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Ls430 Transmission Question


tgcLS430

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Hello all,

I am fairly new to the board, having just bought a 2004 LS430 last fall. Great road car and the around town gas mileage is better than I expected. I was reading the recent Consumer Reports annual auto issue used car reliability ratings and noticed the 2004 LS has a less than top rating for the 2004 models under the "trans. minor" category, while all other years have a top rating in this category. I understand 2004 was the first year the six speed automatic was used so I was wondering if anyone knows what "minor" problems have been reported with the 2004 model year transmissions.

The only thing I have noticed about the transmission in my car is that occasionally when slowing down to around 5 mph, as when turning into a parking lot, the transmission drops down into first gear and the engine speeds up to about 2500 rpm before shifting into second gear when I accelerate after turning. I notice this because when starting from a complete stop the transmission shifts very quickly out of first gear, usually around 1500 rpm. Could this be a symptom of a "minor" transmission problem? I tried checking the fluid level but there is no dipstick for the transmission.

Any info is appreciated.

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There were several recalls on the 04 model. One was the transmission and the other, I believe, was for the fuel pump. You should be able to check with your dealer to make sure that these recalls were addressed with your car. You might try the "Power" setting (there's a switch on the center console, to the left of the seat warmers/coolers controls) to see if that makes a difference. Welcome to the Club! You bought a great car!

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There were several recalls on the 04 model. One was the transmission and the other, I believe, was for the fuel pump. You should be able to check with your dealer to make sure that these recalls were addressed with your car. You might try the "Power" setting (there's a switch on the center console, to the left of the seat warmers/coolers controls) to see if that makes a difference. Welcome to the Club! You bought a great car!

Thanks for the reply. I will try the "power" switch to see if there is any change. I have a dealer appointment next week for an alignment so I will ask them to check if the recalls were done on this car. This is by far the best road car I have ever owned. The quality is very evident and I believe a Lexus is worth the premium price, especially over the long haul. I usually keep a car to 200k or ten years - I think I'll be keeping this one longer.

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There were several recalls on the 04 model. One was the transmission and the other, I believe, was for the fuel pump. You should be able to check with your dealer to make sure that these recalls were addressed with your car. You might try the "Power" setting (there's a switch on the center console, to the left of the seat warmers/coolers controls) to see if that makes a difference. Welcome to the Club! You bought a great car!

Thanks for the reply. I will try the "power" switch to see if there is any change. I have a dealer appointment next week for an alignment so I will ask them to check if the recalls were done on this car. This is by far the best road car I have ever owned. The quality is very evident and I believe a Lexus is worth the premium price, especially over the long haul. I usually keep a car to 200k or ten years - I think I'll be keeping this one longer.

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Well you have the right car to keep for that length of time (and mileage)! Just curious, how many miles did the car have when you bought it? Was it certified?

It had 24,500 miles on it when I bought it, just over 29k now. It was not a certified car from a Lexus dealer, but had the remainder of the factory warranty left on it. The 4 year bumper to bumper warranty just expired in February, so now the drivetrain warranty is all that is left. So far, so good and from the posts I have seen on this board it is possible to achieve relatively trouble free high mileage with regular maintenance. I do my own basic maintenance and regular oil changes with synthetic oil and replacement of brakes, tires, shocks, water pumps, etc before they are completely worn out has served me well over the years, especially with Toyota products. We have a road trip from Mass to Norfolk VA planned next weekend for a Navy reunion and I am looking forward to making the trip in the Lexus.

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