Looking To Buy Old Ls430 - Need Advice!

autobahn · January 27, 2008

Firstly, hello everyone. I just signed up today...

During March/April I am looking to purchase a used Lexus LS430. My budget is around the £12K mark. Thus, i'm probably looking at a high-mileage 2001/2002 model. I've been doing a fair bit of research and this appears to be the ideal second car for me. It will be used for going to work and ferrying friends/family around in comfort. My requirements for a second car were: supreme comfort, near-silent at motorway speeds, easy to drive, a refined ride, a decent set of toys/gadgets in the car (satnav and a decent sound system is a requirement), ability to soak up high miles, a decent amount of storage space and excellent reliability. The LS430 appears to tick all of those boxes. I will be doing around 12-15K miles per year.

Anyway, I need some advice on what to look for in cars of this age when I start viewing a few and test driving them over the next few weeks. What are the mileage points at which major work is required? How costly is this work? What about the Premium Pack - is this worth seeking out? Finally, I expect to keep the car for around 5 years and need to ensure that a 2001/2002 LS430 won't be a moneypit during that time.

I have another car but that is fairly impractical so the LS430 will become the practical car and my other car will be used for weekends and track days. I have also considered a used GS300 or RX300. Is the LS430 the last word in luxury and refinement and a major step up from those models?

steve-bedford · January 27, 2008

Hi and welcome to the forum.

bazgtr · January 27, 2008

I spent a long time looking for a "good one"

Easily don't know what to look for then.

I can't see these problems all happing in just a few months unless the car had been flooded or repaired badly after a crash. Did you do a hpi check on it or have a warranty on it from the garage? If no, then enough said.

The cars are bullet proof all years. If you have that much budget, Then you need only to spend around £9,000 for a LS430, But my choice would be the later LS400 on a 1998 plate on with premium pack and sat nav screen. A lot cheaper than the ls430's and you'll still have a few quid left over for a rainy day.

If you're stuck on which one to go for then PM me and I'll email you my choices from around the UK for you to go and look at.

Hunt.trophy · January 27, 2008

On my third LS and my dad is on his 18th (he had a new one every year since 1990).

All of them have beeb perfect, mine included which were older and with high miles.

I am now on a 2001 LS430 with 90,000 miles and FLSH.

It's perfect, every button works and is a HUGE step UP from the LS400 in everyway.

I had two LS400's, my last one was a 1998 with a high spec and I loved it. It had 200,000 miles on it when I got rid of it and there was NO issues what so ever.

I am sure when you drive a couple of the LS430's you'll quickly tell from one to the other if it's been driven hard or not.

Look at the rubber on the pedals, that's a good gauge of some one hitting the brakes hard a lot!

Good luck and keep us up to date!

January 27, 2008

Hi and firstly welcome to LOC,

I have a SC430 and haved owned the LS400 these cars are bullet proof and the ride are second to none.

I miss the LS400 as i replaced it, as we bought a IS200 for the wife and i could not warrent running two 4.3 litre engines.

All i can say is dont worry about the milage.

The alloy wheel can be a problem with bubbling, the boot struts have been known to go.

LS models have ever extra,

You may also want to up date the sat nav disc.

Steve sorry about your vehicle, but i find it hard to believe that you have had such a bad experince, did you have the car checked before buying?.

If you add the number 220196398482 cut and paste into eBay and your see one below with in your budget.

Ian

steve-bedford · January 27, 2008

..........

autobahn · January 27, 2008

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. The points made already are very interesting. I am used to expensive running costs so I expect consumables like tyres to be pricey. I reckon I will do a maximum of 75,000 miles in the five years that I expect to keep the car so a 100,000-miler shouldn't be an issue.

I may incur one or two cambelt changes in that time so how much does this work cost? Also, how much is an up-to-date satnav CD/DVD?

I expect to start looking for a car in around 3-4 weeks time but am just arming myself with all the information that i'll need to get a good one in the meantime.

steve-bedford · January 27, 2008

January 27, 2008

Steve i am sorry but it just like you got a friday afternoon car, real bad luck mate no offence meant.

Did you get your car sorted ?

Autobahn, i would look through old threads as to the cost of the sat nav disc from what i remember you can get this from Lexus for £350 ish

and there is a site that you can pay around £120-£140

I also believe that you only need to do the cam belt every 100,000 miles but i sure some one else will confirm this or call Lexus directly.

Good luck with your search.

Ian

steve-bedford · January 27, 2008

.

passman53 · January 27, 2008

The cam belt change interval was extended on the 430 and is 100K or 10 years, 400 is 63k or 7 years. A Lexus dealer will charge around £450-£500 to do this job.

Throttle can be sensitive and after 6 months I find it can some times change down unexpectedly, but in mine this is usually on approaching say a roundabout and almost stopping, a gap appears and on accelerating the car will sometimes change down to first. You certainly get away well but is a bit uncomfortable. I rarely have the box in the pwr setting.

My car has done 126K and everything works just as it was designed to.

I would buy a 430 tomorrow but as I have to have a smaller car for work ( i'm a driving instructor), I cannot justify the extra cost according to my wife.

maneesh · January 27, 2008

The LS430 meets all your criteria for a 2nd car. Driving 500 miles across the country in on of these cars is sublime. It's a weird experience, makes that long journey feel like a 10 minute drive. Beats same age S-class for refinement. I drove a 2004 model, and it was sweet.

Premium pack is more for the benefit of rear seat passengers, depends who you got sitting in the back!

Engines are pretty much bulletproof but it's a HEAVY car and the suspension will wear out and will require attention at higher mileages. Budget some money for that. Standard caveats appear, look for all the tell-tale signs that it has not been abused or neglected.

Personally, don't just rely on stamps in the service book to indicate a service history. See if there are some of the invoices for servicing too.

Don't buy the first one you test drive. Test drive several, to get a feel for how "worn out" and "sloppy" the tired ones can drive like. Usually, the BEST examples of used LS430s will be found at Lexus dealers, but they will be priciest too.

Good luck!

AdiH · January 28, 2008

Firstly, hello everyone. I just signed up today...
During March/April I am looking to purchase a used Lexus LS430. My budget is around the £12K mark. Thus, i'm probably looking at a high-mileage 2001/2002 model. I've been doing a fair bit of research and this appears to be the ideal second car for me. It will be used for going to work and ferrying friends/family around in comfort. My requirements for a second car were: supreme comfort, near-silent at motorway speeds, easy to drive, a refined ride, a decent set of toys/gadgets in the car (satnav and a decent sound system is a requirement), ability to soak up high miles, a decent amount of storage space and excellent reliability. The LS430 appears to tick all of those boxes. I will be doing around 12-15K miles per year.

Anyway, I need some advice on what to look for in cars of this age when I start viewing a few and test driving them over the next few weeks. What are the mileage points at which major work is required? How costly is this work? What about the Premium Pack - is this worth seeking out? Finally, I expect to keep the car for around 5 years and need to ensure that a 2001/2002 LS430 won't be a moneypit during that time.

I have another car but that is fairly impractical so the LS430 will become the practical car and my other car will be used for weekends and track days. I have also considered a used GS300 or RX300. Is the LS430 the last word in luxury and refinement and a major step up from those models?

AdiH · January 28, 2008

Firstly, hello everyone. I just signed up today...
During March/April I am looking to purchase a used Lexus LS430. My budget is around the £12K mark. Thus, i'm probably looking at a high-mileage 2001/2002 model. I've been doing a fair bit of research and this appears to be the ideal second car for me. It will be used for going to work and ferrying friends/family around in comfort. My requirements for a second car were: supreme comfort, near-silent at motorway speeds, easy to drive, a refined ride, a decent set of toys/gadgets in the car (satnav and a decent sound system is a requirement), ability to soak up high miles, a decent amount of storage space and excellent reliability. The LS430 appears to tick all of those boxes. I will be doing around 12-15K miles per year.

Anyway, I need some advice on what to look for in cars of this age when I start viewing a few and test driving them over the next few weeks. What are the mileage points at which major work is required? How costly is this work? What about the Premium Pack - is this worth seeking out? Finally, I expect to keep the car for around 5 years and need to ensure that a 2001/2002 LS430 won't be a moneypit during that time.

I have another car but that is fairly impractical so the LS430 will become the practical car and my other car will be used for weekends and track days. I have also considered a used GS300 or RX300. Is the LS430 the last word in luxury and refinement and a major step up from those models?

AdiH · January 28, 2008

Moderators Note

Only Gold Members are entitled to offer items for sale

Edited January 28, 2008 by janey

Haylands · January 28, 2008

Firstly, hello everyone. I just signed up today...
During March/April I am looking to purchase a used Lexus LS430. My budget is around the £12K mark. Thus, i'm probably looking at a high-mileage 2001/2002 model. I've been doing a fair bit of research and this appears to be the ideal second car for me. It will be used for going to work and ferrying friends/family around in comfort. My requirements for a second car were: supreme comfort, near-silent at motorway speeds, easy to drive, a refined ride, a decent set of toys/gadgets in the car (satnav and a decent sound system is a requirement), ability to soak up high miles, a decent amount of storage space and excellent reliability. The LS430 appears to tick all of those boxes. I will be doing around 12-15K miles per year.

Anyway, I need some advice on what to look for in cars of this age when I start viewing a few and test driving them over the next few weeks. What are the mileage points at which major work is required? How costly is this work? What about the Premium Pack - is this worth seeking out? Finally, I expect to keep the car for around 5 years and need to ensure that a 2001/2002 LS430 won't be a moneypit during that time.

I have another car but that is fairly impractical so the LS430 will become the practical car and my other car will be used for weekends and track days. I have also considered a used GS300 or RX300. Is the LS430 the last word in luxury and refinement and a major step up from those models?

Autobahn

Welcome to the club,

I bought a 2001 LS430 about 6 months ago with premium pack, 58,000 miles full Lexus history, no faults, and excellent condition for £12500 from a specialist dealer

Car has now done 64000 miles and is still going well....

I have changed the following

Tyres Dunlop sp sport 270's £120 each

Boot struts £74 from specialist (found out these wear out through lack of use!!!)

Sat nav dvd £120

I have a spare key on order as we recently moved and I lost the spares.... (Think I threw them away..... sob sob) this will cost £185 + vat. If I lose the only one I've got it would be nearer £2000 from Lexus.......

Sat nav is one of the best in car systems around, the Paul Levinson 11 speaker sound system is awesome, I thought the one in the Merc was good until I heard this, the VSC (vehicle stability control) is excellent, the LS430 doesn't suffer from the excessive wheel spin that the earlier LS400 did, the power is put down well and if you really want the 6 second 0-60 it will do it, and keep on pulling until you or your license give up.... the five speed auto is seamless, and along with the ETC (electronic throttle control) is a learning system and adapts itself to your style. The only noise at any speed is from our poorly made roads and passengers love the comfort. I'm 6"5 and my 6"2 daughter can sit behind me easily. The cruise is good and very smooth, the front and rear climate control works well as does the cooled and heated front seats..... I really do find it hard to criticize and I am getting fussy in my old age!!

The only fault that has developed has been the reluctance for the automatic door unlock to work when you touch the outside handle, it has got intermittent and Lexus say there was a bulletin on it and it needs an updated door handle and new loom.... apparently very expensive. Mine does work better when dry so will be a summer job to see if I can fix it and seal it up.... never really use the feature much anyway as when leaving the house I'm the last to lock up and usually someone is waiting to get in the car so you end up unlocking it with the remote.

I had a Merc S500 before, that regularly had faults and I don't think there was a time when everything worked... In my opinion the LS430 beats it hands down in just about every way, it is quieter and smoother, handles better, is faster, is much much more reliable, there is more space inside and I even think the boot is bigger, I can certainly get more cases in it but that maybe due to the shape and not the size....

Bad points... not quite as pretty, but hey I can't see the outside from the driver’s seat, and also no retracting boot handle to keep your fingers clean when the back is plastered in muck... I think Lexus really slipped up here.....

No soul !!!!!!! You hear this said a lot about Japanese cars... well I'm convinced that’s just a ploy put around by people who have to compete with others and have to justify buying the right badge.... I've had Mercs, Jags, BMW's, Range Rovers etc and they have all got their own foibles.... but soul? No a car doesn't have soul it’s the state of mind of the person driving it.....

I love it, it is about as good as they get, I have not regretted buying it and plan to keep it for ages.....and no I'm not selling you mine!!

Oh and Steve-Bedford I really do feel for you, I had a "Friday" car a few years back, you end up losing confidence in the car, if you want my 2p worth sell it and buy another.....

If you want any more questions answering then please let us know

Pete

autobahn · January 29, 2008

Hi Pete. Thanks for that write-up. You guys have totally sold me on the LS430! I don't care about the looks of the car as long as the inside is nice and plush. Do you guys rate the cabin of an LS430 as better than a Merc S-Class? I've been a passenger in an S-Class many times and found it very comfortable indeed.

Haylands · January 29, 2008

Hi Pete. Thanks for that write-up. You guys have totally sold me on the LS430! I don't care about the looks of the car as long as the inside is nice and plush. Do you guys rate the cabin of an LS430 as better than a Merc S-Class? I've been a passenger in an S-Class many times and found it very comfortable indeed.

A Merc cabin is without doubt a very nice place to be, before I bought my LS I was looking for a Merc S500 around 2001-2. I started doing research and after a while had a list as long as my arm of things to check i.e.

Faulty aircon (£3000+ bill this WILL affect every car of this age)

Faulty wiring

Faulty dashboard inc gauges

Faulty door closers

Faulty central locking

Faulty suspension

Faulty e.c.u.

Faulty gear selector etc etc etc

The list was getting longer after every forum and site I found. I even found a guy who had a 2001 S500 with only 70000 miles on the clock and it had cost him £21000 in repairs in three years, excluding servicing, thats £7000 a year just to keep on the road, now I know he is at the extreme but the evidence is out there, just spend an evening looking at the Merc forums they have sub forums for every part of the car and how to fix it....

I then thought about a BMW 740/750 another nice car but yet again plagued with faults and recalls

Audi A8 4.2... nice as well but depreciation faster than a fast thing losing money and they suffer from poor quality trim apparently...

All the time the answer was staring at me from my brothers drive, he has a 1991 LS400 and everything on it works, yes he's changed the wishbones and a few ball joints and it needed a new temperature display but what a car 17 years old and if you close your eyes whilst driving down the road you are hard pushed to tell the difference with mine.... and it was twelve times cheaper.... Still I wanted all the buttons and gizmos so it had to be the LS430 for me

So is the cabin of a LS430 better than an S class....... well no it isn't, its different, to me the LS feels more solid, press the dash anywhere on mine and there is no noise, do the same on an S class and it moves and usually squeaks, I think they ruined the S class when the accountants started designing them!!

The Lexus is not perfect, but you have to go a long way to find fault with it. When I go out to it in the morning I know everything will work, in an S class it’s a lottery, what button won't work today???

Oh and one last thing forgot to say before, I reset the trip computer when I bought it, I drive mainly around town and have averaged 28 miles per hour over the last 5000 miles at 22MPG... not bad at all for nearly 300bhp, and I don't drive like an old woman either....

Pete

chrisfs · January 29, 2008

Another vote here for the 430 (perhaps not surprisingly, although Steve's story is a sad one. But it does stand out as being exceptional on here).

Actually my story is remarkably similar to Pete's: late 2000 model (so one of the first), 57,000 miles when I bought it, looks brand new, everything works, £12,000 from a non-Lexus dealer. Like Pete, I spent money on new Dunlop 270 tyres, boot struts and a new sat nav disc, all for around the same cost.

I previously had a LS400, sold it and regretted it for a year, so have come back to Lexus and it's lovely! Bought about 10 weeks ago, 4,000 miles so far, not a hint of trouble, drives smoothly and quietly (road noise apart, inevitably on British roads).

Driving tomorrow from Bristol to Nottingham and back to watch my son play rugby for his uni, pretty much looking forward to the drive!

Anything else you want to know, go ahead and ask.

Chris

trooper00 · January 30, 2008

I had a W140 S500 and man, that was SOLID. My LS400 feels a bit flimsy in comparison. I think the W220 S-Class is not in the same league though.

I've never been in a 430 but the 400 is nice. Reasonably comfy (but the W140 was more so) Quick enough without being acary, good ecconomy too. All in all a good all round car.

Could do with a tad more space, a bit more power and a more "special" feeling. Then it would be perfect!

autobahn · January 30, 2008

Great input everyone. Would an LS430 be able to carry 4 adults (i.e. 3 adult passengers plus mysefl as the driver) in comfort?

bazgtr · January 30, 2008

Great input everyone. Would an LS430 be able to carry 4 adults (i.e. 3 adult passengers plus mysefl as the driver) in comfort?

My LS400 takes five six footers and all of us arn't thin, Me being 19 stone and the smallest being 15stone from Wales to Southampton easily enough. Tne guy in the middle of the rear moans a little, But we just stop once on the way and he's fine after that. 3 hour drive. Anyone smalller should be fine.

Haylands · January 30, 2008

I had a W140 S500 and man, that was SOLID. My LS400 feels a bit flimsy in comparison. I think the W220 S-Class is not in the same league though.
I've never been in a 430 but the 400 is nice. Reasonably comfy (but the W140 was more so) Quick enough without being acary, good ecconomy too. All in all a good all round car.

Could do with a tad more space, a bit more power and a more "special" feeling. Then it would be perfect!

trooper00. You have just described the LS430....

And to confirm bazgtr, you can get five huge people in one with no loss of comfort, performance or anything else..... and with duel front, and rear climate, bum warmers for all, coolers for the front and the "refreshing" (Lexus speak) massaging rear seat, all seats electrically adjusted, rear blinds all round, Mark Levinson 11 speaker hi-fi this is one of the nicest places to be......

Pete

jsj24uk · January 30, 2008

I bought my 2004 LS430 from a Lexus dealer back in September last year. After the troubles the dealer had to sort out (new keys, air-con pipe leaking, corossion on three alloys, major service, and discs and pads), all I can say is I couldn't recomend it enough. For somthing this big and heavy, it shoudn't accelerate the way that it does. I'm six foot 4 and I find that with the drivers seat all the way back, it is too far for me. Passangers love it in the rear with the electric rear seats, massage etc. It's not what I would call cheap to run but what 2 tonne, 4.3 litre car is. The only thing I think lets it down are the 18 inch alloys and never get one with Dunlop tyres on the 18 inch wheels. Get Michelin tyres instead. The road noise is not acceptable with Dunlops. It could be that my tyres are getting a little old though.

Also, be very choosey if you get one from Lexus. There is a suprising amout of ones for sale under their used scheme which have been abused. Most of them have been smoked in and if you get one with the yellow leather, it does start to look tired quite early on in life. Go for grey or black instead.

My car is black and it is the one to have in my opinion as it makes you look like an extra out the Soprannos. I was lucky to get the grey leather as well. Black leather makes it look too much like a funeral car in my opinion.

That's just my 10p's worth.

autobahn · February 3, 2008

Hi guys, I should be in a position to start my search in earnest in the next 2-3 weeks. I'm probably looking at a 2000/2001 LS430. When I go to view/test drive the car, are there any specifics that I should look out for pertaining to an LS430 of this age? The funny thing is that i've never really bought a secondhand car for as long as I can remember so am not experienced in the things I should look for when buying secondhand. My general check-list could be broken down as follows:

- Documentation (including keys/key fobs, V5, service docs, MOTs, repairs, accidents, tax, etc)

- Exterior (paintwork, dents, chips, door edges, handles, bonnet, boot, engine, exhaust, glass, wheels, tyres, fuel filler cap, oil cap - looking for emulsion, coolant cap, check oil level and condition of oil on dipstick, lights, indicators, foglights, condition of wipers, wheel arches)

- Interior (seats - including seat adjustment, carpets, mats, steering position - is it dead centre when wheels are straight, steering stalks, switches, windscreen washer, radio/CD, satnav, glove box, handbrake, condition of pedals, electric windows, bonnet/boot release, electric mirrors, interior lights including door and footwell lights)

- Test-driving the car (engine start/idling, exhaust smoke, gear-shift smoothness, ride quality, kick-down, engine noise, wind noise, tyre noise, veering to one side, any noise from steering on full-lock, power-steering levels when parking, instruments, temperature levels, any warning lights, body roll, steering vibration)

I'd appreciate any comments on that checklist and any Lexus LS430 specific things I should look for.