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Just to say thanks Rudy publically.. For sending the wheel nut!

Rudy sorted me out and all it cost me was the postage....I think it's been said elsewhere on this forum...it's the best and members are so helpful.

Once again many thanks.

Shiner

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Just to say thanks Rudy publically.. For sending the wheel nut!

Rudy sorted me out and all it cost me was the postage....I think it's been said elsewhere on this forum...it's the best and members are so helpful.

Once again many thanks.

Shiner

Hear hear!

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I have owned both the mk3, mk4 and now the LS430. I think the main problem is owners feel let down by Lexus because of very poor quality control. For what its worth I believe the LS400 was a better car because better quality control was in place at that time

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I have only had a Mk1 and a Mk2 and now my Mk3 Ls400s and they have all been exceptionally GREAT cars to own and to drive. Superb quality and build and longevity and reliability too.

Residual values from the point at which I bought them lost me bugger all in cash terms, and repair bills and servicing running costs have all been quite miniscule ....... over probably 200,000 miles all told.

AND I have had experience of lots of other " prestige " cars too, when I was the co-owner of a car sales business, dealing in all marques from lowly Fords to RRs, Bentleys, Jags, BMWs and most others too.

The Ls400s I have owned have surpassed all, in all criteria, even fuel consumption in many cases too.

Putting this down to Lexus Quality Control in the manufacture and design of earller Ls400s is probably the key. Well done Lexus, maybe not quite so tho' these days from all I read !!

Malc

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My ownership experience of both the LS400 and LS430 tells me that Lexus' reputation for quality to be somewhat overrated. But that is just my personal opinion.

Despite that, I do enjoy my current Drive... :)

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I've previously owned many cars and currently run a Mk4 LS. In my experience the Lexus brand is head and shoulders above the rest in terms of quality and reliability. There's been a few 'niggles' but overall, there's no comparison.

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Hi all Shiner here

Thought my nightmarish experience of owning my LS430 was over!

I hadn't been able to drive my car for a few weeks after some surgery...so the Battery went flat...charged it up with trickle charger and started it no proble!

Nut now...the steering wheel tilts but has refused to telescope...

In The US lexus forum some solutions offered ...

Disconnect the Battery and then reconnect....didn't work

Remove the cover from the motor on steering wheel and tap it with hammer a couple of times...Haven't dared do this

As above but instead of hammering remove the E clip from a worm gear which might be jamming the motor ..spin the motor, lubricate the gear....haven't dared do this either incase I jam the tilt mechanism as well....that would be nightmare situation.!

I have no idea what Lexus dealers would offer to relieve my of vast sums of money but can source the motor from Tokyo for 160 euros plus shipping.

Any ideas how I should proceed....

One option, of course , is to ditch the car and buy a bycycle....

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or a Ls400 ..... preferably an old one with a couple of hundred thousand miles on the clock and with a newish MOT,, they are around and probably no more than the cost of your replacement steering wheel issue all told !! :hehe:

Malc

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Shiner sorry to hear about your misfortune - I guess I consider myself lucky I haven't had any problems with mine as of yet.

Some of the forums suggested checking the fuses - might be an idea to do that.

also one of the write ups in the USA suggests it could be the plastic cog the spndel screws into which wears out causing the telescope to fail - might be worth check that aswell.

sadly I haven't come across a full write up on how to remedy this fault i.e swap motor over - if I find anything I will post.

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Thanks Mark

There was another post on US forum...that a defective Battery cell can be the cause...it seemed more than a coincident that this happened to me after charging the Battery up...we'll see. I just saw a YouTube clip of guy...an American of course...fixing this problem on his LS400....where he just raised the gear wheel that wasn't engaging with a plastic wire tie back ....amazing!

I am just too scared to fish around there and make matters worse!...will see an Indie after the bank holiday....

But it's not a big problem...as long as the tilt function works I am ok with living without the telescoping function!

Incidentally, I too am going to take a driving test for the GS450H.....have heard great things about it... I think my loyalty to LS430 can only go so far...

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I can only comment on my LS 400, owned since December. I have had a couple of issues, including a leaking gearbox sump gasket, which cost more than it should because I took it to the main dealer to sort out. It failed to start shortly after buying it and not using it for two weeks. I bought a new Battery to be safe. Today, after being stood for 13 days (used for a 10 mile run 13 days ago) the Battery was flat again. I bought a good quality smart charger but it's a bit of a faff to run the extension lead etc. If I went abroad for two weeks it would definitely be flat on my return to the airport.

I'm told the immobiliser drains a lot of juice over a period. I probably should invest in a solar charger, although getting wires through to the engine bay may be a problem due to lack of time and a reluctance to mess with the interior..

Overall though, most cars reach a pinnacle before going into decline (my Golf Mk 2 GTI s were simply brilliant). I think the 400 achieved a balance of simplicity and luxury that could not be maintained. In terms of looks I even like the simple but elegant lines, and think the elliptical headlamps adopted by the 430, Mercedes et al make it look as if the designers were trying too hard. . I also think that what really makes a car is the unseen development, in terms of cost and attention to detail. The problems with the 430 are probably due to lack of testing in comparison with the 400. I have read about the development of the 400 and the sheer attention to detail is staggering. It seems almost obsessive compulsive and is unlikely to be repeated in any car that I will ever be able to afford. I am gutted that I did not look at them years ago.

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Incidentally

Before anyone thinks that I am trying to bad mouth LS430... I must advise that one of my best friends bought one before me...two yrs before me! And ,nothing....NOTHING ...has gone wrong on his...exactly the same model except a year older!apart from maintenance the only things he's had to replace were the brake calipers.

I hate him with passion...but he does leave me a fiver for when something goes wrong next with my car....

Mine was obviously built on a Friday....

Shiner

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Hugh, hi, I only by chance got my first Ls400, about 12 years ago now, came as a trade-in on my car sales site and we just couldn't get anyone to buy it !!! a J reg Mk1 ........... so I decided to use it for my personal transport and WOW .......... never looked back and now quite afraid to even move onto a Mk4 ( with the vvti engine issues ) ............... all 3 of my Ls400s ( I had a Mk2 too ) have been BRILLIANT cars and the very best all round that I could have ever hoped to have driven ............. probably about 200,000 miles now.

................. made me one of the happiest motorists in the kingdom :) ............ for 12 years !!! :hehe:

Malc

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Shiner I am sorry you are having so much trouble with your 430, but I do believe its the exception rather than the norm. The 430 I have now, I bought from a friend who had it 4 years, and 60,000 miles with nothing to do exception normal servicing.

As you may know if you have read my thread, I did have to replace the tyres and parking brake shoes, plus a wheel bearing.

However this is to be expected, on an almost 9 year old car.

I also have had this car wrapped, and now not only does it drive like new it, also looks like new.

On which is the best Ls, people will can make up their own minds, but as someone who has had both at the same time.

I would say the 430 is more refined and better equipped, I believe the 460 is better still, and The 600 is the pinnacle of engineering AND YES I HAVE DRIVEN BOTH MODELS and not only for a quick test drive either.

At the moment I have the Ls 430, VW Phaeton, and Jaguar XJ 4.2 Sovereign. I can tell you (in my opinion) the 430 is way better than the Jaguar, again if you have read my thread, you will know that I had a Gs 450h, which I traded for the Phaeton.

The Gs 450h is an amazing car, You would not believe how quick it can go, and the equipment is top of the range.

I loved that car and only let it go because I could not easily get my golf clubs in the boot. and because I am a car slut who likes to change. I am sorry I am not literate enough to describe how good the Gs 450h and LS430 I have are, but as someone old enough to remember when cars had leaf springs I can tell you, air suspension is magic. blue tooth is magic, and touch screen sat nav is magic. William

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" I have read about the development of the 400 and the sheer attention to detail is staggering. It seems almost obsessive compulsive and is unlikely to be repeated in any car that I will ever be able to afford. I am gutted that I did not look at them years ago."

I recently had the air bag off the steering wheel, chasing a slight rattle, and found a small bracket holding nothing other than a block of metal, I assume a counterweight- such attention to detail!

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I'm not just old enough to remember leaf springs, I still have two cars with leaf springs, a 1965 3.4 mk 2 jag and a 1975 Lancia 2000 hf coupe, or will have when I get around to restoring them. An LS, a Phaeton and an XJ sounds like my dream stable. I would have a 430 and don't mean to disparage them, after all they have the same DNA as the 400. I do think that sometimes simplicity is good (if you can call the spec on a 400 simple) I am a Jag enthusiast having owned my Mk 2 since 1977, and the Phaeton sounds like a truly great car, but the potential bills put me off. I can justify driving an old barge instead of an "economical" Eurobox only while the repair bills stay at reasonable levels

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Hi William

I have been following your threads with interest... And am jealous that you have space to create such an enviable stable of luxury cars...

I agree that when LS430 is going it's a dream to drive...so quite and air suspension just takes all the awfulness of our roads in its stride! But when things go wrong...boy they are expensive to fix!even that didn't worry me at the beginning....I expected some niggles and big bills...but enough is enough.... Just my luck I guess!

What model of GS450H did you have?...if I go ahead and part company with my LS430 ( because I feel I am jinxed with this car...I have given it a fair chance you might say ) I am seriously considering the 450H...even though I know I shall miss the air suspension....but seriously I only do about 3000 miles a year and in short journeys!

Lexus Reading in Berkshire have one GS450H SE-L for just under £17k ( march09 ) with 32000 miles....I may go and have a drive and see if I can do a part exchange.....

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Quality & reliability of Lexus is dropping like the proverbial...and they have to be careful...since their Customer care people are becoming the clones of Mercedes...arrogant!

What distinguished them in the early days has disappeared....I am an ex Merc enthusiast...

I like my Lexus...but more because of what it is and how much I enjoy driving it when it is on sing!...

In pursuite of perfection means they no longer extend their warranty past 8 yrs!.....despite the huge profit they could make....that's the extent of their reliability they are prepared to back up...8 years!...

But I think ls400 owners should stay with their cars...and buy another for spare parts.....

Likewise for the 430....but my experience may tempt a lot to dump them...

I am with Hihihi....quality control is no longer their strong point!l

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I agree with other posters on the subject of Quality and to some extent Aftersales service.

When the Toyota President in 1983 told his engineers to go and build the best Luxury Sedan in the world he knew that was the only way into the market and they were only going to get one go at it.

The age group he was aiming at was 55-75 predominatly Mercedes in Europe and Caddilac in the USA.

They spent a billion dollars developing the 400 series and to the best info obtainable did'nt make any profit on that Marque in the ten years of its production lifespan.

What they did though was gain entry not only did they gain entry they now dominate the Luxury car Market in the USA and are now supplying a diverse range of vehicles aimed accross a totally mixed genda and age market place, 30% of SUV purchasers are women

Inevitably when the initial goal is reached and the essence of strategy is spread over a wider group of management the beancounters in particular, prestige bought in the early days withers and eventually dies.

Yes the Mark 4 Lexus LS400 was probably the pinnacle of the early concept initiated back in 1983 and I thank my lucky stars I managed to get one.

What the future holds for the Lexus brand is never going to match what the LS400 brought to us but like everything else ,nothing stays the same.

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" What the future holds for the Lexus brand is never going to match what the LS400 brought to us but like everything else ,nothing stays the same."

................... unless you hang on to and love and cherish your own Ls400 for the rest of time !!!

It just might be possible you know, I think I'll try with mine ....... better engineered and technology and bodywork construction than many an older classic that is still around and roadworthy today ......... like my 1932 Triumph Southern Cross sports tourer, one of only 8 roadworthy worldwide ................. coz all the others have rotted to buggery methinks and nobody thought them worthy ( at the time ) of saving the marque from near extinction.

Malc

Malc

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Hi Shiner,

Been a long time since I posted on here but I thought I'd give this thread a read.

When I bought me 430 the steering wheel did not reach out to me. So I pulled it towards me as I pulled the control stick towards me and it's worked perfectly ever since. Might be worth a go!

As it happens my air con pipes are broken - haven't got round to forking our the £700 to get them repaired and my driver side mirror does not dim.

Still, I prefer it to my MkIII - just - and love the extra toys (except when my friends decided it's hilarious to change the radio station from the back!!)

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Hi Will

Hope you find that after you have fixed the air con pipes that your compressor is not fished....if it is then do not let Lexus replace it ...do what Honest John suggests...have it's gear box checked and that's probably all you have to fix....as for me...well you know what happened....

I shall try the pulling the wheel out trick in the morning....fingers crossed...but if doesn't work I am not going to worry about it....incidentally Lexus Hatfield has quoted more than £700 for replacing the tilt &telescope motors...but of course they will do a diagnostic for a fee!

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