was.happy

I own a 2007 LS 460. Last summer the seat cooling system worked great, as did the seat heating during the winter. Now that summer has returned, the cooling is almost nonexistent. I can feel a slight amount of cooling, but not enough to do any good. Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, what was the diagnosis?

I bought my 1997 ES 300 new when I was 49. I still have it and I am now 61. I also have a 2007 LS 460, but I feel much younger driving the ES. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.

I have a 1997 ES 300 with 102,000 miles on in. Several times in the last few months I have turned the key to start the car and nothing happens - dead silence. I can turn it a second time and it starts perfectly (sometimes it takes a third try). I don't think the problem is the battery since it is relatively new (installed 10 months ago). Plus, when the engine does start, it turns over very strongly. I wonder if my problem is a bad ignition switch (or one that is in the process of going bad). I wasn't that concerned since this was only a minor annoyance that occurred perhaps once every two months. However, last week it occurred several days in a row. I'm afraid the condition is deteriorating and I don't want to be left stranded somewhere. Any comments or advice?

I have found the navigation system on my 2007 LS 460 to be extremely unreliable. It not only has problems with street addresses but sometimes it indicates the street itself does not exist. After a number of instances where it chose outrageous routes, I have stopped using it altogether. The only thing I like is the rear camera included with the system.

My LS 460 will yield 32 mpg on an interstate highway at 70 mph, using cruise control, with one passenger and baggage for one, using the air conditioner. I'm very pleased with that. However, in-town mileage is more like 15 mpg (perhaps not all that bad). Apparently it takes a lot of fuel to get the car moving from a dead stop!

According to the Lexus website (under "Build your own LS460"), the Alabaster interior is available with all exterior colors except Mercury Metallic, for LS 460s sold in the U.S.

I have a 2007 LS 460 built late in the model production year. I have been disappointed with the ride quality in many respects. I traded up from the ES hoping for that "silky smooth" and quiet ride that one expects in a car of the caliber of the LS. It's strange. On some road surfaces the ride is very good. But, on too many others, it is harsh/sharp (with the accompanying noise to go with it). In some respects the ES is better. In fact, I recently rented a Dodge Avenger when travelling and was surprised how often I noticed that it rode better (and quieter) than my LS would have under the same road conditions. Some say the move to a stiffer suspension was to improve handling. Unfortunately, I don't think that was accomplished. My car still handles like a big car (body roll, etc.), but without the consistently smooth ride of one. Some credit the problem to the tires. They look good and help with the styling changes made to produce a better looking, sportier LS - much improved over its predecessors. I'm just sorry the ride suffered in producing the new look, which I really like. As for the engine noise at idle, I have that problem also (diesel sound, knocking, tapping, clicking, etc.). See the thread on Intake Valve Noise. It seems that some LS 460 owners have never experience this problem; some have but it was corrected by application of the related Lexus Techical Service Bulletin; and others - like me - were told "It's normal; get used to it." I don't think it requires a move up to the 460L to get an engine that is quiet at low speeds and at idle, since many (most) 460s are fine - just not mine. By the way, I'm not one of the "Lexus haters" who slip into this forum from time to time. I have driven a Lexus for years and love them. However, this latest one has not measured up to what I expected.

Two of you made mention of the fact that the dealer or service representative acted as if he "had never heard of the problem". In my more than 12 years dealing with Lexus dealers and service departments, that seems to be a fairly standard response, regardless of the problem or how often it is known to occur. My impression is that they (along with the sales representatives) are taught to never admit any flaws related to Lexus cars - certainly no flaws that occur with any degree of regularity. Such admission goes counter to the image of quality that Lexus has (rightly) earned. I imagine the marching orders are handed down from pretty far up the corporate ladder. I'm even aware of one problem where the dealer service representatives made up an explanation for a problem rather than admit the true cause, since it was a flaw of the new and highly touted LS 460. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of the Lexus haters who slip into this forum from time to time. I have driven a Lexus for years and love them. I'm just commenting on what I perceive to be dishonestly and/or lack of disclosure on the part of some company/dealer people, but it doesn't cause me to abandon the cars.

I have a 2007 LS 460, built at the end of the model production year, well beyond the date when the fix called for in the TSB referenced here is applicable. My car was allegedly built after this problem was corrected. However, it exists just as described here. The engine sounds like a diesel at low speed and idle - the words ticking, clicking, tapping and knocking are all applicable at times. The dealer kept the car two days with the response, "Sound is normal as the car is currently constructed." The fuel injection system is blamed. My noise did not surface until the car had about 500 miles on it. I would not have purchased it if the noise had been noticable during my pre-purchase test drives. My question is this: If this noise is "normal" - meaning that most LS 460s demonstrate it to some degree - why do we not see multiple complaints in this forum? I consider it completely unacceptable in a car of this caliber and don't understand how Lexus is able to sell cars with this problem. I would think that most owners want a completely silent idle, like you find in many lesser cars. By the way, I'm not one of the "Lexus haters" who slip into this forum. I have driven an ES 300 for eleven years and love it. In many ways, with 100,000 miles on it today, I like it better than my new LS. I certainly prefer its sound when I pull up to a stoplight. Is this LS 460 engine noise really "normal" and experienced by most owners? Is so, how is Lexus successful in selling these cars?