Another Year's Ownership

[Nick W858]

Hello

Just thought I’d give an overview of the costs involved during my second year of ownership of my 98 LS400 – this site was immensely helpful in my decision to purchase my vehicle so hopefully this information may help others too.

During the last 12 months I have covered around 15000 miles with me an average mpg of 26.7.

Costs (exc fuel) as follows;

Insurance 446

Car Tax 205

Winter tyres 550

Spare alloys for winter tyres (refurbed) 200

MOT 40

189000 B service inc Cambelt Change 959

Total £2400

All work has been done at Lexus dealerships, no mechanical failures at all.

I undertake quite a few long journeys and the car is supremely comfortable, I’m planning to keep for a while longer and ultimately will replace with either a 460/600h or a RX450h or may go really mad and go for an IS-F. AT the moment though, still loving the car, it’s not worth a great deal but it’s worth a lot to me.

To anyone thinking about buying a Lexus, all I will say is that my experience of the product and the dealerships has been superb and I would not hesitate to recommend them.

Hope this helps.

[beavisrules]

Seeing as you have done the cambelt , you have to keep it for another 10 years or 100k miles :3.

mine this past 12 months was 2 tyres , oil/filter , 4 bulbs (one was £5!!!!!).

personaly not doing cam belt , if it goes I'll just get another LS400 and save this one for spares.

doesnt beat my old mans escort though , i know its not in the same league but still amazes me.

his 1.8 n/a diesel escort , last 6 years hes done ~30k , no oil changes , only 4 tyres & a Battery (all from breakers yard).

A long list of advisorys MOT time , but never a fail. ~___~.

[mikesands]

hmmmmm .... I'm wondering whether I've bought a bad'un. Don't get me wrong I love the car, but in the 18 months I've had it (2001 LS430) it's had quite a lot of stuff done. Most under the 12 months warranty but it's now making me nervous:

Boot lift struts

two suspension sensors

new door (perforated paint)

new window guide

failing rain sensor

faulty air suspension compressor

Failed wheel bearing (I think at least one other is on its way out)

failed rear aircon pipes

..... If I'd had to pay for all of those I would have been annoyed. Car had done 75k when I got it and is at 98k now

Mike

[mike213735]

In the past year, I've...

replaced the Battery - £55

replaced an upper rear arm - £185

replaced the oil and filter - £80

replaced both lower balljoints - £50

replaced offside track rod end - £43

Insurance - £711

MOT - £50

Cambelt was changed in 2009 (before I got it)

Love the car to bits, was looking to seel, but I'm not so sure now?

Thanks

Mike

[BodgerBen]

Hi Nick,

My wife's 98 which had full Oxford Lexus service history and was just (2-3k) over due a service has had :

4 summer tyres - Kumho Sport KH51 thingys.

4 winter tyres - Toyo things.

6 wheels for the winter tyres (1 was curbed and I could not get the 17x7.5" any more so had to get 2 17x8.5")

OSF Wheel bearing and hub.

Plugs, filters.

Rear disks and pads, front pads.

I had to get some rear bushes measured up and found MR2 ones fitted.

BC Racing coil over kit.

Garmin Sat Nav upgrade.

Parrot iPod/Hands free kit.

Drivers door mirror glass.

Prins LPG kit.

Some other bits n bobs.

Then I put it into Lexus Guildford for service - and had the normal servicing, oil filters etc. And found it was no where near as expensive as I had thought - so have been lazy and let Lexus Guildford service the car!!!

The car has cost in total £8-9K (over 2 1/2 years, no expense spared, the Prins LPG, wheels, tyres and Garmin/phone upgrade have cost a bit) - the car looks great http://www.bodgerben.com/Lexus.htm - Lexus Guildford say the car is perfect, one of, if not the best LS400 they look after. A quick luxury car, for less than the price of a Focus.

I'm very lazy now - so will continue putting the car into Lexus Guildford.

Our car is not worth a lot, but is great for us, I can't see us changing it as it's doing an equivalent of nearly 40mpg.

Purchase price was £2600 (which is not much off the Prins kit) yet the car has been spoilt - and she's a lovely car, with the gas and BC Racing suspension she's an economical, fast and comfortable old girl.

Cheers,

Ben

[Nick W858]

Hi Ben

Like you, I made the decision to do everything through the official Lexus network - I use Lexus Hull who are superb and my main priority is to keep the car running as long as possible. I know it costs more in the short term but in the long term it will work for me. I never dreamnt I would keep a car as long as this but I absolutely love it.

The driver who dropped my car off last week after the service said it drove better than many other brand new cars he had driven!

I have probably spent about 15K now over the last 6/7 years but that is peanuts compared to what I would ahve lost on depreciation if I had changed cars a couple of times. Plus I always keep in view that if you buy a £50k plus car secondhand you will have to expect some big garage bills now and again and that is a payoff that I am prepared to live with.

Hope your wife's car keeps running well.

Nick

[Malc]

Well, my 94 LS400 has just turned 40,000 miles from a weekend away from Kent to the Lake District.

On cruise almost all the way there, M2,M25, M1 and M6 but a bit busier and less cruise control on the way back.

Not a murmur from her in 800+ miles over 2 days.

Expenses to keep on the road, well over 3 and a bit years and 31500 miles, brake pads back and front, an oil change and another now due and now just needing another 2 front tyres making 5 in all over the time.

Oh, and the £60 5 yr gtee new Battery and the dash lights being fixed by Chris Vince on here.

That's it ! Better get some lexus replacement wiper rubbers too methinks.

Wot a marvellous car. My earlier one cost a bit more but it had done 189k when I gave it away, having a cambelt at 120k and tyres and suspension stuff and Battery and services generally and an alternator at.... 150 / 160k miles which seemed to be the " tipping " point for that sort of expensive stuff.

And I'm now in my 60's and have so enjoyed my LS400 motoring these past 8 years and can't imagine what other car I would ever want to drive.

The desperately sad thing on this trip was that I didn't see another single LS400 on my travels. That's unusual, and there's only one other one that I know of locally to me in Herne Bay in Kent.

Maybe a dying breed and I guess it's the fuel costs that are beginning to be the true killer for these cars if you don't want to go to the expense of a LPG conversion.

But I'm happy. just hate the petrol costs at £100+ every fill-up .......... I note the prepay with card pumps now authorise up to £130 fuel per fill. Times they are a changing !

Malc

[AdeV]

I'm not exactly sure how much mine's cost this year, but it's approximately:

40 quid for a new spring

85 quid for new plugs & leads

25 quid for a new airbox

70 quid for oil, oil filter & air filter (aka "a service")

I think that's it? That makes it the most expensive year yet... at £220.

Mileage is now 198K. The only untoward noises are an occasional squeak from the dashboard, and sometimes the exhaust heat shields rattle (because they came adrift not that long after I bought the car & I've never replaced them).

This year is Cambelt Year. I've got a tame mechanic who's quoted £100 to do the change, if I provide the bits. ^_^

[mike213735]

£100 to change the cambelt....that's a good price.

Mike

[SteveLS400]

I'm afraid I wouldn't let anyone near mine to change a cam belt for so little.

It suggests he does not know what is involved. Of course he might be excellent but it could be a very expensive learning curve.