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Whether a person has had an A/S or not, statistics are your friend, and traditionally, a/s will need some sort of attention between 80-120k. Could they last longer, of course. But it is something you should budget for. Some decide to fix the corners as they need attention. Others opt for coil overs, which is a less expensive alternative. I notice you keep mentioning the word "fear". I honestly don't think the air option is something you should take on. Look at it this way... If you were to purchases this car tomorrow, and any one of the 4 corners fail, would you be able to address it without suffering a larger financial consequence? Would it be within your means to get this fixed? No matter how good the deal is, you'd still need to pay to get this repair done.
Have you taken the time to look at the car on the Lexus Driver site?
Yes, the car has had 100% lexus service accept for the last 4K miles...
Every car I have looked at, I have looked over them first, If there was more than 2 owners (not including the deailer), I skp over them. I have been VERY picky about this.
This is why I am asking....Thanks for your thouhgts !
Yes, the car has had 100% lexus service accept for the last 4K miles...
Every car I have looked at, I have looked over them first, If there was more than 2 owners (not including the deailer), I skp over them. I have been VERY picky about this.
This is why I am asking....Thanks for your thouhgts !
Since you have the service records you could check to see if the A/S has been serviced and when. If it has never been addressed then it's likely to need repair soon and the people on this forum can hopefully give you an idea of the costs. Ditto for the other wear and tear parts. 140k is a lot of miles and you should expect to see a few major(ish) things that have been addressed and a couple things that have been addressed twice. Look out for things that have been serviced more often than the regular interval too.
Why are the last 4k miles not Lexus service? Has it just not needed (or received) any service in that timeframe?
Also, how did you get the service records? The LS I've seen so far haven't had much in the way of records after the first owner/lesee. Even the one (I can afford) at the Lexus dealer has a several year gap in it's records.
I've now owned three vehicles with OEM air suspension of some sort.
A 1999 Freightliner XC chassis 40' long diesel motorcoach (full air)
A 2005 Cadillac STS V8, rear air only
My current '08 LS 460 L, air all-around...and I've been playing with it
The coach is what convinced me air suspension, when done properly, can be quite good. That beast has had nothing done to the suspension by me...owner since 38K miles on it, now has 140K...other than new dampers (shocks) installed. The OEM Bilsteins sucked, but $800 worth of Konis put it right.
The Cadillac did have one rear damper fail about 103K miles. Replacement was painful, monetarily, at a very nicely-discounted $1,200 for the pair.
I decided to roll the dice on the Lexus. Toyota knows their stuff, so they're likely one of the very few automakers (not heavy trucks) who, if they're going to do air suspension, they're going to do it properly.
My car has just at 100K on it, but I rack up at least 300 miles per week, so we'll see in short order what's what.
TL;DR, I didn't let air suspension scare me off, though I'm much more of a gearhead than most car owners, much less luxury car owners.
I don't remember what I was doing, but this was the new-to-me LS after week one of my ownership:
Don't panic, everyone. She's on stands, with the floor jack as a backup, parking brake engaged, and the RR wheel chocked.
I see the grille is out, so I must have been replacing the Nike light bulbs...but was curious about something underneath.
It was an extended exploration, too, 'cause the windows are down, battery charger connected, so I had the tunes playing.
This said, I'm in the fortunate position of having rock-solid, and long paid for, backup transpo for work, should the LS be out of commission for a while. 13 MPG is gonna hurt, but it's better than walkin'.
It is the repair bill that is scaring you, not the actual feature. If you are getting a great deal and you have budgeted $2000 for a likely repair bill then that is the choice to make. Personally I would not buy a car with a possible or likely $2000+ repair bill for a competent/feature that was not properly designed to last and will leave the car un drivable I believe if it is not fixed. What is bad is that feature likely adds to the cost of the car you are going to end up paying for when it is actually something that is likely to fail early and cost a lot of money to repair so the new buyer gets nailed twice for it.
It is the repair bill that is scaring you, not the actual feature. If you are getting a great deal and you have budgeted $2000 for a likely repair bill then that is the choice to make. Personally I would not buy a car with a possible or likely $2000+ repair bill for a competent/feature that was not properly designed to last and will leave the car un drivable I believe if it is not fixed. What is bad is that feature likely adds to the cost of the car you are going to end up paying for when it is actually something that is likely to fail early and cost a lot of money to repair so the new buyer gets nailed twice for it.
I agree. This is why I was worried. I guess I could start putting money away if I buy the car and then keep it just in case.
So I stopped and took it for a test drive. It was nice, smooth, supported every feature I wanted accept for laser cruse (WHY CANT I FIND A REASONABLE CAR WITH THIS FEATURE ????). The price is awesome but, the car is not perfect. A few scratches here and there but, I guess to be expected for a almost 10 year old car (is it really that old now ??)
I was thinking to demand to have the air fully inspected by Lexus before signing.
I've been looking at LS460's for over a year now, watching the market, prices and features. This is one of the best deals on this car I have seen. The next car is about $5K more with less features. So, it's making me wonder but, after driving it, it drives nice.
I was thinking to demand to have the air fully inspected by Lexus before signing.
Absolutely - Don't even think about getting one of these cars without a PPI by a Lexus dealer. Tell them you want the CPO inspection and a copy of the inspection sheet when it's done (just to make sure everything is covered and you can hold them accountable to that). It will cost about $120.
Of course, everything may be in fine condition when its inspected and then fail shortly afterwards but at least you done your due diligence.
This, along with many others here (just search) is a pretty good thread to read through. Look at post #5.
Wish I saw this before buying, the third party warranty didn't cover the 8 bushing so I already spent almost 2k having owned it for three weeks now. I checked the VIN on the Lexus owners website and saw the history, as well the brake actuator being replaced (woohoo!) and a few other repairs Lexus suggested but the owner declined.
I've now owned three vehicle with OEM air suspension of some sort.
A 1999 Freightliner XC chassis 40' long diesel motorcoach (full air)
A 2005 Cadillac STS V8, rear air only
My current '08 LS 460 L, air all-around...and I've been playing with it
The coach is what convinced me air suspension, when done properly, can be quite good. That beast has had nothing done to the suspension by me...owner since 38K miles on it, now has 140K...other than new dampers (shocks) installed. The OEM Bilsteins sucked, but $800 worth of Konis put it right.
The Cadillac did have one rear damper fail about 103K miles. Replacement was painful, monetarily, at a very nicely-discounted $1,200 for the pair.
I decided to roll the dice on the Lexus. Toyota knows their stuff, so they're likely one of the very few automakers (not heavy trucks) who, if they're going to do air suspension, they're going to do it properly.
My car has just at 100K on it, but I rack up at least 300 miles per week, so we'll see in short order what's what.
TL;DR, I didn't let air suspension scare me off, though I'm much more of a gearhead than most car owners, much less luxury car owners.
I don't remember what I was doing, but this was the new-to-me LS after week one of my ownership:
Don't panic, everyone. She's on stands, with the floor jack as a backup, parking brake engaged, and the RR wheel chocked.
I see the grille is out, so I must have been replacing the Nike light bulbs...but was curious about something underneath.
It was an extended exploration, too, 'cause the windows are down, battery charger connected, so I had the tune playing.
This said, I'm in the fortunate position of having rock-solid, and long paid for, backup transpo for work, should the LS be out of commission for a while. 13 MPG is gonna hurt, but it's better than walkin'.
oh yes! The "nike light" and parking lamps were out on one side of my car, if their dealership can replace for you it'll save you some hassle. Take a look at those when the headlights are on.
I put LEDs in there...never expect to be back in there, again.
sktn77a, there is a group of gearheads on G+ who said I should post this picture here, but not mention stands or anything, and see if anyone gave me a hard time about it being supported by a trashcan.
Wish I saw this before buying, the third party warranty didn't cover the 8 bushing so I already spent almost 2k having owned it for three weeks now. I checked the VIN on the Lexus owners website and saw the history, as well the brake actuator being replaced (woohoo!) and a few other repairs Lexus suggested but the owner declined.
You are able to check VIN and service history on a Lexus website? Where do I find that?
Absolutely - Don't even think about getting one of these cars without a PPI by a Lexus dealer. Tell them you want the CPO inspection and a copy of the inspection sheet when it's done (just to make sure everything is covered and you can hold them accountable to that). It will cost about $120.
Of course, everything may be in fine condition when its inspected and then fail shortly afterwards but at least you done your due diligence.
I think I am going to pass on the 2007 with Air... I found after looking a few cars I WANT a LS460L not a LS460. All the feauters that are acceptable are on the "L". I only wish I could get a reasable car with lazer cruse but, I guess I can wait till the next LS I get...
I found one with about the same milage but, from pictures it looks like it's in flawless shape without air, the color combo is ok, not my prefered but, it will work. The only problem is they are asking about $1500 more with less features.
Sigh more than I wanted to spend right now (buying another house in a few months and want to keep a minium payments)
There are many LS's out there with the laser cruise feature and it comes with a optional package that cost more. Don't cheat yourself get the options you want instead of regretting it. It took me three months to find the right color and options but the market is more saturated now.
I think I am going to pass on the 2007 with Air... I found after looking a few cars I WANT a LS460L not a LS460. All the feauters that are acceptable are on the "L". I only wish I could get a reasable car with lazer cruse but, I guess I can wait till the next LS I get...
I found one with about the same milage but, from pictures it looks like it's in flawless shape without air, the color combo is ok, not my prefered but, it will work. The only problem is they are asking about $1500 more with less features.
Sigh more than I wanted to spend right now (buying another house in a few months and want to keep a minium payments)
Originally Posted by dlbuckls10
There are many LS's out there with the laser cruise feature and it comes with a optional package that cost more. Don't cheat yourself get the options you want instead of regretting it. It took me three months to find the right color and options but the market is more saturated now.
i think the best chance of finding an LS460 with pre-collision/DRCC (dynamic radar cruise control, not laser) is among 2007-2009 LS460L's. Unfortunately (to me), many of them seem to have air suspension. Still, they are worth looking for if you want the PCS/DRCC.
If you're looking at 3rd-party sites, such as Cargurus, don't rely on just the vehicle description description for an accurate list of the options, especially from non-Lexus dealers.
03-21-17, 12:05 PM
