Purchase decision.

[riveracing]

Hi fellas, I'm very soon going to be buying my first Lexus. It'll be a LS 400 or 430 2000 model up to maybe an 06. 

I know this has probably been asked a thousand times but, which is the best model/year?

is there anything I should look out for when viewing a potential buy?

cheers, Martin  

[Bluesman]

Hi and welcome to the LOC, we are a friendly bunch and some of us even know how to pull them to bits and put them back together again, with of course the one bolt and washer left over.

If you are going to go for an LS400 you need a MK4 which is considered to be the best LS ever built for reliability & comfort. You need to go over them with a fine tooth comb as there are plenty that glitter in the pictures but when you get under the skin horror stories wait to catch the unwary. Get yourself a gooden with a FSH and she will last you forever. Worth giving the West Midlands a wide birth. 

We recommend you spend a couple of mins looking over the rules of the LOC, we will be asking questions later.

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/terms-conditions/

 

Regards Mike.

[riveracing]

Thanks Mike 

[mikeyv]

36 minutes ago, riveracing said:

Hi fellas, I'm very soon going to be buying my first Lexus. It'll be a LS 400 or 430 2000 model up to maybe an 06. 

I know this has probably been asked a thousand times but, which is the best model/year?

is there anything I should look out for when viewing a potential buy?

cheers, Martin  

Hi Martin, and welcome to the club.

Type ls400 v ls430  in the search box, then make sure you have a comfortable seat, there are a LOT of results.

[steve2006]

Welcome to the LOC.

The last LS400s rolled of the production line in 2000 so the youngest are now 16 years old but are generally considered the best model ( series IV 98-00).

There are still some good ones out there but they are becoming harder to find by the day.

The early LS430s seem readily available but again time and patience will be required to find the one you want.

The early 430s seem to have a few problems not present on the 400, height sensors fail, the transmission intercooler and engine coolant can cross contaminate wrecking the gearbox and the exhausts are no longer stainless steel.

[Scribe]

Hi Martin and welcome to the Forum.  I bought my LS400 nearly six years ago and afterwards put together this advice - some of which might now be out of date or wrong?  I don't know about 430s but there are plenty of members on here who do, so don't be afraid to ask.

 

There are never many 400s for sale, and once you’ve discounted the ones that are too old, clapped out, expensive, or too far away, you won’t be left with many to choose from.  Good ones sell quickly so it’s important to look at as many examples as you can, otherwise you won’t be able to make comparisons.  Be prepared to travel to find the right car.  I ended up buying one from 250 miles away, and did wonder at one point whether I was mad, but I don’t regret it because I got a good car at a good price.  It’s sometimes difficult to work out what a good price is - some sellers ask ridiculous prices, assuming that a car that cost £45-50,000 new must be worth at least a tenth of that now, and in one way you can understand why; but I’ve noticed that overpriced cars stay on the market for months until they’re reduced.  Mileage seems not to matter as long as the car’s been maintained properly, but things inevitably wear out with age.  I read somewhere that younger with high mileage is usually better than older with low mileage.

Service history is a must, because they’re complex cars that need proper maintenance.  Some for sale haven’t been serviced for 20,000-odd miles, which suggests that they need expensive work. 

• If the cambelt needs changing, budget for about £450.  I think they need changing every 10 years or 70,000 miles.
• Open the bonnet before starting the engine.  If you hear a roar it could be the top exhaust manifold leaking, which is expensive to replace.  The rest of the exhaust system will probably be the original (stainless steel), which should last the life of the car, but obviously you should check for blowing.
• Starter motors sometimes fail and this is expensive to repair because they’re stuck right down in the V at the bottom of the engine.  It’s difficult to know when they’re about to pack up, but try starting the engine a few times. 
• I’m not sure how you check for it, but you need to ensure that the power steering isn’t leaking fluid.  This can damage the alternator.
• Listen for knocks or clonks over bumps.  Suspension wear is common, particularly the wishbones and bushes, but mine has got through six MOTs with a bit of wear and clonk (more noticeable when cold). 
• The CD-Rom unit for the satnav is under the boot floor.  Sometimes the disc is missing.  But it's an outdated system (street name only, no postcode) and it's cheaper to buy a Tomtom than a new disc.
• If the bonnet won’t stay up on its own, budget for new struts.
• Check whether the car has the Dynamic Handling Pack – this includes slightly lower suspension, stiffer springs and bigger wheels with low profile tyres.  This version looks better (in my opinion) but the tyres are much more expensive.
• Gear changes should be almost imperceptible.  On my car, most are only noticeable because of the rev counter needle moving. 
• Heavy braking from high speed and then keeping your foot on the pedal can cause the brakes to bind, so check for judder when braking hard.
• Check that the trim around the inside of the boot fits properly.  If it doesn’t, the boot can let in water and become damp/smelly. 
• Check that everything electrical works.  This will take time because there are a lot of toys on the car, but you don’t want to be stuck with a dodgy sunroof, aircon, lights, seat motors etc.  The heated seat elements often fail because they’re not very strong, but if you’re like me you never turn them on anyway. 
• The electric aerial often fails, or breaks off in a car wash.  Budget for about £50 for a decent replacement (I’m told that cheap Halfords-type ones don’t get good reception). 
• There should be at least two keys, and one of them must be a master (these cost a lot of money to get chipped by Lexus).  I was advised to deduct £200 for each key not supplied with the car. 
• Otherwise I think it’s just general things that would apply to any old car you might be looking at.  But do read what other guys in the Club say – most of them are more technically-minded than I am! 

   

 Good luck with your search!