Autrey

I recently purchased one of these cars. About six weeks after I began having problems. I have read numerous threads on the problems people have had with this specific model. I have learned how little I knew about Lexus cars and newer cars in general. Rather than continuing to search for answers in the problems, I wondered if I might learn something useful from people who are happy with their 2006 GS300.

If there are folks that have these cars and still enjoy them, would you be willing to share your experience. How you maintain the car. How you have addressed the common issues. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

KaloBesh

'07 GS300 owner, love the car. This is the most reliable car that I have ever owned. Oil consumption was a big issue for me, at the beginning of ownership, but now - I don't really care that much. The car runs great. The only thing that I don't like is the rattles in the cabin, coming from the plastics. But I might try fixing that in the summer or spring

MX73

I like my '06 GS300 minus the rattles that I'm tackling right now. I already located all the rattles. I just need to order more rolls of felt tape.

I don't mind the oil consumption issue either. I top off at 2500 and carry on to 5k. It gives me the opportunity to clean my engine bay.

I also redline it once a month to keep the carbon issue at bay. No issues at 150k for the 4 years I have owned it.

Autrey

THANKS, MX73,

I am going to have to keep this car for a while. I think I really paid too much for it, but I really liked it. Have you changed the transmission fluid? That may be where I went wrong.

Autrey

Thanks for the reply Kalo Besh. As I understand the situation the 2007 is a different engine and transmission and a much better car.

MX73

I'm in the same boat. I paid way too much for 300. For a grand more, I could have gotten the GS350. I haven't changed the transmission fluid. IF I do that now, I may end up with a bigger issue. If I drain the fluid, I drain all the friction stuff that the clutch pack would need to possibly function correctly.

Actually, The GS300 went on for a couple of years around the world. There are two different versions of the 300. One with DI and the other without. I think the Middle East and some Asian countries don't have the DI engine.

verly6565

06 was the first year of this body style the engine wasent refined till 2007 on up,i had a 2006 it started idling poor and burning alot of oil....lexus rebuilt the engine for free

KaloBesh

I think mine is just before the facelift, since the nav unit is the updated one, the gearbox is Aisin A960E and the engine is the FSE one, not the FE(but I am not quite sure, only that the nav unit is like the newer models). Checking the VIN number doesn't help either since it doesn't give me the year build :/ . Still, rattles aside, I love the car .

About the transmission fluid - I drained 1.1L(as by specs for that transmission) and it seemed that the car was well taken care of, since the fluid was clean and the transmission shifts like a dream(knock on wood). The engine idles at about 650 RPM always, when it reaches operating temperature. What problems are you having with yours?

Autrey

I took the car to get the exhaust checked for a clunking noise and leaks. After they drove the car I had a Slip Indicator light, a Check Engine light and an extremely harsh downshift from second to first. I reset the ECU and the lights went out and the downshift was again normal.

I had the transmission checked and the fluid changed. The mechanic said it was "throwing" a lot of codes and probably needed to be replace. The next day, while maneuvering at tight space I bumped a curb with the right front wheel. The Slip Indicator and Check Engine light immediately came on. I took to another shop hoping they would suggest something besides a new transmission. They said they were getting 19 codes They checked for "loose gounds or connectors" and did not find anything. They reset the codes, drove the car, checked the transmission again and got no errors.

After driving the car about 25 miles it refused to shift up from third. They thought it might be low on fluid and I will have that checked tomorrow.