patcom

Try e-bay for the owners manual,thats where I got mine for my 2000 LS and more recently,my 2006 LS.

Im picking up tomorrow, and im just wondering what the ride is like

:D

I drove mine from mid 1997 till mid 2004,when I bought a 2000 Platinum edition LS400.great ride,great car.Just make sure that all required maint.has been done.It went from 56K miles to 103K miles.

I did replace the battery and tires,brake pads and rotors(twice).I sold it to my girlfriends daughter 3 1/2 years ago.She did the timing belt and water pump,which I never did.She is still driving it but ran it into a culvert and says it does not steer right.(lol, get it looked at and fixed).

All in all, a great car if maint.is done properly and on time.During that time it was never at a Lexus stealer.I did do oil and filter at 3K mile intervals.Never had an electrical issue unless the drivers door was facing the lake in the winter.Then the snow would get in the door and the lock would freeze.Couldn't lock the door,so the battery would die overnight.(all those interior lights).

Oh,to answer your question the 1993 and the 2000 LS are the best cars I have ever I have ever had ride wise and any other way.I am not quite as happy with my 2006 LS 430,but I have only had it a few months,so time will tell.

I have just replaced my 2nd Bridgestone OEM tire, the first at 5000 miles and this latest one at 9300 miles. I have never before repaced any in nearly 50 years of driving. Am I just unlucky or is anyone else having a similar issue with these tires. Both picked up nails in the sidewalls.

Most likely it's the area's you are driving in.It's not the tires fault if you get nails in the sidewalls.

I don't have the high milage experience as the rest of this forum but I have owned two LS 400's and currently have a 2006 LS430.

The first was a 1993 with 56K purchased in July of 1997 for $22.5K.Drove it till Jan of 2004 and at 103K bought a 2000 LS400 Platinum edition with 67K miles.During that time I put on brakes,tires,rotors,and a battery.I sold the 1993 to my girlfriends daughter and she is still driving it.The last I knew it had about 160K miles on it.I never did the timing belt and water pump but she had it done about 3 months ago.It still has the origional exhaust system.

I drove the 2000 for 3 and 1/2 years and only put tires on it.Sold it to my sister in Aug of 2007 and never had any problems at all.Just regular oil/filter changes.

In may of 2007,I guess in a mid-life crisis,I bought a 2006 LS 430 with 9998 miles on it.Although it is beautiful and in pristine condition I have two issues with it.The steering is stiffer than both the 1993 and the 2000 and the ride is rougher.I blame the ride on the 18" wheels.

However,all that being said,the Lexus is the best car that I have ever owned.I still have a Mercedes and Rolls Royce,but do not drive them unless my girlfriend wants to impress someone.I will probably get a 2010 LS 460 late in 2009.

LONG LIVE LEXUS

Hello,

I was trying to see if anyone has ever bought from ebay? I am on the market for a 98-2000 LS400 and wanted to know if ebay was a way to go, especially if the car is far away where you wont see it until it is shipped to you. Any advise please?

Frank

I bought my 2000 LS 400 platinum edition on e-bay for $22,500 with 67K miles.Drove it for 3 1/2 years with no problems.I did put in a new battery and replaced the tires.

Also bought my 2006 LS430 with 9.9K miles for $47,500 on e-bay,so far no problems,except it seems to have tighter steering and the 18" wheels ride rougher than my 1993 and 2000 LS's.

However,I bought 2 2007 Toyota Highlanders on e-bay.One is fine,my girlfriend didn't like the looks of the rocker panels on the other.I took it to a body shop and was freaked by the 6 month wait and $7,650 bill.I was origionally quoted $1,500 and the further they went the worse it got,including air bags and headliner.

That being said,if you stick with an e-bay seller with high volume and almost 100% favorable{read the details}feedback you should be in good shape.The seller of the bad highlander had 100% favorable feedback,but only 43 items sold.I even gave him a favorable rating before discovering the problem.And of course after submitting,I couldn't change or add to it.

To me the difference in price between the dealer and e-bay is worth the risk.My local Toyota dealer wanted $10,000 more than I paid for each of the Highlanders.

Good write-up there, IS400. I must say that I am impressed. I'm not far from going into my 1997 LS to do a similar job. Just hope I can be as effecient as you were. My parts, however, will come from Carson. This is priojected for January or February.

Thanks for the information, and Merry Christmas.

Thanks! That really means a lot to me. You have an non interference engine? I think those engines started in 98 right? Those must have the belts changed like clockwork or you risk it imploding if it breaks from what I understand.

Cheers!

Very good job Ls400,I sold my 1993 LS400 at 103K miles before it needed this kind of repair.And sold my 2000 LS 400 with 77K,also not needing any repair.I wish I was able to do what you did.Hopefully my 2006 LS430 will last longer than I do.I turned 65 last August.

IF properly tuned, which generation LS typically gets better MPGs? I am considering a 91 LS and a 95 LS and just wondering about this. I think my old 90' LS got decent mileage. I think that the 95-97s are slightly lighter than the 90-94s (like about 100 lbs), so I am assuming that those would get a LITTLE better mileage?

With gas prices soaring, every little bit helps! :)

Thanks in advance!

LOL Buy A Prius if thats a consideration///////////////////

Does anyone know how to program a 2006 LS430 Smart Key? The directions I got off Lexus-parts.com does not seem to work. I seen some others where is requires that you turn the ignition 5 times and then open and close the driver's side door 6 times. However, that does not work either. Are there any other directions/instructions?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I have a LS430 2006 and the dealers I have talked to insist that the car must be at the dealer to be programed for the new keys.If you find a way around it please let me know.

Sounds like a nice deal on the car. Enjoy and welcome to the world of "Lexury"

Sounds good to me.I paid $44,700 for an 2006 with 9998 miles on it back in May of 2007.And thought I got a good deal.

Hi, First post for me and I apologise if this is the wrong area. I am buying my first lexus and have narrowed it to a GS or an LS 400 1999 or 1998 unless I can get a better buy on something newer. With proper maintaince what can I expect to get as far as engine life? This will be a city driver with perhaps 5,000 highway miles per year and 5,000 city miles per year. It will be babied as my wife will be driving it. I am loking only for guidelines and nothing specific as we all know that car to car they will vary. Thanks You in advance. Jeff

My first LS400 was a 1993 that I paid $22,500 for with 56k on it in 1998.I drove it till 2004 and bought a 2000 LS400 that cost me $22,500 with 67K miles.The only thing I did to the 93 was tires,brakes,and rotors.My girlfriends daughter bought it 3 years ago and is still driving it.She has had to put on the power steering pump,water pump and timing belt(normal maintaince).There have never been any engine issues.It now has over 160K miles,it had 103K miles when she bought it.

In May of 2007 I bought a 2006 LS 430 with 9998 miles.Looks and drives like a dream but the 2000 platinum edition was smoother driving and had less tire noise.I sold the 2000 LS 400 to my sister for $15K and she is estatic with the car.She also has a 1996 camry to compare it to.

In my opinion if the Lexus is maintained properly it will last forever.But I am 65 years old

and that limits my future in the car.I have read several posts of the LS getting to 500K.If you have one,maintain it religiously and enjoy the best ride you have ever had.

The steering column grinds when returning to the up position.Any ideas on whether it can be lubricated or is something shot? On a 2000 LS400.

Let me say up front I love my LS430. I came from Mercedes and BMW's and I love the quality, reliability, and comfort of my LS430. So I went and test drove the new LS460. Drove it about 15 miles, on streets, country roads, and interstate highway. It is a wonderful car and drove great...absolutely no complaints...........but............I did not see that great of a difference between the LS460 and my LS430. I expected the steering feel to be much improved after talking with the salesman, but I could not detect any significant difference. Power was greater, the 8-speed transmission shifted more often, but frankly, I think I prefer my LS430. I would be interested to hear the impressions of you who currently own an LS430, and have driven the new LS460. What differences did you notice, and if you liked it better, why?

Not exactly a reply to to your question but I feel the same way about the difference between my 2000 LS400 and my 2006 LS430.To me the handling and steering are better in the 2000 LS400 than the newer LS 430.I blame it on the 18" tires.To me it is a downgrade in quality.

I purchased a new set (4 wheels) of rotors and pads for my 2000 LS 400 and didn't need them.Does anyone know if these rotors and pads will fit my 2006 LS 430 or should I just give them to the new owner of the 2000 LS 400?

I have a 2006 LS 430 with the keyless ignition.I purchased a 2006 LS 430 key fob with the transponder and have the programing procedure.Does anyone know where I can get a key blank installed and have it cut to fit this car?

Just purchased a 2006 LS 430 with 9998 miles on it.The Texas dealer I bought it from does not yet have the title from the financing company.I have put 66 miles on it and now have a red light with an exclamation point.The message says main req'd.The first place I went to said it probably needs an oil change.Did that and no change.Is there any easy way to deal with this without waiting for the title and the warranty transfer?Thanks for any info.

It most likely was the oil change but you must reset the light after each time.

1-turn ignition over to accessory "on"

2-go to your trip odometer and push past Trip 1 and Trip 2 until you get to the "blank"

3-turn "key" off

4-now turn ignition back "on" with one hand and hold the trip reset button in with the other hand for 5 seconds

This should clear the warning light.

Thanks JDK I tried your procedure and it worked fine.Never had that problem with my 1993 or 2000 LS400's.I guess there is always something to learn about these cars.

Just purchased a 2006 LS 430 with 9998 miles on it.The Texas dealer I bought it from does not yet have the title from the financing company.I have put 66 miles on it and now have a red light with an exclamation point.The message says main req'd.The first place I went to said it probably needs an oil change.Did that and no change.Is there any easy way to deal with this without waiting for the title and the warranty transfer?Thanks for any info.

It most likely was the oil change but you must reset the light after each time.

1-turn ignition over to accessory "on"

2-go to your trip odometer and push past Trip 1 and Trip 2 until you get to the "blank"

3-turn "key" off

4-now turn ignition back "on" with one hand and hold the trip reset button in with the other hand for 5 seconds

This should clear the warning light.

Just purchased a 2006 LS 430 with 9998 miles on it.The Texas dealer I bought it from does not yet have the title from the financing company.I have put 66 miles on it and now have a red light with an exclamation point.The message says main req'd.The first place I went to said it probably needs an oil change.Did that and no change.Is there any easy way to deal with this without waiting for the title and the warranty transfer?Thanks for any info.

I am selling my 2000 LS400 Platinum edition with 75.3K miles for $15K.I bought it in Jan 2004 and have had no problems.I bought a 2006 LS430 with 9.8K miles for $47.5K.The 2006 is a beautiful car in pristine condition.Any comments on whether this was a good deal?

I have had both M/B and LS400.My first M/B was a 1972 with 32000 miles.The average repair bill was $1,000.00 every six months.I now have a 1985 M/B S4xx,cant remember the number but it's a big one.it's been sitting for the last 3 years because the 2000 LS 400 Platinum edition is such a superior automobile that I will absorb the depreciation and avoid the repair hassles on the M/B.However I will stay away from the Lexus dealers as thay are way to expensive.

Thanks for the info Rfeldes:I tried your method and it worked fine.She says she didn't hold it but who knows.

I have a 2000 LS 400.The valet key opens all windows and the moon roof when inserted in the door lock.It has only happened when my g/f uses it.I use the master key.Is she doing something wrong to make this happen?Thanks for any insight. :cries:

My 1993 LS 400 had a chrome LS 400 medallion on the trunk.I believe it was manufactured in june of 1993,

The vin for my 2000 LS 400 is JT8BH28F2Y0180551.If you could run a carfax that would be great.e-mail is patcom2@velocity.net Thanks

:( Well,I guess the old saying is true,if it looks to good to be true,it probably is.The seller didn't answer my two e-mails and took the car off the market.Thanks for the input guys.

I may have the opportunity to purchase a 1999 LS 400 for under $15,000.Is this an exceptional value if the car checks out?The odometer is under 50,000.The location is NYC.