High Mileage LS430 Opinion/Advice

[swankytango]

Hi all, I am new to the Lexus world and that being said, I recently picked up a 2001 LS 430 with 189K for $1250.  It was throwing all kinds of codes for cylinder misfiring and I decided to take a chance on it and now after repairs I have a well running LS.  I also have a 2017 Wrangler which was my daily driver, but since the Lexus has entered the picture, it has been my daily driver.  It is an incredible drive.

As I stated earlier, I am new to the Lexus world, but have come to find out that this is one of the best and most reliable cars ever built and since I got such a great deal on it, I intend on keeping it.  Could some of the more knowledgeable members tell me what it is that I should be concerned about as far as maintenance goes for this car as I am approaching 200K miles? 

Also, are there any preventative maintenance that I should be doing other than oil changes and other fluids changes/flushes?

Last question.  I have the NAV model and wish to add Bluetooth.  I am planning on installing the Beat-sonic aftermarket stereo kit and a double din radio (see link below).  This seems like the best option for this model year LS.  If there are any other suggestions, please let me know.

Also, as a Lexus LS noob, any suggestions and or advice would be helpful.  Thanks.

 

[Lexus Owners Club]

Hi.....welcome to the forum.

As far as preventative maintenance goes, I would replace anything that looks under par, such as filters that look old, belts that are perishing, same with tyres.
All of these can be done over time and lead to a better and more economical and reliable drive.

[Harold Walk]

Check with any Lexus dealership --- because they all share maintenance records --- to see when the timing belt and water pump were last changed.  Lexus recommends changing the timing belt every 90k miles.  The dealership recommends concurrently changing the water pump, because they tend to go out from time to time and it is much cheaper to do so when the motor is already opened up.  My 2004 LS 430 has 160,000 miles and is the best car I have ever owned, and I have owned a bunch of different brands & models over the years.  Regarding the car stereo, I have no recommendation, but did replace mine with a Pioneer that has blue tooth, touch screen and built-in amp, which provides great sound and is relatively inexpensive.

[RX400h]

As far as a stereo, you may want to check with Crutchfield:
All Car Stereos at Crutchfield

They have plenty of choices and excellent installation instructions for many vehicles.

The owners/maintenance manual should have all the maintenance schedules. Maybe you can find one on Amazon's site.

 

[AndyLexus]

My 2002 has 148K miles and the passenger side rearview mirror failed as well as the rear passenger door lock mechanism (rear two doors tied together). Dealership wants ~$3K to fix both. I love the car but is it worth the $$ to fix?

[Harold Walk]

I had the same experience with the side mirrors and rear passenger door actuator failing on my 2003 LS430 (presently, has 208,000 miles and runs like a charm).  I purchased a side mirror from Discount Auto Parts for about $200.  However, they come in black, unpainted, which require either painting by an autobody shop or you can paint yourself.  Painting it yourself is a bit of a pain, though I did it.  You can purchase the paint kit through Amazon.  However, you may want to ask an autobody shop for an estimate.  The other option is to just purchase the OEM mirror which is already painted but costs about 3x as much.  You can install it yourself (see YouTube) or have an independent garage install it.

Regarding the rear passenger door actuator, a couple of years ago I purchased a rebuilt through Amazon for about $125.  I installed it myself and it has worked fine ever since.  If self-repairs are not your thing, you can take the parts to an independent garage for installation.  It's a whole lot cheaper than through the dealership. 

Another common item to go out is hood and trunk lift hydraulics.  When mine went out, I purchased replacements at PepBoys for about $30 for the front pair and another $30 for the trunk.  These anybody can install, which only required about 30-minutes.  Again, a whole lot cheaper than the dealership. 

There are lot of repairs which I have the dealership handle, but some of these things are not a safety issue and can be handled with either after-market or rebuilt parts installed by an independent garage or do-it-yourself for a whole lot less (every type of repair instruction is on YouTube).  The LS430 is the finest car Lexus ever made, so it is worth keeping.  However, these are suggestions to help keep repair costs to a minimum.  Just my 2-cents from a happy LS430 owner.