Hello,
I am hoping if I could get some feedback if the LS430 will meet the expectations I have on it or if I should look elsewhere. This will be secondary car. Primary is suv for hauling and long distance travel. Currently just my wife, toddler and I. We need a secondary car to get me to work and bring kid to daycare on the way as well as some in town stuff. I'm expecting this car to get 10-15k km a year or less. I am mainly looking for the most reliable car I can get for under 10k which at some point in my search pointed me to the LS430. The fact that it is reliable and also a ultra luxury car makes it that much more interesting. My goal is to essentially have the car for perhaps 3-4 yrs with little to no maintenance or major stuff. Preventative maintenance nonwithstanding. I can wrench a bit on cars with oil changes, plugs, brakes etc.. My concern is that at this point these cars are now closing in to 20yrs old. Is my expectation realistic with all things considered?

Thank you

 

Your expectations can be met if you find a car which is in good condition and well maintained. I bought my LS430 when it has 93,000 miles even though I usually SELL my vehicles before they reach this milage. I have had this car 9 years, gone 63,000 miles and have had no major issues ..... and the car still drives great.

I don't worry about major repairs, the car is very reliable, I am worried I can never justify BUYING another vehicle !

 

It depends on what you mean by "most reliable car" for under 10 grand. As good as the LS 430 is, there are several features that can fail over time. If you're that concerned with the age of the platform, you might be happier with something newer. Your intended use minimizes one of the LS 430's strongest traits: its superb over the road capability.

Also, getting a toddler out a car seat would definitely be easier in, say, a RAV4!

 

Thanks for the reply. I suppose I should elaborate a bit more on my post. I would look for a car that has had it's major maintenance interval completed such as the timing belt,water pump etc.. I was more concerned with the other components that don't really fall into any schedule such as rubbers,trims, bearings, cv axles, brake lines etc.. From what I've gathered so far these cars were just very well put together and these oddball issues that come with age just aren't there.. or there yet. I've come across this (https://tinyurl.com/y5bvr2lo) for example that has some rust on it which i can live with given I just want it to be a reliable set of wheels for 5yrs and not a showcase car. Sounds like I might fall in love with this car based on others experience here.
How DIY friendly are these cars?

 

OP you are where I was at 3 years ago. My hunch is your expectations are reasonable. I think the LS430 has a few things going for it. One, it was supposedly bulletproof (it's not as we all know, but very reliable and predictable--it seems its issues are in fact repeated throughout every car, i.e. consistent). Two it was an expensive car, and for older people--this adds up to a vehicle that was likely not driven hard. Third, it's a boring car. This turns aside much of the car buying audience, so it's a niche buyer who would consider one. I remember my buddy being psyched I got the LS430 in 10/16 because he owned a 2nd gen LS400 and thinks highly of the LS. His daughters at the time, being around 9th grade, said ugh, that's a grandparent's car, they like my wife's boring 2011 GM SUV way better (nothing screams soccer or ice hockey mom better).

The folks here like what we like and we like the LS430, so all of the above are to our advantage.

What are the givens? Timing belt needed every 90k. LCA bushings needed (or everyone says they are). Driver door actuator to break. Power mirror switch, tilt telescope motors, seat sagging, factory hood struts, rear subwoofer, these add up to thousands of dollars at a Lexus dealer. Aha! But you don't have to take the car to a Lexus dealer, you can DIY much and what you can't you can take it to an indie who installs customer parts. My theory is the reason people get rid of LS430s is they maintain by the book and one day the dealer tells them they need over $6,000 worth of repairs, so they dump the car. It's sort of similar to the weak hands theory in the stock market, things are easily pried out of them.

The main thing is to not overpay--take a fair price, then if it's going to need the known issues addressed, take off a fair amount for them. my .02

 

I was looking for a car with your exact expectations earlier this year and so far, the LS has met every one. I'm very glad I went with it.

 

That is a good point about the bending over since prior to the SUV we had my old subaru outback which although higher than most cars it was definitely easier getting him into the SUV since it just feels at your height to plop him in the carseat. I would definitely try and take advantage of the smooth ride of the car when I can!

Thanks, this is what I was looking for when it comes to common issues and luckily most of them seem pretty DIY friendly and or don't need to be attended too right away like hood struts failling or subwoofer breaking etc.. When shopping I would definitely look to see when timing belt and bushings were done. I will take the car for an inspection at a toyota or lexus dealership if possible.

Glad to hear, was MPG a concern for you? I somewhat wrote it off since the car will be used not often. I expect a tank to go for 2 weeks anyway.

If I mixed reliability, MPG and age (newer=better) equally in my buying guide I would probably be looking at a corolla/camry/scion/mazda 3. I'm thinking going for full reliability (at the expense of MPG and age) would be the LS430.

 

It was a bit of a concern since I have a 25 mile commute each way every day but I was willing to make the trade off for reliability and comfort.

 

I have put 115k miles on my 2006 in the last 11 years. Bought it used 2 years old with 13k miles on it. To date my total repairs have been as follows - 1. Driver side mirror motor failed (mirror repaired under warranty. 2. Driver side front shock leaked so I replaced both front shocks (cost $600) . LCA bushings worn out. Replaced both (cost $400).

Car has needed nothing else except regular oil and fluid changes, filters, one timing belt service, one set of spark plugs, and one set of rear brake pads and two sets of front brake pads. Most of the regular maintenance work I have diy and cost has been very low.

Everything still works perfectly. My car basically runs and drives like it is brand new - this is NOT an exaggeration. Like others have posted, for me the dilemma is how can I justify ever getting rid of my LS430, and what will I have to spend to get anything as good or better?

One caveat is that my car has been gently driven, lived its life in the South, always been garaged, and maintained by the book. This kind of care makes a huge difference in how a car ages over time. Buying the right LS430 from the right owner even if you have to pay a little more makes a world of difference.

 

This!!!!!!!! This is exactly what I did and boy did it pay off.

 

Originally Posted by Jabberwock

One caveat is that my car has been gently driven, lived its life in the South, always been garaged, and maintained by the book. This kind of care makes a huge difference in how a car ages over time. Buying the right LS430 from the right owner even if you have to pay a little more makes a world of difference.


Yes, agreed.....and then a little bit of luck helps.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I work at a oil analysis lab so if I do get a LS430 I can provide results on testing from coolant, engine, differential, transmission etc.. Whoever it interests to give an idea how well these things hold up on the inside.

I posted a tinyurl kijiji listing prior and would love to hear if it is worth a damn but understand if forum etiquette look down upon those requests.

 

Personally I think if mpg is playing into your equation, I would look at a camry. You can get a slightly newer car and/or fewer miles, with similar reliability and better mpg. Also its fwd which may be better in the snow (I dont get snow so cant say if this really matters but it's what I hear!)
It wont be as comfy to drive on the highway and might not be as 'cool', but it checks all the boxes - especially with only one kid. Also usually cheaper and easier to fix if anything breaks!

 

I think it depends what you're looking for. If you want basic cheap reliable transportation buy a Hyundai. They are quite good these days but you may hate yourself every time you turn the key.

I've had my LS430 for 13 years and granted have only put around 60k miles on it but it's proven to be a very comfortable reliable car. It DEVOURS road miles having been to SF twice, Vegas a few times and Palm Springs, San Diego, etc etc. I always arrive refreshed and relaxed even in crappo traffic. My friend who's family runs a leather business is amazed at how exquisite the interior is every time he gets into it. I loaned it to him for a week and he ran out and bought an LS460 (he couldn't find an LS430 he liked). If you get one i think you'll be surprised at how much you drive it.

IMHO the slightly extra maintenance expense has been worth the additional comfort, power and general enjoyment every time I get into it. Yes a new Camry will be more reliable but will it be as special? Will it make me feel as special?

Forget a BMW 7 or MB S Class of this vintage. They will kill you in maintenance costs; plus how many do you see on the road these days? Something fails catastrophically in those cars and takes them off the road. I see LOTS of LS430s still running around.

For what you're looking for I would get an 04-06 with the Modern or Custom Luxury packages. The UL cars at this point may need new air shocks ($1000 a pop with labor and online part; or you can replace all 4 for coilovers for about $1300 + labor) but all the gizmos in mine work. The massage seats and fridge continue to amaze as much today as they did when the car was new.

I think at this point I've done:

• driver and rear passenger doorlock actuator ($8 motor on ebay + 2 hours and some skinned knuckles)
• oxygen sensors (2 downstream of the cats)
• MAF sensor
• radiator (inexplicably broke during timing belt service)
• timing belt / water pump
• telescope motor ($300 on ebay and installed myself)
• installed Ipod Integration (optional)
• installed bluetooth integration(not needed on 04/06)
• refoamed rear sub ($20 kit and 3 hours)
• refoamed 2 door speakers ($40 in kits and a few hours)
• tires, brakes and fluid changes as required (not much more than a Camry from what I can tell)

So it's not free but even all those things added up are probably less than $3k; and these cars are going for a song right now so just budget that into the purchase cost. And that's assuming you'd have to do all of them at once. If you choose the LS430 and are moderately handy these forums will help you save time and money over dealers or independents for many tasks. Agreed with prior posts buy the best car you can find; someone else's diligent maintenance will save you money down the road.

Granted these cars are past the 15 year mark and will have some issues but IMHO they are among the best cars Toyota has ever produced. I was certain I would sell the LS430 after I got my 600h; but I haven't. The LS430 is quieter; smoother and the interior fitments I think are better quality. I still enjoy it every time I drive it. the LS460 is not worth the upgrade in my opinion.

But don't take our word for it; go drive one and drive a Camry and decide for yourself.

Good luck!

 

I'm in Manitoba. Have a 2004 Ultra Luxury, original owner car that was meticulously maintained by old rich guy. 320000kms as of right now. Drives like new still. Everything works in it and mileage is 10L/100km on average city driving in the summer, slightly higher in the winter and on trips to the cabin just over the border in Ontario i can get 7.5 -8.5l/100km easily. I am blown away by the mileage i get on this car. I had to replace a wheel bearing a few months ago, and i did the sub woofer speaker foam rebuild as it was crackling just last weekend. I am in the process this weekend to put in a new actuator motor on drivers side locking mechanism. Little things, that of course you could live with (other than wheel bearing) but i tend to be **** and want the car to be as new to me as possible.

I bought the car at 300000km last October for $7000. So, you have some wiggle room in that asking price for a 2001.