Hi, all....long time lurker, first time poster. I'm looking to jump ship from my current car (2006 Acura TL) to a newer car in a year or two, and the LS460 has been the vehicle I've opined to acquire for quite some time.

While I've spent many an evening following the forums and coming across encouraging information such ashttps://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/magazine/articles/Vehicle-Insider/10-Reasons, I'm observing an alarmingly high volume of threads indicating that in spite of many impeccable build aspects...well, the LS ain't all it's cracked up to be in the reliability sector.

I did a crap-ton of research before purchasing my TL, and it's been nothing short of phenomenal in the reliability factor. I drive a manual transmission and I'm on 184k on my original clutch with nearly 100% of maintenance done DIY from oil changes to power steering pump rebuilds and engine mount replacements. It's cost me very little trouble by way of replacing wearable components, which I do myself. Should I go for an LS460, I'm looking for something that will last many, MANY years.

What I'm reading in these pages are somewhat alarming in that components that shouldn't fail...are

The main aspects I'm coming across are:
(1) ENGINE CHATTER. In some cases, I'm reading entire engine rebuilds are required due to piston slap(?!)

(2) FRONT ARMS. Ok, yeah...I've replaced the compliance bushings twice in the TL, and its well known amongst our community they suck. But holy ****...$3k or so for all 10 on the 460? At 70k miles or so?

(3) ASB SYSTEM Brake booster and actuator failure around $2k

In my mind, for the price of the vehicle, these should NOT be failing and doesn't present a very encouraging picture for a prospective buyer whom is absolutely in love with the vehicle otherwise.


...so am I wrong in thinking that the LS460, for all its merits, is indeed plagued with some rather poor component longevity?

 

Welcome to the forum, first of all!

Yes you are wrong. You have to remember the people here complaining of issues are the exception. The control arms can be done with parts sourced online much cheaper. As can almost everything on this car. My car has 75K miles and has;t needed anything nor do I expect it to. Never heard of engine chatter. Most people that ask about the noise of the car have never heard a direct injection engine.

The 460 is a great automobile.

 

Thank, Greg! I take no offense to being wrong and fully well consider that those posting represent the minority. I appreciate the feedback!

 

Welcome to the forum. A lot of what is written here especially in the past is either poorly understood or completely blown out of proportion. If you go to any forum you will find people that have encounter problems but that is far from the majority of owners that continue to be trouble free. Not everyone's going to have every problem however if anything were to go wrong there are a few key areas that are more prone to fail just like any car. Fortunately the powertrain and major components of this car are solid, and the parts that were problematic have been revised in later builds and can be adopted to earlier ones. The cost of the repairs seem like a fortune but the reality is, it's dealer pricing.

 

I use to have an 04 TL. I miss her sometimes but it also had its issues. The power steering pump and engine mounts went out fairly early, My transmission went out when i sold her. Went from the TL to the F350 and got tired of the diesel prices at that time so when i saw a LS460L with the exec rear seat i had to jump on it. I'm happy with the LS. The one i found had been very well taken care of. Heres a pic of the TL with the truck in the background.

 

Welcome to CL.
I think Devh pretty much summed it all up regarding the LS.
As he has also pointed out before, if you are able to obtain a MY of about '11 or '12 and up, the general consensus has been that you will end up with a nearly bulletproof vehicle.
That's not to say that previous years aren't sufficient, but the few areas of concern regarding the older LS's (07-09) have been modified/addressed and nearly perfected in more recent models.
So many things have been discussed regarding this car in this forum, that I honestly believe that between reading the sticky at the top of the page and the search utility, also at the top of the page, will yield results/threads about many of the subject matters which may interest you and much, much more.
This forum is a great place.

 

Make sure you get the 2013+ models..

Our 2007, which we bought new, hasn't give us too much mechanical issues yet @ 75k miles.
We did have the brake actuator replaced under warranty, but recently paid $3k on the other Lexus. I am afraid that it'll go out on the LS again and another $3k down the drain.

The quality of interior parts are sub-par from my point of view. Few of our radio button lights are out, the dash is starting to crack, the vinyl (fake-leather) part of the interior stains way too easily. Trunk rubber piece is melting, rear door courtesy light sensor works time to time. Just a list of nick-picking details, but "flaws" in my book nonetheless.

Also remember that parts for this car will cost more than your TL's parts. Just because this was a $75k+ car compared to $40k+ car.. even though you can pick up an used LS for $25k.

Also, unless you are going to redo the sound system in the car, please get the ML audio. We have the standard radio, and it is VERY weak. Probably much worse than your TL's system, but definitely worse.

The wind noise.. Every time I drive this car, the wind noise is very noticeable. I know it comes from the sideview mirror area. Seems like the wind "collects" there somehow. I would pay to have the wind reduced, but no one knows the solution...

 

I remember when there was this so called piston slap issue reported by an owner that created a lot of controversy. Then you had those that thought they had the same problem which gave everyone the illusion something was majorily wrong. This whole thing was based on hearsay when the reality is there was no TSB documentation on the issue. Now that we are seeing cars that have crossed the 100k mark we are getting a better picture of the cars real reliability and the stigma is fading away. Earlier models can use the updated parts and the parts are available by third party manufactures. It's not going to be a big deal for a used car of this vintage especially when we will have access to ten years of salvaged parts which will further drive down the cost of ownership.

 

You don't need a 2013 plus car to have a good LS460. I would say 2010 would be a great starting point with only the early 2010s to worry about possible control arm issues that can be addressed.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the interior of the LS. Bad interiors are usually the result of the past owners habits and possibly bad luck on your build as you have a unique problem that is not common. My interior is made with high quality parts better than the BMW that came before it. You know you are in a car with a quality interior and if it wasn't I would have walked. I had the wind noise issue and it was an inexpensive ten minute fix.

 

Welcome Deathmetal! You've come to the right place for your questions/concerns.

What Dev stated above is bang on. My 2008 with nearly 100k miles has been the most reliable car I've ever owned.....and I've owned MANY (and still do LOL). I am a spirited driver....I don't baby it. The only issues I've had was the water pump (55 bucks to replace and DIY) and the mufflers which cost me 400 bucks at a local shop. I've had no other items replaced that some think are so common. No bushings, no brake actuator, no amp failure, and no other problems to speak of. BUT......even if I did have the control arms problem, that's a cheap and easy fix. Complete control arm assemblies on Ebay will run you 500-700 dollars, and an amp repair (if you have the Mark Levinson system) will cost 750 tops. The engine and transmission, diff, and electricals are bullet proof. You sound like a DIY'er like me, so this car should be right up your alley. I do most all maintenance myself as well as repairs. The only things I don't do is the brake flushes and the transmission flushes because they require Techstream to do PROPERLY. Brake flushes at my Toyota dealer are 99 dollars and trans fluid changes are 149. I do my oil changes using Toyota 0W20 synthetic and a genuine Toyota filter for about 60 bucks. My current oil change interval is 10k miles.

 

While my 08 had minor wind noise at speed, I took care of it by the well documneted solution found here at CL. The "JMMcraney" fix. I replaced the two sail panels and applied the silicon sealant etc. No more wind noise.

 

The arms are a weak spot, and an expensive one if you use OEM parts, no doubt about it. The good news is you should only have to do it once. The new OEM arms seem to be lasting as long as they should. (After 150+k you can expect any bushings to fail.) I had to replace all of the arms on my '08 on purchase, with only 43k, and it was pricey but made a big difference to steering quality.

Brake actuator and amp failures do happen but they're not as common. Many of the complaints about the brake actuator don't involve actual failure, but strange noises and non-linear braking action. The non-linear braking action is kind of a characteristic of the car... ours was one of the first electronic braking systems and the "feel" wasn't perfected yet.

Other weak spots like the water pump, the battery, and doorjamb switches are relatively cheap/easy to fix. For big and complicated luxury cars these are very reliable.

 

Hello Deathmetal: there are a few on this forum that will tell you there are no problems with these cars in one post and tell you they realize all of the cars have the problem in another.

The LS is a spectacular automobile and has few rivals. The Acuras handle better and are more reliable. The LS parts that are problematic are easily replaced and reasonably sourced. If you want to drive a car with stellar coach-works and manageable issues you have few to choose from. The Lexus is extraordinarily reliable when compared to Mercedes S and BMW 7's. And that is why the Lexus has the aura that it has earned.

6-speed TL was actually a performance model per the vin description...nice ride. I had the Type2 6-speed coupe.

 

DeathMetal - As a former BMW, Audi, MB, and Cadillac owner my LS 460 gives a new meaning to the word reliability. My LS is so much more reliable. The Acura isn't in the same class and the LS quality is so much better. I haven't any of the problems you mentioned. I once considered a Acura but it wasn't large enough to suit my needs. Its a division of Honda and Hondas are known for reliability and durability. I have a 2000 Honda Accord with 248K miles and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across the country but my LS would make the trip so much more enjoyable.

 

One possible interior issue: Some 2007 LS460's within a certain Zvin Range apparently have the cracked/melting dashboard/door panel problem that was found in other Lexus models. To its credit, Lexus eventually accepted responsibility for this and sent letters to owners of affected vehicles, offering to fix the problem for free or to reimburse owners who had fixed the problem already.