I'm in the north west and I'm getting really close to closing a deal on a 2008 Lexus LS460L that's in Arizona. I won't be able to inspect the car before buying it. It has 86k on it and the seller is agreeing in writing to the mechanical and physical condition of the vehicle for a specified period of time. The only reason I'm considering this is because I'm picky about the color (black on black, long wheel base, Mark Levinson sound, reclining rear seats) and as a results, my options are VERY limited. This one appears to be what I have been looking for.
A little backstory...My last vehicle was a 2004 BMW 745Li, beautiful, 80k miles - and I recently wrecked it. Without going into detail, let me just say that it was a blessing in disguise, and the disguise wasn't needed. The car was plagued with problems. Major ones. Transmission needed to be replaced, or at minimum, the torque converter. Coolant transfer pipe went bad that typically requires the dealer to dismantle the top of the motor to replace but thankfully someone came up with an expanding pipe so it only cost a few hundred bucks and an entire weekend of my time. Cats went bad and needed to be replaced. Logic 7 amp went bad and you couldn't even listen to music in the car, only talk radio and only low volume. Nav went dead. I've never driven such a piece of *BLEEP* in my entire life. Absolutely dreadful!
Needless to say, German engineering is no longer in da haus. Lexus is the only brand I'm even considering beyond a bus pass. I made the mistake of trusting Edmunds for my research on the BMW and everyone had glowing reviews. After making the purchase I hit the BMW forums and everyone there had a different song to sing. Live and learn, right?
That's why I'm here. What is the deal with these '07 and '08 LS460/460L's? What are the common problems? Better yet, what WILL go wrong? You know what I mean, the problems that everyone here tends to have, the ones that people start making their own parts to fix because they're prevalent enough to become profitable.
Any advice is much appreciated.
TL/DR?
Bad experience with BMW. Want an 07-08 Lexus LS. Want to know what the common problems are, the ones you all have suffered from (and that I will suffer from soon).
Thank you, guys!