2ton

Change the trans fluid. I wish I had in hindsight after my transmission in the"04 LS430 went south. Traded it in with 230K showing on the odo, but it was a great car. The new one I bought just doesn't feel as rock solid as the "04.

Our '04 LS430 is a great car. Powertrain is well designed and will last 300,000 miles + if cared for. I would want to see service records before purchase. The timing belt 100,000 service is costly. Michelin tires are great if installed. The optional GPS electronics package seem marginal, as is optional ride control. I would stay away from a car so equipped. We bought the car 8 years ago with 100,000 miles on it, and knew the original owner. Car was always serviced at the Lexus dealer, a GREAT find on a used LS. Things that went south on our LS in 8 years: tires, brakes, O2 sensors, passenger door lock, headlight movement, steering wheel movement, back window screen, hood and trunk struts, driver seat leather.

Hi James We just took our '04 LS 430 to Key West and back, with 240,000 miles showing before the trip. No Issues whatsoever. Get the tires first. I like the Michelins- great ride and good tread life. The other stuff can wait a while. Maybe cruse control next if planning long trips. The LS is a great car, and should run for many years. Electronic glitches are to be expected, however. I choose to ignore mine rather than spend the bucks.

More Lexus "beater" evidence (quick checks) - oil black on oil stick - air filter dirty - brake fluid black - tire pressures low/inconsistant - a/c cabin filter clogged - spark plugs worn, rusted/never changed - owner used 87 gas (instead of premium) - gas purchase receipts tell all- (yes, it will run on low-test) - oil/filter change records incomplete/missing

Joel Do spend a buck on a Car Fax before you commit to ANY price. If the Fax is clean, spend another buck on a mechanic, preferably one familiar with Lexus, for an unbiased mechanical opinion ( negotiating these costs in the purchase price is not unreasonable). Best of luck!

More evidence of a "beater" Ls: - spare tire gone or worn-out, used - missing owners manual (originally in nice pouch with Lexus pen) - missing tool box, first aid kit, both in trunk (mine were never used, like new) - missing cargo netting in trunk - 2 Lexus owner keys and a valet key that came with car missing. Although these items are not really necessary, they do indicate the past owner(s) car care, or lack thereof

I've got an "04, same car basically, 230K and still runs great. No major mechanical issues, but consider this: - Timing belt service, recommended at 100K. Expensive job and must be done. - Tires, battery, possibly brakes (more$) - air shocks, a big $ shocker! - Really unusual wear on the steering wheel shown in your pic. Same on console. Leads me to think car was not really taken good care of, like regular oil changes done? I would go $1,500 max or walk away. The car would get less at auction.

I've done basic repairs, things like tires, brakes, spark plugs, oil and filter, cabin a/c filter, fresh antifreeze, fresh brake fluid. My O2 sensors showed up on the trouble code at @150K, and I had my mechanic replace all 4 ( they're hard to get to).Thats about it. Best car I've ever owned, now have 240K and runs like new. Do have your mechanic check it out, including trouble codes showing up. I'd stay away from crash-damaged (body worked) cars. Good luck!

Timing belt done at 100K?

Service records?

The panel is held by push-in plastic clips. Pops out with upward pressure using the paint can tool (#3 instruction above). You may need more force using tool, or try using 2 paint can openers on a corner of the panel, pulling up. Mine had gunk around the edges of the panel, making it a bit harder to pop up.

Duracell is my battery of choice for the smart key. My '04 came with 2 owner keys and a valet key. One of my owner keys has some issues with battery life-so I use it as a backup key, kept in a zip- lock with battery removed.

The door latch will close at times on my Chevy, causing the door not to close and latch correctly. To fix, I have to pull the inside door handle out with one hand and open the closed greasy latch with the other hand. It's like a little flip catch mechanism. May be the same with the LS

I use 10/40 summer, 5/30 winter. Frequent oil & filter changes is probably more important than weight, however. My '04 LS430 has oil & filter changes every 3,000 miles, Mobil One synthetic, and runs great after 235,000 miles.

I bought OEM floor mats from the Lexus dealer in Va Beach a couple of years ago, all 4 for @ $100 or so, which came with the plastic hold-down clips. Very reasonably priced. Still rug on rubber, however.