Ls 400 With 600k Mile

[GKLCPA]

I had to stop by a client today who runs a service station/auto mechanic shop. He specializes in working on foreign cars. He had a Gen 1 LS 400 sitting in the shop with 600K miles on it. The body was in decent shape but the interior leather was severely cracked nearly everywhere. He said that car needed some work and he had just put a junk yard trans in, but other than that, the car runs ok. He told me that the owner routinely makes a 140 mile round trip jaunt to NYC from my area fairly frequently.

Amazing. I'm going to have my ride for a long time.

[EAGLE33]

I had to stop by a client today who runs a service station/auto mechanic shop. He specializes in working on foreign cars. He had a Gen 1 LS 400 sitting in the shop with 600K miles on it. The body was in decent shape but the interior leather was severely cracked nearly everywhere. He said that car needed some work and he had just put a junk yard trans in, but other than that, the car runs ok. He told me that the owner routinely makes a 140 mile round trip jaunt to NYC from my area fairly frequently.

Amazing. I'm going to have my ride for a long time.

Why is it so amazing??

Any car with proper care and maintanence should last you that long. I had a Grand Prix back in 1990 that went over 200k with no problem. There is no reason Lexus will not do more than that. Just take care of it and it will take care of you - very simple circle of life!

[SW03ES]

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

[jainla]

When I was in PA the window regulator died in my old Benz. I took it to a local shop to have them put a new one in, and the mechanic said "I love these cars i have 2 of them. One has 600k miles and the other has 400k miles." I asked him if there was anything special he had to do to hit that high mileage and he said "not really; they are both automatics. If it was a manual I would have to replace the clutch every once in a while."

I think it certainly speaks to the quality of any car that people keep them so long; either they are fanatics or not much breaks during that time. Of course if you want to replace all the pieces any car can run forever but after a certain point it's ridiculous from a cost and bother perspective. You certainly see alot more of the early 80's Mercedes and Toyota/Hondas here than American cars. I can't tell you the last time I saw a GenI Ford Taurus...

I'm surprised the original engine in that car lasted 600k miles; even the bulletproof MB diesel engines usually need a major rebuild around 300k. My parts guy in Sun Valley asks me if I want to sell my engine every time I go up there...he said he as a waiting list for w123 engines.

I guess this bodes well for the LS430... :D

[GKLCPA]

I had to stop by a client today who runs a service station/auto mechanic shop. He specializes in working on foreign cars. He had a Gen 1 LS 400 sitting in the shop with 600K miles on it. The body was in decent shape but the interior leather was severely cracked nearly everywhere. He said that car needed some work and he had just put a junk yard trans in, but other than that, the car runs ok. He told me that the owner routinely makes a 140 mile round trip jaunt to NYC from my area fairly frequently.

Amazing. I'm going to have my ride for a long time.

Why is it so amazing??

Any car with proper care and maintanence should last you that long. I had a Grand Prix back in 1990 that went over 200k with no problem. There is no reason Lexus will not do more than that. Just take care of it and it will take care of you - very simple circle of life!

To be sure, proper car and maintenance will lengthen the life of most cars, however, most cars are not of Lexus quality. The only cars that routinely reach this sort of mileage are the old mercedes diesals. Most gas engine cars don't run up this kind of mileage.

The LS 400 is just one hell of a car!

[GKLCPA]

When I was in PA the window regulator died in my old Benz. I took it to a local shop to have them put a new one in, and the mechanic said "I love these cars i have 2 of them. One has 600k miles and the other has 400k miles." I asked him if there was anything special he had to do to hit that high mileage and he said "not really; they are both automatics. If it was a manual I would have to replace the clutch every once in a while."

I think it certainly speaks to the quality of any car that people keep them so long; either they are fanatics or not much breaks during that time. Of course if you want to replace all the pieces any car can run forever but after a certain point it's ridiculous from a cost and bother perspective. You certainly see alot more of the early 80's Mercedes and Toyota/Hondas here than American cars. I can't tell you the last time I saw a GenI Ford Taurus...

I'm surprised the original engine in that car lasted 600k miles; even the bulletproof MB diesel engines usually need a major rebuild around 300k. My parts guy in Sun Valley asks me if I want to sell my engine every time I go up there...he said he as a waiting list for w123 engines.

I guess this bodes well for the LS430... :D

Yep.....600K on the original engine. Like I said, the car's body was in decent shape but the leather looked like hell. One could just replace the leather and the car would be looking pretty good. Actually, the car looked like it had been neglected a bit, so the miles are even more amazing in light of that. If I can, I'll try to get a picture of it and post it.

[jainla]

To be sure, proper car and maintenance will lengthen the life of most cars, however, most cars are not of Lexus quality. The only cars that routinely reach this sort of mileage are the old mercedes diesals. Most gas engine cars don't run up this kind of mileage.

The LS 400 is just one hell of a car!

Toyota had something like 1400 engineers and 2800 technicians working for 6 years on that car. To put that in perspective I believe that was 1/2 the number of engineers and almost the same amount of the time that Boeing spent to engineer the 777 around the same time (I'm sure Boeing probably spent more money though). The head of the sales division I think even joked that he didn't plan to build any service centers because he wasn't expecting the car to ever break down. :whistles:

I wonder how many million miles examples are out there?

[pishta]

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

My wife had a Hyundai, the first ones they sold here, and she said it was a piece of junk. I asked her how many miles it had on it before she sold it, she said 186, 000. My jaw dropped and I asked her "well how long did you think it was going to last???" that aint bad for a 6000 buck car new. Old American cars are lucky to get 100k before things start rusting off, interior parts start falling off or structural problems. I just saw a Chevy Citation today, first I have seen in literally 10 years, looked like a big Chevette, looked pretty good too, obviously a proud survivor car. My LS is coming up on 96k and it looks/drives like new.

[kmpdd]

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

I have 1990 Volvo wagon with 330,000 miles on it that I'm saving for my son to drive in a few months when he get's his permit. When I compare it with my Dad's 1990 LS 400, the volvo seems dated the day I purchased it, but after awhile the car grows on you. At about year 10, I started to appreciate the volvo's simplicity. Yeah, the brakes have always been an issue as is the old freon AC, but that volvo was built to last. I also had a 1988 honda accord that was literally trouble free. Can you imagine driving an accord 288,000 miles and never having an alignment problem. My new Acura MDX is a lemon compared to these cars.

[JIBBBY]

I had an SC400 years back with 350,000 original miles and it ran like new...Dealer maintained, Doctor owned, all original... Actually the tranny mounts needed changing that was it....

The funny thing about that car is the doctor sold it to a Persian dealer and he sold it to me..The Persian dealer replaced the instrument cluster and was able to make the car show 55,000 miles on the O.D..... I bought it thinking it had 55,000 original miles on it... I got home with the car and noticed the window shield was pitted and the leather was worn on the driver side just a bit...Finally noticed it was repainted but by the Dealership... I had to hunt down the original owner to get the real mileage info. I wanted to bust this guy so bad... Needless to say the guy covered his tracks and dissapeared.. True scum... Great running car never the less...

[GKLCPA]

I don't know much about the current crop of Volvo's, but the 240DL's could not be killed. Very durable cars. I saw one for sale about 3 months ago with about 400K on it for $ 600.00 bucks.

Besides the LS, the best cars for longevity as far as I'm concerned are:

Mercedes Benz 240D/300D

Volvo 240DL

Honda Accord

Nissan Maxima

Most Toyota models

These are the type of cars that one buys once every 10 years or so and I've owned every one of the above, with the exception of the MB 240D/300D and the Volvo 240 (I did own a 740 turbo). I owned a Accord for about 10 years and never had a problem out of it. I still own a Maxima with 183K miles and haven't done much to it other than routine maintenance. That Maxima is the cheapest car I ever owned from a maintenance standpoint and pound for pound is a very good value. It is also a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

I have 1990 Volvo wagon with 330,000 miles on it that I'm saving for my son to drive in a few months when he get's his permit. When I compare it with my Dad's 1990 LS 400, the volvo seems dated the day I purchased it, but after awhile the car grows on you. At about year 10, I started to appreciate the volvo's simplicity. Yeah, the brakes have always been an issue as is the old freon AC, but that volvo was built to last. I also had a 1988 honda accord that was literally trouble free. Can you imagine driving an accord 288,000 miles and never having an alignment problem. My new Acura MDX is a lemon compared to these cars.

[pishta]

I don't know much about the current crop of Volvo's, but the 240DL's could not be killed. Very durable cars. I saw one for sale about 3 months ago with about 400K on it for $ 600.00 bucks.

Besides the LS, the best cars for longevity as far as I'm concerned are:

Mercedes Benz 240D/300D

Volvo 240DL

Honda Accord

Nissan Maxima

Most Toyota models

These are the type of cars that one buys once every 10 years or so and I've owned every one of the above, with the exception of the MB 240D/300D and the Volvo 240 (I did own a 740 turbo). I owned a Accord for about 10 years and never had a problem out of it. I still own a Maxima with 183K miles and haven't done much to it other than routine maintenance. That Maxima is the cheapest car I ever owned from a maintenance standpoint and pound for pound is a very good value. It is also a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

I have 1990 Volvo wagon with 330,000 miles on it that I'm saving for my son to drive in a few months when he get's his permit. When I compare it with my Dad's 1990 LS 400, the volvo seems dated the day I purchased it, but after awhile the car grows on you. At about year 10, I started to appreciate the volvo's simplicity. Yeah, the brakes have always been an issue as is the old freon AC, but that volvo was built to last. I also had a 1988 honda accord that was literally trouble free. Can you imagine driving an accord 288,000 miles and never having an alignment problem. My new Acura MDX is a lemon compared to these cars.

On my Mopar board, there is a minivan that has 660k on it with only a transmission swap out, and a D100 318 van that has close to 900k on it, I dont know what those guys do with those cars, but the 318 van is a delivery in Kansas somewhere, probably interstate. I got telephone vans that have 48k on them and they look beat to cr@p!

[kmpdd]

I don't know much about the current crop of Volvo's, but the 240DL's could not be killed. Very durable cars. I saw one for sale about 3 months ago with about 400K on it for $ 600.00 bucks.

Besides the LS, the best cars for longevity as far as I'm concerned are:

Mercedes Benz 240D/300D

Volvo 240DL

Honda Accord

Nissan Maxima

Most Toyota models

These are the type of cars that one buys once every 10 years or so and I've owned every one of the above, with the exception of the MB 240D/300D and the Volvo 240 (I did own a 740 turbo). I owned a Accord for about 10 years and never had a problem out of it. I still own a Maxima with 183K miles and haven't done much to it other than routine maintenance. That Maxima is the cheapest car I ever owned from a maintenance standpoint and pound for pound is a very good value. It is also a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

I have 1990 Volvo wagon with 330,000 miles on it that I'm saving for my son to drive in a few months when he get's his permit. When I compare it with my Dad's 1990 LS 400, the volvo seems dated the day I purchased it, but after awhile the car grows on you. At about year 10, I started to appreciate the volvo's simplicity. Yeah, the brakes have always been an issue as is the old freon AC, but that volvo was built to last. I also had a 1988 honda accord that was literally trouble free. Can you imagine driving an accord 288,000 miles and never having an alignment problem. My new Acura MDX is a lemon compared to these cars.

I can't argue with that list

[drmeff]

I don't know much about the current crop of Volvo's, but the 240DL's could not be killed. Very durable cars. I saw one for sale about 3 months ago with about 400K on it for $ 600.00 bucks.

Besides the LS, the best cars for longevity as far as I'm concerned are:

Mercedes Benz 240D/300D

Volvo 240DL

Honda Accord

Nissan Maxima

Most Toyota models

These are the type of cars that one buys once every 10 years or so and I've owned every one of the above, with the exception of the MB 240D/300D and the Volvo 240 (I did own a 740 turbo). I owned a Accord for about 10 years and never had a problem out of it. I still own a Maxima with 183K miles and haven't done much to it other than routine maintenance. That Maxima is the cheapest car I ever owned from a maintenance standpoint and pound for pound is a very good value. It is also a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

I have 1990 Volvo wagon with 330,000 miles on it that I'm saving for my son to drive in a few months when he get's his permit. When I compare it with my Dad's 1990 LS 400, the volvo seems dated the day I purchased it, but after awhile the car grows on you. At about year 10, I started to appreciate the volvo's simplicity. Yeah, the brakes have always been an issue as is the old freon AC, but that volvo was built to last. I also had a 1988 honda accord that was literally trouble free. Can you imagine driving an accord 288,000 miles and never having an alignment problem. My new Acura MDX is a lemon compared to these cars.

I guess I must have had different luck...

I had a 96 maxima and sold it with 113k miles on it after replacing countless O2 sensors, MAF sensor, Knock Sensor, brakes, Clutch, and multiple headlights... it was an expensive car for me and I take care of my cars!

Must have just been a dud!

[90LS400Lexus]

I agree with SW03ES. One set of my grandparents bought a NEW Chrysler New Yorker Landau MC in 1988. I think even in 88' the sticker price was something like $29,000, which was a pretty pricey car in 1988. The car had oil changes EVERY 2000, yes, 2000 miles. Sometimes every 1500 miles! Before 1994, and less than 50K, the car started burning oil. The car NEVER went over 60 mph, even on the expressways. At 67K, the transmission went out, then it was things like the radiator, power steering pump, electrical shorts, etc. They literally babied that car! Body and interior wise, it help up very well. It still looked like brand new inside and out (it was garage kept), when they traded it in 2001. I can say however that car was one of the most comfortable I had ever ridden in. The seats were so soft and plush, as was the suspension. It was like riding on a cloud!

It had 89K and was having the oil burning issue AGAIN! That grandfather was always a "Mopar" man, but he went back to Buicks... they traded it in on a new Buick LeSabre and have not had a minutes trouble with it.

Also too, I had a 95' Chrysler Concorde (one previous owner/babied) and the tranny went out before 80K. Too bad it did not have the very durable "Torque-Flight" transmission that were placed in the older Mopars.

We did have a high mileage 76' Lincoln Town Car back in the late 1980s with 467K miles. Still ran like new.

So I agree with what SW said, not all cars can even make 100K with good care! I am sure the newest of cars are better though, but in that era (late 80s/early 90s), I doubt it.

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

[DobieG]

I guess I must have had different luck...

I had a 96 maxima and sold it with 113k miles on it after replacing countless O2 sensors, MAF sensor, Knock Sensor, brakes, Clutch, and multiple headlights... it was an expensive car for me and I take care of my cars!

Must have just been a dud!

Loved my 96 Maxima SE - Stillen package and all. BUT I, too, had too many problems with it. Finally sold it with almost 200k miles on it. Had the 02 sensor problems, starter problems, and knock sensor problems. The major killer was when the wiring harness went - wow! That was a costly repair!

[GKLCPA]

It might have been a dud. My experience with the Max is very good. I don't think I spent more that 2,500 in basic maintenance over the time I've had the car (about 6 years). Once a radiator leak put me down on the highway, but other than that, she's been very reliable. In a way, the Max is like the LS in the sense that there's a good balance between power and fuel mileage. The LS is a bit more impressive in that respect however. It's giving the same mpg that the Max was.

I got it because at the time I was commuting heavily to NJ and I knew the car would handle the miles I was putting on. I ran up 183K miles on it and gave it to my daughter.

I guess I must have had different luck...

I had a 96 maxima and sold it with 113k miles on it after replacing countless O2 sensors, MAF sensor, Knock Sensor, brakes, Clutch, and multiple headlights... it was an expensive car for me and I take care of my cars!

Must have just been a dud!

[GKLCPA]

I guess I must have had different luck...

I had a 96 maxima and sold it with 113k miles on it after replacing countless O2 sensors, MAF sensor, Knock Sensor, brakes, Clutch, and multiple headlights... it was an expensive car for me and I take care of my cars!

Must have just been a dud!

Loved my 96 Maxima SE - Stillen package and all. BUT I, too, had too many problems with it. Finally sold it with almost 200k miles on it. Had the 02 sensor problems, starter problems, and knock sensor problems. The major killer was when the wiring harness went - wow! That was a costly repair!

[GKLCPA]

Mines is a 98, so perhaps they may have remedied those problems by that year. As I recollect, the 96 was the second model of that particular generation, so they might have been some bugs for that year. Can't say for sure though. I gotta say that Maxima is the best car I ever had save for the LS.

I guess I must have had different luck...

I had a 96 maxima and sold it with 113k miles on it after replacing countless O2 sensors, MAF sensor, Knock Sensor, brakes, Clutch, and multiple headlights... it was an expensive car for me and I take care of my cars!

Must have just been a dud!

Loved my 96 Maxima SE - Stillen package and all. BUT I, too, had too many problems with it. Finally sold it with almost 200k miles on it. Had the 02 sensor problems, starter problems, and knock sensor problems. The major killer was when the wiring harness went - wow! That was a costly repair!

[blake918]

It might have been a dud. My experience with the Max is very good. I don't think I spent more that 2,500 in basic maintenance over the time I've had the car (about 6 years). Once a radiator leak put me down on the highway, but other than that, she's been very reliable. In a way, the Max is like the LS in the sense that there's a good balance between power and fuel mileage. The LS is a bit more impressive in that respect however. It's giving the same mpg that the Max was.

I got it because at the time I was commuting heavily to NJ and I knew the car would handle the miles I was putting on. I ran up 183K miles on it and gave it to my daughter.

My aunt had a dark green '95 or '96 (whatever the model is with bose, leather, auto climate, etc.), and it was a teriffic car. It went 185k miles (she bought it new) before someone rearended her, and totaled the car in 2005. In 185k, other than maint. costs she had to replace the maf sensor, and that was it. It impressed me with how well built and luxurious the car was.

After hearing how great my old LS is to my she decided to get a '95 too:

[tcbted]

Blake, she had the GLE model.

I helped a coworker buy a 98 GLE 4 years ago.

All he has done in 4 years have been front rotors, pads, and a knock sensor.

If you put regular gas in to the 190hp version of the 3.0l, it will eat up the knock sensor over time.

Very reliable cars. If I couldn't afford a Lexus, I would buy a Maxima (pre 99) in a hearbeat.

The 99 was a test mule for the new engine electronics introduced on the restyled 2000 Maxima.

The 99 and newer models had more issues with 02 sensors and coil packs.

Great cars to drive fast, but the refinement is average in terms of noise and smoothness.

Still, a far better used car buy than overpriced Accords and Camrys, IMO.

[GKLCPA]

I have the GLE model which is a twin of the Infiniti I30. Very luxurious and smooth riding car, but not on par with the LS. I was going to be a Maxima man for life until I drove a LS! If you want very decent inexpensive transportation though, you can't go wrong with the Maxima. I've driven the newer models as well. My Max is pretty fast, but those new ones have a hair trigger quickness. Nissan is definitely known for speed off the line.

Blake, she had the GLE model.

I helped a coworker buy a 98 GLE 4 years ago.

All he has done in 4 years have been front rotors, pads, and a knock sensor.

If you put regular gas in to the 190hp version of the 3.0l, it will eat up the knock sensor over time.

Very reliable cars. If I couldn't afford a Lexus, I would buy a Maxima (pre 99) in a hearbeat.

The 99 was a test mule for the new engine electronics introduced on the restyled 2000 Maxima.

The 99 and newer models had more issues with 02 sensors and coil packs.

Great cars to drive fast, but the refinement is average in terms of noise and smoothness.

Still, a far better used car buy than overpriced Accords and Camrys, IMO.

[raymsixsix]

I had to stop by a client today who runs a service station/auto mechanic shop. He specializes in working on foreign cars. He had a Gen 1 LS 400 sitting in the shop with 600K miles on it. The body was in decent shape but the interior leather was severely cracked nearly everywhere. He said that car needed some work and he had just put a junk yard trans in, but other than that, the car runs ok. He told me that the owner routinely makes a 140 mile round trip jaunt to NYC from my area fairly frequently.

Amazing. I'm going to have my ride for a long time.

Why is it so amazing??

Any car with proper care and maintanence should last you that long. I had a Grand Prix back in 1990 that went over 200k with no problem. There is no reason Lexus will not do more than that. Just take care of it and it will take care of you - very simple circle of life!

Sorry bud, I disagree. I owned probably the worst car that Mercedes Benz ever invented, the 1998 ML320, and I maintained it just as Mercedes specified and that piece of was in their shop more than it was on the road or in my driveway. I had them print out all the warranty work that was performed and it was a few pages long. The two final blows for me were when I had to replace the transmission at approximately 65,000 miles and then several thousand miles later the transfer case followed suit. Now, I realize that cars are all machines and nothing is perfect, but it was ridiculous how awful that car was.

My family had many other Mercedes at the same time as I did, and we all shared similar experiences. My grandparents had a 1997 S500, my uncle had a 1998 S500, and my father owned a 52 passenger bus overseas and they all suffered the same fate. They were either dropping transmissions or A/C not working and not being able to be fixed.

So to sum it up, I believe Toyota/Lexus were on to something when they set out in the 80's to build something that was supposed to run with the big boys, and be an awesome contender among the worlds best. Long live Lexus

[jonjdurkin]

I owned a 1988 Chevy Caprice Wagon (305 V8)-a true road Panzer-drove it for 11 years-gave it to my daughter at 317,000 miles. She drove it to Chicago

abd got t-boned by an inebriated Illinoisian. The car saved her life at the cost of it's own. I loved that behemoth. I maintained it scrupulously and the only significant repair (not counting wear items) was a new water pump. It was way heavy-21/2 tons-got abysmal mileage-handled like an M1A1 Abrams-but just kept running. I loved that car.

[jcrome04]

My buddy has a 2001 Maxima GLE. As far as I know the Nissan VQ series of V6's is one of (if not THE) best and most powerful v6's ever made. I mean 306hp out of a 3.5L v6??? That's impressive.