I have a 2005 sc430. I have read that there were problems with some of the earlier sc430 years. What are the symptoms of bad struts. Is there a test .Is it as simple as open the trunk and see if it will stay in the all the way up position.??

Buddy

 

I developed a great test with my '02 SC.... I open the trunk, stick my head in to grab something, and if the trunk whacks me on top of my head, I know the trunk struts need to be replaced .
My OEM struts failed after about 3 years. First the trunk would close slowly once opened, and after a couple weeks the trunk wouldn't stay opened at all. I replaced the struts (easy to do) with a set from a guy on ebay and they've held up fine so far.

 

Thanks for the answer what did the new struts cost you were the oem lexus or aftermarket, which holds up better

buddy

 

These are the struts I bought. I think they cost more when I bought them last year...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TRUNK...W#ht_11095wt_0

They're not OEM, but they actually seem stronger than OEM, in that they are a bit stiffer when opening/closing the trunk but feel as though they can handle more weight.. they just feel more heavy-duty. The install took about 5 minutes, and I'm no mechanic. I don't know how much OEM struts are, but I'll bet these cost a fraction of what Lexus charges. Hope this helps, and good luck.

 

Thank you for the info

Buddy

 

I purchased a set off eBay as well. There where a little noisy for the first couple of weeks. Once they break in they should be fine.

 

I bought OEM trunk struts from http://www.sewellpartsonline.com

Lexus OEM Trunk Support - SC430
Price
$98.29

64530-24051-01

Easy to install, took me about 10 minutes, they work great. The old ones would not keep the trunk lid up, I had to use a broom stick to prop it up.