Nice looking LS430 on eBay.

[mrdoofa]

Just spotted this on eBay, looks in very nice condition, full Lexus history, cambelt done, new radiator, everything works etc. I can just see some wear and slight cracking to the drivers seat and I’m not sure I like the blacked out rear windows but anybody looking for an LS430 may want to consider it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS-430-4-3-AUTO-2002-02-reg-112-000-MILES-FULL-LEXUS-SERVICE-HISTORY/253362928882?hash=item3afd9b7cf2:g:KI0AAOSwPypaWDLQ

[The-Acre]

Looks OK, although I've seen some bad examples lately when the seller says they're great!  Shame about the tinted windows, just doesn't work for me.  Serviced at the same dealer as yours Martin!

[mrdoofa]

I still prefer mine though. I still feel lucky that I’ve got one this good!!! I’m going to take some more photos of it soon but the weather has been rubbish, keeps trying to snow today. I’m not a fan of blacked out windows. If somebody on the forum is looking for an LS430 and don’t live too far from it then it might be worth going to check it out.

[dendonc]

I notice its' had a rad replacement, that >might< mean coolant has got to the transmission, I doubt that though cause it's says it has documentaion of lexus guildford services.

Al that said, the add says its only done 11k, compared to service record, sort of dramatic mistake for a pro seller

[ste42]

On 16/01/2018 at 8:31 PM, mrdoofa said:

I still prefer mine though. I still feel lucky that I’ve got one this good!!! I’m going to take some more photos of it soon but the weather has been rubbish, keeps trying to snow today. I’m not a fan of blacked out windows. If somebody on the forum is looking for an LS430 and don’t live too far from it then it might be worth going to check it out.

martin now you ve owned the 400 and the 430 how would you rate the 430 in comparison to the 400 ? with the 400 s becoming very scarce these do seem the next best option

[cruisermark]

This has been relisted - i dont know why

It was originally discussed here on LOC

[mrdoofa]

11 hours ago, ste42 said:

martin now you ve owned the 400 and the 430 how would you rate the 430 in comparison to the 400 ? with the 400 s becoming very scarce these do seem the next best option

I do prefer the LS430 over the LS400, that’s not to say I don’t like the LS400, it’s still a great car. The LS430 feels a lot more modern and feels that bit more refined to me. The LS430 has a lot more leg and headroom than the LS400 and it has more toys which I like!!! Some people question the styling of the LS430, particularly the front end saying it looks too ostentatious with the big chrome grille and big headlights but I like that!!!

I certainly don’t buy into this notion that the LS430 isn’t as well made as the LS400, its true the LS430 is a more complex car but that doesn’t mean it isn’t well made and the LS400 is by no means invincible, they can have their fair share of foibles too like any car can. My current LS430 feels very solid with no squeaks, rattles, knocks or bangs anywhere, it also feels less plasticky than the LS400 probably due to the increased wood, brushed aluminium and velour covered pillars rather than plastic.

LS400s are becoming increasingly scarce but I see absolutely no reason why anybody should see the LS430 as second best. The key with the LS430 is to find one that’s been well looked after with good service history and cambelt changed, change the radiator if it hasn’t already been done to prevent the water in the gearbox issue, check everything works (like you would any car) and that’s it!!! I got it wrong with my first LS430 from Old Baz and ended up with a bad one and admittedly that put me off them for a while but I didn’t know exactly what to check for then and that’s where this forum has proved invaluable.

[nickd]

Recently in Sheffield on a small roundabout on Sharrow Vale Rd at 9.15 in the morning,  was my LS and also two LS400 and for a second all on the roundabout at the same time!!! Either they didn't notice or give a monkeys as I flashed my headlights at them.

Anyway.....  had my LS since April and I agree with you Martin.  Find the best you can for your budget and it will look after you.  Everything on mine works as it should and with 92k it still feels and drives like a new car.  I love it.  To me it feels incredibly solid and well made.  I shall though take up the issue with the radiator with Dave at Lex Tek, he did it check it and say it was fine, but the comments on here do worry me a little.

[The-Acre]

11 minutes ago, nickd said:

Recently in Sheffield on a small roundabout on Sharrow Vale Rd at 9.15 in the morning,  was my LS and also two LS400 and for a second all on the roundabout at the same time!!! Either they didn't notice or give a monkeys as I flashed my headlights at them.

Anyway.....  had my LS since April and I agree with you Martin.  Find the best you can for your budget and it will look after you.  Everything on mine works as it should and with 92k it still feels and drives like a new car.  I love it.  To me it feels incredibly solid and well made.  I shall though take up the issue with the radiator with Dave at Lex Tek, he did it check it and say it was fine, but the comments on here do worry me a little.

One of the advantages of changing the radiator is that you get to have fresh coolant which has to be a plus.

[dendonc]

3 hours ago, nickd said:

but the comments on here do worry me a little

Yes, not so much the worry of needing a new rad but the transmission chaos which seems to follow. What I would personally do is first of all take into account the age of the car & with that in mind I would change the rad & drive round for years without the slightest worry or interest in the rad.

After all, very few cars have nothing at all go wrong with them in 11 years, age degenerates everything to some degree, the reason the rad has become so much of an emphasis with the 430 is because of the transmission problem it causes.............end of

[royoftherovers]

2 hours ago, dendonc said:

Yes, not so much the worry of needing a new rad but the transmission chaos which seems to follow. What I would personally do is first of all take into account the age of the car & with that in mind I would change the rad & drive round for years without the slightest worry or interest in the rad.

After all, very few cars have nothing at all go wrong with them in 11 years, age degenerates everything to some degree, the reason the rad has become so much of an emphasis with the 430 is because of the transmission problem it causes.............end of

Mercedes had this transmission problem too for a while Den, starting I think, with the W211 Mode.l

[jonthetourist]

8 hours ago, nickd said:

Recently in Sheffield on a small roundabout on Sharrow Vale Rd at 9.15 in the morning,  was my LS and also two LS400 and for a second all on the roundabout at the same time!!! Either they didn't notice or give a monkeys as I flashed my headlights at them.

Anyway.....  had my LS since April and I agree with you Martin.  Find the best you can for your budget and it will look after you.  Everything on mine works as it should and with 92k it still feels and drives like a new car.  I love it.  To me it feels incredibly solid and well made.  I shall though take up the issue with the radiator with Dave at Lex Tek, he did it check it and say it was fine, but the comments on here do worry me a little.

I asked my (very knowledgeable) guy about this last year and he said not a problem on the facelift 430, but I plan to check this again when it goes in for annual service in March.

[cruisermark]

1 hour ago, jonthetourist said:

I asked my (very knowledgeable) guy about this last year and he said not a problem on the facelift 430, but I plan to check this again when it goes in for annual service in March.

Well in the past there has been a small number of facelift ones which were be By broken due to this fault occurring and the gearbox going - so the problem does exist even in facelift models 

[The-Acre]

2 hours ago, jonthetourist said:

I asked my (very knowledgeable) guy about this last year and he said not a problem on the facelift 430, but I plan to check this again when it goes in for annual service in March.

The set up is identical so I can't see how it's any different.

[mrdoofa]

10 hours ago, nickd said:

Recently in Sheffield on a small roundabout on Sharrow Vale Rd at 9.15 in the morning,  was my LS and also two LS400 and for a second all on the roundabout at the same time!!! Either they didn't notice or give a monkeys as I flashed my headlights at them.

Anyway.....  had my LS since April and I agree with you Martin.  Find the best you can for your budget and it will look after you.  Everything on mine works as it should and with 92k it still feels and drives like a new car.  I love it.  To me it feels incredibly solid and well made.  I shall though take up the issue with the radiator with Dave at Lex Tek, he did it check it and say it was fine, but the comments on here do worry me a little.

Mine is a 2001 model on 125k miles and everything still feels tight and like new. I’d certainly get the radiator done purely for peace of mind and as Phil says you can change the coolant whilst you’re at it.

[The-Acre]

7 minutes ago, mrdoofa said:

Mine is a 2001 model on 125k miles and everything still feels tight and like new. I’d certainly get the radiator done purely for peace of mind and as Phil says you can change the coolant whilst you’re at it.

I was helping someone out today picking up an 09 Jag X type, that was far from tight, everything, and I mean everything felt so baggy and loose after just 68k!

[dendonc]

1 hour ago, mrdoofa said:

I’d certainly get the radiator done purely for peace of mind

Ive noticed the car originating this thread has gone again, It does make me wonder:

(a) if the original rad had leaked and let water into the transmission

(b) the seller was just getting rid of it or trying to before it got any worse as a result, I mean first it was sold and then back in no more than a couple of days,

(c) it's highly unlikely the average 430 owner knows anything about the rad leak problem until it happens or that it's best to change rad, so,

(d) that raises the question why would he change a rad unless it had already started leaking, it's not usual to change a rad in a car unless 'something' is 'amiss''.......

[mrdoofa]

1 hour ago, The-Acre said:

I was helping someone out today picking up an 09 Jag X type, that was far from tight, everything, and I mean everything felt so baggy and loose after just 68k!

I’ve had a couple of X-types, they are nice enough cars, comfortable and good to drive (especially the 4x4 petrol V6’s) but nowhere near as well made as a Lexus!!! I’ve found very few cars, if any that can withstand the test of time like a Lexus can.

[The-Acre]

3 minutes ago, mrdoofa said:

I’ve had a couple of X-types, they are nice enough cars, comfortable and good to drive (especially the 4x4 petrol V6’s) but nowhere near as well made as a Lexus!!! I’ve found very few cars, if any that can withstand the test of time like a Lexus can.

The only other car I've had that stood the test of time was my first real car, a 1959 beetle.  I bought it in 1973 and it was so ridiculously reliable.  Even when the choke cable broke it would still fire up first time in mid winter in cold snowy North Wales.

[dendonc]

52 minutes ago, mrdoofa said:

I’ve found very few cars, if any that can withstand the test of time like a Lexus can.

Yes, I've thought about that & I think it instigates a 'problem of perception' with some user & buyers, some of things I hear said sometimes about absolutely minor, miniscule things.not working 'like new or looking like new' causes some folks to become 'precipice of sanity' (nice one dendonc) owners or potential buyers as a result, seeming to by pass the perception(s) that the cars 15 to 20 odd years old with a few k on the clock & some wear & tear must exist somewhere about the car, TV, aircraft, cooking pot, bar of soap etc etc.

[messi]

1 hour ago, dendonc said:

Ive noticed the car originating this thread has gone again, It does make me wonder:

(a) if the original rad had leaked and let water into the transmission

(b) the seller was just getting rid of it or trying to before it got any worse as a result, I mean first it was sold and then back in no more than a couple of days,

(c) it's highly unlikely the average 430 owner knows anything about the rad leak problem until it happens or that it's best to change rad, so,

(d) that raises the question why would he change a rad unless it had already started leaking, it's not usual to change a rad in a car unless 'something' is 'amiss''.......

Lexus Sheffield replace the radiator as a precaution as they know about the issue, so do lexus Birmingham and Coventry, so my guess the person got it replaced as a precaution or peace of mind. I've had an ls430 that the radiator had been replaced on and I never thought anything of it, I've also had it replaced on my sc430 just as a precaution 

[mrdoofa]

My first car was a 1988 Yugo 45!!! That really was a bad car. I bought it in 1994 so was only 6 years old and it had only done 45k miles and it was falling to pieces, the engine was so rough and noisy, you had to hear it to believe just how bad it was!!! My first “proper” car was a 1986 Volvo 340GLE which was a very solid dependable car and never let me down

[dendonc]

4 hours ago, messi said:

Lexus Sheffield replace the radiator as a precaution as they know about the issue, so do lexus Birmingham and Coventry

Actually that really speaks clearly of the high quality service standards Lexus are capable of applying, maybe some of the other Lexus franchises do the same, cant think of any other manufacturer would operate like that on what are sometimes, by car standards, quite old cars, its good to hear reports like that