I've loved these cars for years, and have been looking for a "new" vehicle for myself. I was considering an ES 350, but I think I can get a superior ride for less money with this era LS.

Age is not a factor for me, nor is mileage. More important is maintenance records, and that it only had one owner prior. I'd prefer 2004-2006 models, but I'm open to any well taken care, privately owned LS 430.

I have found a 2003 UL, one owner, but a (small) dealer has it. 126k miles (was linking it up, but he just deleted the ad after we talked), one owner. Looks to be in pretty good shape. I'm going to test drive this weekend. Asking 9,999

I also found a privately owned 2003, with only 60k miles. Has owned for 10 years. Asking 11,900. The car is white and looks to be in excellent shape (no pictures anymore on ad for some reason)

I don't know much about the UL in comparison to the base LS. I am weary of the air suspension however (assuming the UL has this) because of the replacement cost.

Is there anything I can look for in person before sending it to a mechanic for a PPI if I'm interested?

How much of a DIY car is the LS 430? In terms of regular maintenance etc? I've worked on Toyota/Mercedes for 16 years now.

Any advice, thoughts, etc would be appreciated.

 

I am on my 4th LS430, and this one is a UL. It is on whole another level of smooth compared to the regular suspension, which is excellent. It all depends on the maintenance, but the air suspension is not troublesome at all. I had to get the height control sensors due to corrosion, but the updated parts have been trouble-free so far. Don't let it scare you off, if the car is otherwise good.

 

The one to have is the 04 to 06. But the 01 to 03 is as good. Relatively it's the same care but updated looks wise manly.
The more gage stems you have the more chance for something to go wrong. But thee LS430 is a soled care as long as it's been taken care of.
Test drive of course. Kilking sounds over bumps, lose steering, vibration at speed need to look into suspension.
Also make sure ther is no oil leaks. And all fluids are changed periodically.
A not this care is engineered so good that even withe abuse it's dos live long. Just not as happy.
All the best.

 

Well I've been reading about the air suspension for the last hour . That's enough to know that I don't want to deal with that. So I'll rule out the UL. lol. No big deal there though.

 

Buy the one for 60k as long as it has smart key. Take to Private owners mechanic for an inspection. Agree on price if it passes yur inspection prior to mechanics, deal from there. Good luck These things are like Kevlar if even 1/2 butted taken care of.

 

I believe the smart key started withe the 04. So I don't think the 03 have the smart key option.

 

I test drove the one owner with 126k miles, and it drove great, with the exception of the steering which was a little sloppy, and it clunked over speed bumps. I'm guessing control arm bushings. Some chipping around the navigation console, but the rest of the car seemed to be in really good shape.

The 60k mileage one is gone now, no reply.

I did find this one today. I like that it was adult driven and appears to have been taken care of. I'm not sure if he's asking too much or not.

I also found this one for 4500. I talked to the guy and he doesn't have records and hasn't done the timing belt. It goes against my rule of finding a well maintained car. But on the other hand if I got it on a lift, and it only needed a few things addressed, it might be a good deal? Not sure. I know on the MB boards they say there is nothing more expensive then a cheap Mercedes. So not sure if that applies to Toyota/Lexus as well. Or if they can be neglected a bit and then brought back.

 

The fact the dealer sold it as-is for the $4500 one concerns me somewhat, however 164k miles isn't a big issue for the LS430...at that price you could spend $1k in maintenance (i.e. timing belt) and still end up ahead! I'd definitely check out the $4500 one, rare to find a LS430 to go for under $5k honestly.

 

Regarding the DIY aspect of the LS430, I think they are one of the easiest cars to work on and maintain. Even major things like a timing belt and water pump are easier than most cars to do. I work on my own cars so the LS is a great deal for me. Easy to work on (when something actually does wrong) and will last a LONG time.

I paid 10k for my 2002 with 125k on it in 2012. It's got over 220,000 on it now and the car is great. Black on Black so the interior looks brand new. The black interiors hold up very well. The light interiors show more age over time.

 

That's from a private seller actually. I found out he's only ten minutes from me, straight down the road. So it's worth taking a look at the very least. It has a power steering leak, exhaust leak and he says the VSR light is on. So a few items off the bat. I'll have to inspect and see if the timing belt was done by the prior owner. It could have been, and maybe this guy has no idea. I'm not too hopeful, but for the price I'll go look.

Great to know! I have saved thousands doing the basic maintenance stuff myself over the years, as well as the odd CEL etc that forums help tremendously with. I turn 45 next month and I am getting tired of doing some of the things, especially crawling around under a car for instance, but know that I'd be hard pressed to find anybody who is as careful with my car as I will be.

 

In that case, peek under the hood and just check out the basics. Like I mentioned, even if you spent an additional $1k in getting it up to par, you landed one of the cheapest LS430s around!

 

these cars are fundamentally very reliable and if you are the DIY type it becomes a no brainer, esp for the UL. You get a supremely comfortable and quiet car and they are really easy to work on when something does go.
read around here on the brake repairs...its almost ridiculous how easy they are to do, like how come every other manufacturer doesn't do brakes that way..

 

The guy with the 4500 dollar one flaked out on me. Texted me late last night, said he was busy and forgot. No big loss there.

I found this one in Palm Desert (about 4 hours from me.) 2003, one owner, 61k miles. Looks nice. Beige isn't exactly my color, but the car looks well taken care of. Asking 12,900. Thoughts?

 

Too expensive for a 2003. You can get a 2004 sub-100k miles for that price...you could find some decent 05-06 models in that price range too. Just my 2 cents, I'd keep searching...

 

What do you think fair market value is for that car?

Good call though, I found this one shortly after.