Still worth getting an LS?

[Abid221]

Hello,

I'm thinking of getting an LS30 (2004) with around 150k miles on it for £4000.  Worth it?

I've heard that the air shocks die and the car can be worth scrap because they're so expensive to replace.

Also, do the facelift Ls430s have the coolant issue where it leaks into the transmission and messes everything up?

What kind of LS430 should I be looking for ideally? I can wait and perhaps even save up dosh to get the one I'm content with.

 

Your advice will be appreciated.

Thanks

[lex - eleven]

Get an 04 onwards. I've had 3 ls430's none of which had issues with the air ride. You can get an oil cooler upgrade kit from lexus spares direct which will prevent the transmission issue.

[Malc1]

Adam hi. What’s the position with your 2003 Ls430 you say you have on your profile ? 

Malc 

[Abid221]

10 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Adam hi. What’s the position with your 2003 Ls430 you say you have on your profile ? 

Malc 

I regrettably sold it. It was an amazing car and just what I wanted. Had to get it over from Ireland. 

 

Now, in the mood to get back to the Lexus. My Toyota Auris isn't giving me my satisfaction.. 

[Abid221]

14 minutes ago, lex - eleven said:

Get an 04 onwards. I've had 3 ls430's none of which had issues with the air ride. You can get an oil cooler upgrade kit from lexus spares direct which will prevent the transmission issue.

So this means that even the 2004 had the leak issue...? 

[lex - eleven]

Don't know if it did but I aired on the side of caution and fitted one 

[DomTurner]

11 hours ago, Abid221 said:

So this means that even the 2004 had the leak issue...? 

I have a 2006 which should be the same as a 2004 and it had this issue - the joints on the radiator where the transmission lines connect to failed and I caught it just in-time. I opted to fit the oil cooler bypass as the other option was to buy a new radiator for around £500 which could very well fail the same way again.

[Malc1]

I understand the recommendation is to change the radiator at 10 years / 100k miles to avoid that catastrophe  .......... with no other adjustments mentioned above

I've also read on here at other Posts that there might be a selection of 3 different styled fixes on radiators to choose from of which just ONE is suitable for your specific car ..  so take care when ordering one and changing the radiator 

Good luck

 

Malc

[BigBoomer]

Yes, the air-struts can die, but there are cheaper options than buying new struts from Lexus at their ridiculous prices.
My 2004 is at 145k miles and so far the struts work fine although one of them is "misting" which indicates that the shock absorber part of the strut is leaking slightly.
If/when they die you can replace with aftermarket coil-overs and just remove the fuse for the air-compressor to convert it to standard coil spring suspension, or you can fit Chinese made air-struts at a small faction of the Lexus price.

As for the radiator, again mine is still on the original radiator but has shown signs of corrosion around the transmission cooler connections.
I still haven't decided if I am going to fit the Lexus Spares Direct kit or just have a new rad fitted.
Probably get the new rad when I have the timing belt/water pump done sometime soon. She needs a new thermostat so I'll get it all done at once.
The original rad lasted 20 years and 145k miles. I'll be 82 years old by then and probably no longer driving.

[Tomtit]

When one of my air struts failed I replaced all 4 struts with conventional springs and shock absorbers. The new parts will probably last the life of the car and cost the same price as a single Lexus air strut. I fitted them myself so no labour charges. The entire conversion cost about £1000 a few years ago.

[jonthetourist]

I think I paid £100 ish for a new rad 18 months ago. It's fine. Easy to spot the version you want by the connector and the bump on the top.

[Abid221]

10 hours ago, jonthetourist said:

I think I paid £100 ish for a new rad 18 months ago. It's fine. Easy to spot the version you want by the connector and the bump on the top.

Perhaps I'll probably change the radiator annually. They don't seem to be too expensive on eBay. Even a cheap Chinese one should last a year or more. 

[Abid221]

10 hours ago, Tomtit said:

When one of my air struts failed I replaced all 4 struts with conventional springs and shock absorbers. The new parts will probably last the life of the car and cost the same price as a single Lexus air strut. I fitted them myself so no labour charges. The entire conversion cost about £1000 a few years ago.

I'm thinking of keeping it long term so struts will come on if things fail. Thanks 

[Abid221]

I've seen a 2005 LS430 with 95k on it. 

2 owners and according to the MOT History it's only been driven a few thousand miles in the past few years. 

would £3500 be an okay price for it? 

Bodywork ain't that good. 

[Razor61]

2 hours ago, Abid221 said:

I've seen a 2005 LS430 with 95k on it. 

2 owners and according to the MOT History it's only been driven a few thousand miles in the past few years. 

would £3500 be an okay price for it? 

Bodywork ain't that good. 

Do you have a link to the car so people can have a look and give you some advice?

[donkmeister]

2 hours ago, Abid221 said:

Perhaps I'll probably change the radiator annually. They don't seem to be too expensive on eBay. Even a cheap Chinese one should last a year or more. 

I've only done the rad on a 460. It's not a bad job, but still not something I'd like to do every year (I'm assuming the 430 has a similar level of effort to replace) so better to go for OEM and keep to the 10 year replacement. Do the water pump (easier with the rad out of the way), replace the serpentine belt and consider replacing any hoses that don't look fresh enough. It's a small cost in time and money on top of the basic radiator swap job.

460s are a fair bit cheaper than a couple of years ago so you could consider one if you fancy it. It's obviously more complex than a 430 but I think Car Care Nut on YT has overstated his concerns about that (and at least some of the 430 optional equipment).

[jonthetourist]

On 10/3/2024 at 7:48 AM, Abid221 said:

Perhaps I'll probably change the radiator annually. They don't seem to be too expensive on eBay. Even a cheap Chinese one should last a year or more. 

I think 5 years is a reasonable expectation. Glen at Osaka fitted mine, and keeps an eye on it.

[Malc1]

20 minutes ago, jonthetourist said:

I think 5 years is a reasonable expectation. Glen at Osaka fitted mine, and keeps an eye on it.

What happened to the usual 10 years 100k miles Preventative Maintenance concept with these cars ? 

Malc 

[The-Acre]

On 10/2/2024 at 8:59 PM, Tomtit said:

When one of my air struts failed I replaced all 4 struts with conventional springs and shock absorbers. The new parts will probably last the life of the car and cost the same price as a single Lexus air strut. I fitted them myself so no labour charges. The entire conversion cost about £1000 a few years ago.

And as you will have discovered, a fairly easy job!

[steve2006]

They are still working fine too Phil along with the rest of the car, I jet wash the arches every couple of months so they still look brand new 😀

[Abid221]

I've seen a 2004 LS430 with 104k on it. 

Can belt changed at 77k. 

2 keys and 4 owners will mostly private service history. 

Doesn't have the wood on the steering wheel. Not sure why or if it was changed. 

Is £3500 okay for it? 

Your valuable views will be welcome. 

Failed on previous MOT which states the following reason for the failure:

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))
Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a fault (7.12 (e))

 

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks 

[lex - eleven]

Looks good and whatever faults showed up were obviously addressed to pass the m.o.t. most advisories were tyres and brakes so only ordinary consumable items. Only 2 fails in 20 years so a pass rate of 90%. Can't think why the steering wheel isn't wood unless it was badly cracked so removed and replaced with leather. Looks good to me. 👍 

 

 

[Tomtit]

1 hour ago, Abid221 said:

I've seen a 2004 LS430 with 104k on it. 

Can belt changed at 77k. 

2 keys and 4 owners will mostly private service history. 

Doesn't have the wood on the steering wheel. Not sure why or if it was changed. 

Is £3500 okay for it? 

Your valuable views will be welcome. 

Failed on previous MOT which states the following reason for the failure:

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))
Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a fault (7.12 (e))

 

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks 

The wooden steering wheel feels good and makes the interior look more classy. You could buy a used one if you really wanted one.

[Abid221]

41 minutes ago, Tomtit said:

The wooden steering wheel feels good and makes the interior look more classy. You could buy a used one if you really wanted one.

Not so fussed about the steering wheel to be honest. 

[steve2006]

They didn’t all have wood steering wheels, mine albeit a Celsior had a standard one originally I seem to remember being told by Phil and he replaced it with the wood one.

According to the mileage the car didn’t move between the last MOT fail and then the pass a couple of weeks later which would suggest it was left at the garage and repaired by them.

Given the advisories for brake pads and tyres I can’t see them still being on the car so more likely replaced.

What’s the service history particularly regarding the cam belt?
From what I can see in the pictures it looks to be in nice condition.

Price seems fair for condition and mileage but always worth haggling for a tank of fuel discount 😀