Life Expectancy Of 98+ Ls400?

[consideringalexus]

Hi everyone, thanks for letting me join the forum.. I am considering a 98+ LS400, what is the life expectancy of the drivetrain, also are there any rust issues moreso than any other car. Thanks!

[1990LS400]

With proper maintenance, the drivetrain of an LS400 can last several hundred thousand miles - like most other Toyota/Lexus products. Rust seems rare on an LS of any year - at least my first one did not have any when I sold it in 2003 after driving it over 13 years. The few LS400's with rust that I have personally seen had body damage that was improperly repaired.

Like any car, repair costs on an LS rise as age and mileage increase. These are great cars but they are not bullet-proof.

If you are considering an LS, familiarize yourself with the equipment that was available for the particular model year. For example, I've seen several posts from people who bought 98 LS400s and were shocked to find out later that their cars did not have HID lights. If you want stuff like heated seats, upgraded stereo, air suspension, etc., then focus on the cars that have them.

[monarch]

The drivetrain of the LS400 is just like any other Toyota with an average life expectancy of 150,000 - 250,000 miles if driven hurriedly and gets just an average level of preventive maintenance. 500,000 miles or more is possible if the car is driven calmly and receives extra frequent preventive maintenance using genuine Toyota / Lexus parts, filter and fluids. These figures assume the car has been purchased brand new. Nearly all the used LS400's on the market have already have seen enough aggressive driving and spotty preventive maintenance to shave a few hundred thousand miles off their ultimate drivetrain life potential.

[1990LS400]

Nearly all the used LS400's on the market have already have seen enough aggressive driving and spotty preventive maintenance to shave a few hundred thousand miles off their ultimate drivetrain life potential.

Actually, I've seen many 1-owner Lexus LS4* cars (and other Lexus models) that have been perfectly maintained, driven gently or moderately and always garaged. Both my older next door neighbor and I bought early LS400's - he in late '89, me in early '90. Both our cars looked and drove like new when we sold them 13 - 14 years later.

IMO, the key is to find a 1-owner (or 1-lessee) car with a complete maintenance history. Lexus LS cars, like most other fairly expensive cars, are usually bought or leased when new by older people who are more likely to drive their Lexus cars like the boulevard cruisers they are.

Last Saturday I spoke with another "old !Removed!" Lexus owner like me (mid to late 50's) at the gas station who was filling up his flawless, 1-owner, low mileage 2000 Platinum Series GS400. It was clear after speaking to him for a few minutes that he was a fanatic about maintaining his car.

But after a car goes through two, three or four owners, then all bets are off and who knows what you will get.

[sv7887]

Nearly all the used LS400's on the market have already have seen enough aggressive driving and spotty preventive maintenance to shave a few hundred thousand miles off their ultimate drivetrain life potential.

Actually, I've seen many 1-owner Lexus LS4* cars (and other Lexus models) that have been perfectly maintained, driven gently or moderately and always garaged. Both my older next door neighbor and I bought early LS400's - he in late '89, me in early '90. Both our cars looked and drove like new when we sold them 13 - 14 years later.

IMO, the key is to find a 1-owner (or 1-lessee) car with a complete maintenance history. Lexus LS cars, like most other fairly expensive cars, are usually bought or leased when new by older people who are more likely to drive their Lexus cars like the boulevard cruisers they are.

Last Saturday I spoke with another "old !Removed!" Lexus owner like me (mid to late 50's) at the gas station who was filling up his flawless, 1-owner, low mileage 2000 Platinum Series GS400. It was clear after speaking to him for a few minutes that he was a fanatic about maintaining his car.

But after a car goes through two, three or four owners, then all bets are off and who knows what you will get.

Have to echo these comments. The life expectancy is a direct function of the previous owner. You really need to be careful about who you buy this sort of car from. Do make sure you pull a Carfax report on any potential car you wish to purchase. These are very well built cars, but like anything can become a major money pit if they weren't treated well.

A nicely treated LS400 can go for many years >10. There was an article in Lexus magazine with a 1990 LS400 with over 500K miles on it. Many people on this forum have >200K on their cars. Just don't forget fluids are the lifeblood of this car. Change them frequently for cheap insurance and you should be set. At the worst I think the 1998-00 has some minor suspension parts that need changing >100K. Also, make sure the Timing Belt has been changed.

I drove my LS400 (92) in Boston weather for over 14 yrs, not a hint of rust. Just be sure to spray down the undercarriage properly during winter. Polshing and waxing your car 3-4 times a year will keep it looking good. Most people think I'm joking when I tell them my LS is 14 yrs old.

You may want to find an independent mechanic who works on these cars. My dealership experience has been terrible, hence my negative review. The quality of dealerships does seem to vary from state to state, so your experiences may be quite different from mine.

Hope this helps,

Sam

[monarch]

Actually, I've seen many 1-owner Lexus LS4* cars (and other Lexus models) that have been perfectly maintained, driven gently or moderately and always garaged. Both my older next door neighbor and I bought early LS400's - he in late '89, me in early '90. Both our cars looked and drove like new when we sold them 13 - 14 years later.

I agree with you that out where you are, in the Midwest, people drive relatively calmly and courteously, but the opposite is true in California. Especially on the Los Angeles freeways. LA is the biggest market in the USA for Japanese luxury cars.

[1990LS400]

Actually, I've seen many 1-owner Lexus LS4* cars (and other Lexus models) that have been perfectly maintained, driven gently or moderately and always garaged. Both my older next door neighbor and I bought early LS400's - he in late '89, me in early '90. Both our cars looked and drove like new when we sold them 13 - 14 years later.

I agree with you that out where you are, in the Midwest, people drive relatively calmly and courteously, but the opposite is true in California. Especially on the Los Angeles freeways. LA is the biggest market in the USA for Japanese luxury cars.

Monarch, I was talking about how new LS cars are generally bought by older, more conservative drivers who usually take very good care of their new expensive cars. I spend plenty of time driving in CA (LA traffic is a "breeze") and especially around S.F. where we have family. I don't notice people in California driving differently than in Kansas City or in other highly populated areas (e.g. NYC, DC, Phoenix, Chicago, Seattle, Tampa, Pittsburg, Portland) where we've driven lately. People in the U.S. are generally very courteous drivers and little different than in the U.K. and Europe where we have also done quite a bit of driving.

[nc211]

IMO, the key is to find a 1-owner (or 1-lessee) car with a complete maintenance history. Lexus LS cars, like most other fairly expensive cars, are usually bought or leased when new by older people who are more likely to drive their Lexus cars like the boulevard cruisers they are.

But after a car goes through two, three or four owners, then all bets are off and who knows what you will get.

Or you can get lucky and find a second owner like myself who has corrected all the deferred maintence from the first owner. The guys are right, most of the these cars are purchased and held on to for many many years by the original owner. The key is to find that one owner LS400 that's had the routine maintence done "verified". Usually you'll find them around the 90k mile mark because the original owner has had the car for many years, and now faces the whopper service interval for the timing belt and water pump...ranges around $1,500 -$2,000 at the dealer. Most owners simply say "nah...not worth the money, I'll just trade it in for a new one". That's the one you want! You build in that 90k service interval into your offer to purchase. But if you can't do that, then sometimes you'll find a second owner who's done all of the repairs and just wants a newer one.

[SKperformance]

The main determining factor is who and how it was maintained.

I have a 98 LS with 270 000 KM and it drives great , the most i have done is brakes and some bulbs that were burnt out.

It drives perfectly still which i would be hard pressed to find in another car lexus or especially a domestic of this milage.