Could a Lexus LS 400 or LS 430 go over a Million Miles?

stephenabelson

Any thoughts on whether or not a Lexus LS 400 or LS 430 could drive over one million miles on the original engine with proper maintence maintained throughout the cars life, garaged and treated well?

Has anyone seen a Lexus with one million miles? Everyone always talks about how reliable and long living the Japan cars are, like Lexus, Toyota & Honda but I personally have not seen any with a million miles. I have seen a Mercedes Benz with over a million miles on the original engine, also a VW and the guy with the record for having the most miles on a car is a guy driving a Volvo from the 1960's.

Any thoughts?

vcheng

..personally was a 1992 LS400. It showed up a the local Lexus dealer a few months ago with 542,xxx miles on it, and a for sale sticker in the window. I don't know what happened to it. It was a bit rough in spots, but appeared to have aged well.

mindyls400

I have a 96 LS 400 that has 150,000 miles on it. Most are highway miles. I drove it one mile, when I stopped I could hear loud banging noises under the hood. I saw green fluid leaking as well. My shop said that if the car overheated that I may be looking at a new engine. Does this sound correct. I change the oil every 3k miles without fail. Help.....

bob2

i am retired and could afford a new lexus. i am looking at some used 2004 ls430s with 50k miles and above. would any experienced lexus driver/technician have any second thoughts with buying a used lexus with this kind of mileage or higher?

mike425

Bob

I have a LS 430 with 56,000 miles on it, and its in the shop right now with a keyless entry problem that Lexus can't fix.This is the second dealer that I have taken it to. The first one in Rochester N.Y. told me that they didn't want to fix it. So be careful buying a used LS 430.

Mike

mike425

Steve

My dad had a LS 400, that he drove 503,000 miles. The motor and transmission were original and were never taken apart other than routine oil and filter changes. The seats were worn out and the leather steering wheel was beat, but ran fine. He traded it in on a LS 430 with 30,000 miles, It now has 56,000 miles and it is in the shop right now with a keyless entry problem that Lexus can't fix, and most of the time there is a warning light coming on for something.

Mike

vcheng

Dorschel Lexus is a pretty good dealership. I am surprised that they would not help to fix your car. Did you escalate the issue above the level of the Service Advisor? I am just curious.

wwest

The last Lexus I bought, in 2003, was a 1992 with ~151,000 miles. Seller had receipts for water pump, timing belt replacements at 141,000.

shoman1

Hi,

I'm curious about the designation "Sport Suspension" which appears behind the front wheelwell on a 2002 LS 430 I'm interested in. The car does seem to handle very well considering the criticisms that the suspension is too soft in the literature, also the ride is pleasant, but certainly not "floaty." I find no reference in the literature to a "Sport Suspension" option for the car, and am wondering if anyone can sort this out for me, thanks,

Shoman1

mahalo1

Shoman I have an 04 with the sport suspension. It basically has polyurathane bushing, larger sway bars, stiffer struts and 18" rims. Mine has 140k miles on it and still rides like when it was new. I'm very glad I waited for the car with that option, made a big difference in the cars performance IMHO

bocatrip

I own a 2001 LS430 with 100K. It is probably one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned......and I have had many cars. It seems to be absolutely bulletproof other than the weak audio system. You can't go wrong with this car from 01-06. 04 has a quirky transmission on the early models. Great car.

rwelton

I own a 1996 LS-400 with 374k miles with zero issues to-date. It just started a valve tapping, and the ball joints need to be replaced, but other than that it's been a fantastic car. Did you replace the timing belt and water pump at 100k miles? If not, do it, change the oil every 3k miles, and enjoy the ride..

willsdad0522

I have a 2002 LS 430 with 267,000 miles on it and have never had any issues with it. Do regular oil changes between 4-5k and do the regular 100,000 maintenance. Noticed yesterday in garage that there is some leaking trans fluid. Any ideas what this might be and is it a major job? Transmission is shifting fine and there seems to be no issues. I've always heard that opening up a trans to do a flush etc. causes more problems than it is worth but it might have to be done at this point to change a gasket or something. Any thoughts?

desertrat748

Answer to the million miles: Maybe with a lot of luck and good up-keep. Think of how many times all the bearings are going to wear as the crankshaft, camshafts, pulleys, etc. spin around...millions of times as each mile your car must make 2000-3000 maybe more rotations per mile depending on how long you take to drive a mile.

I have 3 lexus LS400s, each have 215-260 k miles. I've done timing belts (a must around each 100,000 miles) and with each I've pulled the bearings out for idler pulley, tension pulley, etc. Some were trashed making noise 1st 100,000. All needed to be done for sure at 200,000. Also, you will have wear in the trans with the clutch packs..paper type friction material..can't last forever..made to wear so eventually have to replace..

I've had my 94 go up to 212,000 and the trans started slipping badly. Left my daughter stuck out on I-10 about 70 miles from home.. Towed back, pulled and rebuilt for about $1500. Thats not bad for over 200,000 miles. My 95 has 255,000 and trans just starting to act up.

It's always a good idea to take to a reputable shop and have them replace the trans filter w and the usual 4-5 quarts of trans fluid. (i don't believe in the flush part) and I'm not worried with having it rebuilt after 200,000. Also, with each one, the power steering pump and hoses wear and I've bought seal kits to fix and hoses. Not super cheap, but nothing crazy or unexpected.

You have to change out the coolant and use Toyota Red if you like a hassle free car. I think in my opinion every 4-5 years is a good idea for my climate..high heat. Change the oil with your favorite synthtic on a regular basis....do not let it go for 10,000 -15,000 miles and think it's o.k. it's not.. one time out of 20 changes like that and you are asking for trouble. Also, have the brake fluid flushed every two-three years.. I know most people don't, but bf always draws in moisture/H2O no matter what.. good idea. My power steering rack on each of them has worn and leaked..anywhere from 150k to 200 k...And while your at it..check and replace any backup bulbs, brake, turn lights, license plate lights..

I doubt one could go past 500,000 without some type of work for the trans. power steering pump, water pump, alternator, or belts, and others. Also, the valve guides will wear and the faces of the valves will wear, seats will wear and eventually it will lose some compression. You can't ask a car to go that far without some wear happening...just not going to happen.

I have a '68 corvette and it only had 64k last time I looked, but sitting around for 45 years has taken it's toll on more things than I thought possible..I never complain that I only got 252,000 on a Lexus alternator, or power steering pump as the heads on my Vette are trashed at 50-60k... Lexus LS400/1UZ is by far superior to just about anything out there

I have a Toyota tacoma with 254k...same type issues.. seals will eventually wear/weap and leak..

turbinator

The key will be, as you promise, regular maintenance and reasonable care. I recently stopped to visit my mechanic (an independent, but specializing in Corvettes) and he was working on a Chevrolet Traverse that he regularly repairs and services for the owner. It has about 465K. It looked good and ran good. The Lexus should last until you are just plain tired of it and then some. Something I use (I call it "snake oil") is Restore, which is sold thru Wal-Mart and which mitigates some of the wear seen in engines. I started using it in a 1991 S-10 pick-up with the 2.8L V-6. The power started dropping off after about 69 to 70K and the Restore brought the compression back up. That pick-up was still running like it should at over 300K when I finally lost track of it.

davidbowen

My father has a 96 ls400 with ~470xxx on it. The silver paint is sunburned and the drivers seat is a pretty well tattered, but when I drive it last spring it drove like a new car. Engine was absolutely smooth and quite, and everything seemed tight as a drum. Not rattles or squeaks. He's a lawyer in southern california and puts the miles on from driving to different courthouses. I know he's not the type to maintain his cars well. The last several years he's had a mechanic client of his take care of everything the car needs once a year. This would put his oil change intervals at ~20k miles. I believe the mechanic changes the oil with synthetic, but I don't know for sure. He hasn't bothered to fix the sunburned paint or tattered seat because he's figured the car is on borrowed time anyway and should be near death. Judging by way it drove last spring for me, death seems a waze off.

rrsafety

I am at 177,000 on my 1999 LS 400. These mileage posts are making me excited about the next ten years!

bigdogglex

I have a 93 LS400 which I have owned for 23 years and I have over 551,000 miles on it. I have replaced the timing belt 5 times in it as well as replacing a p/s unit. The original starter and alternator was replace when the car turned 20 years old. Now, I need to replace the rack unit which will be the first time for that. Outside of some other minor repairs the car the has been great. I still drive this car in daily commute to work each day 22 miles round trip. Many people ask me why I still drive it since I have a new truck but I always tell them the same thing, the car still ride great and it don't cost me no money. I tell them I'm riding on house money. I have driven this car since I purchased it to the following states, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, New York and all over my home state of North Carolina.

jpp75

Here's an article about driving one with over 900k on it, as others have said it's possible but requires some maintenance along the way.

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/im-driving-a-lexus-with-900-000-miles-across-the-countr-1684015600/1686272604

thedeacon

I was able to get my 2000 LS400 to 428,000 before selling it to my mechanic. It still runs three years later. Still has it's original engine and transmission. I owned it for seven years and drove it mainly on the highway as a commuter car across the state 85 miles each way for work. I replaced exhaust and radiator and fuel pump. Struts needed replacing as well. After driving my current '06 Avalon to 325,000 miles I am researching 06 430, older LS460 sport, 2011 E350 Benz for my next car.

casino2

bocatrip said:

I own a 2001 LS430 with 100K. It is probably one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned......and I have had many cars. It seems to be absolutely bulletproof other than the weak audio system. You can't go wrong with this car from 01-06. 04 has a quirky transmission on the early models. Great car.

My 2003 Lexus LS 430 has 104,000 miles on the clock. I thought about selling this car, but won't get much for it. Recently had new head gaskets install because it was about 15 years old. My mechanic said this us normal. I read so many Lexus stories about the LS 430 can go beyond 500,000 miles with good maintenance and a trusted mechanic. This car is well built and solid made. 

Mr_Shiftright

It depends on how much money you are willing to put into it. You can make a Yugo go a million miles, but you may need a dozen engines to do it.

I'm not sure you'd even want to drive a car that's gone much over 250,000. Aside from mechanical maintenance, there are structural issues to consider. Metal does fatigue, and that can be dangerous.