Lexus LS 400/LS 430

michael_mattox · March 2005

When you call them to set up the appointment mention you will need a loaner..I believe you are intitled to one but I always let them know when I want one just to be sure they will have one available..

There are a number of them that are not elite dealers..

00boxsters · March 2005

600 miles on the LS and after some around town and a 300 mile interstate drive I am very satisfied. Acceleration and braking are most gratifying and handling a most positive surprise. Not Porsche spec but not boat like as expected. No hesitation noticed with or without ECT. (I am particularly sensitive to this issue since we traded our Audi A6 TT for a hesitation problem.)

Interior is perfect for me. I still cannot believe that Lexus lists the 2006 GS headroom as greater than the LS. Must be 4 or more inches greater in the LS for me. However, if not for the ill fitting GS then I would not have test drove my LS! I have not come close to trying or understanding all of the features as yet.

I cannot be sure if it is 'just me' or there is a wondering problem with my particular car's steering. My wife does not notice it nor do I around town but on the 300 mile interstate trip this past weekend it was quite disconcerting.

The LS would seem to need constant steering input going 75mph and then either under or over correct. While not unsafe, the wondering steering needed near constant concentration. Any thoughts? Alignment?

hpowders · March 2005

Glad to hear you had no hesitation. This was a problem for me several days ago when I tried an LS 430.

michael_mattox · March 2005

OOboxster:

The Lexus is so quiet it is sometimes difficult to tell when it is extra windy outside...that could have been the problem but if you think not ...Take it to the dealer and let them check it out for you....Lexus dealers you will find are different then any other dealer...They are expecially good in the service department. anything seem not to be right...Call them...Get an appointment and take it in...There will be no charge whatever they find.

ckennedy · March 2005

They told me since the car was not purchased there we would not be entitled to one. Does this sound right?

ckennedy · March 2005

I am close to Smithtown that's why I choose that one and for their reputation. No loaner since car not purchased their

rcf8000 · March 2005

I also have the "constant steering input" on the highway with my LX470. The dealer says it is normal. I think it is due to the wide tires. I don't know if you have the 18 inch wheels or not, but, if you do, the tires is the reason. My LS430 has 17 inch wheels, and I have never experienced "road wander", or whatever you want to call it.

aggie76 · March 2005

I've used four different Lexus dealer's (Kansas City, Atlanta, Austin and now Quad Cities) after buying my original GS300 and never had a problem with obtaining a loaner for service. Never had to get one for a problem as I just didn't have any reliability issues with the car. Current dealer, where I bought my LS430 last summer, never had one issue with me getting one and I know of other owners who bought their Lexus at somewhere else who get loaners here.

Now, maybe since I moved to the the later three locations I got different treatment rather than living in same place and buying elsewhere instead of my local dealer.

00boxsters · March 2005

Sorry, I meant wandering not wondering. Thanks for all input folks.

My wife insisted it was the wind blowing us about during our interstate trip but like a good hubby I ignored her suggestion.

I do in fact have the 18" wheels/tires.

I called the service department (again) today and the manager said he would check with the mechanics and get back to me on their thoughts or TSB's. I will post what information I get.

famwald · March 2005

I cannot be sure if it is 'just me' or there is a wandering problem with my particular car's steering.

I noticed this with our '05 LS (17" tires) only when on the interstate. Our old '98 Toyota Avalon had a similar feeling. I chalked it up to the difference between full power steering and the "power assist" of the European cars we're accustomed to.

hpowders · March 2005

I wonder why all those authors of those unanimously glowing reviews of this vehicle haven't mentioned what we find?
Hesitation upon acceleration.
Wandering at highway speeds regardless of whether you have 17" or 18" tires.

00boxsters · March 2005

The cynic within me would say Big advertising dollars.

Practically speaking though, I suspect they are just very isolated issues.

hpowders · March 2005

As Groucho might have said,"I soitinly hope so!"

rgsw · March 2005

Found this on the "lexus.com" site.
"Even if your car is unavailable for a while, you won't necessarily be completely deprived of the Lexus experience. If your vehicle is required to stay overnight at the dealership service department because of a warranty-covered condition requiring over eight hours to repair, Lexus will provide you with a loaner vehicle for up to five days."
My dealer has always had a loaner when my car was serviced, if even for only a few hours. Guess the dealer has this option. The Lexus.com comments must be Company policy.

rgsw · March 2005

I've been driving LS430s since 2001 with 16 inch or 17 inch wheels (including the 2005). Fortunately I have never experienced the "Constant Steering Input" that you comment about. I have driven approximately 50,000 miles in the LS430 various models.

rgsw · March 2005

Hesitation was mentioned on this forum several times in 2004. They recalled and changed out the six speed transmission in my 2004 LS430. I thought that the second tranny did a better job, could have been just my imagination? The button to select performance option might help this problem? Guess I'm used to it now.

hpowders · March 2005

The car I test drove was a 2004.
Anybody have hesitation on a 2005?

rgsw · March 2005

Wandering at highway speeds has only been reported by one person on this forum and his wife suggested it might be the wind. I agree with her.

hpowders · March 2005

Strange. I have driven my BMW in gale-force winds in Florida on I75 and have NEVER felt this kind of instability.
Doesn't sound logical for a vehicle as heavy as an LS.

sv7887 · March 2005

Hi All,
I've been driving LS cars since they were first built. The LS is VERY sensitive to air pressure. That would be my first guess. Given the current LS430's high profile cross winds do affect it. I never noticed this problem on my lower profile LS400's.
Hesitation may be due to the Drive by Wire. Drive by wire has been around on that car since 2001. You do notice the difference between a normal accelerator and this drive by wire. It's a common complaint across all marques, not just Lexus. Also the transmission is adaptive and was probably adjusting to the previous owner's habits. I don't have that problem in my new car.
(Well I only drove 200 miles in it before I left for the UK a few weeks ago)..I asked my wife about this (mileage is now 1,200 can you believe that?!) and she hasn't noticed anything thus far.

Ckennedy,
Most Lexus dealers give you a loaner regardless of warranty work. That's really cheap of them not to. I know that may be the official company line, but every Lexus dealer in MA gives you a loaner regardless of warranty work or whether you bought it from there. Alot of dealers advertise themselves as "Elite of Lexus" but make sure you look when they won it. There is a dealer that calls themselves Elite of Lexus in MA but won it like 10 yrs ago!!!

SV

cyclone4 · March 2005

If someone gave a good explanation of what exactly is "drive by wire", I missed it. What is this darn phenomenon? I also had this hesitaion problem, but it seems as if after the transmission was replaced (recall), I do not notice the problem as much. I think that there is still some very slight hesitation, however, especially when turning corners & stepping on the accelerator.

sv7887 · March 2005

Hi All,
Drive by wire was initially used on Fighter planes like the F-16 back in the mid 70's. Basically instead of a mechanical link between the accelerator to the engine, it is computerized. So when you step on the gas, the computer senses how much pressure is on the pedal and then passes the signal to the engine.

As a result a lot of "Feel" is removed from the driver. A lot of the times, the hesitation will occur due to emissions constraints coded into the computer. It's overkill IMHO and I wish the automakers would stop replacing things that don't need fixing! Mercedes has added a similar system on their E Class for the brakes..It has been met with many complaints about "Feel" as well. I don't agree with it in principle. I don't like being overrided by a computer!!!

SV

michael_mattox · March 2005

If it is under the new car warrenty or if it is a certified used car...I am pretty sure a Loaner is part of the deal...

I would call Lexus USA and ask them...That will probably get you some action even if you are not eligable.

Ck to be sure the Dealer is a Lexus Elite Dealer, if not still call Lexus USA but also ck to see if there is another dealer in your area.

(Have you search engine go to Lexus Elite Dealers)

michael_mattox · March 2005

Hp:

I think it is a combination of Wind Speed and those damn 18 in. wheels. the Lexus LS is slightly less then 4000 lbs...Not super heavy.

hpowders · March 2005

Yes! That's when I noticed it too. Quite disconcerting.

cyclone4 · March 2005

Other than this "minor" hesitation problem, I absolutely love my 2004 LS430. However, I am looking forward to the LS hybrid to be released in the summer of 2006. We are already on the list for the new RX400h for my wife. hpowders, I appreciate your sharing of your experiences in searching for the right car for you. Good luck!

hpowders · March 2005

Thanks. I just wish I knew what that car is going to be!

michael_mattox · March 2005

The Wife just got herself a prius...Nice car..smart key, nav Hid headlamps, 9 speakers, VSC, Blue tooth.. Nice car..and it feels like it has at least twice as much power as it really does....50-60 MPG..

Her car has me juiced up for the LS hyrid..that will be awesome

00boxsters · March 2005

The researching, chatting and test driving is what is truly enjoyable! Perhaps as much as (or more than) the new ride?

hpowders · March 2005

Correct. Actually having the car can be an anti-climax.
Nothing compares with the research and the test drives.
I have been having a lot of fun for the last several months even though I still have no idea what my next ride will be.

garyh1 · March 2005

There have been a number of posts about this issue in the Lexus LS Owners: Problems and Solutions forum. This was my post #1416 there, in response to a posting by someone who thought they felt a dead spot on the accelerator:

"When I first got my '05, I noticed not what I would call a dead spot in the pedal, but there was a definite hesitation when I first gave it gas. I wonder if that was what you were experiencing?

This has been attributed to a problem in the programming of the transmission/engine interface. There is reportedly a TSB (00604) describing a re-programming fix for the issue. But interestingly, after driving my car for a couple of weeks, the issue went away in my case and has not come back, so I never took it in for the re-programming. Apparently, the transmission "learns" the driver's style and can adapt in some cases; in other cases, it takes a re-programming. It's possible that the demo you drove was either brand new or had "adapted" to a driver's style that was incompatible with your style.

I have seen posts in other places by people who had the re-programming done and found the problem resolved."

If someone is having an issue with this, I suggest they call their dealer and inquire about TSB 00604.

oac · March 2005

That has to be the most ridiculous statement from a Lexus dealer I have ever heard. They are in business to serve their customers. And you are a Lexus customer, so they MUST provide you with a loaner even if you bought your Lexus from Planet Mars !

Go back to the dealer and let them have it. Even better, call Lexus Customer Service (1-800-874-7050) while at the dealership and have them speak with the Service Manager. He'd do the right thing pretty quick.

I have seen owners of 1990 LS given brand new Lexus cars as loaners. The worst case scenario is that they give you a Toyota Camry or Corolla, but they are obligated to provide you with a loaner at NO cost (at least on paper) to you.

cove148 · March 2005

Recently bought a 05 LS, my dealer has achieved top ranking by Lexus and is very proud of it. I have now received three letters telling me that I will be mailed a performance survey and if I can't answer "truly outstanding" on all questions, to run my issues up to top management before sending in. My buying experience was good, but certainly not "truly outstanding". Not to cause waves at any level, I feel pressure that it is in the best interest of the dealer and myself to give this grade, yet it is not truly accurate for Lexus purposes. Anyone else experience this?

hpowders · March 2005

When I lived in NYC, BMW would call me to find out how my dealer service experience was. If not 100% satisfied, someone from the dealership would call and explain to me their livelihood depended on my giving completely satisfied answers to these phone surveys. Talk about uncomfortable!

sv7887 · March 2005

Hi all,
I've been given the emotional blackmail routine as well by my last salesman. He said it was imperative that he get the highest marks on his survey. I do find it counterproductive to Lexus' aim to evaluate the dealers. The experience was fine, so I have nothing to complain about in this case. Normally I won't hesitate to slam a dealer if their practices are unacceptable.

SV

cove148 · March 2005

I agree, I am just going to give the dealer the highest marks, not interesting in making life uncomfortable for a sales guy just trying to make a living.

gteach26 · March 2005

but VERY rare. In around 5K of driving I've had an abrupt surge of power maybe twice or so. It happens when I turn a corner slowly and then hit the peddle to get up to speed with traffic. It seems like the computer/tranny communication speed lags for a half second or so.

It happens so infrequently though that I wouldn't even label it a problem at this time. I'll mention it to my service rep when I go in to see what he says about it. I doubt he's even heard of the issue -- In my experience service reps love to play dumb no matter what the dealer or brand --especially for issues that are not glaringly apparent during a quickie service test drive.

famwald · March 2005

I am accustomed to this from years of owning Volvos and using the dealer for service & repairs. I'd get the phone call, we need "outstanding" or we're in trouble, etc. Same-old, same-old.

The only difference I've seen so far at my Lexus dealer over the Volvo dealer here is what I call their "Cafe Lexus"--- the rather nice waiting area while my car is in the Service Dept. with free coffee & pastries and a TV that really works. (The free pastries reminds me of the old Saturn ad on TV where some guy stopped in at every dealership for 'repairs' but was only wanting to sample the free donuts...but I digress.)

On my mail-in survey I was kind but honest in what I mailed back to Lexus Hdqtrs.

Loaner cars, I was told by my Lexus dealer when I bought our LS in December, are given out only if the car will be in the shop more than 2 or 3 hours. Oil changes & other small things do not merit loaner cars. (My Volvo dealer had started doing that a couple of years ago, also. Nothing new here.) Otherwise we are to wait at "Cafe Lexus" or they'll take us to work, or the nearby shopping mall(ugh).

ckennedy · March 2005

Thanks for the tremendous feedback. Okay here is the update, I reviewed the lexus website which says Loaner car - complimentary,of course for any warrantable repair. Stellar Coverage - The exceptional privileges of Lexus ownership are not limited to new vehicle buyers. I also visted the dealer website which asks do you need a loaner car or pickup/drop off on the service form none of which were offered to me on the phone or in person. As advised, I called Customer Service at Lexus and she said while they do not control the individual dealers as they are independent they do recognize my displeasure and took down the applicable info. I should hear from a rep. in 48 hours. I told her I am not just buying a car but the service that follows as well. She seemed symphatic to my concerns. Their goal is to persuade the dealer to re-establish customer relations and although no promises she said they should compensate me in some fashion. Without the dealer knowing any of this, they fixed my radio station that kept skipping (traffic button on for those that had similar problems), lighter needs a new switch which they have to order meaning i have to go back and they replaced the battery which was low. Is this covered? I am assuming this was complimentary otherwise I am going to lose it. Thanks again everyone as this board has proved to be a valuable resource.

cyclone4 · March 2005

Yes I did have such an experience. When I purchased my 2004 LS430 in November 2003, I received the survey as I was told I would by the saleslady at my dealer. She is a very nice person (just retired a month ago), but not very knowledgeable & certainly not a high tech person. Thus, she could not answer a lot of my questions prior to the car's arrival & during the purchase. But I "took one for the team" and gave her very high marks anyway on the survey.

michael_mattox · March 2005

Famwald:

My dealer will give you a loaner but if you would rather they will also have someone drive you to where you want to go.

I would also suggest that after the car is purchased ...It is the service dept that you are dealing with...I would only call the saleman if I had a problem with Service Like NO LOANER..

The Lexus USA number is very helpfull...calling them works...they always call the dealer just after you talk to them.

pisciotta · March 2005

I live in nyc and when I brought my new infinity from kings infinity my dealer never mentioned the survey which I was surprised but when I received my survey from infinity the survey asked if anyone from kings infinity asked me about this survey and if they asked me to give them high grades!! but besides all that the dealer was great!

oac · March 2005

"....they fixed my radio station that kept skipping (traffic button on for those that had similar problems), lighter needs a new switch which they have to order meaning i have to go back and they replaced the battery which was low.."

Lexus Customer Service should cover these for your "pains" even though you may be out of warranty. I have had a similar situation which Lexus CS covered for a defective mirror that did not tilt down when car is in "R". There was a TSB on this for the '98 LS, mine is a '99, but I convinced them to cover the cost for mine as well. Cost was $400 + labor.

surrfurtom · March 2005

I agree, give them 5 stars at sales time. If they aren't competent then get another sales person.

I've been dealing with a Lexus salesman for some time (haven't bought yet) who in my opinion has been outstanding as far as his sales job, reliability and follow through. But the sales manager has been far too tight with discounts as the local dealership is the only game around. I'd be willing to give them a thousand to keep from driving a hundred miles, but not the 2 or 3 thousand that I think I can save.

Being overly critical of the sales experience will gain you nothing. There may come a time during the service life of the car when you will need some "political capital" to expend with dealership management.

rgsw · March 2005

Guess I have a different view of the dealer's communicating with me on the surveys sent from Lexus Headquarters (checking on dealer performance). The Survey is almost always preceded by a letter from the dealer stating that they hope my visit was 100% satisfactory and deserving of the highest possible rating. Should I have any concern or problem that was not handled to my satisfaction, please contact the dealer (service manager, sales manager, owner manager) to resolve my concern or problem. I have always done that. In one case the dealer contacted Lexus Headquarters and got approval to replace a tire that was punctured in the sidewall and could not be fixed properly and was not covered under the car or the tire warranty. This is just an example of the dealer taking that extra step for the customer. Also, the Salesman (now retired) indicated that I should call him anytime I required anything, including servicing. The salesman gave me the impression that he wanted to serve as the "point of contact" for my dealings with the dealer. Needless to say, when I was ready to trade again, I looked up the same salesman.

nvbanker · March 2005

Happens all the time! How else do you think they achieve and maintain this status? If you can't give them all truly outstanding ratings, they don't want you to mail it in, therefore, the preponderance of surveys go in with top ratings, giving them their elite status. And, BTW, it's not just Lexus dealers who do this trick. I'm amazed at how the companies are not wise to how many dealers do this.

phillyman · March 2005

Hello and thanks to all for the great info. found here. In the market for 05 LS430 in Philadelphia Pa area and have a couple of questions.

1. Does lexus/toyata ever come up with any financing better than bank credit union or am I wishing on a star (could get 4.75% from my c.u. any day of the week) My time frame to buy is next 60 days.

2. Leaning towards Silver/Black or Black/Tan in Modern. Would like to see a Flint Mica / Saddle in the flesh. Is this an unlikely combo? Any thoughts on color combo's would be appreciated. Is there a real "white" in this year?

3. Are there any "loyalty" programs. I bought an "01 LX470. (Best machine I ever bought!)

Thanks for any help.

00boxsters · March 2005

I cannot speak to the financing as I just leased my 05 LS430.

My silver/black with modern package is awesome. I do covet that saddle interior color though. There is a real white LS430 with saddle interior (but has comfort package) about 1.5 hours from philly in PA.

We purchased an RX330 last year and got no loyalty discount.

Good hunting and welcome to the forum!

ljflx · March 2005

Loyalty program has been dead for awhile and was replaced with choosing a gift from a catalogue. It may come back in 2006 - just a wild guess - as that will be the last year of the current model.

gteach26 · March 2005

Okay, I feel like I'm nit-picking at this otherwise PERFECT car.. BUT.... Over the weekend I committed what the builders of this car must feel is a HORRIBLE faux-pas... I LET THE WASHER FLUID GET TOO LOW!!!!!! OH NO!!!!!

First I get the dreaded red exclamation point in the speedo with a "DING!!" and "low washer fluid" in the message center. Then EVERY MINUTE THEREAFTER my wonderful, hushed, luxurious ride would be interrupted with a loud "DING!!" to remind me that the washer fluid was low. I traveled over 60 miles with the minute-by-minute "DING" coming on. I almost felt like driving to a store to get washer fluid to shut the darn thing up.

I know, I know... I am REALLY being picky here. This car has by far been the best I have ever owned. I just think the manufacturers have gone overboard in trying to warn the driver that "DING!!" the washer fluid is low.

Remind me once -- great, but EVERY MINUTE while I'm driving?!?!?!?

Sheesh!

Lexus LS 400/LS 430

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