jasonmckinley

I have a 2004 LS 430 without navigation, so I have the factory Lexus sound system (not Levinson). Prior to owning this car, I had a 96 LS 400 with the premium stereo (Nakamichi) and it sounded much better than this car's system. I took the car to a local shop and asked them about improving the sound and they quoted me around $3,000...... this included a new amp and all new speakers. I don't want to spend that much- I just want the 2004 to sound like the 1996. I'm wondering if anyone knows if just changing out the speakers will have a significant impact or if the factory "amp" is not powerful enough and I need to look into adding a small amp. One thing I don't want is anything after-market such as a new CD player, etc. I want the interior to look the same, just beefing up the sound quality. Any tips are appreciated.

I have a 2004 LS 430 and live in Atlanta where it gets nice and warm- this has never happened to me. I've only had my car about 2 months, so just getting used to it, so I'll be interested to see what the gurus think of this.

I would get the 2004 and save yourself some $$. Cosmetically, cars are identical; I'm also not aware of any "bugs" addressed in the 2005. I bought a 2004 (unfortunately no Levinson- I didn't want the navigation and Levinson/nav is a package), but it has AC/Heated seats with 70k miles (not certified because of mileage- car was turned in with 70,108 miles) from Lexus in Jacksonville, FL for $22k. Added platinum warranty which covers me for 2 years or 100k total miles for another $2,200. Car was purchased from that dealer, serviced every 5k miles there, and traded in back in 12/07- had been sitting on the lot 5 months. They were asking $28,500 on the internet and after talking to the sales person on the phone for a while, he said $22k and it's yours. I drove 6 hours to get it and it's been awesome. I did a lot of looking (6 months worth) on eBay, Autotrader, and Cars.com and felt I got a great deal, especially knowing the history of the car and the fact that the dealership kept if for so long showed me that they believed in the quality of the car instead of auctioning it off. PS- If interested in talking to someone at Lexus of Jacksonville, go with Keith Oktem in the pre-owned dept. Good luck.

I didn't know you could get a 96 LS (or any LS for that matter) without a sunroof...?? Anyway, I just sold my 96 LS 400 with 174k- black, tan leather, very well-maintained (needed nothing but oil changes until 225k miles), fully loaded (Nakamichi, heated seats) for $6,000. It took me a month to sell the car (I listed it on Autotrader.com and Craigslist). I was asking $6,800 initially, then took $400 off the asking price because the car needed new tires. I walked away feeling good about it and so did the guy who bought it, as he had a 1990 LS with 215k miles and knew the reliability of these cars and knew what he was getting with mine based on service records. It's funny the kind of people who called about the car- I had 3 people who had a 95 or 96 LS and their wife/son/daughter had wrecked it and they wanted to buy another one. These folks didn't haggle much on price. I agree with the other poster about the weird price that these fall in- due to the age, most banks will not provide a loan, so you're narrowed down to folks who have cash who can buy your car. I got tons of calls from people offering $5,000 without seeing the car, and just laughed at them. I knew I would sell the car to someone who had owned an LS before and actually valued the way I maintained the car. It was really hard to sell it- my first Lexus- I loved it. If you're looking to buy another Lexus, I'd stick with the LS personally. In the process of selling my car I met a couple of folks who had 95 or 96 LS's and bought a GS and miss the hell out of the LS because of the ride (smoother and more quiet). I drive on the highway a ton and absolutely love the LS- I bought a 2004 LS 430 from a dealer in Jacksonville- 70k miles, no navigation for $22k. Now is the time to buy because of the economy and everyone's fear of a V8... Don't tell anyone I'm getting 28-30mpg consistently on the highway in the 2004... Good luck in your decision.

Possibly last post for me on this car... I have someone wanting to buy it with a question- when looking at the car, on the outside of the headlights, are those actual lights or just there to complete the look of the headlights? They aren't turn signals (they're at the bottom) and they don't come on with the headlights or with the parking lights. It's been like this since I had the car, but I've never wondered if there were bulbs in there that were burned out. Thanks, now I'll be posting questions on my 2004 LS 430.

My mechanic confirmed it was the tires- wheel bearings and everything else are fine. He said the tires are "cupped", and even though they have plenty of tread left on them, that is what is causing the noise. He said this is somewhat common for these tires (Toyo or Yokohama he says). Anyway, thanks for everyone's help and input.

How many miles on the car? What kind of tires are on there now? What is the condition of the tires? In the past, me included, usually start to notice more noise coming into the cabin around the 80-120k mark. And although tires play a very big part, so do engine mounts/tranny mount. As the mounts age and compress, or even crack, the mechanical sounds of the engine or tranny are tranmitted to the frame. Wheel bearings have not been a big repair item on here over the years. Not to say they don't wear out, but it seems to be pretty rare, espeicially on the gen2+ (1995+) models. When you start the car in the morning, do you hear a single knock sound from the engine right at start up? If so, then that would indicate the driver's side mount, which is usually the first one to go, is close... You can pop the hood, have a friend hold the brakes-put in drive-and gently rev the engine a little. While he/she does this, you watch the engine for movement. If it's shifting around by more then about 2 inches or so, the mounts are close to being done. But first, let us know the mileage/tires/condition of tires/ and if you've rotated them on time. Wouldn't be flat spots on the tires from the car sitting for long periods of time in this summer heat, could it? #2: If you like your friends who are interested in buying the car, then I wouldn't let Firestone touch the car! Just my opinion on that one though... 172k miles on the car- rotate the tires every time I get the oil changed (4k-5k miles). Tires probably have 40k miles on them and are Toyo (not sure which model). I don't hear any knock whatsoever from the engine at startup, or anytime at all. I'm going to leave the car with my mechanic (not Firestone!) today to see what he finds and will update everyone with his answer. Hopefully it just needs new tires. Thanks for the responses- very helpful.

I have a 96 LS 400 and have recently noticed some pretty loud road noise- it begins at 35mph and seems loudest between 45mph and 60mph. There doesn't seem to be any pulling in either direction, just the road noise. Just this past weekend, I took the car on an 800 mile road trip, and it did fine (other than the road noise). I just bought a 2004 LS 430 and am looking to sell the 96- 2 people who have test-driven the car have been concerned about the noise- I thought it was because the car needed new tires, but they seem to think it could be a loose wheel bearing. Sounds to me that the noise is coming from the driver-side front tire. Any other thoughts on what would be causing this noise, how it's diagnosed, and how much it would cost to fix? I have an independent Lexus mechanic who I trust, so I'll get a bit of a break on the labor rate vs. taking it to a dealership. I called Firestone and they said if that was the problem, parts would be $100-$150 and labor would be $175 (estimated 2+ hours). That is also only for one "side" (I'm guessing they meant one wheel). Help is appreciated- I'd like to figure out if it's worth me paying to fix or just telling people what needs to be done and how much it will cost them. Thanks!

i'm not going to do anything other than upgrade the wheels to the 2004/2005/2006 sport rims (polished aluminum) and slightly tint the windows. i went for the base model (no navigation) but really want to change the wheels- to me, the wheels make the car. thanks for the responses.

just got a 2004 LS 430 with 70k miles from a lexus dealership for $22k. added the platinum warranty which will cover me to 100k total vehicle miles. drove the car 350 miles home and got over 29mpg with AC running. unbelievable car- coming from a 1996 with 170k miles (still runs brand new), i'm very impressed with every aspect. i love the cooled seats, rear lighted vanity mirrors, xenon headlights, etc. hope this one serves me as well as the 96 has.

JD Power put Buick right up there with Lexus: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2007...004645328_x.htm Lexus might be the most "reliable," but that doesn't mean they don't have their fair share of problems that aren't cheap to fix like the number of electrical problems, the fussy suspension components, timing belts, etc. A timing belt service and a new steering rack can replace anything you want to on a Buick...twice. yeah this article was written in 2007. isn't the original poster looking at a low-mid 1990's ls 400? i would agree that the playing field may have somewhat leveled on reliability TODAY, but for someone looking to buy a car 10-15 years old, there's no question to go with the lexus. notice the article says it's the first time in 12 years (dating back to a 1995) that lexus has SHARED the title of most reliable.

i'm surprised toyota would do it- i've tried the same and they wouldn't work on it. i've heard if they have a lexus-certified mechanic on site they will do it. your other option is to google and see if you have an independent lexus mechanic in your area. i found one in atlanta and it saves me 1/2 the cost on labor and he uses all lexus parts. i can't remember what else they do at 60k interval, but it's certainly more than an oil change. i'm coming up on 180k soon and will be going through the same thing. good luck.

Looking to see if anyone knows where I can find the polished aluminum 5-spoke rims that normally come on the LS 430 Sport model (2004-2006 years). I'm thinking of buying a 2004 base model and would like to swap out the rims. Would I need new tires as well? Thanks.

go through this site and look at how many miles some folks have on their ls 400 (some have 400k). if you can get 1/2 that with a buick i'd be surprised. i personally have 170k miles on a 1996 ls 400 and never think twice about jumping in the car for a long road trip. these cars are predictable and reliable. on top of that, there's no better driving car (for comfort, quiet, ride quality) on the road. you would be a fool to get the buick in my opinion. plus, resale on these is so much better than any american car.

yes, insurance is paying for it- but their quote was for $222 and i'm not sure how they'll feel about the extra $500 for the estimate i got. i was just doing my homework in case insurance gave me sh*t for it.

A few weeks ago someone broke into my car (driver side rear window) and in the process they broke the metal "frame" that outlines the window. I just took the car to a local body shop and they said it's going to be $700 to replace- $630 of which is parts. Apparently everything for the windows comes as a kit and I only need one part of that kit but there's no way to buy things individually. This is a reputable body shop so I don't think I'm getting jerked around. Curious if anyone has any insight on a way to get this cheaper. Thanks

great info; thanks. will be getting an alarm installed with all the goodies. thanks again

all- i have a 96 ls 400 that just got broken into- someone broke my driver side rear window. just curious if this caused my alarm to go off or if the alarm is only triggered by someone trying to unlock the door(s). i'm debating if i should get an after-market alarm put on to protect against this if it should happen again. thanks for any feedback-

great advice from everyone who responded; thanks. i'll begin looking into these tips. if anyone else has comments, i'll take them. thanks again

i should have been more specific in the post- this is definitely not a function of the car regulating the temperature. i live in atlanta and during the summer this was happening when it was over 100 degrees outside. the car should certainly be doing everything it can to keep the inside cool (when i have it set to "cold"). so, this isn't the car realizing the inside temp and kicking down the fan speed- instead it's that the fan speed is all the way up but the amount of air coming out is equivalent to the lowest level. also, i haven't seen any of the chunks of material coming out of the vents. any other ideas? thanks-

All- I have a 1996 LS 400- let me start off by saying this is the best car I've ever owned. I have had it just over 1 year and it has about 160k miles. Runs perfectly- I have just one question. When I'm on the highway for roughly 45 minutes or more, my AC starts acting weird. The power of the fan (no matter how high I turn it) never seems to be higher than if it were on the lowest power setting. It also sounds like something is blocking the air from coming out of the vents. It only does this on longer trips; and being a sales rep, I notice this a lot. The way to get it to "fix itself" is to press the AC button (therefore turning off the AC), and hit the button that toggles between circulating the air or pulling in from the outside (I normally leave it on circulate, so toggling it for me is to put it to pulling from the outside). After about 1-2 minutes on these new settings, the air comes out at the appropriate power. Then, I push the AC button again, and hit the circulate button again, and all is back to how it should be (for another 45 minutes or so, then I repeat the sequence). Does anyone know why this is happening? I took it to a Lexus certified mechanic and he said he wouldn't be able to diagnose it without it actually having the problem at the time of it being in the shop (and his shop is only 10 minutes away from me). They did check the system out and replaced something (AC filter maybe), and told me that eventually I'll have to get a new "blower motor" but were unaware of the problem I'm experiencing. From what I've seen on these posts, these cars are so reliable and so similar that I'm sure someone else is having this same problem, I just can't/haven't found the thread on it. Open to ideas; thanks.

first, thank you "bob" for starting a great thread, and thank you to everyone else who posted responses. this has been valuable information for me- i was ready to throw in the towel and get rid of my car until i found this thread. i have been a toyota fan for about three years now (i've had a 2000 4 runner and an '02 sequoia). i like toyota products for the same reason everyone else does- they ride great, are safe, and are historically extremely reliable and can be "driven into the ground." i bought a 96 ls about five months ago with 133k miles. i drove the car about 350 miles immediately after purchasing it, drove it all over the highway for a couple of months (i'm a traveling sales rep), and never had a problem. i was delighted with my purchase. i then took my car to a dealership to have the power steering pump, water pump, timing belt, and brakes replaced so i can be essentially worry-free for another 50,000 miles. two weeks after i got the car out of the shop, i took a highway cruise of about 200 miles, and when i got off at the exit, my car stalled. this had never happened and i assumed maybe something the dealership had just done may have caused the stall. the car started right back up and never gave me another problem...until the next highway cruise. here were the things i noticed: - car mileage- around 140k when this first started happening. - started in cooler weather (fall in the southeast). i'm only pointing this out because it's odd that i drove the car a ton on the highway through the heat of the summer and never had a problem until the weather changed. i always have the AC on, so my rpm's should have been kept at a higher rate regardless of outside temperature. - highway drives of 45+ miles at a cruising speed above 60mph (i'm assuming since the speed limit here on the highway is 60-70mph everywhere). extreme low idle but not stalling when i would slow down on shorter trips (around 30-40 miles). - normally stalled after strain (turning the steering wheel) - could feel a slight hesitation when taking my foot off the gas at speeds between 45-60 mph. almost felt like the car didn't know which gear to put me in when i released from the gas. long story short- i took the car to the dealer who couldn't duplicate the problem and it happened again and again. only until i went to google and typed in "ls 400 low idle" did i stumble upon this great thread. i went back to the dealership and asked to speak to a mechanic- he was unaware of the ecu problem and eventually went to his computer, ran a TSIB and found the lexus-issued statement regarding my part # based on my VIN (apparently i have an early 96 ls model with an ecu part # ending in 302). he was astonished and basically told me to just get the part and it certainly should fix my problem. i typed in the new part # (89661-50303) on google and got several results of places selling these ecu's that had been yanked out of other cars (i didn't want to get mine re-programmed, i felt it was more convenient to get a whole new unit instead of waiting on someone to re-program). pricing for this other part # ranged from $300 to $450. i found part number ending in 303 from a junk yard in florida for $300 (the dealership wanted $2,100 for the ecu only) and took it to the dealer and for $85 labor (one hour) my new ecu was installed. i did my first test run today with the new ecu and could feel the car driving differently- more power, no "jerk" at 45-60mph etc. i did about a 65 mile highway cruise and had no problem when i got off at my exit. i remember how i used to watch the rpms shoot straight down once i hit about 30 mph. this is extremely dangerous, especially if you happen to pass through a busy city and hit traffic after a highway jaunt (this happened to me twice; and i'm happy i knew to watch my rpms, quickly put the car in neutral and restart it while still moving around 30 mph). being unaware of this lexus problem is a big safety hazard and a recall should have been issued. i will be writing a letter to lexus explaining the same thing. i will be taking about a 600 mile one-way trip for christmas and hope i get the same results. for now, the newer ecu has restored my confidence in toyota engineering. these cars are absolutely unbelievable. classic styling, fully functional (although i hate the cupholders), and the best highway cruising you will find. i have become a lexus-for-lifer because of this car. the symptoms i noted above are basically repeats of other threads, but the thread mostly contains info on the 95 LS, and i have a 96. though i am certainly no mechanic (i didn't even attempt to pull out my old ecu and pop the new one in), for others with a 96 ls experiencing the symptoms i listed above, you should feel confident that a new ecu ending in 303 will fix your problem.