2002 Ls430..need Info And Advice On A Used Car..

[chef]

hi guys, well i'm gonna be looking around for a used lexus..i came across one...it's a 2002 ls430...it has 172k km (about 115k miles) and they're asking almost $18 000 cdn ($15 600 u.s. dellars) you think this is a good deal? Is there anything i should look out for or be aware of this year model? I'm also a little conderned as it's not too far off from the timing belp/water pump change or have they switched over to timing chain? for the belt and pump change..how much can that cost? let me know.thanks

fabs

[curiousB]

Actually its past the timing belt change. That is at 90k miles. You should check with owner dealer to see if it was already done. If not its quite expensive. I believe around $1500 (they wrap it into a major service that includes other items) here in US maybe more in Canada and that is just timing belt so add more for water pump.

[chef]

Curious....thanks for the reply...I will have that checked out....is there a link or site that can give me the info of the schedule maintenance for these cars? also can the serviceing be done at toyota instead of lexus? or this doesn't apply to the LS models? thanks

fabs

[1990LS400]

The service intervals for Canadian spec Lexus cars may be viewed here: http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience/en/ho...tenance_oms.jsp

I've been driving Lexus LS cars for over 19 years (about 260,000 miles). What has worked best for me has been to use independent repair shops. Where I live, there have been several owned and staffed by former Lexus dealer service writers and mechanics. I once tried using a Toyota dealer to do a few things on an LS (we also have a Camry) but they didn't have the required knowledge and parts in inventory. Montreal is a big city -- you might find a similar independent Lexus repair shop there.

[curiousB]

Edmunds.com has a page that gives info for any car:

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/select.html

for instance here is the 90k service for your car:

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/detail....0&zip=60010

Don't get too married to the price data though as Lexus dealers will be considerably higher. I have heard of people getting this work done at a Toyata dealer somewhat cheaper.

If the work was done, any Lexus dealer can find out as Lexus has a unified database tied to VIN. So you can ask any Lexus dealer to run you VIN to see if timing belt was done at or around 90k miles as it should have been.

[curiousB]

pps

If you are having timing belt done I would do water pump as well. The labor to get to the timing belt is quite high and once disassembled the water pump is quite accessible. It would be a shame to do timing belt only to have water pump fail in 10-20K miles and then have an expensive repair again (have to remove timing belt to get to water pump).

[nc211]

$15,600 for a 7 year old car with 115k miles is too much, if you ask me. I bought a 01' GS430 with only 53k miles a couple months ago for in the mid $12k's. Granted, it's not the LS series, but it has over half the miles, is the top of the line GS model of that year, with the V8 and full wood package. I think you should be in the $12k's, if not a little lower, for that LS.

[chef]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies....the car is being sold in consignment at a lexus dealership...i imaging that i can have the service records on the car at this point...i've tried in the past where i've bought a used car and went to the dealership to have the service records checked out and they refused.

I know whatcha mean about changing the pump at the same time....makes good sense to me.

I'm sure there are local garages that can do the repairs as well...

As for price i wasn't aware that it is too expensive..for some strange reasons montreal always has higher prices for cars...i 'll never figure it out! it is the "premium" package if i'm not mistaken...and it is lexus certified..not sure if that makes a difference???thanks

fabs

[Southern_NJ]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies....the car is being sold in consignment at a lexus dealership...i imaging that i can have the service records on the car at this point...i've tried in the past where i've bought a used car and went to the dealership to have the service records checked out and they refused.

I know whatcha mean about changing the pump at the same time....makes good sense to me.

I'm sure there are local garages that can do the repairs as well...

As for price i wasn't aware that it is too expensive..for some strange reasons montreal always has higher prices for cars...i 'll never figure it out! it is the "premium" package if i'm not mistaken...and it is lexus certified..not sure if that makes a difference???thanks

fabs

Just a quick chime in from the NJ/Philly area...I just bought a 2005 LS430 85,000 miles for 18,000 USD. The car was the basic low end ls but it rides great. No problems for the few miles that I drove it...although my truck doesn't want to open errrrrrh. Sounds like your prices are a tad higher but I would try and get the car a lot lower price wise. The replacement for the timing belt is a known cost...

GDF

[curiousB]

..for some strange reasons montreal always has higher prices for cars...i 'll never figure it out!

vive la différence!!! ;)

[1990LS400]

Just a quick chime in from the NJ/Philly area...I just bought a 2005 LS430 85,000 miles for 18,000 USD. The car was the basic low end ls but it rides great. No problems for the few miles that I drove it...although my truck doesn't want to open errrrrrh. Sounds like your prices are a tad higher but I would try and get the car a lot lower price wise. The replacement for the timing belt is a known cost...

GDF

Chef could join the thousands of other Canadians who have imported a US spec car from the U.S. -- if he doesn't mind the instruments not being metric. One of my Ontario cousins imported a car from the U.S. last year and he didn't make it sound like it was a big deal. I think the only thing he had to do was have DRL installed but of course the U.S. spec LS430 already has DRL.

[chef]

CHANGE OF PLAN..the 2002 has been scratched off the list....the price is a little high and it's a customer of a dealership selling it so no warranty or anything...BUT.....there is a 2000 ls400 premium package for sale (private) with only 152 000k km on the clock...one owner bought and serviced from new at a lexus dealership...and they're asking $12 900(CDN) (with can be negotiated)....so any opinions on this car? i'm sure it's just as good and reliable...

Question: how many of you are still running with the original A/C system without any repairs?

I'm always amazed at how cars today have a/c systems that crap out at such an early stage...man i miss the old days when the old big cars had the nice R12 coolant in there...i remember my aunts old '80's malibu(police pack) had the a/c unit from hell!!! you could see frost blowing out!

fabs

[curiousB]

Hi Chef,

My ’04 LS430 (73k miles) still has perfectly fine A/C. No issues to report but I guess 5 years isn’t much in Lexus years.

Big picture on the R12 man. That stuff kills the ozone layer.

[1990LS400]

I certainly like my 2000 LS400 -- bought it at 38,000 miles in 2003 and it now has about 112,000 miles on it. The A/C had to have a little refrigerant added last summer -- the repair shop couldn't find a leak. The R134a system in the 2000 LS has been more reliable than the R12 system in the 90 LS I bought new and drove for 13+ years / 183,500 miles. The 90 LS was on its 3rd A/C compressor when I sold it and I had it converted to R134a at about the 11 year mark.

The LS430 has advantages. Lots of additional features were standard including an indash 6-CD player instead of the cartridge CD changer that the 2000 LS400 has. Forget about adding a decent iPod/aux interface to a 2000 or older LS -- there are several companies that thave iPod/aux interfaces for the LS430 whether or not the car has nav.

The LS430 has substantially more headroom and rear seat leg room and a far, far larger trunk. The drivetrain is essentially the same in the 2000 LS400 and 2001 LS430 even though the displacement was bumped up a bit in the LS430.

It is really a matter of taste and what is important to you. Back it 2003, I was able to buy a 2000 LS400 for way over $10,000 less than the least expensive LS430 of similar mileage I found. If I was selling my 2000 LS400 today, I'd hope to get around US$8,000 for it and it is a fairly high optioned car with no dents or dings and no interior flaws.

I don't know what the "premium package" was on the 2000 LS400 in Canada -- could be different than in the US. The Millennium packages on the Canadian 2000 LS400 were similar to the Platinum Series packages on the U.S. spec 2000 LS400. I'll include a link to the U.S. 2000 LS400 specs but you might want to find the specs for the Canadian version so that you know exactly what you are looking at: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/2000/2000LSspecs.pdf

Here is a website that documents many of the feature changes on the US spec LS: http://www.lexls.com/info/lsgenerations.html

[chef]

hi guys..thanks for the replies.... i know the r12 is bad for the environment but was also colder...

another que...i like the ls cause it's also bigger...i have a month old baby and wanted to know.. in the ls..where do you place the car seat in the back? in the middle , pass side or drivers side? the back of my volvo wagon is starting to get tight..thanks

fabs

[1990LS400]

Chef, I'm serious. As a former Volvo wagon owner, my view is that if you think your Volvo wagen isn't big enough for your baby, then I don't think an LS is the car for you.

I'd suggest a nice used Toyota Sienna van instead of an LS -- maybe you could get a used Sienna Limited with HID headlights ... maybe even one with All Wheel Drive for those mild Montreal winters. ;) I drove a rental Sienna around southern Ontario last year during a Canada Day week family reunion and absolutely loved it. It was about as enjoyable to drive as my 00 LS and seemed about as comfortable. It was huge inside -- had it packed with up to seven adults and luggage ... can't do that in an LS! I want one! A Sienna is likely going to replace my 00 LS at some point.

[chef]

1990..i don't think the volvo is that small..it's just that right now with the child seat i have, i can only put the seat in the center position..which i guess is a good spot for it, but it'll break my back! i know that it'll last for a short time until i have to change car seat, but it sucks that i don't have a bit more room between the back of the drivers' and passangers' seat...would i have this problem in an ls? if you say that a child seat will fit well behind the pass and drivers seat then it'll be okay..plus i think i'll be more comfortable in the LS, not that the volvo is bad, but i'd feel more confident in the LS in terms of reliability...probably more then the volvo...

\fabs

[1990LS400]

I think you will have to do some measurements and perhaps talk with a Lexus dealer. 2000 was the first model year that upper child seat tether anchors were standard on the US spec LS but it may have been different in Canada. My US spec 2000 LS has the upper tether anchors in all three rear seat positions but it does not have the "LATCH" system that allows you to easily "click in" a child seat. Upper tether anchors can be added to older LS cars that do not have them -- I know someone who had a Lexus dealer add them.

[chef]

Hey 1990 how are you? well my wife's 2007 passat wagon has the anchors for the car seat, but i didn't use them, i actually used the regular seat belt...with the anchors, i was pulling like mad on the belt but i couldn't get it tight enough and the base had a bit too much play in it..so i used the regular seat belt and what's good is that the belt has a locking mechanism...so when i pulled on the bult it would lock up and take away the slack...

I just got off the phone with the lexus dealership near my house. They asked for the VIN number of the 2000 model car to give me the details of the work done..which is cool cause not a lot of dealerships do this..they said that the t-belt job is usually done at 152000 k km intereval..which is where the car is at now...so if i hasn't been done yet, i can use this to lower the price... I get the feeling that it may cost a bit more on repairs on these cars, but it's also at a longer interval then a regular car...mind you their hourly rate is $109.00/hour :o

anywho..thanks again..ciao

fabs