450H Pump Reliability

[sel1402]

hiall

i am considering a 450h used 76k but am concerned about the reported failure of the hydraulic(?) pump at about this mileage

it does seem that that those prone to fail fail around this mileage

does this mean that if you get past this break point that it is unlikely to fail and continue to be reliable

i also am looking at a low mileage 300 but prefer the modern technology but would not be happy to fork out lots of money for repairs that should not be needed on this class of car

any help or guidance would be appreciated

les spragg

have RX300 at present

[Carl911]

hiall

i am considering a 450h used 76k but am concerned about the reported failure of the hydraulic(?) pump at about this mileage

it does seem that that those prone to fail fail around this mileage

does this mean that if you get past this break point that it is unlikely to fail and continue to be reliable

i also am looking at a low mileage 300 but prefer the modern technology but would not be happy to fork out lots of money for repairs that should not be needed on this class of car

any help or guidance would be appreciated

les spragg

have RX300 at present

I cant answer your question regarding reliability although I've not heard that many reports of its failure.

My advice would be to take out a Lexus extended warranty. Yes, it's going to cost extra but if you work it I to the price then I think it'll give you piece of mind.

I had a year lexus warranty with my gs450h and intend to extend it for a second year when that expires.

Not much really goes wrong with these cars but if if does it usually cost in the £1000's rather than £100's.

Carl

[ColinBarber]

I wouldn't go near a series III GS450h without a Lexus extended warranty. Too many issues being reported compared to the actual number of vehicles sold. One owner has managed to fix an issue very cheaply, what we don't know at this stage is if all reported faults have been the same. Looking at some of the faults described it seems there has been more than one issue.

[Hayne]

Les,

The pump is a very simple, well engineered part which will last the lifetime of the car, as there is only one moving part. However, the shaft bearings wear out over time and will continue to wear until failure where the bearings break down stopping the motor from turning.

So, every GS450h and LS600h of this era will have this fault eventually.

I wouldn't worry about this part, as it is a cheap easy fix. A garage should be able to change this pump when instructed how to do it. It took me a whole day and a ramp including investigation time, so a garage should be able to do this in about 5 hours, plus £50 for the ATF and £14 for the bearings. So, it is probably a £300-400 fix.

The rest of the car is pretty reliable, but the inverters can fail and the hybrid batteries. The batteries can be changed individually and there are breakers who sell individual cell packs, so a failed cell looks easy enough to change, but I haven't experienced that yet (I'm looking forward to posting a solution to that when I get a failure).

They are fantastic cars and are great to drive being very high performance. But, clearly, they don't exhibit the reliability of the non-hybrid models.

I hope that helps.

Giles.

[sel1402]

hi all thanks for input

it would appear that there is a potential problem which can be repaired without perhaps the expense of a lexus warranty

from reports obtained the car seems a good piece of kit and may well be worth considering

it also seems that the pump failure does not disable the car but it carries on as a non hybrid

is this correct?

think i might buy a horse!!-probably drop dead knowing my luck!!

ps were/are all hybrid cvt or were/are some straight auto?

thanks for help

les

[Hayne]

Hi Les,

Yes, the gearboxes are all CVT, but have an overdrive gear which changes ratio at about 60mph (the function that the failing pump controls). So its a CVT with a 2 speed auto.

You are correct; if the pump fails, then the car runs in petrol only mode, but with some limitations. On hill starts, the car will be very slow to accelerate, as there is no electric power. The car will not go above 80mph as it is at the top of its variable ratio, without the overdrive gear. MPG is reduced by approximately 20%. Some people have experienced the car limiting its speed, by gradually reducing the limit (my car never experienced this). Overall, its good enough to get you home and to garage to repair the pump bearings. I actually drove for about 5000 miles with a faulty pump.

A horse might sound like a good idea, but the cost of my wife's horses confirms that cars are definately the cheaper option!!!

Giles.