07-12 LS460/LS460L Ownership

Manii · November 4

I currently own an 09 GS350, and I'm thinking about adding another Lexus to my fleet. I really like the LS460s / LS460Ls, and would appreciate current / previous owners to give their input on these questions:

1. My current car has the sport suspension from the sport package. How would you compare the ride comfort and quality on a LS460(L) to my GS350?

2. How big of a difference does the air suspension make on the ride quality & comfort vs no air suspension on the LS?

3. How common is the control arm issue and the air suspension issue? How much does it usually cost to fix nowadays?

4. How common is the brake actuator issue? How How much does it usually cost to fix nowadays?

5. In general, how reliable are they?

6. What things should I look out for when buying an LS460(L)?

Thank you!

marc780 · 2024-11-24T03:35:20Z

I'll put my two cents in and give my opinion, just on those question I know a little bit about:

1, 2. I think only somebody who has driven both cars can give an answer on that. Supposedly 460's with air suspension are smoother to drive than those without but that might be entirely subjective.

3. If you ever have occasion to remove a front wheel or just see it removed, notice that most of the aforementioned control arms etc. of the front suspension are relatively easy to access. Many of the components are located such that you might be able to change them out yourself which will save you a whole lot of money. Those bushings seem to be prone to failure anytime after the odo hits 6 digits, but good quality replacements (Moog, Mevotech) can be had far cheaper than an OEM set (that goes for over a thousand bucks).

As for the air suspension, near as i can tell its service life seems around the same length as the aforementioned suspension bushings. It's a pneumatic system, and like all pneumatic systems, the question of repair is not if but when.

I haven't owned a car with it but others that do, can really have issues getting it repaired when some component breaks (just one air shock is over $1,000 for OEM). When shopping for my 2017 LS 460 I decided to deliberately avoid those with air suspension for that reason.