Buying Ls400

[Yaemish]

I am looking to buy an LS400. I was wondering how its going to be in the long run. Generally do many things break? I have read about the shocks problem, if they went bad I would plan on replacing them with normal passive shocks. I am looking at a 93 with 96,000k on it, does this milage seem high, any potential future problem I will encounter at this milage? Any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks

[AndyLS400]

Check to see if the 90,000 or 120,000 mile service as been done. That one can be expensive. I bought my 91 with 124,000 miles on it over 2 years ago, and it's run great. They only thing I've had to do is brakes and tires. Mine didn't have air shocks. Enjoy.

[tranls400]

I heard that the LS400 with air shocks is expensive for repair. I bought a 1990 LS400 113K and it runs great.

[Yaemish]

No problems whats so ever? No rattles or anything at that kind of milage?

[wolver1ne516]

I believe you'll be very satisfied in owning a lexus.

[90LS400Lexus]

No problems whats so ever? No rattles or anything at that kind of milage?

My 90 LS400 has 225,800 miles and still no squeaks or rattles. NONE.

[99lsguy]

As you'll gather by reading our posts, the dreaded Power Steering unit can be a hindurance for the older LS's along with worn front suspension.

Otherwise, you have solid vehicle. VBDenny cruises at 100 mph with his 90 LS and it rides like a dream. It is also a very well maintained vehicle :D

[90LS400Lexus]

Also too- the instrument cluster lighting and climate control LCD lights are a common problem on the 1990-1996 LS400s. I have heard of this light problem on the LS400s as new as the 1995s and 1996s, but I have seen the problem on more 1993-1994 models for some reason. Perhaps it is where the 90-92s have already been repaired? My car is a 1990 and all of the instrument cluster lighting is still illuminationg perfectly, as well as the LCD in the climate control, but this morning- which was one of our coolest mornings- I seen a little darkenss on the lower corner of the LCD until the cars interior warmed up a little- after about 5 minutes of driving. I guess it is possible that my car already had them replaced, but I am not sure.

According to the ones on E-Bay- it seems like 100K-140K is the mileage that they (instrument cluster/needle lights) start to fade away at.

Also like 99LS mentioned- power steering leaks, starters and front suspension noises seem to be the only other trouble spots.

[LexusPete]

"For the love of God"!, why buy a Lexus? Rich people lease these cars, because owning and upkeeping an LS400 would turn them into poor people. But it is evident on this website, that the LS400 does have a loyal following.

[mobilyte]

message deleted

[mejojo]

I never thought I'd have to say it here, but I now see that it's the case....

please don't feed the troll....

Joe

[VBdenny]

No older high milage car is going to be withour problems. Sure the Lexus has some problems. I'd say the previous posts hit the nail on the head. The power steering system is prone to failure, as are some of the instrucment lights and front suspension.. I bought my 90 LS with 120,000 miles for six grand. The car drives like brand new (even at 100) There are absolutely no squeeks or rattles and it still hurts your ears to close the door with all the windows up.

By far the best car I have ever owned. I figured a couple of grand here and there to keep it up is still cheaper than a car payment for a Neon or something else I didn't want to drive.

I've seen several nice used LS 400's in the paper. What you want to look for is a one owner, dealer maintained car that was garage kept. The milage isn't really an issue since these cars were built to last forever.

[90LS400Lexus]

No older high milage car is going to be withour problems. Sure the Lexus has some problems. I'd say the previous posts hit the nail on the head. The power steering system is prone to failure, as are some of the instrucment lights and front suspension.. I bought my 90 LS with 120,000 miles for six grand. The car drives like brand new (even at 100) There are absolutely no squeeks or rattles and it still hurts your ears to close the door with all the windows up.

By far the best car I have ever owned. I figured a couple of grand here and there to keep it up is still cheaper than a car payment for a Neon or something else I didn't want to drive.

I've seen several nice used LS 400's in the paper. What you want to look for is a one owner, dealer maintained car that was garage kept. The milage isn't really an issue since these cars were built to last forever.

I agree. I paid a little over $4,000 for my 90 LS400, with 225K, but I know these cars are built to last for a long time. It being a 1-owner, southern car, helps a lot. It has obviously never seen any abuse. The previous owner bought it new in Florida in March of 1990.

[LexusPete]

YAEMISH,

If you want a good used car, buy a Honda, Volvo or a Volkswagon. You don't want a LS400. The LS is like the old Harleys (nothing but a pain in the !Removed!). The LS400 is handful my friend. Don't know if the other Lexus models fear any better, but first impressions are lasting. I have owned other used cars and never experienced anything like this. You fix one thing and..."Wham"! something else breaks. I think the Japanese must be borrowing technology from Ford and GM.

[Lexus.]

Lexuspete, you have no idea what you are talking about idiot

[SRK]

YAEMISH,

If you want a good used car, buy a Honda, Volvo or a Volkswagon. You don't want a LS400.

LexusPete - you are hoping to keep others away from these cars, so you will have a better choice? Or do you really believe that Volvo and VW are better? I sold my last (of eighteen) Volvo to buy my LS400. I had had enough of Volvo water pumps, intank fuel pumps, main fuel pumps, shoddy interiors, oil leaks, driveline vibes, water leaks, heater fans, the works. Tough cars, durable, but not reliable. Two different things. Drop by your local VW dealership sometime and check out what passes for warranty work. Whole engines and transmissions being replaced or repaired. Stuff you will never see in a Lexus dealership. In 1970 VW sold 535,000 cars in North America. In 1990 they sold 30,000. There is a reason for that. As for Honda, they make a nice little car. I don't fit them. I fit Volvos, obviously, and the Lexus. And I won't own a front drive car. Never have, never will.

[Lexus.]

Yea VWs are a piece of junk. Unbelievable the marginal quality of these cars - My friends passat needed new motor at 34k, body moldings came off, interior pieces fell off, squeaks rattles everywhere, tranny went out, a/c comp, alternator, u-joint, wheel bearings, susp parts all replaced before 75k

[four door]

The 1st gen LS400 is by far the most reliable large luxury sedan ever mfg. My '92 LS400 is a two owner (second certified), dealer maintained and continues to be garaged night and day. When I purchased it from the just retired 2nd owner who was moving to Europe it just turned 100.000. Looking at the vehicle no one would suspect it was 11 years old. Other then purchasing a new set of tires (Michelin MXV4+Energy) I have found nothing mechanically wrong with the car. All for a grand total of $8,000. I suspect that the problem cars are ones that had abusive owners that did not maintain the vehicles.

[fiveofakind]

Lexuspete is a scorned owner it sounds like..... probably one of only a few disatisfied Lexus owners......these are great cars......bought my '92 LS-400 with 163,000 miles on it ....never gave it a second thought.......however got it at a good price...$3K......these cars will run forever.....easily a 300,000 mile car.........

Best maint ever done will be to faithfully change your oil & tranny fluid at regularly scheduled intervals.....

Jeff

[90LS400Lexus]

Lexuspete is a scorned owner it sounds like..... probably one of only a few disatisfied Lexus owners......these are great cars......bought my '92 LS-400 with 163,000 miles on it ....never gave it a second thought.......however got it at a good price...$3K......these cars will run forever.....easily a 300,000 mile car.........

Best maint ever done will be to faithfully change your oil & tranny fluid at regularly scheduled intervals.....

Jeff

You got a 92LS400, with 163K for only $3,000? That was a great buy. Isn't it great when you are able to get a great deal on a car every once in a while?

I paid $4000. for my 1990 with 225K. I still feel I got a very good deal on my car, as it was a 1-owner, well-kept car. I would have liked to have talked the owner down to about $3500 however.

The only thing I dislike about my car is the color. Not bad, but the "dark walnut", as the factory window sticker states, is not my favorite color. :D

[RCRFAN3]

LexusPete

What a TOOL!!!

[99lsguy]

fiveofakind,

Just took advantage of a 58 degree day in December.

Changed my oil (synthetic) @ 4000 mile interval and 2.5 qt. pan drain of T-IV tranny fluid.....

Set for the winter :D

Your advice is sound for any new (or established) LS owner!

[ToddLS400]

YAEMISH,

If you want a good used car, buy a Honda, Volvo or a Volkswagon. You don't want a LS400. The LS is like the old Harleys (nothing but a pain in the !Removed!). The LS400 is handful my friend. Don't know if the other Lexus models fear any better, but first impressions are lasting. I have owned other used cars and never experienced anything like this. You fix one thing and..."Wham"! something else breaks. I think the Japanese must be borrowing technology from Ford and GM.

Well, any 10+ year old car is going to have issues and things going out. These are not top secret military issued vehicles but they are made with very high quality parts and and they have a history of durability. Feel the weight and balance of the LS400 door.

The main issues with the gen 1 LS400 is the stupid placement of the power steering pump directly over the alternator. Bad engineering because once the ps pump starts leaking it kills the alternator within a year if you don't fix it. The next engineering blunder with the gen 1 is the placement of the starter. The starter is one of those parts that will go out somewhere around 100K with any car. They have the starter buried down at the rear of the engine at the V by the manifold intakes. That's a costly R&R job due to labor. The temp/clock LCD gauge goes black after 5+ years. The seats are somewhat uncomfortable (short under legs), especially for us with longer legs.

The good points? Classic bodystyling that has withstood time. Very Mercedesesque. The leather interior is top notch if not one of the best I've seen. The dampening and insulation inside of the cabin whispers quality as you're going 80mph on the freeway. Incredible 4.0l V8 engine that will run forever if you do your regular maintainence. This engine is way undertuned which will give you freakish longevity. Body is made out of very high quality material that is hard to dent or ding. My 1990 LS400 is 14 years old and I can count the dings and major scratches on my car with 1 hand. Check out the pics in the gallery. The bottom half was repainted about 4 years ago only to match the upper half and update the appearance. The car has a solid luxury car ride that is a cross of a Mercedes or Jag and Cadillac. Not too soft and not too hard. Lexus has one of the smoothest riding (suspension) cars in the world.

One of the funniest things? I've had 2 friends and numereous people think that I was driving a mid 90's Mercedes. I had a friend come into my house during my birthday party last summer and he said "nice Benz". It was dark outside and he didn't see the Lexus badging. A Benz! Ha! The amount of money I paid for this car is what a moderate repair job would cost on a Mercedes, if not less.

I don't mind paying the upkeep for this car. I've spent about $600 repairing this car since I bought it cheap with a bad starter.

If you like having a constant car payment from a lease contract then that's ok for you. If you really like the car you drive and enjoy learning about it, then you're at the right place. I drive a used car for about a average of 2 years then I sell it. I think I will keep this Lexus as a driver since it's so reliable and comfortable. If you don't like the common upkeep of a older, used car then keep leasing. A lot of us here don't have a car payment and that's the best feature. ;)

Volvo? Ohhh my, you must be married to a Swedish mechanic or maybe you get into a lot of car wrecks? Volvos are very EXPENSIVE to maintain. Hondas last pretty long for cheap. They have CV joint problems, VERY WEAK clutches (manual tranny) and moderate duty auto trannys. Honda engines run forever with regular maintainence but everything breaks down around it. Used cars do that. VW's have bullet proof trannys but they break down constantly. I've owned 3 Hondas and a VW Scirocco Wolfsburg edition.

[LexusPete]

MIGIRDECH and LEXUS,

You guys are hilarious. You guys are indeed die-hard Lexus loyalist. With such personal attacks, you would think that I had just insulted your girlfriend's honor (or boyfriend if you swing that way). Lexus deserves some constructive criticism. There are some glaring design flaws as TODLS400 points out. Some of these defects should have warranted a recall (such as the instrument cluster), but Lexus never did that. Instrument cluster malfunction is an inevitable problem with the LS models (1990-1994). The seats in the LS are the most uncomfortable I have ever placed my !Removed! in, and for crying out loud...THIS IS A LUXURY SEDAN!

However, I only paid $4K (1993) for the car and the exterior and interior looks brand new. See, it's not all bad criticism. ;)

[fiveofakind]

90LS400Lexus - the only reason I got my '92 LS400 with 163K two years ago for $3K was because the company I worked for was acquired by a company that had no company car policy. As the division controller, they instructed me to off load the car to a lot....no lot wanted it being a 10 yr old car with high mileage......I offered them $3k & they bit.......

Just at the right place at the right time.

Jeff