While a lot of time has been spent on discussing noise, not a lot has been spent on discussing the possibility that what is being heard is turbulence from the outside mirror area. The major difference between the 02 LS 430 and the 08 is the position of the mirror itself. The 02 mirror is fixed to the base of the "A" pillar and the 08 is mounted on the door. The significance of this the that wind now travels between the mirror and the base of the window on the newer models. A good way to tell if a repair has been preformed correctly (if it was performed at all) is at freeway speed, just tap the window down the smallest amount you can. If the noise decreases, there is a sealing problem. If it doesn't, you may just be hearing turbulence, something you might not hear if the car wasn't so darn quiet.

 

Thanks for that very direct answer Jeff. I actually sent a copy of the Lexus service bulletin to the salesman at the dealership to see if that service had been done to the '08 that I'd probably buy if it didn't at times sound like an open cockpit. Be curious to see what they say, I'm sure there are a fair number of folks out there who'd buy the car with the noise so even though it's a CPO it might not be worth their time to do the service outlined in the bulletin. We shall see. Many thanks again.