2003 Lexus Ls430 - Electric Steering Wheel / Column Adjustment Not Wor

[n4chv]

The electric adjustment for my steering wheel and column is not working on my 2003 LS430 (Facelift Model).

A Lexus dealer has said I would need to replace the entire steering column at a cost of £1500 + VAT just for the part.

My local garage have said that the motor does work partially but it graunches quite a bit and that this is probably the part which needs replacing.

I have got quotes for a replacement steering wheel motor for around £200 but with the labour, it's going to cost around £400 to put this right.

Has anyone else experienced the same issue with their own LS430s ?

I owned an LS400 for over 13 years and never had any issues with the electric steering column adjustment so this is incredibly disappointing to say the least.

[mikeyv]

I've seen plenty of 430s advertised with faulty motors, but have also seen posts on here about the same fault on the 400, though I believe that the 400 can sometimes be fixed for coppers, as opposed to replacing the whole motor,

[Malc]

I'm sure that more learned persons will come along to advise BUT I do understand from comments here that your's is not at all an uncommon problem and the price you have been quoted doesn't look unreasonable. The Ls400s rarely suffered the same problems and if they did the repair was a small fraction of the Ls430 repair cost.

Bad news never comes cheap sadly.

Malc

[mikeyv]

Just remembered something else that might help you.

I'm sure I've read on here that Toyota Land Cruisers have the same motors, but are available for less than the Lexus part.

[n4chv]

Well I decided to take a gamble of £120 on buying a replacement steering column adjuster button (which came with the indicator stalk) to see if this would fix my electric steering column adjustment.

Unfortunately this gamble has not paid off and I'm now going to have to source a replacement steering column.

Fingers crossed the breakers yards will give me a good and reasonably priced result.

Disappointing start to my Lexus LS430 ownership for sure

[cruisermark]

im in a hurry so cannot post any links.

The tilt motor is easy to remove and replace but before you go and do that there is a plastic cog type part which wears out which causes the spindle on the motor to just spin and not actually tilt - please do a bit of searching and im sure you will find the info.

the telescopic function requires alot more dismantleing and i am yet to find a write up detailing anyone actually change this part.

you certainly dont need a whole steering column - my guess is it is the plastic cog worn out

[cruisermark]

theres info and write up here if you attempt it

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls430/674677-2005-ls430-tilt-motor-replacement.html

genuine lexus parts are cheap from amayama - 14 days from order to delivery

[ambermarine]

Great sourcing Mark

This is the answer and I believe Nach as the ability to do this .

[n4chv]

After speaking to my mechanic, his view is that the safest and best option is to replace the entire column - the motors are graunching a bit and whilst he has said that I could replace this 1 motor, he cannot guarantee that this will fix the problem. There's also the issue of labour too as replacing 2 motors in the steering column will take more time than replacing the entire column too

I'm far from happy at the cost of this but if it means the job gets sorted out, so be it.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I should have checked this before I bought the car and I didn't !

[Malc]

Sadly there are other posts raised in these columns relating to specific Ls430 issues which don't arise with the Ls400 !!!! ....................... Hopes you have just been terribly unlucky right now and once resolved your Ls430 will be as sweet as a nut for years to come.

Malc

[n4chv]

Thanks Malc - will keep you all posted. I am awaiting news from my breakers yard enquiries on a replacement used part now.

Not best start to my ownership but hopefully once this is sorted I will be enjoying a few years of pain-free ownership just like my previous LS400

[goldtop]

This was one of the regular 430 issues that persuaded me to go for a Mk3/4 400. FWIW, one seller whose 2001 LS430 suffered the problem with the telescopic adjustment (not the tilt) was quoted approx £500 by Lexus for a replacement, which I'm sure he told me included labour. (I didn't buy the car to find out.)

So £1500+VAT+labour for the whole column seems something of an unnecessary rip-off.

[n4chv]

A couple of breakers yards have come back to me with quotes of around £400 for a reconditioned steering column with 3 or 6 months warranty.

Whilst part of me is tempted to leave it as is, the car is sitting at the garage with steering taken apart so I want this fixed and sorted now

[mikeyv]

I don't think a second hand column is a good idea to be honest, bearing in mind it's a fair chance of going the same way as your current one.

In your shoes I'd either settle for driving it as it is(assuming that it's stuck in a reasonable position), or get the offending motor off and either replace or repair, depending on what you find.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Edit:- Sorry, we posted together, so the above now makes no sense.

[n4chv]

I had considered that a replacement might go the same way too but then a number of owners have said to me that bizarrely they've not had issues once it's replaced.

And I want the car in full working order so definitely need this to be sorted.

I also didn't realise there are 2 motors in the steering adjustment, 1 for the up / down and a 2nd motor for the angled movement - used motors still go for £150 each typically.

Disappointing experience so far compared to my LS400 (Mk IV) ownership

[Malc]

I think that your sad experience just about convinces us Ls400 diehards that we should stay just as that ........... diehard Ls400 owners whilst we can.

I'd be so miffed at having to find £1500 for summat that should never go wrong on a Lexus ............. but just seems to ...... the repair for the similar issue on the Ls400 is pennies by comparison. Your repair cost for heavens sake is the value or more of many of our Ls400 cars !!!

Malc

[The-Acre]

I'm surprised that no one has found a way to repair/rebuild these motors, I wonder if it's possible. I also have the same problem with the telescopic motor not working, although I did know before I bought it.

[n4chv]

I did take a small gamble on getting a replacement steering column switch as my mechanic said the motor itself was fine and working

I do find it surprising that the 430 has this issue - I have sourced a used steering column for £350 with a 6 month guarantee so fingers crossed my car comes back in full working order

As much as I loved my LS400 (I ran it for 13 years), the LS430 is in my mind a good step forward and I couldn't go back to the LS400 now

[n4chv]

Just a quick update to let everyone who posted on this know that I got my car back and it's in full working order.

The used steering column I sourced has worked absolutely fine and thankfully my local garage only needed a couple of hours to change over the old one for this unit and modify the replacement so that my existing keys worked too.

The used part cost me £375 with a 6 month warranty - Lexus wanted around £1500 for a brand new column.

Annoyingly, my garage said the motors in my previous column worked fine but for some reason the switches were not working with it properly - we did try a replacement switch but this didn't fix the issue.

I suspect one of the many reasons Lexus recommend replacing the entire column is that it's easier to do this rather than spend lots of time trying to replace individual components.