires. Or change tires. Changing struts makes a car ride stiffer not softer. and to BIGD if your 99 LS had a vibration problem it is a tire or wheel problem the 99 LS is perfectly smooth from 0 mph to 154 mph.no vibration at any time.

 

I assume you have the sport suspension? I believe 17" rims were standard at that year. Tire pressure makes a HUGE difference and not too many people pays attention to that. When I bought my Ls430 sport I noticed it was firm on bumps. I got home and immediately checked the tire pressure an low and behold it was way up to 45psi+ for each tire. Some were up to 50psi !!
After testing out a few tire psi comfort levels, I found that 30psi (cold) was very comfortable. I usually check the tire pressure religiously every 2 weeks.

As for interior noise, I've heard the LS interior noise level as having "tomblike quietness"
The LS is so insulated from the outside noises that any noise generated over bumps etc is trapped inside. You'll get used to it. When it gets warmer roll the window down alittle to let the sound out.

 

A bit off topic here, and I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm about to change the shocks on my 99 GS400 with 80k miles. I'm hoping it will make the car ride more solid (it's really loose, shaky and floaty right now). I don't necessarily want more firm, but will take it if it means that it will be a good, solid firm feel (as opposed to a loose, soft, shaky feel). Does this make sense?

 

......I've have tried adjusting to all different tire pressures in a desperate attempt to improve the harsh ride, but it has not affected it in any way. I went all the way down to 27psi to see if it helps. The "hard jolt" accompanied by the "bang" sound, when hitting a sharp bump or a pothole is still there and it just makes the vehicle more "floaty". Then I tried increasing the tire pressure all the way up to 35 psi cold .....nothing helps. I think the problem is that the shocks are maintaining too much air in their "airbags" (or "air bladders" as they are called I think) erratically at times, resulting in a very "stiff" or "harsh" ride. .....maybe some sensor somewhere is faulty, who knows?? .....I went to the lexus technical website to look at the Service Manual, under the "Electronically modulated Air Suspension" section, and there were so many sensors, relays, actuators etc. (some for acceleration, deceleration, yaw control, steering angle etc. etc. etc. ), and then there were a ton of solenoids for "this and that" that it made my mind spin .......in short, the system is too overly complex, and the dealerships are simply not competent enough to deal with it!!

 

Not good, you may have a bad strut, if everthing is still OEM and no one has changed any supension parts. The air ride will put out a service code if it is a bad componet in the system. It wil not show up a bad strut. The only way I know to check a strut is to remove it and manually work it and feel for roughness. A locked strut can be checked by bouncing on each corner of the car. I know that the struts are not cheap for your car but if it was me I would start by having the front replaced and then the back.

 

......the front struts with 2 brand new ones and that's when the ride changed!!....Like you said, they were frightfully expensive and have turned my car into a "buckboard" with it "banging" over sharp bumps and potholes. Besides that, I replaced the ball joints and caster bars as well (per their recommendation). The dealership claims that because the old struts were so "worn out" and leaking, the ride was very smooth, and that the new shocks will make the car ride very stiff .....I've put almost 3,500 miles since installation and there is no change, and that's why I find this explanation a complete bunch of "you know what"!! ....Yes, I can understand that new shocks will stiffen it up A BIT, but not like the DAY and NIGHT difference. Sometimes, it feels like the wheels are welded directly to the frame, and there is no suspension there in the front end!!!!

FYI, the front end does make a slight "knocking" noise when going over big speedbumps and uneven pavement, and noise seems to be coming from the shocks (this noise was not there when the old struts were on). Does this signify anything?? Additionally, over these "smooth" speedbumps, the shocks seem super compliant, almost like a pillow, provided I take them VEEERRY SLOWLY. However, at normal surface street speeds if I hit a sharp bump or pothole there is an amazingly loud "BANG" accompanied by a "JOLT".Dont know what to make of this

....and BTW, the suspension is absolutely OEM. I'm the kind of guy that likes to keep the vehicle bone stock, except for the fact that I've added an aftermarket Navigation system.

Thanks!
Vic

 

...."..the front struts with 2 brand new ones and that's when the ride changed!!...."

That says it all, Yes new struts will be stiffer, but if they are Lex struts and they didnt put a different part number in, the ride still should be as good as when the car was new. Lexus may have a different struts I don't know. I would call or maybe someone on this forum who works for a Lexus dealer can help. I can relate as to your ride, as soon as I put 40lbs of air in my tires it feels the same way, drives me nuts. I never thought 4 or 5 lbs could make ride difference. I am hoping that you had Lexus part put in and not some aftermarket strut as that would change everything.

Good Luck and let us know.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing. I meant ot respond earlier tonight, but didn't, and was thinking about this as I was riding the treadmill. This may sound so basic, and I hope I'm not insulting you by asking the question, but are you 100% sure that the new shocks are OEM? I'm sure your dealer told you that they were, but is it possible that someone messed up the part numbers or used something that was not OEM? I would take it somewhere else. Midas does free inspections. Maybe you don't want Midas looking at your car, so take it to another Lexus dealership and have them confirm that the front shocks are OEM. Let us know what happens.

 

I may have missed it...

Did you say the ride is harsh? I just read noisy with vibrations...this may not be the spring-strut or air suspension but a motor mount, tranny mount or some other part that is letting you know it is loose/worn. I'm presuming the '03 is getting close to 45K miles, have the guys torque the bolts around the suspenion support braces/cross members.

When I had the Cressida, I did this every 25K miles when the car got above 125K miles and it most always eliminated weird clunks when I encountered harsh road variations. It shouldn't be occuring but it could be a factor with yours.