As I have written in previous posts, I purchased a CPO 2011 LS SWB a month ago. After learning about all the wow and gee whiz features, which as a gadget lover I really do like and appreciate, I have this nagging question about the reliability of all the computer driven things in this car.

I had somewhat the same feeling when engine computers began dominating cars. However, I have only know one person who had a computer failure (in a BMW) but it left him stranded in another state.

What has been your experiences with the Lexus LS electronics long term? Any gone kaput? Any lockups? Have you been left stranded by an electronics failure? I can imagine very expensive repairs for the multiple computers, correct?

Thanks for your input!

 

None to date. I am driving my third Lexus, A GS, SC, an LS. They were problem free.

 

I'm a relatively new owner like you and I have searched this forum as far as 2009 for a pattern of problems that could be inherent. The electronics in this car like most Toyota cars and trucks is not sophisticated like that of a BMW which is known for some idrive failures that are not covered in the CPO warranty.
I like the way Toyota implements technology keeping it reliable and it is one of the main reasons why I purchased this car.

 

I haven't had any problems, but I have thought about the ramifications down the road. Such as what would be the cost of replacing certain electronics, and even if you could get them once the car is 10 or 15 years old.

Some time ago a member here posted that it cost $11,000 to replace the nav screen. It didn't go bad, his wife or girlfriend smashed it, but the point was how expensive it would be to replace it.

I recently had to give up my beloved Infiniti Q45a (the "a" stood for active suspension). Even though I maintained it well, too much stuff was failing and it just wasn't worth the cost. One problem is I live in the northeast and the salt raises havoc on the car. At one point my active suspension failed. It was a fluid based system and the metal lines that fed the rear suspension all corroded. The car was a '95 and Infiniti discontinued the active suspension model in '96. Consequently when I had my problem in 2009, you couldn't get replacement parts. No dealer had them and I couldn't even get them from Japan. Fortunately I had a great mechanic and he fashioned commercial grade hydraulic tubing to repair it.

I'm wondering if down the road if an electronic part fails if you will even be able to find a replacement at any cost.

 

I would not worry about it too much. As this car gets older you can rely on recycling as it has become better then ever to locate parts. You can find almost anything and it gets cheaper every year for these parts. It may become a problem after 20 years but by then you would probably move on to something else. Third party suppliers will also take over much of the manufacturing as well.

The best thing to stay away from is any kind of electronic suspension system as they never have a good track record for reliability. The regular struts for this car is only $100 a corner and probably will not need to be replaced until 100k miles.

 

ive been a tech at a lexus dealer for 7 years. The only electronics problems ive seen on the ls460s are radios and amps.

 

My brother recently replaced the amp in his ML system on an 07 LS. Incredibly expensive from dealer, but thanks to this forum he got it repaired for much, much less.

Thanks to all for the responses. I was sitting in the car this morning ready to go to church and thought about all that could go wrong with all the microprocessors running everything. Sounds like Lexus has a good track record on the critical computer systems - good to know!

 

I have had the amp, sub and one window regulator replaced all under CPO warranty. I paid for the window trim for the drivers side which caused the regulator failure. I'm super happy since it's already covered the cost of extending the warranty.

 

ive recently seen some starters replaced. And if a ls460 ever has a no start concern there is a ground near the battery on the inside of the right front fender that gets corroded and wont allow anything to come on

 

Thanks, that's a good tip for me living in the northeast with ample rain and salt on the roads in winter.

 

These cars are very reliable generally. It is the most reliable car in the Lexus line up. I have read that on more than a few occasions

 

I think it might be depending on options chosen. The engine and transmission seem to be bullet proof for the most part.

One problem that I do see is a lack of DIY on this forum so when something goes wrong there is not many that have advice on how to do the work. I just looked up how difficult it might be to change the starter motor and it doesn't seem to difficult based on where it's located. I wonder if it is covered under the 6/70 power train warranty.

 

The starter motor should be covered under the 6/70 warranty. The power train warranty is supposed to cover everything mechanical that makes the car move. Some years back, out of original warranty, the power train warranty even covered a warped hub.

 

Good to know. Something I don't have to worry about until the middle of 2017.

 

If you look at the LS400 and LS430 it is incredible how reliable they are over time. The reliability has slipped a little with the 460 but not much. The main difference is the cost of replacement parts with the 460 is much more expensive. As the car ages it will go down but to repair one without warranty can just be ridiculous. The LS series electronics have been almost bulletproof. Head units and amps as mentioned are the most common. Even the ecu`s from 90-97, that are exhibiting more capacitor failures and leakage are not very expensive to have fixed or sourced.