LS430 2001: Inputs for a few possible issues

[ThePerfectionOfLexus]

Hi guys

I’ve been wondering about something in my LS430, ever since I bought it nearly 7 months ago.

When taking a turn, the steering wheel doesn’t seem to return to center smoothly in the last 30 degrees. This worsens when the car is cold, especially in winter when temperatures are low. While the steering wheel centering improves when the car reaches operating temperature, it still doesn’t return to center smoothly all the way. I haven't encountered any problems with the power steering or anything else.

Please check out the first video.

I’ve had the dealer look at it. They couldn’t find any issues, as they told me. They only suggested that a wheel balancing would fix it.

The power steering fluid and reservoir have been replaced about 7 months ago. The old fluid was completely dark.

Is this a common problem on these cars, or is it just a normal thing on these?

 

Another thing. There's a very faint whining noise inside the cabin when accelerating slowly between 60 and 70 km/h. It sounds almost like a turbo, but with a very low frequency. This noise is only present when the transmission is in Drive. However, if I manually shift to 4th gear, the noise disappears. Please check out the second video (headphones required). The noise is louder in person.

 

Is this a normal thing?

 

If any of you LS430 owners could chime in with any input, it would be highly appreciated. Does you LS behave the same?

 

Thanks a lot.