questions before buying LS460

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Mar 4, 2017 | 09:34 AM

#16

Tom2769

Driver

iTrader: (3)

Joined: Jul 2016

Posts: 127

Likes: 18

From: Arizona

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadfrog

You know, I'll NEVER get through my counselling and recover if you guys keep bringing up this stuff.

But yeah....it's BMW ownership that will bring you back to reality and have you truly appreciate how good the Lexus brand is.

I second that! I had a 6MT BMW 335i, and absolutely loved how that car drove. It did everything very well - until it broke. And it broke often. The repair frequency and cost eventually overshadowed the "ultimate driving machine" experience, and I sold it and picked up an ISF. Now I lurk on this forum because an LS460 is in my future in the next couple of years. I'm a DIY car guy, and I buy used and hold cars for a while. I still love the german cars, but I won't own another one.

Mar 4, 2017 | 10:46 AM

#17

Doublebase

Pole Position

Joined: Oct 2014

Posts: 2,561

Likes: 365

From: New Hampshire

At that mileage (80,000), unfortunately you are probably going to have to look into replacing the control arms, not a huge deal, but it'd be better if the previous owner already had them done. You'd save yourself maybe $1,200 if that responsibility didn't fall on you.

Other than that these are pretty damn reliable cars, I have 146,000 on mine and I've replaced some control arms (not all), and a wheel bearing...plus the blower motor. That's pretty amazing when you think about it - a ten year old car going through New England winters and only having three repairs...two of them minor. These cars are slowly proving to be one of the most reliable luxury vehicles ever made.

Mar 4, 2017 | 10:52 AM

#18

Doublebase

Pole Position

Joined: Oct 2014

Posts: 2,561

Likes: 365

From: New Hampshire

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nospinzone

The only significant thing to check are the control arms.

From a cosmetic standpoint, I have had the half inch wide strip that runs from the base of the windshield along the roofline to the rear window peel off. That piece is not painted, it's a wrap. That happened to my '07 in that mileage range.

One thing to keep in mind as you read/search this forum, people rarely start a thread just to say their LS has been flawless (like CRowe14 does

). What happens is an occasional person will join the forum because they have a problem. They'll get an answer, but then never return. That's OK, not everyone is a car person. However it can make it seem to the casual reader that these cars are trouble prone with control arms, ML amps, etc. The fact is they make up such a small fraction of the owners out there who have no trouble to post.

If you want to read about real car troubles ask Chris (roadfrog) to point you to his BMW forums!

You bring up an excellent point...this place is sort of a microcosm of the problems people experience with the LS460, and once you own one and drive it a ton of miles you get the real experience of what these cars are. Because they're pretty amazing. When I first became a member here this place almost scared me away in terms of being afraid I'd have problems with the car (hearing LS430 owners didn't help either), well the car has proven to be the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Not even close.