MaximusPrime

Hi Joshua, Here are the most recent official figures for each service package that Lexus offer for LS models, the 100,000 mile one at £770 has the most "big ticket items" on it, including the timing belt replacement. I've highlighted those in bold, looks a much better value (if we can call £700+ "value" these days!) than the £415 service. 100,000 miles at £770: Carry out 100K/120 month full service as per schedule. Includes:- Replace engine oil & oil filter. Inspect drive belt. Replace engine timing belt. Replace windscreen washer fluid. Check all fluid levels & top up as required. Inspect battery for leaks, security of clamps & terminals. Inspect cooling system, hoses & connections. Inspect radiator & condenser for debris & signs of damage. Replace engine coolant. Inspect air filter element. Inspect valve clearances. Inspect power steering fluid level. Replace brake fluid. Inspect brake pads & discs. Check brake pipes & hoses. Inspect fuel cap, fuel lines & connections. Replace rear differential oil. Inspect steering wheel, gear & linkages. Inspect drive shafts including CV boots. Inspect ball joints & dust covers. Inspect wheel bearings. Inspect wheel alignment. Inspect front & rear suspension. Inspect for under vehicle and under hood fluid leaks. Check exhaust system for security & leaks. Check all tyre pressures (including spare if equipped). Check wheel rims for damage & tighten wheel nuts to correct torque. Check operation of hand brake. Check brake pedal travel. Check operation of lights, horns, wipers & washers. Check function of all warning lights. Inspect glass and light lenses. Replace pollen filter. Check seat belts for damage & operation. Check operation of alarm system. Check installation of driver's floor mat. Replace remote control battery. Carry out wash & vacuum. Carry out visual safety report. 80,000 miles at £770: Carry out 80K/96 month full service as per schedule. Includes:- Replace engine oil & oil filter. Inspect drive belt. Replace windscreen washer fluid. Check all fluid levels & top up as required. Inspect battery for leaks, security of clamps & terminals. Inspect cooling system, hoses & connections. Inspect radiator & condenser for debris & signs of damage. Inspect engine coolant. Replace air filter element. Inspect power steering fluid level. Replace brake fluid. Inspect brake pads & discs. Check brake pipes & hoses. Inspect fuel cap, fuel lines & connections. Replace rear differential oil. Inspect steering wheel, gear & linkages. Inspect drive shafts including CV boots. Inspect ball joints & dust covers. Inspect wheel bearings. Inspect wheel alignment. Inspect front & rear suspension. Inspect for under vehicle and under hood fluid leaks. Check exhaust system for security & leaks. Check all tyre pressures (including spare if equipped). Check wheel rims for damage & tighten wheel nuts to correct torque. Check operation of hand brake. Check brake pedal travel. Check operation of lights, horns, wipers & washers. Check function of all warning lights. Inspect glass and light lenses. Replace pollen filter. Check seat belts for damage & operation. Check operation of alarm system. Check installation of driver's floor mat. Replace remote control battery. Carry out wash & vacuum. Carry out visual safety report. 90,000 miles at £415: Carry out 90K/108 month intermediate service as per schedule. Includes:- Replace engine oil & oil filter. Inspect drive belt. Replace windscreen washer fluid. Check all fluid levels & top up as required. Inspect battery for leaks, security of clamps & terminals. Inspect cooling system, hoses & connections. Inspect radiator & condenser for debris & signs of damage. Inspect air filter element. Inspect charcoal canister. Inspect brake pads & discs. Inspect automatic transmission fluid. Inspect steering wheel, gear & linkages. Inspect front & rear suspension. Inspect for under vehicle and under hood fluid leaks. Check all tyre pressures (including spare if equipped). Check wheel rims for damage & tighten wheel nuts to correct torque. Check brake pedal travel. Check operation of lights, horns, wipers & washers. Check function of all warning lights. Replace pollen filter. Check seat belts for damage & operation. Check installation of driver's floor mat. Carry out wash & vacuum. Carry out visual safety report.

Hi Joshua, there's a little checklist that Lexus have for minor / major service, the Full 40, 60, 80 and 100 all have timing belt replacement on them, and the "100" service package should cost around the same as what you've been quoted for the timing belt alone! Sometimes it's cheaper to book a "full / major" service and have the components replaced through that instead of booking individual component services if that makes sense. The added bonus is that you get an oil and filter change, spark plugs replaced (Full 40, 60 and 80 only), coolant changed (100 only), transmission fluid replaced (if applicable), and much more. See if you can open or print the doc from the attached link and hopefully one of these packages ticks all the boxes for you: Lexus - ECO poster 12-07 (lexus-europe.com)

Hi Michael, seeing how you are in Merseyside, I would give these guys a call and ask for a quote for a replacement part, or even better - for them to fix the existing one potentially: M.R.S. Heat transfer ltd t/a Motor Radiator Specialists, based in Preston, Lancs, 01772736500 or visit https://www.mrsheattransfer.com/. Quite honestly the best place in the North West when it comes to all things radiators and cooling. Howard and the team are very meticulous, very thorough, and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to radiators, oil coolers, air con compressors, etc. They do custom radiators too, so will be able to spec one up for you should you wish to go that route. Last time I had a similar request, it was a few hundred pounds cheaper than what the Lexus dealer / parts reseller asked for.

Thank you for the prompt reply Adrian 🙂 Mine is a facelift model, same as yours, so I will be on a lookout for LEX4VL2 soon, I really like how seamlessly it appears to integrate with the stock system.

Hi Adrian, what is the Grom model you had installed on your Lexus please? I really like the integration with the OEM unit you have mentioned, and am seriously considering making the switch to Grom myself.

A beautiful and really well cared for example, hoping you find a buyer soon!

Hello all, I have finally managed to string together a few longer journeys out of my LS430, and am pleasantly surprised at how many miles I managed on a single tank without really trying - picture attached 🙂 It still says 50 miles left in the tank, and I'm hoping to add at least another 5 miles to make it 470 total! Bearing in mind, mine is not converted to LPG or anything, I think that's pretty good for a car this heavy (and this comfortable)! What's the best you have managed to squeeze out of a single tank? 🙂 Max

What do you think of this one in silver, Rory? Registered in mid 2003, just shy of 66,000 on the clock, no advisories on the MOT since 2015. The only thing you mentioned you didn't like is the light interior, which this one has, other than that a very clean car! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275348826179?hash=item401c11a843:g:dgQAAOSwDN9iqBJt Dealer page here: https://www.my-next-car.co.uk/used-lexus-ls-sandy-bedfordshire-4418284

In this particular instance the dealer has put the reg plate in the brochure on their website - https://cardealer5.co.uk/flyernew2.php?id=691010 🙂 I've not noticed any obvious paint work on the bumper, but then I also thought the car was blue, turns out it's grey, what do I know haha! The exhaust actually looks okay to be fair, I think it's just the angle of the photo, however if you zoom in all the way you can spot little signs of surface rust on the backbox, another thing to keep in mind ahead of your visit I suppose. If it's as clean in reality as it looks in pictures I would say go for it, maybe try to drive down the price a bit, especially if those advisories have not been addressed yet. As an alternative, there's an early 2005 LS430 in grey located in Widnes - it's a bit cheaper too at £6495 - https://www.jandncars.co.uk/details/car-in-widnes/lexus/ls430/4.3/682719/ Pretty much identical car, same miles, even the MOT history looks the same 🙂

RF53 PGX is the reg plate if you want to check the MOT history, the current one runs until March 2023. Some of the advisories mention suspension components, might not be cheap: Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement They've listed it as a one owner car. Exterior and interior look really clean, generally looks like it's been well looked after, no obvious rust spots or dents, hardly any wear on the steering wheel, tyres seem to have plenty of tread on them. There's some higher resolution pictures of the car here: https://www.sdvehicles.co.uk/details/used-car-in-nuneaton/lexus/ls430/4.3/691010/

This was (sadly now sold) the best / cleanest LS430 I have seen - Kass Classics - LEXUS LS 430 4.3 4DR 2006, granted it came with 64k on the clock, but looked absolutely pristine in and out. Was priced at £9,900 initially and went up to £10,900 once prices started rising everywhere. Came with radar guided cruise control, so looked to be the highest possible spec model. Still beats the Bolton offering in my eyes, I think they're being overly ambitious asking this much for a car based solely on the low miles it has done, it's not top spec, hasn't even got premium tyres on it from what I can see - and the sales guy didn't do himself any favors calling you a time waster 🙂

A good old fashioned thump on the dash, Malc? 😁 Was known to fix a TV or two back in CRT days haha

Spotted this on Autotrader just now - an 03 plate with 419,000 miles! https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205195871505?advertising-location=at_cars&atmobcid=soc5&include-delivery-option=on&make=Lexus&model=LS 430&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&radius=1500&sort=price-asc&year-to=2006

Extremely clean MOT history for a late 2008 car (just tyres, pads and a bulb - who cares about undertrays and engine covers!), high miles covered in its early days and has been well looked after in that time it seems. Solid car!

I think they are more on the budget / low-to-mid range side, Chinese make. Presuming it's Landsail LS588 UHP (245/45 R19), the going rate is around £90 per tyre (fitted), rated at B for Fuel Economy, B for grip in the rain, and noise rating at 70 dB.

Looks like Landsail all around from what I could gather!

Excellent news! It’s like the Wild West that place, but oftentimes you can score an absolute bargain or in this case - potentially find a bumper! 🙂

Hi Stu, there's a few LS400 being broken for parts on Ebay (unless you have already exhausted all of them): https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2499334.m570.l1313&_nkw=ls400+breaking&_sacat=33640 Then there's always Amayama (shipping from Japan): https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/lexus/ls400, just make sure you have your friends chassis model name to hand. What about Facebook marketplace? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/106044699436531/search?query=ls400 breaking

Almost feels like an easy excuse! Since cars can’t talk, service history is just about the only way you can tell how good of a life a car has lived! This Bolton car definitely sounds like the one avoid, although it does look good on pictures 🙂

The 2005 car in blue (non-LPG) looks a bit suspicious to me, it keeps disappearing and reappearing on AutoTrader, was listed for £3,290, then £3,490 (only this week in fact!) now it’s down to just £3,000. If you look closely at the service book it says ‘replacement’ all over it, and all those Lexus stamps are dated as ‘2012’, whereas a genuine dealer stamp would have the year corresponding with the year the car was being serviced, so a 2006 stamp on a 2006 service and so on. I even went as far as emailing Lexus Hatfield to confirm if those services ever took place - they have never replied 🙂 I’d say stay well clear unless there’s absolutely nothing else out there!

Interesting! I’ve not seen the Bolton car in person but their valuation seems to be based solely on mileage (I think it was 80 something thousand miles). The price is definitely on the high side! There’s also a very clean looking green pre-facelift LS430 in Bedford that I wanted to see, but luckily I have already found my car by then 🙂

From what I’ve seen in person, this particular car is worth a gamble, provided you can drive the price down a bit. I think you have mentioned that you have owned an LS430 previously, this should put you in good stead when it comes to comparing this and your previous car. I would recommend asking for a test drive, there’s a long stretch of road by where the dealer is, hopefully this will give you a good feel for what the car is like. From my own experience, the ride should be smooth, but not bouncy or ‘wallowy’, a good example just absorbs all the potholes. At normal speed you shouldn’t hear the engine at all, unless you are pushing it of course! The car I went for in the end is unbelievably quiet inside, even on motorway. Gear changes should be almost unnoticeable as you accelerate. I think it’s important to focus on the big three: engine, gearbox and suspension, and base your questions around servicing (when and where was x last serviced or replaced etc.). If possible, go through all the receipts and make a note of what works have been done to the car, is anything major due to be replaced soon? Cambelt was done in 2015, I wonder when the next change is due. How is the radiator looking? Was there a recent coolant change? I don’t recall if the gearbox cooler was fitted (although not particularly expensive at £110 or so brand new). Secondly, get a feel for those wear and tear items: pads, discs, tyres, what are those like? Will the car need a big service soon? Ask to check that the ride height switch is working (whilst the engine is on) and make sure you can hear the pump working whilst the car moves up and down - it’s not instant, but you should be able to see it adjust the height. I thought the bodywork was okay for the age, but do check for obvious signs of rust. Lastly, check all the interior items, start with seats and the multitude of adjustment options, if it has heated seats - put those on as soon as you turn the engine on. Steering wheel column - do all the motors work etc. Move on to doors - do all the windows go up and down, test central locking if possible, last thing you need is not being able to fully lock the car! 🙂 Check the sunroof motor. Check the stereo at loud volume, bring a CD if you like to test the CD changer. Aircon was mentioned as not working, sadly I don’t know enough about it to even recommend anything. Hopefully at this stage you’ll have test driven the car too, and have more or less a clear picture of what the actual condition is like and what needs doing in the near future. Considering other examples currently available, I believe that this car should be valued around £2,500-£3,000 but not sure if the dealer would agree to go down that far. Do arrange to see it and test drive it, and keep us posted!

Hi Rob, I think I have been down to see that same car just last week! It looked to be pretty tidy (despite the mileage), and from what I recall it had so many Lexus stamps they've ran out of space in the service book! 🙂 From my observations: Honest and trustworthy family business, with plenty of recent glowing reviews on AutoTrader for this dealer Bodywork looked to be in good shape, few scuffs here and there, but nothing major, I did not see any surface rust at all around doors or wheel arches I believe this LS has had the same owner since 2005 Engine started perfectly first time and sounded as quiet as you would expect it to Tidy interior, may just need a good valet to bring it back to its former glory Ride height seemed alright, the car wasn't slammed to the ground and the air suspension seemed to hold it up okay - although I didn't get to test drive it as it was pretty late already Cambelt changed approx. 15,000 miles ago (however this was done in 2015) Good service record Declared as CAT N in 2018 - although no signs of damage anywhere that I have looked LPG installed and filler cap tucked away near the petrol cap Pretty clean MOT history, however there are several gaps in MOT records: -Between October 2019 (pre-lockdown) and September 2021 -Almost a year between October 2010 and June 2011 With the way prices are at the moment it may be a little on the high side, it's got the highest mileage out of all examples that I looked at. It would be interesting to see if the dealer is willing to negotiate on the price if you factor in the age, mileage and MOT gaps.

Hello Rob, as someone new to Lexus myself, I have done a fair bit of digging around on this and the American owners forums. Please note that not all of the below listed items are guaranteed to fail, but this should give you a general idea of what might fail on any given LS430 - unless already addressed by the previous owner: Radiator - can leak, which in my understanding sends coolant into the gearbox - bad, bad idea! Solution: replace radiator, and install a separate gearbox cooler Sunroof - has been mentioned as getting stuck in one position or other, in some cases can require manual intervention, i.e. you'll need to push it up to close. Have read of a few cars where there's rust build up near the sunroof area Steering Wheel Motor - known faults with levelling or telescopic motor failures (won't move up or down, in or out, sometimes both!). Fixes included replacing the motor in its entirety, or even something as simple as replacing a washer - your mileage may vary, also seems to affect facelift and pre-facelift models in different ways Air Suspension Failures - I believe the car you are looking at should look "normal" (height-wise) - not sagging on either end. If it sits too low to the ground (almost scraping) - this may mean that the suspension is on its way out - one of the most expensive items to replace like-for-like. Alternative solutions include replacing air suspension with regular coil springs. If I remember correctly, there are companies in the US, UK and Italy that supply these, you can Google "LS430 Air Suspension Conversion" to get the idea for cost as well as numerous articles from owners and their experience. There is also fully guided replacement video on this very topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZILfT7SKCY&list=LL&index=38 - looks pretty straightforward if you are mechanically minded! Subwoofer - placed at the rear of the cabin, behind passenger headrests - is known to start rattling or "blow". Costly item to replace outright, however it appears there are simpler and cheaper fixes, including replacing the foam cushion around the subwoofer itself, as seen here: https://youtu.be/K0uvSRFUDvk Door Locks - the actuator can fail and you no longer have central locking, the fix will depend on the severity of the problem Power Fold Mirrors and Mirror Motors - seen instances where the motor fails on one or both mirrors and doesn't let you adjust them or auto fold them on lock Passenger Windows - are sometimes known to have condensation issues as they are laminated / double glazed, and moisture builds up between the two panes of glass. Easy enough to spot - you will see the lower half of the passenger window all steamed up. I don't believe it can be fixed, therefore an outright replacement is required (just the glass, not the door) Bonnet / Boot Struts - commonly known to fail. You will notice this right away if your bonnet fails to stay up on struts, or boot feels heavy to lift up Door Rust - rust is known to build up above the chrome strip on all doors, you will often see it start bubbling up on some cars I think this about covers it for the most common faults, of course there will be others which are more or less minor, or are simply wear and tear items (cambelt, brakes, suspension bushes, exhaust system, etc.). Lots and lots of forums threads that cover these and other problems in detail, as well as numerous videos on Youtube to help you. In terms of cost for all parts listed, I have heard Paul Frost at Lexus Spares Direct being mentioned a lot on these pages: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/lexussparesdirect. There is also the official page for new parts: https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/, not to mention Euro Car Parts and the like. Generally this model is well regarded for its build quality, reliability and comfort, and is built to last. A good example should - and will! - feel every bit like you would expect a flagship Lexus to feel - well put together, quiet inside, with supreme ride quality, all this despite the age. You will see prices going anywhere from £900 for a high mileage, beaten up and sorry looking pre-facelift model, and up to £10,000+ for ones that look like they never left the showroom: https://www.kassclassicsautos.co.uk/cars/lexus/ls430/4.34dr/617396/. LPG models are common and look to be a good choice in terms of fuel economy, but I would say having someone with LPG experience give it a once over before the purchase is still very beneficial. Otherwise make sure to confirm it has had its annual (?) service done at an LPG specialist or has paperwork to back it up. Hope this helps, Max