Ls430

[digi051669]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

[Bluesman]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference?

Purely an open and free market.

Sellers are all going to try and get as much as they can for their car and if its the UK or the USA prices asked will fluctuate widely.

What they get for the car is a totally different thing all together.

Mike

[SteveLS400]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

just like any other asset, owners have an inflated idea of the value. Then there will be those "feeling" the market and others who have to sell due to circumstances. Plenty of other factors such as service history can affect price. The remainig reason? They have no idea.

[Scribe]

It seems to be the same with LS400s. Ones the same age as mine are advertised at anything between £1300 and £4000. (And the expensive ones have remained unsold for months.) Anyway, good luck with your search Victor.

[digi051669]

thank you all for the replies!!

I've been using the Glass valuation on the LS430's of differing year and 04 with 100K+ miles should trade around $5-$6.5K range, but alot listed are asking $8K+

I did find a 04 for $6K but its a independent dealer car and I'm not too keen in getting one from a dealer. Prefer private seller. Fear of being scammed.

Yes, I notice that too some LS400 are asking up to $4K, but then they are last batch of the UCF20 IV. I guess due to the limited number of LS430 are the cause of price inefficiencies. They are fabulous cars and they do deserve a nice residual but come time to depart the dealers will give u a crazy low ball number to take it off our hands. Sigh....

[beavisrules]

:3 if you get yourself a good ls430 , I doubt youll be wanting to give it up untill it's worthless anyway.

good luck!

[John N]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

Victor

You'r right about it being more reliable than an S Class. I ran an S class for two years and in that time it had the following problems:-

Both drop links on the front anti-roll bar needed replacing.

Water pump needed replacing.

Front shock absorbers needed replacing.

Mass air flow sensor on engine needed replacing.

HT coils and suppressors needed replacing.

Windscreen wiper mechanism broke.

Drivers door stay needed replacing.

Passenger door lock linkage broke.

Flexible joint on drive shaft near gear box needed replacing.

Switch on brake pedal needed replacing. (It knocks out the ABS and Cruise control when it fails!)

Both rear springs and lower wishbones needed replacing.

Rear wheel bearing needed replacing.

Boot counter balance spring needed replacing.

But worst of all I couldn't keep on top of the bodywork corrosion, which was worse than any BL or Fiat car I had 30 to 40 years ago.

So I traded it in for an eight year old LS430 and the only problems in two years have been:-

Both gas struts on boot lid went 'soft' and needed replacing.

A valve solenoid on the inlet manifold, that keeps the engine quiet, needed replacing.

A wheel centre trim fell off and needed replacing.

An S Class is good to drive, when it's working , but an LS430 is in a different league, and will wipe the floor with it for reliability and longevity.

If you watch the Auto-trader adverts for a few weeks, you will see the expensive cars advertised week after week, and the adverts for bargain cars only appear for one or two weeks. If you see one that appears a bargain go and look at it quickly or it may be gone!

John N

LS430

[digi051669]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

Victor

You'r right about it being more reliable than an S Class. I ran an S class for two years and in that time it had the following problems:-

Both drop links on the front anti-roll bar needed replacing.

Water pump needed replacing.

Front shock absorbers needed replacing.

Mass air flow sensor on engine needed replacing.

HT coils and suppressors needed replacing.

Windscreen wiper mechanism broke.

Drivers door stay needed replacing.

Passenger door lock linkage broke.

Flexible joint on drive shaft near gear box needed replacing.

Switch on brake pedal needed replacing. (It knocks out the ABS and Cruise control when it fails!)

Both rear springs and lower wishbones needed replacing.

Rear wheel bearing needed replacing.

Boot counter balance spring needed replacing.

But worst of all I couldn't keep on top of the bodywork corrosion, which was worse than any BL or Fiat car I had 30 to 40 years ago.

So I traded it in for an eight year old LS430 and the only problems in two years have been:-

Both gas struts on boot lid went 'soft' and needed replacing.

A valve solenoid on the inlet manifold, that keeps the engine quiet, needed replacing.

A wheel centre trim fell off and needed replacing.

An S Class is good to drive, when it's working , but an LS430 is in a different league, and will wipe the floor with it for reliability and longevity.

If you watch the Auto-trader adverts for a few weeks, you will see the expensive cars advertised week after week, and the adverts for bargain cars only appear for one or two weeks. If you see one that appears a bargain go and look at it quickly or it may be gone!

John N

LS430

Dear John,

thank you very much for your input. Its really helpful to get such insight. The S-class W220 is a nice looker, but if it likes to break often I can't really risk my European trip with it. It has to be bullet proof and I guess the LS430 will tick those boxes well. Regarding buying a LS430, did u get an independent garage to check the car over before purchase or did you simply get one with full lexus service history and called the dealer to ensure it was pre-crash, not clocked etc?

I've spent quite a bit of time looking over the S-Class for the job and there are so many owners in tears regarding the reliability and quality of the thing.

Best

Victor.

[digi051669]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

Victor

You'r right about it being more reliable than an S Class. I ran an S class for two years and in that time it had the following problems:-

Both drop links on the front anti-roll bar needed replacing.

Water pump needed replacing.

Front shock absorbers needed replacing.

Mass air flow sensor on engine needed replacing.

HT coils and suppressors needed replacing.

Windscreen wiper mechanism broke.

Drivers door stay needed replacing.

Passenger door lock linkage broke.

Flexible joint on drive shaft near gear box needed replacing.

Switch on brake pedal needed replacing. (It knocks out the ABS and Cruise control when it fails!)

Both rear springs and lower wishbones needed replacing.

Rear wheel bearing needed replacing.

Boot counter balance spring needed replacing.

But worst of all I couldn't keep on top of the bodywork corrosion, which was worse than any BL or Fiat car I had 30 to 40 years ago.

So I traded it in for an eight year old LS430 and the only problems in two years have been:-

Both gas struts on boot lid went 'soft' and needed replacing.

A valve solenoid on the inlet manifold, that keeps the engine quiet, needed replacing.

A wheel centre trim fell off and needed replacing.

An S Class is good to drive, when it's working , but an LS430 is in a different league, and will wipe the floor with it for reliability and longevity.

If you watch the Auto-trader adverts for a few weeks, you will see the expensive cars advertised week after week, and the adverts for bargain cars only appear for one or two weeks. If you see one that appears a bargain go and look at it quickly or it may be gone!

John N

LS430

Dear John,

thank you very much for your input. Its really helpful to get such insight. The S-class W220 is a nice looker, but if it likes to break often I can't really risk my European trip with it. It has to be bullet proof and I guess the LS430 will tick those boxes well. Regarding buying a LS430, did u get an independent garage to check the car over before purchase or did you simply get one with full lexus service history and called the dealer to ensure it was pre-crash, not clocked etc?

I've spent quite a bit of time looking over the S-Class for the job and there are so many owners in tears regarding the reliability and quality of the thing.

Best

Victor.

Is this one any good. Low mileage for a 01 car. Makes you wonder whether its been clocked. :o

[digi051669]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

Victor

You'r right about it being more reliable than an S Class. I ran an S class for two years and in that time it had the following problems:-

Both drop links on the front anti-roll bar needed replacing.

Water pump needed replacing.

Front shock absorbers needed replacing.

Mass air flow sensor on engine needed replacing.

HT coils and suppressors needed replacing.

Windscreen wiper mechanism broke.

Drivers door stay needed replacing.

Passenger door lock linkage broke.

Flexible joint on drive shaft near gear box needed replacing.

Switch on brake pedal needed replacing. (It knocks out the ABS and Cruise control when it fails!)

Both rear springs and lower wishbones needed replacing.

Rear wheel bearing needed replacing.

Boot counter balance spring needed replacing.

But worst of all I couldn't keep on top of the bodywork corrosion, which was worse than any BL or Fiat car I had 30 to 40 years ago.

So I traded it in for an eight year old LS430 and the only problems in two years have been:-

Both gas struts on boot lid went 'soft' and needed replacing.

A valve solenoid on the inlet manifold, that keeps the engine quiet, needed replacing.

A wheel centre trim fell off and needed replacing.

An S Class is good to drive, when it's working , but an LS430 is in a different league, and will wipe the floor with it for reliability and longevity.

If you watch the Auto-trader adverts for a few weeks, you will see the expensive cars advertised week after week, and the adverts for bargain cars only appear for one or two weeks. If you see one that appears a bargain go and look at it quickly or it may be gone!

John N

LS430

Dear John,

thank you very much for your input. Its really helpful to get such insight. The S-class W220 is a nice looker, but if it likes to break often I can't really risk my European trip with it. It has to be bullet proof and I guess the LS430 will tick those boxes well. Regarding buying a LS430, did u get an independent garage to check the car over before purchase or did you simply get one with full lexus service history and called the dealer to ensure it was pre-crash, not clocked etc?

I've spent quite a bit of time looking over the S-Class for the job and there are so many owners in tears regarding the reliability and quality of the thing.

Best

Victor.

Is this one any good. Low mileage for a 01 car. Makes you wonder whether its been clocked. :o

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201111382357416/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/ls/make/lexus/radius/1501/postcode/cf242tw/quicksearch/true/page/4?logcode=p

[digi051669]

what do you guys think of this one?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201111382267305/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/ls/make/lexus/postcode/cf242tw/radius/1501/page/5?logcode=p

although the mileage is a bit high 130,000 miles.

[SteveLS400]

what do you guys think of this one?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201111382267305/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/ls/make/lexus/postcode/cf242tw/radius/1501/page/5?logcode=p

although the mileage is a bit high 130,000 miles.

Looks good to me, especially if 1 owner and FSH checks out.

[passman53]

Hi,

I agree with Steve, don't be put off by the mileage as long as the history is good. With regard to the 2001 car, my 2001 has done 81,251 miles so the mileage is not that low and again the history should offer proof.

Pete

[John N]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum.

I'm currently looking for a 2003/04 LS430 and been looking through the autotrader/pistonhead/ebay etc and the prices seem to range from $3.9K to $6.9K. May I ask why the huge price difference? All of the ones I looked at are 100,000 miles+. Anyway comments are highly appreciated. I'm looking to get the car for a European tour and the LS430 seems to be alot more reliable than the S-class.

Also, if anyone know of a any respected members who are selling pls do let me know.

Many thanks

Victor.

Victor

You'r right about it being more reliable than an S Class. I ran an S class for two years and in that time it had the following problems:-

Both drop links on the front anti-roll bar needed replacing.

Water pump needed replacing.

Front shock absorbers needed replacing.

Mass air flow sensor on engine needed replacing.

HT coils and suppressors needed replacing.

Windscreen wiper mechanism broke.

Drivers door stay needed replacing.

Passenger door lock linkage broke.

Flexible joint on drive shaft near gear box needed replacing.

Switch on brake pedal needed replacing. (It knocks out the ABS and Cruise control when it fails!)

Both rear springs and lower wishbones needed replacing.

Rear wheel bearing needed replacing.

Boot counter balance spring needed replacing.

But worst of all I couldn't keep on top of the bodywork corrosion, which was worse than any BL or Fiat car I had 30 to 40 years ago.

So I traded it in for an eight year old LS430 and the only problems in two years have been:-

Both gas struts on boot lid went 'soft' and needed replacing.

A valve solenoid on the inlet manifold, that keeps the engine quiet, needed replacing.

A wheel centre trim fell off and needed replacing.

An S Class is good to drive, when it's working , but an LS430 is in a different league, and will wipe the floor with it for reliability and longevity.

If you watch the Auto-trader adverts for a few weeks, you will see the expensive cars advertised week after week, and the adverts for bargain cars only appear for one or two weeks. If you see one that appears a bargain go and look at it quickly or it may be gone!

John N

LS430

Dear John,

thank you very much for your input. Its really helpful to get such insight. The S-class W220 is a nice looker, but if it likes to break often I can't really risk my European trip with it. It has to be bullet proof and I guess the LS430 will tick those boxes well. Regarding buying a LS430, did u get an independent garage to check the car over before purchase or did you simply get one with full lexus service history and called the dealer to ensure it was pre-crash, not clocked etc?

I've spent quite a bit of time looking over the S-Class for the job and there are so many owners in tears regarding the reliability and quality of the thing.

Best

Victor.

Is this one any good. Low mileage for a 01 car. Makes you wonder whether its been clocked. :o

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201111382357416/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/ls/make/lexus/radius/1501/postcode/cf242tw/quicksearch/true/page/4?logcode=p

Victor

That car looks straight, mine is the same age and my mileage is about the same. I bought it from a dealer for £10k two years ago with 46,000 on the clock. Full service history, MOT certificates and history check.

People who buy these cars new often have 2 or more cars available to them and clock up less than 10k a year in each car. (They can afford it.)

But:- Do you feel lucky? If everything worked a vary fair price would be £7-8k. If you can fix the stereo for £2k it would still be a bargain. Go and look at it, if the sat-nav screen works and it is just the 'Audio' that has failed price up a replacement amp from a Lexus main dealer to get a feel for what a repair may cost.

Best of luck.

John N

[beavisrules]

I've taken the sat vav out of my mk4 , as its crap , annoying and distracting.

you can replace the A/C controls with an american one with buttons , although the screen will show wrong icons lol

(would be nice if anyone knows if the celsior RHD mk4 has manual A/C controls) .

and double din kits for the fitting are available , just need to wire in your own amp.

I fitted an pioneer double din using the factory wiring , bypassing everything.

have since added 2 amps and upgraded to some infinity speakers :3.

I could do a tutorial one day if anyone needs , as it was a lot of investigating wires :3.

cant find a non sat nav 430 , so probly irrelevant ~__~

[ManicMark]

what do you guys think of this one?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201111382267305/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/ls/make/lexus/postcode/cf242tw/radius/1501/page/5?logcode=p

although the mileage is a bit high 130,000 miles.

Seems to be a bargain to me, facelift model aswell, 130k is just run in. If you want a reliable euro cruiser the lexus is the one, you start looking at mercs & bmws the chance is it will end in tears.

[digi051669]

thank for all your input!! I think I found one, making arrangements for my friend to fly out to check the car. 2004 with 82,000 miles, sounds ok right?

Can anyone recommend a independent Lexus garage in Glasgow / Edinburgh for vehicle inspection? How much would be an acceptable amount for the inspection, which includes only to see if the car has been crashed and to plug-in the computer to ensure there are no errors?

Also, as I'm only going to keep the car for abt 40 days, anyone here want to buy it off me with a chunk taken off?

[ManicMark]

thank for all your input!! I think I found one, making arrangements for my friend to fly out to check the car. 2004 with 82,000 miles, sounds ok right?

Can anyone recommend a independent Lexus garage in Glasgow / Edinburgh for vehicle inspection? How much would be an acceptable amount for the inspection, which includes only to see if the car has been crashed and to plug-in the computer to ensure there are no errors?

Also, as I'm only going to keep the car for abt 40 days, anyone here want to buy it off me with a chunk taken off?

If you are only going to use it for 40 days i would go for a cheapish ls400, It will do the job just aswell & you could out it cheap & not loose so much money.

[digi051669]

thank for all your input!! I think I found one, making arrangements for my friend to fly out to check the car. 2004 with 82,000 miles, sounds ok right?

Can anyone recommend a independent Lexus garage in Glasgow / Edinburgh for vehicle inspection? How much would be an acceptable amount for the inspection, which includes only to see if the car has been crashed and to plug-in the computer to ensure there are no errors?

Also, as I'm only going to keep the car for abt 40 days, anyone here want to buy it off me with a chunk taken off?

If you are only going to use it for 40 days i would go for a cheapish ls400, It will do the job just aswell & you could out it cheap & not loose so much money.

The schedule for my tour is kind of tight. If time permitted, I would definitely get the LS400 instead, but as I can't afford to even be delayed for 1 day, hence the LS430 with flsh and double inspection check by Toyota.

How much will I fetch if I just sell it to a dealer? 04 83,000 miles 3 owners incl. myself with full Lexus service history? many thx

[Malc]

Not much from a Dealer ........... probably 50% of what you paid if you're lucky in this present economic climate and you're desperate to sell.

The option of going to auction is always there for a certain quick cash turnaround if it goes in with NO Reserve.

Don't count on getting very much at all for a 7 year old monster no matter the condition and service history.......... this is now 2011.

Malc

[digi051669]

so how much for a 2004(04) 83K miles with 3 owners?

[digi051669]

according to Glass's guide about 7K+ GBP

[digi051669]

really no rush as I hv paid full cash.

[SteveLS400]

really no rush as I hv paid full cash.

Glad there's no rush

Expect to get half what you paid any more is a bonus. Short term ownership almost never pays. Within this last 4 or 5 months a poster on here decided to offer his back to the dealer and got half the purchase price.

I paid £2.5k for my baby on a windscreen price of £3750 and now she's probably worth tuppence on the open market. HOWEVER I've had 5+ years of total delight.

[used cars in colorado]

You can also look on craigslist