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Ls400 Should I Buy One?


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Maybe the gold one had been in a rear-end shunt? That might explain the paintwork and the leaking boot.

As there are so few cars around, you can't afford to be too choosy about colour. Although silver with black interior is actually my favourite, I ended up with dark green with beige leather/carpets, and I've grown to like it more than I thought I would. Good luck with this one, anyway - glad you're willing to look further afield. If you want a good one, chances are you'll have to travel. I got mine from 250 miles away, and did wonder at one point whether I was mad to go so far, but I don't regret it.

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Cheers...I thought the same about the Gold car, but couldnt see any evidence of rear end damage unless of course it had been done well but a long time ago....The o/s rear damage repair on the door and wing was pretty recent and poorly executed and the paint was very thick and shiney. I was particularly surprised at the amount of rust on the car in areas like the rain channels, and boot return edge. I wondered with the low mileage if it had been parked outside under trees or something where it was always damp.

To be honest the Silver car looks fanastic, it also has different wheels (although still Lexus ones), which are 7 hole rather than the usual 5 hole wheel (they look bigger too), which really make the car sit nice. All the stuff is there, garaged from new, 2 keys, fully stamped service book by Lexus, 2 owners, all known history. It does need the timing belt done though, which I'm sure isnt too major having only 50k on the clock (im sure I can can a specialist to do it if Lexus are talking silly prices). I want to buy right and keep long term.

I nearly had a wobble when I saw a 2000 Merc S430L - everything in its favour in my opinion........48,000mls, Pale Gold, Biege Leather.....but I held back....the sheer expense of fixing them sort of put me off (I hope lol). I also saw local to me a mint Silver Lexus LS430 with LPG, Permium Pack etc and not big miles on eBay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-LEXUS-LS430-AUTO-SILVER-PREMIUM-PACK-LPG-/320593089385?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4aa4d65369, though its over £7k and year 2000 which i though was a bit steep?

Just a quick question....the SAT-NAV...how is it updated? And if the CD Rom isn't there what do you do?

Out of curiosity....this car is on eBay, looks nice, miles etc, but scary price.....any thoughts?:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-Lexus-LS-400-AUTOMATIC-4-doors-61000-miles-PETROL-/380258472484?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item58892bd224

And final question. Some of these year 2000 LS400 have a wood rim steering wheel and some don't. Does anyone know if its possible to retro fit it without invloving the dealer / or where they can be bought from?

Keep the comments coming!

Cheers

Alan

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Hi Folks

I am looking for a large automatic car, and have seen a 2000 Lexus LS400, Midas Gold, 57,000miles, Full History and appears immaculate and original. The price negotiable (Asking £3995), Im thinking poss £3500?

Is this a fair price? And is there anything in particular I shold look out for when viewing it (any particular known inherent problems)?

I will be doing about 600 miles a week, 240 of those will be steady motorway driving, would the LS be average around 25mpg?

Any advice highly appreciated.

Alan

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Hi Alan - I am new to the club but not to LS400s - my first (1993)one ran to 350,000 miles and is now retired, not because it has any major faults but because I found a superb low mileage, historied '93 for sale. I have had some nice cars, but nothing comes close to the LS for reliability, comfort, (relative) economy and inbuilt quality.

So buy it, do not skimp on servicing, and you will not ever want to change.

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Hi ,both cars seem overpriced to me, the 430 would be nearer to £6000 and the 400 nearer to £5000 at the most in my opinion. Have you looked on the auto trader site?

The satnav is indeed updated thru cd rom .if dealer prices are to high maybe bay?. As for the wood rim wheel I've no idea,

Steve

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Alan,

Sorry to hear that mate, I was looking forward to seeing somw pics of the new car :(

The leaky boot seems a common fault on the LS, I have one too.

With the Vauxhall Omega, you could change the steering wheel as long as you disconnected the Battery first to eliminate any possible Air Bag errors.

What about this?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201031364812657/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/3000/price-from/1000/model/ls/make/lexus/radius/1500/page/1/keywords/gold/postcode/rg28az?logcode=p

Although it's not a 4.3l, just a 4.0l. I wouldn't worry about the mileage either.

I have a '99 LS400 with 213,000 miles on the clock and a friend of mine took it out yesterday and said it drives like a car with 30k on it.

If you ever pop over here, give me a shout, and I'll show you mine.

Keep us informed of any progress on the hunt.

Mike

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Hi Mike

Thanks for the link, but I have just become the proud owner of a Lexus LS ;)

The car is 2000 April, and mileage is 50,015! 2 Owners, garaged since new, full history and paperwork, all the keys, full stamped service book but unfortunately not the timing belt done. Car is silver with Black inteior (sasly no wooden steering wheel), everything works, the boot is dry, the car has never been painted. (not sure about the Sat-Nav CD ROM though).

It also says in the front of the service book that it is a Lexus LS400 Dynamic Handling Pack (????), is that something maybe to do with the different style 17' alloys? Never heard of that or is just something someone has added?

I havent seen the car, but my good friend has and driven it, and I trust their judgement totally (he restores classic cars and has a good eye for details).

Things to do - Timing belt, two of the alloys have started to corrode very very slightly. Aside from that 1 x Barely noticeable 1/2 inch soft crease on the bumper, 1 x stone chip, and a barely noriceable 1/4 mark on one door.

The car is in manchester area, so now I just to go and get it....my friends have offered to bring it over when they are coming a the end of October but I cant wait that long!!!

QUESTION - Anyone know the cost of parts involved in changing timing belt (and is there anything else needs done at the same time?) Also what sort of labour time is involved? The reason I ask is my friend in Manchester might do the belt for me before I collect it but we wanted an idea whats involved.

Pictures to follow soon :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Cheers

Alan

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Alan, in answer to some of your questions:

1) The silver LS400 sounds as if it has the Dynamic Handling Pack, which included larger wheels with low-profile tyres. I think the car looks much better with those wheels, but there are compromises: the ride quality is supposed to be slightly firmer, and those tyres cost a fortune to replace. I posted a query about the DHP on here while I was car-hunting a few weeks ago, so you may care to have a look back at the responses I got.

2) The sat-nav needs a CD-Rom (the unit is under the boot floor on the left) and if it's missing, or you want an updated one, you'll need to buy a replacement. I'd suggest you ask around on here or look on E-Bay.

3) That gold LS400 has been on sale at £5995 for weeks, if not months, because it's over-priced. Also, it's being sold by a dealer who specialises in Japanese imports (a lot of these are very low mileage), so it might not be a UK-spec car, which might present additional problems.

4) Old, high-mileage LS430s seem to be cheaper than some 400s now, but I get the impression it's much more sophisticated mechanically; and personally I'd be terrified of the cost of repairing, for example, the air suspension if it went wrong.

5) If you get an LS400 that needs a new cambelt fitting, at least get a quote from a Lexus dealer, but be prepared to get the work done by an independent specialist.

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Congratulations! Welcome to the LS400 owners. Small marks on the bodywork are good, because when someone makes another one in Tesco car park it won't be the end of the world.

I look forward to hearing about the cambelt change as mine's due next year.

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Alan,

Well done mate and welcome to the joy that is owning an LS.

I think the cambelt is due at 80k, but I am sure someone will be along that knows the real figure.

The person I bought my car from bought a cambelt kit from Camberley Motor Factors for £127.63 in January 2009. However, he did not replace the water pump, which I believe is recomended too. He specialises in Vauxhall Omega's but the said the Lexus cambelt was much more difficult than the Omega...Again, I'm sure someone will be able to confirm this, or not.

Anyway mate, good luck with the car..Come over and collect it ealrier and schedule in a trip to Reading and pop in and see us whilst you're here :)

I look forward to the pics.

Thanks

Mike

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Cheers

I'll let you know how I get on with flights and ferries!

The CD Rom is with the car, but the guy says it'll be out of date???? Do you need to keep buying new ones or can they be updated on the internet or something?

Alan

:hehe:

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CheersI'll let you know how I get on with flights and ferries!The CD Rom is with the car, but the guy says it'll be out of date???? Do you need to keep buying new ones or can they be updated on the internet or something?Alan :hehe:

Yeah, let me know, and I'll get some extra tea bags in :)

I think you'll need to buy a new disc.

To add to the woes, I'm sure that around 2001-2002 they changed it to a DVD disc which means your 2000 model will have the CD. I am not sure if you will be able to update it to beyond the change over to DVD.

Mike

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for details).

Things to do - Timing belt, two of the alloys have started to corrode very very slightly. Aside from that 1 x Barely noticeable 1/2 inch soft crease on the bumper, 1 x stone chip, and a barely noriceable 1/4 mark on one door.

QUESTION - Anyone know the cost of parts involved in changing timing belt (and is there anything else needs done at the same time?) Also what sort of labour time is involved? The reason I ask is my friend in Manchester might do the belt for me before I collect it but we wanted an idea whats involved.

Hi and congratulations. Without doubt the timing belt needs doing, not on miles but age. The water pump also should be done at the same time. It cost me £500 including parts. There is a lot of work to do to get to it per

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/engine/timingbelt.html

The parts themselves are not that expensive. I can't recall where mine came from as its been awhile but a search on this forum or the engine and transmission forum may well provide a relatively recent answer.

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I just read through that link...........SCARY! 10-15 hours labour....saying that it says thats for a pre '94 model...please tell me the later car involves a lot less?

Im going to phone Lexus tomorrow just to see how much money they quote for the job......but say average it to 12.5 hours @ £70.00 an hour labour (at least) = minimum of £875 + Parts :sick:

On the general subject of timing belts.....I used to drive Hyundai Terracan 4x4 with the 2.9 CRTDi engine....amusingly the only way the timing belt could be done was to remove the engine apparently....sensible idea...not! :duh:

Sadly its going to be a flying visit to collect the car! Flying in on 7th October, and sailing back home to Northern Ireland the same day, I've a lot on, and thats the soonest I can collect it and longest I can stay away. :glare:

Keep you posted!

Once again thanks for all the advice, help, information, offer of tea lol

All the best

Alan

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Alan, if your sat-nav CD-Rom is like mine (1998), it will work by address only, not postcode. A more recent disc will be postcode-based. So whether you replace the disc depends on how important that is to you. According to the instruction book for mine, you can also search on hotels, hospitals etc. - though I haven't tried it out yet.

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Cambelt ..... I only ever paid for one to be done on my 1992 LS400 a few years back at 120k miles. I didn't go to Lexus ............... bonkers price ..... although I understood then that the booked time for the job was @ 4 hrs....... which is unrealistic. I had the job done at a local non-Lexus garage and it took the best part of 8 hrs ( really , it's a dreadful job to do ) and the total cost, including discs and pads all round and two new tyres was still a little less than the Lexus cost for the cambelt alone !!

Simple choice if you're concerned about the economics of it all.

Malc

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I used to be a mechanic (Jaguar, mainly) and I am certain that the cambelt on your new car @ 50k miles will be as good as new.

Postpone its replacement for another two years' motoring and save your money, Squire.

Meanwhile, enjoy your new toy and I bet you smiled a lot on the journey home.

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I just read through that link...........SCARY! 10-15 hours labour....saying that it says thats for a pre '94 model...please tell me the later car involves a lot less?

Im going to phone Lexus tomorrow just to see how much money they quote for the job......but say average it to 12.5 hours @ £70.00 an hour labour (at least) = minimum of £875 + Parts sick.gif

On the general subject of timing belts.....I used to drive Hyundai Terracan 4x4 with the 2.9 CRTDi engine....amusingly the only way the timing belt could be done was to remove the engine apparently....sensible idea...not! wacko.gif

Sadly its going to be a flying visit to collect the car! Flying in on 7th October, and sailing back home to Northern Ireland the same day, I've a lot on, and thats the soonest I can collect it and longest I can stay away. glare.gif

Keep you posted!

Once again thanks for all the advice, help, information, offer of tea lol

All the best

Alan

Alright Al,

Had a brew and read your posts... stick with your instinct in Lexus...dont buy a merc... my dad has their so called 'flagship' 2000 model - the S600, the engine is a beast but its regularly in the garage at several thousand pounds in repairs.. his drink holders have fell apart, the trims are loose and they rust like tin cans...

Any mechanic can do your belt at half the cost....(i paid £500 with several other jobs). The car wont run properly if its not right so you will know instantly.

Only go to Lexus if you feel you have to.... i went in to find out where the power steering was leaking from & they told me the gearbox was leaking..would i like a qoute?...no thanks was the short answer as i was putting a litre of p/s fluid in every 2 weeks, so i knew it wasnt the gearbox...

They also quote over £1000 for the early model dash replacement, (its fixed by your model i think) when the actual cost of the 3 replacement components needed is less than a quid...then i now have my doubts about the dealers - Always check here 1st for info, tips and savings!!!

I dont know much about your models common faults but i presume the control arms need to be asked about as they can cost a few hundred + fitting, the car is 2.5 tons and with all todays speed bumps and dodgy roads then you should get the arms re-greased with high quality grease before the ball joints go.

Lexus is superb.... I've had my '93 model for 6 or 7 yrs now and its never broke down (nor in the 8 years my dad had it previous)... not bad for a 17 year old car!

its very comfy, very quiet, very smooth, very reliable, and hardly rust... no rust shows on the outside of mine ..just inside in 2 small places - one on the rear bottom trim where wheel arch goes up, and on the front passenger windscreen support - this is now a pea size hole caused by Autoglass not fitting the trim correctly censored.gif

Mechanically, they're sound - The biggest job mine needed was the control arms replacing, did it myself to save a few hundred pound fitting - took 2 hrs to do both sides, not bad for a first timer... replaced o-rings and pipe on the p/s, replaced a brake pipe (look for this!! rusty THIN pipe going from one rear wheel to the other).

The only scare i had was when it failed to drive when i put my foot down to join a main rd and it didnt have any power - i stopped the traffic and it eventually flew off down the road choking or suffocating was more like it.

After a quick browse on L.O.C. It turned out to be the throttle body and i cleaned this myself too at a cost of a can of spray....and an hour and half with a brew

The car still drives superb and looks...ok, think im facing some costly m.o.t's in the next couple of years tho..... It's only worth £750 - £1000 so i cant buy anything near as good as it just yet so im just gonna keep it and see

My friends all wonder why i keep it b'cos they listen to Jeremy Clarkson too much, im 34 and they think i should have an M3 or something... the Lexus just has me hooked... when it does eventually get sold or declared B.E.R. then i can only see myself looking at other Lexus..

So yeah.. enjoy it & see u around

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Thanks for all the comments to date.......and :ohmy: today an LS400 passed me going in the opposite direction on the M1 Motorway here, didn;t get much of a look, all I know is it was Mid Grey metallic......thats the 2nd one i;ve seen this year lolol....10 days countdown to mine

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Hi Folks

No. Don't buy one. Stay wel away. They are terrible in the wet. Stay away at least from the 400's !

I am looking for a large automatic car, and have seen a 2000 Lexus LS400, Midas Gold, 57,000miles, Full History and appears immaculate and original. The price negotiable (Asking £3995), Im thinking poss £3500?

Is this a fair price? And is there anything in particular I shold look out for when viewing it (any particular known inherent problems)?

I will be doing about 600 miles a week, 240 of those will be steady motorway driving, would the LS be average around 25mpg?

Any advice highly appreciated.

Alan

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Am I missing something?

Yes, your LS400 for the next 10 days :)

Manc, I took your comments on board. I have a '98 MKIV with 213k on the clock and it drives like a car with 20k on the clock. It's due for an MOT on Monday and I'm thinking, even if it fails on £600 worth of work, where can I get a car that drives like this, with a years MOT for £600?

Thanks

and good luck Alan, the 10 days will fly by, hopefully :)

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