blake918

No, because the 95-97's tails are taller (vertically) and shorter (in width) than the 98-00's tail lights.

Here is VMF's '96 with the clear tails: ....looks pretty darn good! B)

Have someone help you check your third brake light too. If that one is fine as well, I'd change all of the lights out. I had a similar problem a while back (staring at that light about drove me crazy), so I changed all of the lights. Problem solved. I guess one light was on its way out but not yet burnt.

At 235k miles, I switched from conventional to Mobile 1 with no problems.

That's what I love about Ford horror stories...they're all this relative's Focus is being flatbeded here and my coworker's Expedition has been in the shop 6 of the 7 weeks she's owned it. Buy one, they're not all they're cracked up to be by those friends and relatives, and we've had several that have been just as reliable as our Lexus cars.

I love the definition of the new hood, but I really don't like the headlights...a little too rounded! They are really great looking cars, imo!

I only got >1 mpg better with my a/c off when I did this test...definantly not worth it where I drive around in Louisiana and Mississippi. I love seeing the a/c condensating on my front windows...Lexus makes strong a/c!!

I like that..."Road Warrior!" B) Draining the trans pan is just one bolt (I want to say 14mm. I should know this since I've done it probably 10x. lol)...it's stupid easy! 2 quarts of T-IV is all I need when I do a pan drain. The mark-up on T-IV is incredible. I usually pay about $12 for 2 quarts after tax at a local Toyota dealer. My neighbor across the street works in the parts dept of that Toyota dealer, so I got his employee discount...2 quarts for just over $5! :o You'll need a long and very skinny funnel to refill the atf through the dipstick. ;)

NC, Roy (Agent 99/99LSguy) put together a fine rear differential tutorial...everything you need to know + more! DIFFERENTIAL_FLUID_CHANGE.doc

I'm mostly German, a little French, and a tiny, tiny fraction Spanish. I think I take after most of my German roots since I'm 6'4. lol

I don't like it either. Every angle you look at is just awkward and unappealing. The current S class is up there with the 98-00 LS400 though...they are both some of the most beautiful cars.

I actually like the old front clip better, but the new rear is much, much improved. I love this model...it's a shame it has iDrive and tacky seat cushion extenders (the LS430's entire cushion moves but the 7 has just a 4-6" piece that extends). I'll have to drive one with the newer iDrive software...maybe I won't hate it! lol Waaay more appealing than the new S class.

no engine problems, tranny rpoblems or any issue having to do with the fit and finish of the car That's still pretty vauge. Just becasue the engine and trans have been trouble free there is still a lot of other things to break. My friend's '95 has had several problems such as ecu failure, multiple O2 sensor failure, and extensive front suspension problems...pretty sobering on a car that's driven 8k a year! I wouldn't be so sure about that. The GS line-up was beat by Lincoln who we all know is owned by Ford MoCo. Note all of the Ford and GM products that made the list: Message boards can hardly be accepted as an accurate depiction of a model of car.

Here's the contact info for the company that does the repair. A huge thanks to George (K9crew) for originally posting this.... Mikado Technology Company 1435 Huntington Avenue, Suite C South San Francisco CA 94080 1-888-964-5236 Ask for Sammy, and he'll get you all fixed up! Here are my before and afters of the radio lcd (I'm sure yours looks similar):

I don't think it's too far out of the question...well, I guess I can feel his pain since I need a new one also. The worst part about it is my steering is still efforless and precise, but I'm having to add p/s fluid about every month. I guess once my steering gets numb, I'll get it replaced. As these 95's age, I'm starting to think that Lexus didn't address the p/s issues like I originally thought. I've had a new pump and hp lines put in mine, and a rack is in the distant future. I can recall a few other 95/96 owners with similar issues too. Goyo, congrats on your new car!! You did really well with the price. Getting the stereo LCD fixed costs $150 plus shipping. I put off getting mine fixed for about 6 months, but once I had it repaired, I realized what I was missing! It's well worth the $$! $550 for the new rack and pinion is...wow!

Everyone doesn't hate Ford though, and who would want to buy a car form a manufacture who admits to having a bad past? What makes them legit now? People who hate Ford will likely never change their ways regardless of a marketing slogan stating the new 500 is leaps and bounds ahead in reliability/durability/resale.

That button is for the oscillating air vents. I found it kind of annoying in the LS430s I've driven. It's impressive, but I like the a/c to sit on me!

What do you define as normal maintinance? 0 problems is very hard to believe... LOL, its really not just me. Go to a Ford site and post the same statement and see what you get, they'll call your Lexuses things you won't want your children to hear and they'll cite experiences just as bad with Toyotas as the experiences that have been posted here about Fords. You guys have a prejudice against Ford products and they have a prejudice against Toyota products. You're both wrong, and the truth is somewhere in the middle. Personally, I try to stay objective. I can name you several, Canada Craig's 93 LS400 has had almost the entire suspension and drivetrain replaced because it sat for so long. Your GS is a 98, three years newer than a 95 Aerostar and is driven 2000 more miles a year. Its simply a fact that rubber bushings and seals degrade over time especially when a car sits. Sitiing creates corrosion of lubricated parts etc. We had an 87 Aerostar when I was a kid that my folks had for 7 years and 200,000 miles with only a few problems. I'm not talking about a Taurus, again go look at a Ford 500, much improved from the Taurus. As for intial quality, I'm not really talking about initial quality. I'm talking about tactile experience with the vehicles themselves. If you look at Ford's new lineup and compare it to its lineup three years ago the difference is huge, these guys have made huge progress and are re-inventing themselves. Gotta give them credit. Every car company has its issues. Check out the 400 post long thread in the ES forum about the transmission hesitation. Lexus recalled ALL 2004 LS430s and completely replaced the transmission, there is clearly a problem with the transmissions on AWD RX330s, we've seen transmission failures in ES300s in the high 5 digit and low 6 digit mileages. The 3.0liter V6, Toyotas most used engine has a horrible sludging problem from 1997-2001 effecting MILLIONS of vehicles. These cars aren't perfect. Personally I've seen a pretty steady decline in Toyota's product quality over the past few years. You never heard of the type of roll out issues you're hearing about on Toyotas and Lexuses today. Niether my ES300 or my dad's 04 LS430 are as sturdy as his 98 LS400 was and both of us have had more issues (me more than him) in less than a quarter of that car's mileage than he EVER had on it, in 165,000 miles it had ONE warranty claim. Mine's had 8 or 9, his has had 4 or 5. Ford on the other hand is rapidly improving their quality, you hear less and less of roll out issues with new models. Give it some time and you might see things flip the other way, its happened before. Gotta be open to new possibilities. ← Wow, wonderfully said!!! ;) I really like the new 500 too, and I'm not speculating like some as I've driven one extensively. It's an excellent car for the money. I think Ford dealers would have been firebombed if they built a $60k-$73k luxo car that had a transmission recall, but it was merely glossed over with Lexus's LS line. How can you write something like that and continue to run Ford straight in to the ground? In my mind (and from the above quote, yours too.), getting a reliable car is akin to placing a bet on your favorite roulette number/color. Your odds maybe better with one mark over another, but odds are never a sure thing regardless of the make. I don't think they will. IMO, Toyota is running on fumes, and the fume is their well established reputation. I find that they are a lax in their quality now days, and I guess they can be since everyone thinks that they are hands down the best cars on the road. As far as the Camry is concerned, its quality took a nose dive after the 1996 model. I have extensive experience in a friend's '95 Camry LE V6 as I do in a friends '02 Camry LE. You wouldn't believe that they are both Toyotas...the '02's plastics are generously rated as average in my book. The plastics are not leaps and bounds over a comparable Ford. I remember reading about a Motor Trend 1 year update on an '02ish Camry. They mentioned it was leaking oil with just 20k miles on it. Some how it was ok though since it's a "Camry." I could imagine what they would have done if a new Taurus was leaking oil @ 20k miles. Another friend has a '04 Corolla that he bought new. I was taken back with its buzzy powertrain and abundance of rattles. It's a shame since it's a good looking little car. Why would they advertise improved reliability/durability/resale?? That would insinuate that their quality/dur/resale was not so hot to begin with. Sounds like a marketing disaster waiting to happen.

Thanks! I think she moves pretty well for her mileage! B) I have a relative with a LS430, and the few times I've driven it, I had to hold the smart access knob a sec or two to get her started. I can email it to you if you'd like. You don't have quicktime? Mine doesn't take a few tries, but it just seems like it would start quicker than it does.

Roscoe is from the Dukes of Hazzard! I think it aired in the mid/late 70's? The movie looks like it's going to suck. The person that did the casting should be slapped...Burt Reynolds is about 2' too tall and entirely too slim to be Boss Hogg. Stiffler and Johhny Knoxville as the "good ole boys, never meanin' no harm?" I have a hard time imagining a s*x craized maniac and an idiot who wraps himself in chicken and lets gators pick it off of him as the Duke boys! Jessica Simpson as Daisy? Sure, she's nice to look at, but then, she opens her mouth and unkowingly says something retarded. Her southern accent is absolutely pathetic too. I'd love to have that black Ford LTD(I think) that Uncle Jesse fueled with his famous shine!

I had a problem with my memory seats a while back. As it turns out, I unplugged the battery for some reason or another and forgot I did. I reset the memory, and it worked again. I'd maybe unplug the battery and reprogram your memory presets, plus what Tom and Steve said...be sure you're in park and not touching the brake. Do any of the buttons beep when you press them?

This Ford stuff is getting out of hand. The day I weld the hood shut on my Lexus I'll be right here along side you guys bashing them in to the ground, but until then, I'll keep thinking that they make pretty good products for their respective price classes since we've never had any major problems with the several of them we've had. The 500 starts just under $23k-it's a pretty nice car for the money. At any rate, this is the general discussions forum where "members can post anything not even related to Lexus."

The transponder key didn't come until '97. ;)

NC, Hampton, Ed since we all seem to have a similar problem, I videoed my car starting. My LS had been sitting for 2 days prior to this start. I'll have to take one of a warm start, so yall can see the huge difference. How do I compare to your cars? http://homepage.mac.com/ucf20l/iMovieTheater2.html

Octane booster isn't necessary. I forget that there are different octanes for different parts of the country. I've run regular gas before. The car still ran perfectly, but my gas mileage went down the drain. I think I'll probably just get my changer rebuilt from carstereohelp.com. An aftermarket head unit would probably cost just marginally more than a rebuild ($275), but I don't care for the look of aftermarket units. I like the sound of the stock setup, and I think a aftermarket one would alter the sound some, huh?