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Consumer Reports gives the LS500 some solid 5 year reliability numbers against its peers as we assumed it would. (2018 column)
Wonder why it scores low on paint/trim? Mine is holding up very well, but maybe because the paint is soft it is more susceptible to rock chips than the others.
I am glad to see that Lexus reliability/quality remains robust which is why I stay with Lexus for me and my family.
it’s good that lexus QUICKLY addressed the issues because this pic below is from 2 years ago.
So - LS500 owner here. Also have a few Germans - but from personal experience (and recent reliability ratings), to claim BMW is somehow unreliable is quantitatively untrue and does a disservice to how much they’ve clearly focused on improving reliability and quality. The reliability crown is/was Lexus’ to lose, not anyone else’s to take.
I’d put BMW’s B58 platform (In S58 guise) up against the 3.4l Lexus engine any day. I’d also take it over any Lexus V8, save maybe the very latest iteration of the 5l: it’s that smooth and that reliable. If you can’t have a blast driving that engine - you don’t have a pulse.
I agree with commentary above re: the complexity of this engine. I’d trust Lexus to do a complicated engine better than anyone else…but that’s on a relative basis against other complex engines.
Your luxo-barge vehicles - German, Japanese, British, or otherwise - will almost always have more issues than their midsize peers. Look at how much tech is crammed into these vehicles…the flagships have to keep up with (and beat) the Joneses while also planting a next-gen direction and ethos flag. A tall order even before the days of SUVs and their inherent advantages.
So - LS500 owner here. Also have a few Germans - but from personal experience (and recent reliability ratings), to claim BMW is somehow unreliable is quantitatively untrue and does a disservice to how much they’ve clearly focused on improving reliability and quality. The reliability crown is/was Lexus’ to lose, not anyone else’s to take.
I’d put BMW’s B58 platform (In S58 guise) up against the 3.4l Lexus engine any day. I’d also take it over any Lexus V8, save maybe the very latest iteration of the 5l: it’s that smooth and that reliable. If you can’t have a blast driving that engine - you don’t have a pulse.
I agree with commentary above re: the complexity of this engine. I’d trust Lexus to do a complicated engine better than anyone else…but that’s on a relative basis against other complex engines.
Your luxo-barge vehicles - German, Japanese, British, or otherwise - will almost always have more issues than their midsize peers. Look at how much tech is crammed into these vehicles…the flagships have to keep up with (and beat) the Joneses while also planting a next-gen direction and ethos flag. A tall order even before the days of SUVs and their inherent advantages.
Burn My Wallets(BMW), Volvo, Audi, MB and anything with four wheels out of the UK are untrustworthy lemons right off the assembly line. They always has been and forever will be.. Hyundai and Kia are more reliable.
Burn My Wallets(BMW), Volvo, Audi, MB and anything with four wheels out of the UK are untrustworthy lemons right off the assembly line. They always has been and forever will be.. Hyundai and Kia are more reliable.
Your statements lack veracity. MB, for instance, was the standard Lexus was trying (trying!) to hit at its inception. And its key differentiator was cost - a high-end MB prior to the disastrous Chrysler tie-up was no lemon… it was the literal standard for quality.
Disappointing that you call anyone buying a car brand you don’t like “chasing labels” and pretending “you’re not poor” especially considering cars like the M340i dunk on equivalent IS (still cosplaying as a “sport sedan” but hey maybe that chassis and infotainment will be upgraded sometime this decade to 2017’s latest and greatest tech!) , including the IS500, in every single category. I love my Lexuses but you’re just trolling with some of these statements - categorically untrue and doing a disservice to anyone looking for actual dialogue.
Anecdotal but my 1999 SL500 with 86k miles has cost me less in total ownership and total repairs than my LS and RX. It gets better gas mileage vs either (with a 5L V8) and doesn’t have a single rattle at 26 years old… the RX450 needed the center console cover and wood replaced within two years to address creaking and cracking noises and the LS needs a new massage bladder and control unit, a new master cylinder to address a TSB issue, and the ASIN transmission (which cannot hold a candle to the 8sp ZF unit the Germans have been using for the past few years) is slipping at 56k miles, 5k miles after a dealer transmission service.
While we are at it - my Ford-era XKR has also been flawless - though that one’s only 20 years old .
While Lexus as a brand is broadly reliable they’re not flawless and LS repairs are not any cheaper than 7 series and S class repairs - I’ve got the invoices to show it. While other brands may be less reliable, they’re not categorically unreliable.
Your statements lack veracity. MB, for instance, was the standard Lexus was trying (trying!) to hit at its inception. And its key differentiator was cost - a high-end MB prior to the disastrous Chrysler tie-up was no lemon… it was the literal standard for quality.
Disappointing that you call anyone buying a car brand you don’t like “chasing labels” and pretending “you’re not poor” especially considering cars like the M340i dunk on equivalent IS (still cosplaying as a “sport sedan” but hey maybe that chassis and infotainment will be upgraded sometime this decade to 2017’s latest and greatest tech!) , including the IS500, in every single category. I love my Lexuses but you’re just trolling with some of these statements - categorically untrue and doing a disservice to anyone looking for actual dialogue.
Anecdotal but my 1999 SL500 with 86k miles has cost me less in total ownership and total repairs than my LS and RX. It gets better gas mileage vs either (with a 5L V8) and doesn’t have a single rattle at 26 years old… the RX450 needed the center console cover and wood replaced within two years to address creaking and cracking noises and the LS needs a new massage bladder and control unit, a new master cylinder to address a TSB issue, and the ASIN transmission (which cannot hold a candle to the 8sp ZF unit the Germans have been using for the past few years) is slipping at 56k miles, 5k miles after a dealer transmission service.
While we are at it - my Ford-era XKR has also been flawless - though that one’s only 20 years old .
While Lexus as a brand is broadly reliable they’re not flawless and LS repairs are not any cheaper than 7 series and S class repairs - I’ve got the invoices to show it. While other brands may be less reliable, they’re not categorically unreliable.
Your statements lack veracity. MB, for instance, was the standard Lexus was trying (trying!) to hit at its inception. And its key differentiator was cost - a high-end MB prior to the disastrous Chrysler tie-up was no lemon… it was the literal standard for quality.
Disappointing that you call anyone buying a car brand you don’t like “chasing labels” and pretending “you’re not poor” especially considering cars like the M340i dunk on equivalent IS (still cosplaying as a “sport sedan” but hey maybe that chassis and infotainment will be upgraded sometime this decade to 2017’s latest and greatest tech!) , including the IS500, in every single category. I love my Lexuses but you’re just trolling with some of these statements - categorically untrue and doing a disservice to anyone looking for actual dialogue.
Anecdotal but my 1999 SL500 with 86k miles has cost me less in total ownership and total repairs than my LS and RX. It gets better gas mileage vs either (with a 5L V8) and doesn’t have a single rattle at 26 years old… the RX450 needed the center console cover and wood replaced within two years to address creaking and cracking noises and the LS needs a new massage bladder and control unit, a new master cylinder to address a TSB issue, and the ASIN transmission (which cannot hold a candle to the 8sp ZF unit the Germans have been using for the past few years) is slipping at 56k miles, 5k miles after a dealer transmission service.
While we are at it - my Ford-era XKR has also been flawless - though that one’s only 20 years old .
While Lexus as a brand is broadly reliable they’re not flawless and LS repairs are not any cheaper than 7 series and S class repairs - I’ve got the invoices to show it. While other brands may be less reliable, they’re not categorically unreliable.
"slipping at 56k miles, 5k miles after a dealer transmission service"
Why was transmission serviced by dealer at 50K mi?
It is not part of the maintenance schedule.
My LS500 now has 79K miles on it with the transmission working flawlessly and the dealer never mentioned transmission needing servicing nor is it documented in the maintenance schedule till this point. But like you, I needed to repair the massage seats due to the design defect under warranty.
FACTORY RECOMMENDED SERVICE FOR 50K MILES / 60 MONTHS
Replace Engine Oil And Oil Filter (Reset "Maint Reqd" Light If Equipped after maintenance at every 5,000 miles.)
Rotate Tires (Applies to models with same size front and rear tires and wheels.)
Check Installation Of Driver's Floor Mat
Replace Cabin Air Filter (If Equipped)
Reset Scheduled Maintenance Reminder
Reset Oil Maintenance Reminder, if Oil was Changed
Perform Road-Test on Vehicle
Inspect Wiper Blades
Visually Inspect Brake Pads, Calipers and Rotors
Add Toyota EFI Tank Additive or equivalent (Hawaii and Puerto Rico only)
Measure Thickness of Brake Pads and Rotors (with F SPORT Package)
Burn My Wallets(BMW), Volvo, Audi, MB and anything with four wheels out of the UK are untrustworthy lemons right off the assembly line. They always has been and forever will be.. Hyundai and Kia are more reliable.
and yet Mini reliability scores are rather good these days.
Might be a bit naive to paint all those brands and all models in the same light. Some are better than others no doubt.
The infusion of EV's might have some short term reliability issues that skew the brands?
Subaru has gone light on them and thus are at the top of Consumer Reports short term rankings. Toyota and Lexus fell because of the engine recalls. No small issue but they were the tundra/Lx model. Those engines made in Texas were the culprit.
Audi? the B9 A4 series has been very good. I'd say an A8 is a rolling laboratory of new gizmos and would have less reputation with the V8.
Our 2018 A4 Allroad with 75k has been excellent. Had a water pump issue but they paid for half of it. Most things were covered under warranty (recalls). Just last month we needed a new passenger seat sensor. It was installed with new leather cover at no charge. Audi takes care of its customers if you stay in the dealership loop.
Jaguar/Land Rover are Tata motors and those I would not touch. Of the Teutonic German build Audi has scored well recently but going forward with Hybrids/EV its going to be whole new world. BMW has some reliable power trains that get good marks. Mercedes seems to be lagging with quality in. its lower priced offerings. Not a good way to get loyalty and upsell them in the future.
Interesting note regarding Audi. I recently drove an A6 rental, mild hybrid I assume. It was a great car. Given the fact that I was not familiar with the car's various interfaces (Nav, Entertainment, Collision Avoidance), it was a very easy car to learn quickly and made my 6 hour drive really comfortable.
Guess I should have a better attitude toward Audi, but we owned three in the ‘80s and they were afflicted with electrical gremlins. Started buying mostly Japanese vehicles in the ‘90s and been happy with them.
Tundra/LX Engines
I have seen references to the Tundra/LX engines being made in Texas.
Not that it makes any difference, but these engines are made in Huntsville, Alabama.
Tundra/LX Engines
I have seen references to the Tundra/LX engines being made in Texas.
Not that it makes any difference, but these engines are made in Huntsville, Alabama.
Well, maybe if they were made in Texas they would not suck?
So lets dive deeper? where were the dirty heads made?
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