Am I The Only One That Thinks This Stinks!

[914lps]

I realy like my 91 LS 400 and I know the engine and drive train will last a very long time... But for a car that cost a boat load brand new I think the following really sucks!

The LCD on the Heat/AC Goes Black... Lexus expects you to spend around 1,000.oo parts and labor to replace. Yes, I'm getting a rebiult and DIY for $150.00

The Front Driver's switches warp and fall apart from the suns heating the car over the years.... I have no Idea what Lexus wants to fix.. Again DIY used parts for me $90.00.

Front seats kill your butt. Don't think so.. Do a search. I'm not paying $1,000.00 to redo leather seats with better foam. DIY with sheep skins and a piece of memory foam.

Everyone knows this is true. Most iyems fixed in 92 or 93 years... But why won't Lexus do the fix for the folks that paid big bucks for these cars. Mine was bought new and has stayed in the family. With 160,000 miles on it, it is long from being dead. But fixing stuff that was just poorly made on a lexus realy sucks!

What do you folks say?

Have I forgotten any of the "known" badly designed things on the LS that Lexus should have fixed for free long ago????

[RFeldes]

After 17 years it has developed a teenage attitude...just kidding

[SRK]

In the grand scheme of things, those items you mention are minor. And once fixed, they'll be fixed for a while.

Buy a 91 BMW - or any early bimmer V-8 and see your piston rings and cylinder walls end up in the oil filter. Buy a 91 Audi and watch as the transmission swaps fluids with the transaxle...Perhaps a late eighties Benz S class - here in Canada the tubular sway bar loads up with road dirt and rusts out. It's NINE HOURS to replace the bar. Oh Joy. Try a Porsche 928 if you want to see switches fail. Try a 400S or 500S Benz when the evaporator core develops a leak. It's FORTY HOURS to re and re that puppy.

I'll take the LS400's dimming display every time. At least the functions still work. More than can be said for the Benz.

The seats are crappy I'll admit. Better in 93 and great by 95. At least Lexus identified and rectified the problem - listened to owners. The Krauter Kar Kompanies never listen. Took BMW over FOURTEEN years to correct a head cracking problem that first appeared in 1975. Toyota had heads crack in 1971 - in 1972 they didn't.

[SW03ES]

The car is 17 years old. It is getting close to extremely old. In MD you can apply for historic tags when it hits 20 and the state won't expect you to submit to emissions testing anymore. THATS how old it is.

You have to be reasonable. In 17 years plastics decay, UV rays change the chemical compositon of plastic.

LCD displays have a lifespan.

The seats weren't great and thats been exacerbated by age.

These things have been fixed...in later models. You can't expect Lexus to remedy issues in a car that old. Had you come to them when it was 3 or 4 years old that would have been one thing, but the car is 17 years old. Nothings perfect and cars are continually improved. If you want the improvements you've got to pony up for a newer model. Thats life.

Its amazing the car still runs and retains any semblance of the driving experience it did when it was new at that age. Those cars are built extremely, extremely well.

[914lps]

My 84 Saab seats are still great, and nothing has failed on it from the UV rays. 300,000 miles on org engine trany turbo, and yes it is still a blast to drive and can run at 100 all day long.... Nothing on my 88 ford truck as died from UV rays. Still drives fine... But I did have to redo the front seats.

I just feel that if a company nows the design turned out to be bad, the should work with folks that bought the cars new on fixing the issues..... I do give Lexus credit it is a great car, and they are nice about if you loose the only key you have for the car, and have to replace the computer with a new key.... But I believe they should also do on freebee on the LCD issue etc.....

Just my feelings.

[SW03ES]

Thats just not reasonable.

They're not going to, nor should they do freebies on 17 year old cars. Thats bad business practice. They can't gurantee a product forever.

I've never had a Saab but I know people who have from that era and they have problems of their own. Leaking A/C lines into the cabin causing mold, clogging drain lines causing the same thing.

Remember the failures you're talking about on your LS can be admittedly repaired by you for under $250. So...whats your complaint. In a year your car can vote and go joint the army and all you're complaing about is a broken window switch and a failed LCD? Somebody needs a reality check.

[VMF]

i also dont really get what you are complaining about:)

i would be happy that my cars would only have these kinds of problem when they reach that age.

i also find it hard to believe that your other cars dont break. and also keep in mind that they are much less sophisticated comparing to any lexus of any year.

even the first ls model has more chips that first manned spacecraft:)

[90LS400Lexus]

I agree, for the age, these are all minor things. I have seen other cars of the same years with much worse issues. I also notice that you are in Arizona... I am not sure what part, but if you are from the part of AZ that gets blazing and I mean blazing hot in the summer, then any car will take heavy wear and tear out there. I know you mentioned that you had other cars that were older without issues, but I have seen both of those models around here with issues from the sun. I agree about the wood trim around the drivers window switches. My 1990 LS400 had started coming loose and I had to glue it down and my current 1991 LS400 has obviously had that problem as well, because I can see where some of the glue oozed out from under that panel.

Those shortcomings on those other luxury import cars that SRK mentioned are indeed true and are much more $$$ to repair than these on the LS400. I also dislike the LCD problems on the LS, but I think its good points far outweigh the poor ones... especially for an old car. I think it was just one of very few things that Lexus could have done differently, but I am not even sure then that the technology would have even been there in 1990 to make these LCDs a life-long thing... I am not sure. I do know that the LCD displays that my old 1985 Mercedes S-Class had still worked perfectly. The outside temp display was LCD, as was the radio display... no problems, but perhaps MB used a different type of LCD.

Sounds like you got a good price on those repairs your car calls for... get em' fixed and I am sure you will be happy for another 200K. ^_^

[raymsixsix]

I realy like my 91 LS 400 and I know the engine and drive train will last a very long time... But for a car that cost a boat load brand new I think the following really sucks!

The LCD on the Heat/AC Goes Black... Lexus expects you to spend around 1,000.oo parts and labor to replace. Yes, I'm getting a rebiult and DIY for $150.00

The Front Driver's switches warp and fall apart from the suns heating the car over the years.... I have no Idea what Lexus wants to fix.. Again DIY used parts for me $90.00.

Front seats kill your butt. Don't think so.. Do a search. I'm not paying $1,000.00 to redo leather seats with better foam. DIY with sheep skins and a piece of memory foam.

Everyone knows this is true. Most iyems fixed in 92 or 93 years... But why won't Lexus do the fix for the folks that paid big bucks for these cars. Mine was bought new and has stayed in the family. With 160,000 miles on it, it is long from being dead. But fixing stuff that was just poorly made on a lexus realy sucks!

What do you folks say?

Have I forgotten any of the "known" badly designed things on the LS that Lexus should have fixed for free long ago????

Yes the LS is a very reliable and durable car, but everything has its limits, nothing will last forever. The first generation LS MSRP started around $35,000 and now these cars are between 14 and 17 years old. I can't think of different car for the same money with the same age that hold up better than these do. The price for parts are expensive I agree, but nothing will last forever and you can't expect a company to warranty something on a car of that age. <_<

[VBdenny]

I'd rather have my 1990 LS400 than a 2008 Ford Taurus.

[LexKid630]

Didn't lexus go to everyone's house and replace something in the 3rd brake-light for the early Ls400's? They never did it for my 1990, but i read that in a book somewhere.

True, for a 17yr old car, they can't be held responsible for things like that...

[nc211]

914, to answer your question in the thread, yes - it appears you're the only one!

However, I recall the senior tech at the dealership telling me during a test run in my car, that Lexus really got it right with the 95+ models. He said the first series of the LS had many problems, the updated one in 93' fixed many, but some annoying ones still lingered, then the redesign in 95 really set the bar for the LS series. I agreed, until I saw the bill to repair that faulty engine computer, years later that bad drive shaft, etc... hhahaha. But, nonetheless, at 17 years old, she's gonna have a few "beauty" marks. What I think sucks is the premium charged for "lexus" parts versus the identical part for "toyota", and designed with an ever-so-slight alteration that prevents the two from being swapped out. Like a tie rod that has a bump in the design that prevents it from use on the LS, or a different thread pattern on the screw, etc... But, a man's gotta earn a buck I guess.

[raymsixsix]

Didn't lexus go to everyone's house and replace something in the 3rd brake-light for the early Ls400's? They never did it for my 1990, but i read that in a book somewhere.

True, for a 17yr old car, they can't be held responsible for things like that...

You're right, they recalled I believe 8000 LS's to replace the third brake light housing that had became deformed. There was only one case reported out of TX, but they decided to recall all of them. They decided to recall December 1, 1989 and the majority of the jobs were completed before Christmas. The techs met the owners wherever they wanted to do the repairs: at home, at work, it didn't matter. They made the repairs, filled each car with gas, and washed it when they were done. Some dealerships told their techs to leave a rose on the dash afterwards.

[cardona6569]

"I do give Lexus credit it is a great car, and they are nice about if you loose the only key you have for the car, and have to replace the computer with a new key".... Remark made by 914lps

I have a 1998 and had that issue but if before you key breaks you go by the dealer they can male you copies, not cheap, expect to shell about 500 but you will not have to change the computer if your key breaks. The system is made to prevent theft, if the car got stolen it probably would cost a lot more than replacing the key.

CPR

[90LS400Lexus]

Well, I am most impressed with my 1991 LS400 w/209K. 17 years old, over 200K miles and still NO squeaks or rattles, but I do still have have the LCD issue, but after 17 years and really the only issue, I am not complaining. ;)

[SW03ES]

"I do give Lexus credit it is a great car, and they are nice about if you loose the only key you have for the car, and have to replace the computer with a new key".... Remark made by 914lps

I have a 1998 and had that issue but if before you key breaks you go by the dealer they can male you copies, not cheap, expect to shell about 500 but you will not have to change the computer if your key breaks. The system is made to prevent theft, if the car got stolen it probably would cost a lot more than replacing the key.

CPR

You can also order keys online for MUCH less.

[nolyaw]

In the grand scheme of things, those items you mention are minor. And once fixed, they'll be fixed for a while.

Buy a 91 BMW - or any early bimmer V-8 and see your piston rings and cylinder walls end up in the oil filter. Buy a 91 Audi and watch as the transmission swaps fluids with the transaxle...Perhaps a late eighties Benz S class - here in Canada the tubular sway bar loads up with road dirt and rusts out. It's NINE HOURS to replace the bar. Oh Joy. Try a Porsche 928 if you want to see switches fail. Try a 400S or 500S Benz when the evaporator core develops a leak. It's FORTY HOURS to re and re that puppy.

I'll take the LS400's dimming display every time. At least the functions still work. More than can be said for the Benz.

The seats are crappy I'll admit. Better in 93 and great by 95. At least Lexus identified and rectified the problem - listened to owners. The Krauter Kar Kompanies never listen. Took BMW over FOURTEEN years to correct a head cracking problem that first appeared in 1975. Toyota had heads crack in 1971 - in 1972 they didn't.

Damn, I,ve had all the above, could not have said it better myself...I've tried all the rest, I'll take a blacked out LCD over an S-class with no A/C, or a 740il with a slipping tranny anyday!

[90LS400Lexus]

All true what SRK says and I will add a couple more... how about a 1991-1995 Acura Legend with a blown headgasket (these are notorious for that).... also one thing I will add to the Porsche's - how about a fire? Seems like for many years those cars have had fuel leak issues... I have seen many (even nearly new ones) with fire damage. Same goes for Range Rovers and some Jaguars. <_<

In the grand scheme of things, those items you mention are minor. And once fixed, they'll be fixed for a while.

Buy a 91 BMW - or any early bimmer V-8 and see your piston rings and cylinder walls end up in the oil filter. Buy a 91 Audi and watch as the transmission swaps fluids with the transaxle...Perhaps a late eighties Benz S class - here in Canada the tubular sway bar loads up with road dirt and rusts out. It's NINE HOURS to replace the bar. Oh Joy. Try a Porsche 928 if you want to see switches fail. Try a 400S or 500S Benz when the evaporator core develops a leak. It's FORTY HOURS to re and re that puppy.

I'll take the LS400's dimming display every time. At least the functions still work. More than can be said for the Benz.

The seats are crappy I'll admit. Better in 93 and great by 95. At least Lexus identified and rectified the problem - listened to owners. The Krauter Kar Kompanies never listen. Took BMW over FOURTEEN years to correct a head cracking problem that first appeared in 1975. Toyota had heads crack in 1971 - in 1972 they didn't.

[SRK]

Same goes for Range Rovers and some Jaguars. <_<

I left out the English cars - and if you knew my heritage you'd know I am English - because they are below crappy. You're right of course. I was visiting a pal working in another shop, who had a Range Rover front brake job on the go. (I refused to work on those things, one of the advantages of being self-employed) I noticed that the front brake pad guide pins were large cotter pins - the kind you'd see on a semi-tractor pintle hitch - and I mentioned to him that that's the method used on the MGB sports cars. He said - "yep, same caliper, except Rover gets $90.00 for the pads and MGB gets $26.00!" I just about fell over. Teeny little calipers that don't even have dust boots on the pistons. Every new set of pads gets a rebuilt caliper, because the piston is fully exposed to road dirt as it protrudes further as the pads wear. I still can't believe it. A people buy the silly things like some sort of suburban pedigree....

I was driving the wife's LS this afternoon, and thinking in what way does the interior show it's age? A sixteen year old car, and every part of the interior looks like new, except the steering wheel, where the wife's rings (they are not large, as I am cheap - Scottish too) have gouged the leather rim. That's it.

[TexasLexus94]

There's no doubt that extreme heat can damage anything-even my Chrome Dome. So I wear a hat. My 94LS with 97,000 miles came with a custom fitted dash covering. Which was probably a gift to Grandpa-in Las Vegas. It sure keeps the heat from the dash. IMHO, there's no reason to complain about heat if you live in Arizona-or Las Vegas. I also own a 2005 Mazda MX-5, and made the mistake of leaving it in an open parking lot in the summer-with black leather seats. No way you could sit in the car, even after a half hour with the top down. Roasty toasty to the max. So I use the Mazda only if it's winter, spring or fall, or if I can park it in a covered garage-can you say casino? The Lexus is a year round car, and deserves to be kept in a garage. I'm leaving for a trip to Mass. tomorrow and I doubt I'll find too many 94 Lexus cars driving through the snow and salt. Love those rental cars.

[JIBBBY]

Stuff on every car wears out eventually... Just be thankful you don't live in constant snow or close to the Ocean and watch the rust invade your car like cancer....It could be worse...

[eatingupblacktop]

In Arizona I'd be looking for a garage no matter what car I was driving. For a more complete perspective, I'd check out the forums for some of the Engllish and German products then compare with what you read on Lexus forums.

[90LS400Lexus]

Yeah, my LS400 has just started to exibit some annoying interior "ticks and pops" from the interior plastics when the interior is hot and cooling down, or when I hit bumps. If its between 65-75 outside and the sun has not hit the interior, its totally quiet. I am guessing that the sun has taken a toll on the interior parts and its making its presence known when the temperature of its changing. ;)

Yes the LS is a very reliable and durable car, but everything has its limits, nothing will last forever. The first generation LS MSRP started around $35,000 and now these cars are between 14 and 17 years old. I can't think of different car for the same money with the same age that hold up better than these do. <_<