Hey all - I currently have an IS350 which I love but I'm considering the jump to an LS460. I'm looking at 07-09's due to the price. I know 07-08 SWB never had the air suspension option, but the 09's did. The 07-09 LWB always had the option.

So those of you with air suspension with higher mileage (90k miles - 150k miles), how reliable is it? Specifically those of you with the datasystem controller. Can you post...

Your mileage:
Mileage that you installed datasystem controller:
Any issues you've encountered:

I'm definitely going to lower the car, so would anyone recommend I skip the air suspension and just go straight to coilovers? I would never do aftermarket air suspension.

Thanks!

 

While I can't answer your question, I can you'll definitely see a good number of used LS460's with busted air suspensions going for 25% - 40% less than equally-equipped non-air cars. That was my recent experience.

If an air-equipped car seems 'under priced', it almost certainly has a suspension problem... with very few exceptions. Even official Lexus dealers will put one of these on the lot for a few weeks (of course, listed as "AS IS" and certainly no warranty implied...) to see if it sells before sending to wholesale auction.

Could be a great value for someone to buy one cheap, perform the swap to non-air, and still have plenty of savings.

 

There is a lot of data about this is you poke around but to sum it up most will experience some sort of issue requiring a strut replacement by 100k miles. I replaced the right rear on my 04 before 50k miles but it was 10 years old.

 

I had a controller but I think my struts were bad when I bought the car 4 years old. I had the fronts replaced under warranty and it was an amazing difference in ride quality. But there are 80 year old grandpa's who needed all 4 replaced before 40k miles with no data controller. I personally feel the data controller should be used for parking only and ride on NORMAL SELECT mode (bypass) when driving around as the air suspension lowers when driving by oem design. Driving around lowered all the time would probably put stress on them and could lead to failure early

 

Well said and on point.

 

Interesting. I did lots of reading before posting but I wanted to see if there was any correlation been the datasystems controller and air ride failures but it sounds like it just craps out in its own regardless! Thanks guys.

 

Basically. .yup

 

Buy a non-air car and put aftermarket air suspension. You'll spend about the same on 4 replacement struts as you would on an aftermarket setup.

 

I been driving with the controller on 7 all day everyday at the 6k odo mark now. That means my struts were destined and headed down a path of destruction if I continue this then huh lol. Glad they're coming off soon.