2001 Lexus LS 430 from North America

Summary:

Rides wonderfully, cannot afford failures

Faults:

The Lexus LS 430 was purchased from the dealer in 2003, as a pre-owned with 28,000 miles. It now has 120,000 mostly highway miles.

Experienced failures:

1) Driver side door actuator, door would not open from the inside

2) O2 sensor

3) CD player (just outside of 4 year warranty)

4) Front cup holder operation

5) Windows slow to close, need lubrication

6) Door trunk cylinders failed, trunk falls closed on individuals using trunk.

7) Speed throttle slippage, took 3 weeks for Lexus dealar to resolve

9) TRANSMISSION FAILURE---major $$$ issue, all maintenance at Lexus dealer, is an OPEN issue for cost expenditure responsibility at this time (March 2007)

9) Headlight lens is dulled/worn, if cannot be buffed out, headlights must be replaced at a very high cost as lens are not separate from headlight assembly

10) Windshield cracked, replaced with a local windshield supplier by dealer, was not advised of differences to factory windshield and now suffer from lack of tint and added glare

11) Driver side door pocket broken

12) Center console will not open, hinge needs replacement

13) Rubber bumper material dulled and worn.

This is NOT the total cumulative list, only partial. Do I feel like this car is a lemon? Yes, although a gave Lexus the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but this car is only 6 years old, and at 120,000 mostly highway miles, I have to throw in the towel.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th March, 2007

31st Mar 2007, 00:44

I see your past car was a Mercedes E-class... how was that in comparison to the LS430? Both my wifes 2004 E500 and my 2001 LS430 with 180,000 highway miles have been great. Mercedes gets such a bad rep, but I think people take it to far. As for your Lexus I think you got a lemon although from 99-07 Lexus has had transmission problems in all models. I bought my daughter a used 2001 Lexus IS300 in November for her 16th birthday and the transmission has a little slippage. She is now looking at the CLK350 convertible which is out of the question until she drives safe for a year. Lexus should step up to the plate and pay for all transmissions like Acura did. I have heard hundreds of complaints about the transmission especially in the 99-00 RX300 and 02-06 ES300/330.

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2001 Lexus LS 430 Ultra Luxury 4.3L V8 from North America

Summary:

Reliable, Elegant, and extremely Comfortable

Faults:

Side mirrors would not fold in automatically. (Fixed with lubricant)

Excessive tire wear, possibly due to tire pressure or worn suspension.

Adjustable ride-height/suspension is not leveling correctly.

Trunk shocks are not strong enough to help open lid.

On hot days, auto rain-sensing wipers think its raining when it is not.

Paint peeling off parking sensors.

Sub-woofer on back dashboard rattles entire deck and sounds awful.

General Comments:

Car is simply luxurious! This car is so quiet that you'll completely isolate yourself from the rest of the world.

The navigation system is easy to use with touch screen and voice controls.

All the controls on the steering wheel, instrument panel, and rear console are laid out great and require little exposure before being comfortable with them.

The performance of this smooth shifting V8 is evident around town and on the freeways. Effortless acceleration.

This car has been very reliable and enjoyable to drive. It has an understated elegance that is perfect for most people.

The residual value of this car exceeds the competition too.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd January, 2007

22nd Jan 2007, 16:12

Doesn't sound very reliable to me. But yes, they are very luxurious.

22nd Jan 2007, 17:14

Sounds like a good car.

7th Sep 2007, 17:37

I have a 2002 LS430 with nearly with most of the same faults (no problem with mirrors or leveling system yet). None of the problems are significant and I agree that the car is an awesome machine that is in a class by itself. I have parked next to later model LS430s and cannot tell the difference except for the exhaust systems on the most recent LS430s. My interior is nicer than any that I have seen and I plan on driving this car for many years. I bought it with 73000 miles and plan on adding at least 150,000 to that. This is my second Lexus and I will always own one.