Buying 430/450H Down Under

[Pazzer]

Hi everyone

great forum here - a lot more active than the Aussie one. Hopefully being a Pom you will tolerate me!

I'm considering buying a 430 or a 450h. For my budget I'm looking at 2005/6 models. Here in Australia the hybrids come at a premium - typically 20% more than the V8. So the trade off for me is the efficiency vs the upfront cost. I intend to keep the car for at least 4 years.

One key concern is the life of the batteries on the hybrid. Anything I look at will be out of warranty and I'm nervous about a Battery fail and associated cost. What kind of life should the Battery pack be good for?

Appreciate your responses.

[wendle]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I have had a couple of 450h’s, very nice car, only you can

determine the efficiency costs between the two cars working on your millage,
fuel costs and the 20% extra cost.

As for the battery’s I have only heard of three problems

world wide, I would be more concerned about the other problems discussed in
this thread,

“Expensive Week For The Gs450H!

although is you have the time and

knowhow they can be fixed quite cheaply and easily.

The other thing to conceder is that

Lexus now have a large hybrid range and the last thing they would want is reliability
issues with battery’s

[ColinBarber]

The hybrid Battery shouldn't be too much of a concern as replacement cells can be sourced and repaired by independents - I'm assume there as some of those down under.

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/99506-lexus-gs450h-hybridtraction-battery/

If luck isn't against you the Battery pack should be lasting 10 to 15 years as a minimum. Plenty of Prius vehicle about at that age on the original Battery pack.

if anything the transmission is the weak part of the 450h, but there seems to be an easy fix:

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/91739-gs450h-loss-of-power