I've been lurking in the SC430 area here for quite some and just took my wife's 2001 LS 430 in for service. We were told that there was 5 percent wear remaining on the front pads and not much better on the rear. The vehicle only has 22,000 miles. Was told $300.00 per axle. This and my SC make my third and fourth Lexus. I've never had a maintenance issue before. Anyone with similar brake concerns or responses from Lexus on their brakes?

 

my 2002 ls 430 ultra. has 21,000 miles. the dealers are getting $600.00 plus
for a break job,which is pure profit to the dealer.most people find the ease of
service at lexus worth the $$. i found a good lexus mechanic got the job done for $320.00
with genuine lexus parts.

 

Dealer is charging about $90-$100 per hour for mechanic where a decent mechanical shop is charging half of that rate.

 

Did you go in the shop area to see your car brake pads condition? I don't know about LS430 but with my driving experience includes Corvette, SC400, Prelude, Supra, 300ZX I never had to replaced pads at 22K miles. Usually the pads last more than 70K miles unless you race it every weekend. I don't think your wife or you race your LS430...
I wouldn't let the dealer replaced my brake, I'd buy the OEM pads and have someone else do the work if I were you. I do my own brake so I don't worry about it.

 

As a followup to my brake issue, a meeting with the service manager and a phone call to his regional service director yielded a 50 percent "good will" discount on all four brakes.

I checked on the price of genuine Toyota/Lexus parts brake pads on line from a different dealer at approx. $65.00 per axle. I will be paying approx. $300.00 total for all four. I can live with cost- I still cannot live with a brake job at 22,000 miles.

 

I don't mean to mock you, but I am laughing out loud. You live in Florida...you have NO CLUE what goes on here in Pittsburgh, with hills like San Francisco. I went thru tires (Michelins...$850 for 4 installed) every 19,000 miles on my Mercedes S320. And I went thru brakes every 15,000 miles on the fronts...perhaps double that on the rears. It's just the way it is around here. I'd be happy to get 22,000 out of front pads.

Daryll40

 

Got the front brakes on my '99 LS replaced recently at a Lexus shop. Cost = $250. Car had 77K miles and was the second replacement. Live in So Cal, some hills but mostly freeway driving.

22K miles for a 3-yr-old shows the car is being babied. So it beats the heck out of me to imagine all four pads need replacement so early. Did you get a second opinion before consenting to their *goodwill* $300 gesture ? I would have someone else check it out, especially on a car with so little miles....

 

I just had my 30k service done on my 01 ls430. They informed me of a recall/defective brake rotor on the ls430 and replaced the front brake and rotor under warranty. You may want to ask the service manager for such replacement, could save you a bit.