Lexus LS 400/LS 430

wwest

The problem could be that the trunk "lift" springs are set too "light" and thus the trunk opens properly most of the time but not with the extra weight of "beaded" rain drops or a light snow fall, or maybe even with the car parked on a slight incline.

dsilver1

I have my LS430 Ultra since March and have never had a single problem with the car.
I just put 2 coats of ZAINO on it and the car looks great,not that it looked bad before.

bonger

I have just found out from my dealer that to convert the front ashtray to a non ashtray storage area on the LS430 will cost $291. Apparently this option is not available for the rear seat ashtrays. This seems a bit high but then again its a Lexus.
The only problem I've had is with the "groan". The trunk lid works fine.

hschen

Yes, I do have VSC. Your advice made a lot of sense. I suspected the brake to begin with. I'm sending the car to check it out. If proven to be the brake/VSC/traction control problem, I'm going to ask Lexas to replace all brake pads also. This problem may have existed for a long time. The previous owner/leaser may never knew the problem. Thanks again.

wwest

Brake pads are a whole lot cheaper than over-heated and maybe (slightly?) warped rotors.... Just thinking.

stevestein

Hello to all-
On my car the trunk unlocks and raises slightly, but rarely opens wide - sort of an ajar state. Most times I have to manually lift the trunk lid to get access. Is it the same with yours? I could see that in this ajar state it would be easy for a vibration or wind gust to engage the auto pulldown, although I haven't had it happen to me yet.

Cruise control - for those without laser cc life is not as grand as for nofeer or renny with their Ultras. The standard cruise will lose it's setting if you slow down below a certain margin (10mph?) from the set speed. Instead of being able to resume, you need to accelerate to your desired speed and hit set again.

Groan - mine has stayed away since after the first month without any action having been taken.

Lexus link notice - I haven't received any notification of a required service or recall on the link. Anyone know if it was all LS430's or just some?

wwest

Doesn't lose its "setting" below 35MPH, it just drops out of operation (by design). All you have to do is accelerate above 35MPH, Then hit "resume".

nofeer

I tried that...pressing resume above 50 and still after a stop, or slowing down ( i can't remember the speed) i have to reset. it's a slight annoyance but resetting takes my eyes off the road and for all that lexus is....it's not what should be specially if your travels to columbus includes many lights and construction zones--i must have reset a dozen times. i have a base with nav/lev/link. as close to perfect as i have ever been. it's a business car, so i have to keep within my aloted miles, my wife would sleep in it and bring it in the house if she could. testing anything else is just that...diminished excitement. we were looking for a car to replace her yellow screaming turbo bug (we're adopting a little girl from china, should go to get her around jan) so our nesting behavior includes looking for another car. well we looked at the passat wagon, HL, etc. love that lexus service, and i know that the rx300 will be bigger with 3rd seat for 03 (prediction, not known for sure) so i am even entertaining a used 2k with nav and then buying the new rx. UNBELIEVABLE SERVICE AT COLUMBUS LEXUS "your loaner is running waiting for you"

ljflx

I prefer turning the cruise on rather than having it be set to be engaged all the time. Once I get off the higway I usually shut it anyway. Last thing in the world I'd want is to accidentally engage it on a street with traffic lights.

stevestein - if I hit the resume on my cruise I go right back to the speed I set it at originally all the time no matter how much I've slowed down and remember I have the base cruise. It's been that way since 1995. Cruise always worked flawlessly for me on every LS I've ever had. Hope you enjoyed Paris. My closest approach to Paris was Fromagerie restaurant in Rumson. I've been there so often but never realized it was a Springsteen favorite. He lives in Colts Neck now but I won't say where. By the way they don't give you a valet receipt when you park (at least not that Sat. night) - somehow they trust you when you tell them what car you had. Scary - particularly when the valet brought me back a GS430 when I requested my car. I'll take the risk though because it's such a great restaurant. If you go make sure you know your Lexus link code in case they have to locate your car.

stevestein

Paris was wonderful. We were recommended to a small hotel 1 blk from the Louvre with mostly american guests. From that location you can easily walk almost anywhere. It didn't get dark until 10PM, so we were out and about almost all day. You really should go some day, it's a beautiful city and deserves to be experienced.

I'll try the cruise again. I'm sure I did this before, and it wouldnt resume after going through EZPass or similar, even when I was back up to over 50. I'll post the result. It may be a feature the dealer can set.

I never did understand Bruce's house in Rumson. Busy corner, no view, and then he had to build those burms to block people from looking in.

bitkahuna

Can ya tell me the name of the hotel in Paris and if you would recommend it? Was it obscenely expensive? Were the beds comfortable? Was it clean?

Since this is so far off topic, if ya want to e-mail me, that's fine, at bit_kahuna@yahoo.com.

Thanks.

flint350

According to the notice I received, it states in part: "...need to inspect and if necessary update the Lexus Link System components in certain 2001 model year Lexus LS430 vehicles." It goes on to repeat later "On certain 2001 Model Year LS430 vehicles...it is possible that the system may not operate properly in all conditions.." So it evidently applies only to some, not all - and that is why you have heard nothing from them.

ljflx

stevestein - I must say I can't even remember trying to re-engage the LS430's cruise from a stop position or even after going through e-z pass. Just this morning on the Turnpike I had to slow to 35-40mph from 70+ around the airport then pushed the cruise arm back up to resume and the car went right back to the speed I had set it on. If I dis-engaged and then wanted to resume I certainly never had to step on the gas until I reached my selected speed for it to resume. Just a flick of the cruise arm back up and it always resumed. I'll give it a try tommorrow after I stop or go through e-z pass to see if that is a breaking point though. Perhaps you have to reset when you drop below 30mph or so. I'll let you know tommorrow. You know darn well they'll be plenty of opportunities on the Turnpike.

I had a similar hotel experience in Lucerne. Also a great city to visit and a bit more relaxing than Paris though I also loved Paris. I've got to get over to Florence and Venice - but my kids only want to go to the tropics. Ever been to either city?

swiftm

I just return from Paris and Europe; i recommend to follow a guild book. I travel alone without reservation and always find a room without problem, 2-3 stars room range $50-70. I saw a few RXs in Europe, a new MGB, BMW's new minis was introduced in Lisbon or Lisboa, E class for taxi but no LS, not one. Swiftm

mbclk430

Would like to purchase an LS430 by month's end......anyone in here bought their vehicle in MD?

lknott

Well after a month of fighting with the wife and signing a 5 year loan we will take possession of a Gold LS430 with Nav. & Mark. $55,000 plus tax and all that other stuff. Meet at the dealer at noon on Thursday for a two hour seminar on all the bells and whistles. We own a 2000 ES300. The wifes car. I drive a Dodge pick up.The new one just came off the truck this afternoon. Wife & I checked it out tonight. All is well. I used my computer to do my shopping. In reading all the post I came across #862 by fabt dated 4-6-01 where he contacted the dealers in the area and asked for their lowest price. You Guys and Gals are sure smart and helpful. Already told the salesman how I wanted the keys programed. I'll stay in touch. Sincerely Larry.

hschen

My son's friend got a Infinity G20. I touched his wheels last night and they are just as hot as my LS400 wheels. You cannot touch it for more than 2 seconds. Because all of my other cars do not get hot (it will get warm, of course), I'm wondering if it's due to traction control that constantly monitoring/adjusting all wheels. I think G20 has traction control too. Have anyone of you who has VSC/traction control can confirm this? Does your wheel get very hot after driving?
It's kind of funny when I made an appointment with Lexas service and told her about the wheel problem. She asked me that why did I touch the wheels for. It sounded like I shouldn't have touched it and there wouldn't be a problem if I didn't touch it. I'm going in to get it check out on Friday.

lllwlf

yeah, you'd better get to the bottom of that right away. You'd hate to burn your face on them or something.

ardo

Has anyone experienced this? When I leave my LS 430 in the direct sun for a couple of hours, the wipers will come on (when I have them in the auto mode)when I begin to drive. They will stay on for awhile or of course until I take them off of auto. My only thought is the windshield gets so hot that it "sweats" making the auto trigger.

jarogj

Has anyone been experiencing wind throbs or flutter with their moonroofs open to the recommended 1.2 inch location. The manual advises that driving with it full open will result in wind throb but not at 1.2 inch. Mine is really annoying. My 98 LS400 had no such problems. Service says they can't fix it. Very disappointing for a car in this price class.

bitkahuna

If you mean kind of a buffeting wind that hurts your ears, we experience this on our RX300. The only solution we found was to bring down one of the side windows even just a bit.

rennybosch

Yes, I've noticed the same thing (the auto wipers come on if the car has been sitting in the hot sun for a while). I think someone else also mentioned this. I just leave the wipers in Off unless it is misty or rainy. Could it be that in Japan the sun never gets hot enough to trigger this phenomenon so Lexus doesn't even know about it?

ikey78

As mentioned in a previous post, Lexus is well aware of the wipers activating in hot conditions. It is described in the owner manual, I believe on page 36 or 38.

You need to turn them off for a few minutes until the glass cools down.

stevestein

For lack of a better name I think you could call it the coke bottle effect. Remember when as a kid you blew slowly across the top of a bottle and got a low reverberating note. It acts like a flute. It's physics in action, and I'm afraid that there is nothing Lexus can do. The only choices are to change the dynamics of the situation, either your speed or the configuration of the car by adjusting the width of the opening or opening another window. Either one should detune the car and stop the harmonics.

stevestein

I tried it last night (although not from after a stop) and it worked - and that's driving me crazy. I KNOW there were several other posts on this a few months ago, and that I noticed the effect earlier. I suffer with only a 3 mi commute, so can't enjoy the car on the highway as often as you do. I'll try it again saturday when I'll be on the GSP.

stevestein

ljflx -When I had my midlife crisis, my wife and I both got Eurail passes and bummed around for two months. France and Italy were our favorites, and we visited both Venice and Florence (Rome, Sorrento, Sienna and Pisa as well). Getting off the train in Venice and walking out of the station onto the Grand Canal is like coming out of a time machine. Truly magical. Florence has an unbelievable number of museums. To tell the truth, it might be wasted on your kids depending on their ages and inclinations. I could see a real potential for a conflict of interests developing - Dad, do we have to see more paintings? Do they have sleepaway camps in the carribean or Florida?
Our next foray to the continent will likely be back to Italy.

Oh yeah - cars-

Flint350 - thanks for the input on the LLink service letter.

swiftm -I didn't see any LS430s in Paris either- only a couple of the RX. The A-class Mercedes was very common, and I think they might be coming over here. C- and E-class are very common also, many as taxis.

Love that Lexus!

jjsdfs

Has anyone had success in getting Lexus to honor the "loyalty" rebate on their LS? I purchased a 470 6 months ago and was rebated $500 at time of purchase as a prior owner of a Lexus ( 92 SC 400).

Fully expected this for my last week LS purchase but discovered loyalty didn't matter on the LS...N/A according to the coupon. Watch Out!

fabt

I was offered the loyalty $500.00 allowance for being a previous Lexus owner by a couple of dealers on my new LS430. Other dealers told me it was not available for the LS430, including the dealer I eventually bought it from.

I 'kindly'explained to him that I found it odd and unfair that people who bought the least expensive ES300 sedan several years ago could now get a $500.00 discount for buying another one, but people who bought the most expensive LS400 sedan several years ago now looking for an LS430 could not. He immediately honored the discount.

bluebeast

What price have owners paid/quoted for the 60K service? I called one dealer and they said about $1200.00, so I called another dealer about an hour and a half away and they said $895.00 !! What gives? This was a quote for a 96 LS400.

hschen

I noticed the passenger side mirror of my 98 LS moves down when put in reverse. Driver side mirror doesn't move with it. Is that how it supposed to be? Should both mirror move down? I would rather ask you guys. If I ask dealer I bet they will say "That's normal".

sfmartin

As I recall, on my '98, only the passenger side mirror moved down. On the '01, both do.

greasykid1

Just to clarify. The trunk DOES NOT completely release when using either the remote or inside release ...period. Have to be at the trunk and assist in releasing or it will pull down part way and catch.

drew_

ljflx

That S-class board is starting to get entertaining again. I couldn't even invent some of the things these people come up with. Give me the wiper problem anytime though I've never experienced it, nor the groan thank goodness. By the way where's wbwynn these days? Did you straighten out you radar situation? By the way I did buy the Sony xbr 450 set. It is indeed an awesome set and one you should look into if you go direct view.

stevestein - I used my truck yesterday and today I went into the city by bus so I haven't tested it yet from a slowdown to 15-20mph for e-z pass or a direct stop. Are you sure you're not dis-engaging it by accident or flipping the arm down rather than up to resume? Mine always works flawlessly when I resume - at least in conditions where I slowed to 35-45 mph and then resumed to 65-75. I tested my Landcruiser which is 3 years old and it re-engaged from 40mph back to 70mph but failed to do so after i went through e-z pass.

jamesfletcher2

With regard to the 60K mile service. I have had my 98 LS400 serviced at 3 different dealers and priced at least 2 others. Part of the reason for this is that the car goes back and forth between two states. Other than service discounting (like JM Lexus in South Florida) the primary reason for the difference is that some dealers add in services that Lexus does not call for to run the price up. One example is a special process for cleaning injectors which would never be required unless you were having injectors blockage.

Although Lexus dealers typically treat customers well you have to watch for service departments doing unsubscribed work or charging excessive prices. My car has about 120K on it and the service cost can be kept down if you have competeting dealers in your area and you have them detail exactly what service they are going to do and then check that with what your owners manual calls for.

jarogj

With my moonroof in the recommended maximum open position I have very loud rattles coming from the roof area. In fact, I have noticed with my moonroof partially open and if I lighting bounce my had off the glass there are some very significant vibrations and rattles within the glass area. In my opinion, totally unacceptable for a car in this price range. My wife has a 2000 ES300 quiet as can be.

flint350

Not only the S Class, but the High End boards have heated up again too. Some of the old name calling is back when opinions don't agree. I stay out of it, but enjoy the battle. I love that recurring MBenz theme though - which says basically, "I just discovered yet another serious problem (e.g. smelly a/c) that the service dept. says there is no fix for, but what a fine automobile for all that money!!" I guess one of those filters they put in that car is a "reasoning" filter - bcz the "reasoning" over there is a little thin at times.

MY radar situation is still a little unsettled. I had to send the remote indicator back, then Valentine returned it saying it was fine and to send them the main unit instead. So now I have to do that. Hopefully this will all get settled soon and I still need to get up with feverhart and see his installation. But this damn retirement and all this golf and travel are messing up my busy schedule!

ljflx

I agree - I like to monitor them for the fun of it and will only throw in a comment now and then. The stupidity of the Robb report statement was an example. My cars have been flawless so far though I haven't checked to see how hot the wheels are after a drive. How about you? I'm up to 8800 miles on the Pine and 5500 on the silver and I couldn't be happier. Given my past experience with Lexus I expect it to remain the same although at some point the ride will deteriorate a bit as the tires wear but that of course is natural.

On tv's if you go rear projection definitely look at bitkahuna's Pioneer model. It is very high rated but it is a 16x9 so the distortion on conventional 4x3 broadcasts may bother you. When there are more abundant 16x9 broadcasts it would definitely be my first choice for the Study when I go hi-def in there as I'll have the room for it. The Sony is a great set if you go direct view though.

bitkahuna

It's so minor in 'natural widescreen' mode on my Pioneer Elite that I don't even notice it, since it stretches some vertically in addition to enough horizontally to fill the screen.

But the DVD movies look INCREDIBLE, since most DVDs have extra video data on them for widescreen TVs, and of course HD looks incredible too (which I've seen but do not have). And DVD movie watching is more important to me than TV (most of which is utter crap).

Since you guys are into shows like Sopranos which is widescreen HD on HBO, you should consider widescreen!

Anyway, I'm sure the Sony is great. MAN those big Sony tube TVs are HEAVY though. Glad my projection TV is on wheels!

Oh, er, a car comment... yes, the looks of that new 7 series are going to blow away the LS - sorry guys. Mind you, it will probably be a fair bit more expensive, although they're saying only 3% more than current prices (not sure what that is though).

ljflx

BMW will probably have more things go wrong with that car in the first year than Lexus will have with its LS in the next ten years. I'd never even consider a first year Bimmer model. Some of the pix look great (Arcoates web site) and some look horrible so lets see how the thing really comes to market. The LS has become the top selling lux car and may very well stay there for a long time.

The more I look at the S class the more I'm glad I stayed away from it though I'll admit I liked its' looks at first. It's a funny car - from some angles it looks terrific (particularly as you view it towards the rear lights from the side)while from others it looks like a drawn out Taurus. I've tired quickly of its small grille as it looks way too mousy now and I can't tell the difference between it and a C class in my rearview mirror - which would bother me immensely had I bought it - not to mention all the complaints I read on the S board which would really get me angry. Give me the old MB's grille anytime as they made a statement. All of these cars have a drawback somewhere. I read that people love the current 7 but to me it looks like an outdated box and not timeless at all. Apparently the public agrees as the cars are still selling slowly, at least here in NJ where they are advertised at $12-$14k off list. Plus they don't hold there value all that well.

stevestein

Jarogi - What you are describing now sounds like something is loose or not fastened properly. have you taken it back to the dealer?

ljflx - The cruise failed the EZPass test. It wouldn't re-engage. I'll play a bit to find out the exact spot where it cancels out.

By the way - have you caught "6 Feet Under" on HBO? It's another great dark comedy. On after Sex in the City. I think they will have a marathon encore of the first 4 shows on the 30th. Also BTW, my wife informed me that Springsteen still has the Rumson house as well as the farm in your neck of the woods.

ljflx

I didn't get into the Sopranos until this year. Is it worth it to buy the old shows on dvd? By the way West Wing is also a great show. But I'll tell you this it will still take a lot to displace Seinfeld with me - I watch those re-runs all the time and do you ever notice that the studios still run their ads for upcoming movies on the show. Seinfeld was always number 1 for the motion pix studios. That was always the reason Thurs. night was so crucial - to get the bidding up for ads due to studio demand for the weekend releases.

cruise - the manual must tell you when cruise is dis-abled.

Bruce - his farm is on 60 or 80 acres of land in the most desirable part of Colts Neck. You can imagine the price of the property.

jarogj

I have managed to locate the source of the rattle which is the glass panel having too much play on the passenger's side of the roof. With wind and bumps, you can see the glass flex and it is rattling against the track inside. All I have to do is hit it lightly with my hand and it rattles and vibrates quite easily. The dealer had it once and didn't fix it. I'll give him another opportunity. There is no way I will live with this one in a $57,000 car. I have already had to deal with the rear wheelhouses creaking because of bad spot welds , I have a persistent groan in the brake system, a bad seat cushion on the driver's side and now this. Should never buy the first year's model. Not something you expect from Lexus.

flint350

Sopranos was actually much better the first time around than this year - a little off for me this year and not a good season finale. Besides, in the first 2 seasons, Chris drove an LS400. They switched to some Caddies and a Benz last year.
As for "6 Ft Under", I've seen it and like it a lot and am preparing to see it tonight when I get off here.
On HDTV, I will definitely be going with 16:9 format, just waiting to finish the room and then look at what set is best at that time.

bitkahuna

The Geocities site Arcoates pointed us to has 'made up' images, not actual photographs of the new 7 series. This site apparently has official pictures:

http://www.whatcar.co.uk/Magazine/ArticleTemplates/cfmwhatsnew.cfm?ArticleID=3583

Sure looks like a GREAT looking car.

I know you guys love your LS cars, but you need to guard against being too self-assured. While you guys may not have experienced problems, there's been quite an uptick of issues on here in the last little while, including groaning wheel wells and steering wheels, roof noise, bad phones, hot wheels, etc. The LS is quite susceptible to first year glitches also, although I grant that Lexus' track record is very good. Having said that the first year of the new GS ('98) has a LOT more problems than subsequent years, including rattles, roof creaks, etc. The IS is having a few issues too.

No doubt these will be fixed in time, but no car is perfect, nor immune from competition. While Lexus (Toyota) is laughing all the way to the bank right now, Mercedes and BMW won't take that lying down... and while past records of bad BMW interiors and glitches on the new S class aren't great, they won't last forever.

You know I thought the Mercedes M class SUV was a piece of junk (especially the interior) when it came out, but a guy at work just bought a new one and I have to say the interior was VERY nice.

So enjoy your Lexuses (like I do) because they are great cars - but again, neither are they perfect, or immune from being bettered.

ljflx

I'll have to take a closer look when I have more time but those pix look a lot like the Q to me. Certainly the overall shape of the car does. They are making a radical design shift to a much more curved aerodynamic look but I don't like it. The pix that Arcoates pointed to showed a much more beautiful car. I'd go with the S if I were switching before that BMW.

The problems being pointed out here are pretty minor. Luckily I have none of them and when I've brought my car in for service those I met thought the car was perfect and one guy was coming from an S and said Mercedes would never see him again. Overconfident? No just perfect past experience with the first year of the 95 re-design and then the 98 re-design though this one is definitely more radical. But don't sell short the major changes they made in 95. Toyota's quality is just the best there is and Lexus is their favorite child.

agent0986

can anyone post the link to the Arcoates bmw 7 series site please?
thankyou

nealm1

First, let us all say a prayer for jarogj, because he obviously has ended up with THE lemon Lexus turned out this model year. I feel your pain! I would be tearing my hair out if I were you. If it makes you feel better (and it likely won't) you made the right decision in buying the LS, you just were struck-twice-by-lightening unlucky. Hope you get it all worked out.

On the new 7, I think the body shape, while not exactly exciting is nonetheless very attractive -- much like the current 5 -- but think the rear looks dorky, esp. the lights. And the one thing that would almost certainly turn me off would be the new all-in-one "rotary switch," which bitkahuna's link describes as follows: "a single rotary switch linked to a menu system displayed on a dashboard monitor has replaced many of the auxiliary controls" including "the stereo, the satellite navigation and the ventilation, [and] up to 400 secondary functions." Talk about driver distraction! The Q has a similar sort of system. Personally, I think forcing a driver to scroll through ventilation options to change the stereo settings is insane. I think that in time, auto manufacturers will live to regret it, perhaps after a spate of accidents. Didn't these guys take ergonomics 101?

ikey78

I had a rattle from the moonroof in my 430. Was most noticable going over bumps. Was difficult to isolate at first but I could see the vibration when closing a door a little harder than normal. If you read the new road test on Edmunds (link on left) they mention a vague rattle at the back in one of the 2nd opinions. I would guess that it is from the moonroof.
The good news is that it was fixed by the dealer and is now silent.

bitkahuna

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/9323/new7.htm

Bear in mind the pictures aren't real, they're artist's drawings (except for the first one on the right, a heavily disguised black, dark, new 7 - apparently).