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Lexus SC 430

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Comments

  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    I am having an XM radio installed in my wife's SC430 on Monday. The installer said that he could install the antenna on the trunk lid or on the dashboard, although the reception isn't quite as good with it on the dashboard. Has anybody out there done a dashboard installation? How well does it work? Incidentally, they are going to install the control unit for the XM Commander in place of the ash tray. That should make for a very neat installation. (It will be hidden behind the ash tray door.)
  • heidifheidif Member Posts: 1
    I purchased an SC430 a month ago and had an aftermarket XM radio installed shortly thereafter. I purchased the XM Terk Commander and had the Audio Installer install the radio unit in place of the ashtray/lighter area. They did a great job and were able to keep the ashtray fold-down door in-tact so the radio is covered when not in use. For the antenna, the antenna that comes with the Terk Commander looks like a small computer mouse. It's magnetic and it installs nicely on the on the slender strip of frame above the front window. They ran the wiring inside the rubber seal where the top of the convertible pushes into that front frame. The wiring runs inside that rubber stripping along the frame and down the side of the window and it's totally hidden and safe and keeps the water seal perfectly...no problems with the convertible at all. I had it centered above the front window and it looks fine...doesn't distract from the lines of the car. They don't recommend having it installed inside on the dash since at certain angles, that same frame will block the line-of-sight to the satellite(s). Good luck with your install! Hope you and your wife love your sat radio as much as i do!
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    Thanks for the info; I had not thought of that location. We have the Terk Commander in our LX470 and really like it.
  • jorgemjorgem Member Posts: 3
    Help. After my car sits unoccupied for 4 hours or more, we hear a clicking noise near the front left tire when we occupy the car. Suspension problem of some kind but dealer unable to solve
  • moj1moj1 Member Posts: 11
    i know people are getting tired of this, but what are few good options for the tires for this car.

    actually, our RF gave us over 40K miles on the original. it's bumpy ride, but coming from riding sports cars, i'm used to it.

    now that the treads are gone, i'm trying to decide b/w dunlop sport DSST for $256 at discount tires or micheline pilot A/S for $250 from costco. some also mentioned pirelli's. i've seen continentals also being mentioned.

    i don't car if it's RF or not.

    also, do have to get it fixed at lexus or is costco, just as good?

    thanks
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    I have the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires, and I like them a lot. They give a lot smoother, quieter ride that the original run flats.
  • lexgolflexgolf Member Posts: 2
    Welcome in the club - happened to me in my first week I had the brandnew car.

    Thanks god the painting wasn't damaged. Brought it to the lexus dealer and paid - nothing!

    With a smile he gave me the keys back and said: Enjoy your ride - again my mechainc was unable to 'adjust' this cars antenna without damaging it. Parts and labour are a courtesy of Lexus.

    If you arn't such lucky with your dealer - he explained to me what had to be done. The times I would have been able to do it are gone. WOrk inside the trunk, abouve the right rear wheel (no space!).
  • lexgolflexgolf Member Posts: 2
    Agree - thats exactly what I did myself. And we have no speedlimit or such crap in our country. In the US I hardly know a situation where you really get your tires at the limit. BTW - the top speed of the car without limiter is 178mls/h - tires become something to think about when you go such fast on a regular base
  • moj1moj1 Member Posts: 11
    put on the michelin pilot a/s. the car drives noticeably much smoother. costed me $1000 at costco (even though they scratched the rim). i have a feeling it's not necessary to buy expensive tires to get good ride on this car, as long as it's not run flats :shades:
  • zojozojo Member Posts: 5
    Just wondering what kind of gas people are putting in their 430's. We just purchased ours 2 weeks ago, and so far have used high octane, but I remember reading somewhere that it really is a waste to pay for the high octane and that regular gas can be used.

    Any comments/suggestions?

    Thanks.
  • brucerossbruceross Member Posts: 16
    You really need to use high octane gas in you SC430. It has a high compression engine and requires high octane gas. Lexus gets 300 HP from a small 4.3 liter engine by raising the compression. If you do not use high octane gas your engine will ping and over time it may harm some internal engine parts. I don't know about you, but for what I paid for my SC430 I certainly want that smooth flawless exceleration.
  • steve_jacksonsteve_jackson Member Posts: 1
    I live in New England and have a SC 430 with run flats.

    I'm considering using it as my full time car.

    What kind of tires would I need? How much would they cost? Would I need new rims? How well does the car drive in the snow with snow tires?
  • uscg2005uscg2005 Member Posts: 1
    I am planning to buy an SC430 for my wife in the near future. The dealer has one on his lot that he may deal on, but I am interested in finding out what is in store for 2006. Specifically, whether Lexus will have the key-less ignition (which is already available on the Toyota Prius and the new GS430) and satellite radio.

    The dealer has no idea what will be on the new models.

    Anyone got any inside information?

    thanks,

    bruce
  • jules6jules6 Member Posts: 1
    They are coming into my dealer next week and it is not keyless and there is no satellite radio...
  • navguy1navguy1 Member Posts: 181
    The DVD updates occur in the fall of every year. The MSRP is $250 and installation is extra. ;)
  • duste1duste1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Lexus SC430, and live in Las Vegas. I am interested in finding a source for a dash cover. The dash's current condition is "like new" and I would love to keep it that way. The heat here can destroy the dash unless properly protected. Is there a website for SC430 accessories that I might try?
  • rcsc430rcsc430 Member Posts: 1
    you might want to run a search on google or contact Lexus to find out if they even carry one? ummm you could also do a search on ebay.com to see if you could find one. I believe there is one out for that car. I mean its a dash cover not a import part to a Maserati :P
  • rrezekrrezek Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a 2006 SC430 and also want to get satellite radio. I'm not sure I can stomach having the antenna on the window frame or the dash. Do you have any idea if it can be installed on the small deck above the rear seats? Is the trunk out of the question? I love the car and don't want to mess with the exterior lines. How Lexus could omit satellite is beyond me but what can you do. I'm interested in your thoughts and feedback. Thanks for the informative post in response to heidif's inquiry.
  • minitruminitru Member Posts: 2
    I just installed a Sirius unit in my 430 - velcroed into the upper console using power from the lower console and the antenna velcro'd onto the small deck above the rear seats.

    Looks great. Invisible. Suprisingly excellent reception. Only pain is having to open the console box to change channels...
  • minitruminitru Member Posts: 2
    I'm in Montreal and won't even consider the runflats for the winter (imagine - no traction and frozen runflats - I'll lose all my fillings in no time).

    Going to get some Nokians installed when the time comes. Did that with my old BMW330i - great, great winter tires. I suspect the ride will be better and quieter on them than it is now.
  • retired58retired58 Member Posts: 4
    I am 6'5" and figured nothing in a sports car would fit me. Went and fit fine in the SC430. Loved it. Drove an 05 at the dealer and seemed to ride OK. Don't know what tires, but seemed OK.

    Then went to drive an 02 with 35k and had my fillings jarred on small bumps. After moderate bumps the car would shutter and shake sideways for a second or so with the top down. Like something was seriously wrong and out of allignment. It picked up bumps where I thought there were no bumps. Is this normal with those tires? Then drove my Merc S500 over the same road and absolutely quiet.

    Beautiful car and good price ($38.5K), but totally made me paranoid about buying it. It had Goodyear Eages on it, new 5k before from the dealer 2.5 years before (certified at that point). I think the car rode so bad, the owners only drove it 5k in 2.5 years. He said it shocked him how rough it was, but seemed like the kind that would accept it.

    I know that putting new tires on it help alot (non RF tires). But I am afraid that the car has had so much trauma to its front end and other parts that it is compromised. I was shocked at the ride!! Any advise about this from those of you who waited 30+k to change tires??
  • spiritintheskyspiritinthesky Member Posts: 207
    I think you should be "paranoid".

    If this 3-4 year old car has 35k miles on the odometer and only 5k in the last 2.5 years, something smells very fishy. Worst case scenerio, it was in a serious accident that damaged the chassis and suspension. I assume the dealer has a Car Fax report showing no accidents; but even if they do, don't trust this to show everything. There are many examples of cars that were repaired "underground" so that the damage was never reported. I almost got taken by one of those until I asked to speak to the previous owner.

    Perhaps the car just sat most of the last 2.5 years - but that's not necessarily good either. Cars that sit for extended periods develop a whole other set of problems - with flat spotting of tires and freezing of suspension parts, brakes, etc. being among ones that could be contributing to the conditions you describe.

    If I were you, and you were seriously considering the car, I would ask for an ownership history of the car and the approval to contact the previous owner(s) to figure out what the heck was going on with a car that was driven 30k miles in the first 1-2 years and only 5k miles in the 2.5 since.

    On the other hand, if you were me, you would never refer to the SC430 as a "sports car". My 55 year old brother in law is 6'4" and, after unpleasant experiences with an SL500 and SL55, bought a 2005 911 Cabriolet. That's a "sports car", and he fits perfectly fine. He looked at the SC430 and 645i as well, but if he thought the 645i "wasn't enough ot a sports car", you can imagine what he thought of the SC430. It drives down a straight smooth highway adequately, but that's where any similarity ends.
  • jtmavjtmav Member Posts: 18
    another 02 to see if there is any similarity in ride. I just bought an 03 with 29k with the Bridgestone RF and my ride experience is nothing like you described. The RF are unforgiving over potholes and rr tracks but not horrible. I would think a set of good non RFs(Pzero,Pilots etc) would change the ride noticeably. My RFs are pretty new, not sure what I'll do when replacement time comes along. Good luck
    JTMav
  • battlelawbattlelaw Member Posts: 1
    It is the cross-treads that cause the tire noise. Switched original Michelin RF's for Michelin Pilot non-RF's at 18000 miles but stil had much, too much road noise. On suggestion of Lexus sales rep, took off those tires after 20,000 miles (even though still had lots of tread) and put on Dunlop 5000 RF's (w/ straight tread pattern). Now very quiet. I wish I had done this much earlier. Such a great car, but the road noise really was a problem. Why did Lexus just quietly switch mainly to Dunlop 5000's without notifiing its customers??
  • jtmavjtmav Member Posts: 18
    Is there much of a difference in ride and handling? I wouldn't mind a bit more forgiveness over harsh roads. The Bridgestones aren't particularly loud but they do jar a bit.
    Thanks
    JTMav
  • mross1mross1 Member Posts: 1
    Was this installed with FM transmission or directly into the amplifier?
  • autoboy16autoboy16 Member Posts: 992
    A champane 03 sc430 is in cosideration. I read that it has a 4.3 v8.whats the gas milage like? With a navigator taking $100 (on average) :cry: to fill it up from E, a little money left over for trips in the sc430 is all i want

    1 last thing.Should lexus have wasted money and leather :cry: on those useless rear seats? A carseat looks hard to even imagine back there
  • teslatesla Member Posts: 2
    I would love to add a satellite radio to my 2005 sc 430 but don't want to damage the seal around the top or void the warranty because of the antenna wires. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • jtmavjtmav Member Posts: 18
    I just picked up an 03 Sand/Saddle SC 430 3 weeks ago. Averaging 21-25 mpg with combination City/Highway driving 60 miles a day. The back seat is there for insurance reasons. 2+2 seating is less than 2 only from an insurance view. Love the car, mine is a CPO so I have a 3 year 70k mile warranty. After 13 years of Euro cars this is my first Lexus or Japanese car for that matter. I am taken by the fit and finish of the product. It definitely exudes quality. I have been eyeing this car for some time, I fell in love with the styling from its inception.
    Good luck with your decision.
    JTMav
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    I had a XM Commander installed in my wife's SC430. The antenna is mounted in the right forward corner of the dashboard. The control unit is mounted in place of the ash tray. Works great.
  • chartist10chartist10 Member Posts: 5
    My runflats were shot at 25,000 miles. I hated the ride on these runflats and wanted desperately to change to regular tires, not runflats. I read the Edmunds long-term test of the sc430 and one of the staff members opted out of runflats and put on Pirelli PZero Neros. Well, I went for it and just put on 4 new Pirelli PZero Nero M+S. What a difference these tires make. The ride is sooooo much better. This is a no brainer. Go for it. Yes you won't have a spare or runflats but that's what AAA is for. By the way, I've been driving for 25 years and have never once used my spare tire.
  • retired58retired58 Member Posts: 4
    All is well. Something was wrong with the car I tested. the entire car shuttered going over the smallest bumps. However, I just purchased a 02 SC430 -- black with saddle, in mint condition, and 26,000 miles. It has Dunlop 5000M DSST on it and drives great. No problem with normal bumps in the road. Seems pretty quite. The other car had Goodyears on it. Were they the original tires used by Lexus? I assume the Dunlops are run flat, but it dosen't say on the tire. I'll look it up. What a great car!!!!! Now I have to figure out the nav. My other nav unit allows you to look up addresses within a state. This one appears to only let you put in an address and then gives you a list of possible addresses. And some obvious ones are not there. Maybe I need a nav update? One thing is that the owner (a leased vehicle) didn't make the last 7500 checkup. Wonder if this impacts the warranty? Need to get it in to Lexus I guess.
  • milsey2milsey2 Member Posts: 12
    Has anyone tried to lease an SC430 for less than 48 months? The list is about $65,900 and can be bought for about $62,000. What would a lease price be with 0 down, 12K miles per year.
    Thank you.
  • juwannamanjuwannaman Member Posts: 1
    i just leased an 05 sc430 in june for 36 months and nothing down but signing fees!!!!and my payment is 842 a month!!!!!!!!!!!!!this is for 15000 miles a year!!!
  • murph33murph33 Member Posts: 1
    I realize that the message I am replying to is dated, however I am having the same problem. I have owned two SC 430's new, 2002 and currently a 2004 model. I have replaced two windshields on the 2004 model. (At $1100 each)

    Both were cracked toward the center of the glass. One from the bottom, the other from the top.

    I have much experience with RFT's sensors and wind noise from the cellular antenae on the windshield. The other problems I have had are:
    1) Trunk lift supports replaced 2004 model 2x
    2) Tire wear 11k miles avg
    3) Front disk brakes warp - they tried to convince me it was because of my aggressive driving and running through water puddles, pochuuuushshshshshsh

    Other than those problems they have been great cars. We are on our 7th consecutive Lexus now, between my wife and me. We will be staying until we find better.
  • ed94080ed94080 Member Posts: 3
    Hello,

    I'm new here and currently drive a 2001 Mercedes CLK 55 AMG Coupe. I am seriously considering getting a Lexus SC but probably not until the 2007 Model Year. I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping some of you might have some insight on:

    Will there be any major changes to the 2007 Model?

    Specifically:

    1) New engine: I heard rumors of a 460 engine that might go into the Lexus line across the board
    2) New Navigation (Version 5? like the one that in the current model GS, etc.)
    3) Start/Stop button and Keyless access like the current GS, etc.

    Also new color combinations. Personally I love thsi one that's on the Japanese lexus site:

    http://lexus.jp/models/sc/

    silver with red interior. hopefully they bring that one over...

    Thanks in advance for any clarity on the above.
  • lexusilexusi Member Posts: 65
    Concerning the new engine, this wont be until the complete redesign of the SC which is in 2009. Same goes for the smart keyless access, but we might see the new Nav. in the 2006 model.

    as for colours, they should be available worldwide,

    Lexusi
  • retired58retired58 Member Posts: 4
    I recently bought a used SC430. Black with saddle. I love just about everything about it. Including the Dunlop 5000s. The ride is very nice with them at 38 lbs. However, I don't particularly like the wheels. Sitting next to my Merc 5 spoke wheels on the S500, they look very clunky.

    I read a posting from several years ago that talked about center hubs over the wheels that made the car appear to have spoke wheels. Then looked at the design and realized this was possible.

    Does anyone have information on how to purchase these center hubs?

    Thanks
  • palmharborpalmharbor Member Posts: 26
    The red interior (pimento) shown on the Japanese site was standard in the 2005 Pebble Beach special edition with a black diamond exterior. [To view, do a Google images search for SC430 Pebble Beach]
  • milsey2milsey2 Member Posts: 12
    You got a great deal! I cannot get that here in South Florida! Would you mind me asking you where you are located and/or what dealership you used? Approximately how much are the signing fees?. Thank you so much -
    Milsey2
  • vkanvkan Member Posts: 1
    Just a question for anyone who has this car -- how does it perform in the rain? i.e. Does it have good traction? Skidding problems? How does it brake etc.

    I live in New Jersey and it rains atleat 2 times a week a here
    so thats a concern for me. Obviously I'm not going to drive this car in snow, but I most probably will have to drive it in rain on a consistent basis
  • vividboyvividboy Member Posts: 1
    Last week I just leased a 2006 SC 430. With a down payment of $2000 and a trade-in of a 94 S500 with pretty high miles worth $7000, total down is $9000..And my monthly is 940 since my credit score is okay (48 months, 15,000 per year).. I have never heard of anyone putting 0 down payment on a Lexus that is worth more then 60,000. It all depends on credit, down payment (which is a must) and how much are you willing to pay per month.
  • richcrossrichcross Member Posts: 1
    I have owned 6 Lexus and I have experienced problems with the run flat tires on my 2005 SC 430 enough to make me leave Lexus and move on to another automobile. At 5,000 miles I had a flat and had to replace one of the tires. Now at 15,000 miles, the car is pulling to the side and has begun to rattle enough that the rear view mirror becomes distorted. I have experience excellent service from my Lexus dealership over the years, but they say nothing can be done to the tires to correct the problem and have become rude about after replacing all the tires and rims. No one seems to care to help. In another 5,000 miles, the car should rattle to pieces. More and more rattles and squeaks come forth every day, and the car is handling like a log truck. This is a $65,000.00 + car. What should I do to correct the problem. If I purchased regular tires, what would work best. Is anyone thinking class action suit again Lexus here?
  • schack1schack1 Member Posts: 4
    LEXUSGUY: I respect your comments. Looking to replace the Bridgestone RunFlats on my 2004 SC 430 with another set of runflats. I have had my car for about 18 months, and don't drive it during harsh NJ winters (I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee from November to mid-April). I am looking for comfort first, and handling second. I have read many of the postings, and would like your comments.

    Thanks - Jon
  • rander14rander14 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 SC430 with 22,000 miles and suffered through the original Dunlop funflats until just a couple of months ago. I finally broke down and replaced them with the Pzero Nero's (non-runflats). What an incredible difference! I've always loved the car - now I actually enjoy driving it. Just in time to put it away for the winter.

    The down side of the tire replacement is that I picked up a large screw in the right rear tire almost immediately after replacing them. The sensor came on after a few days when the pressure slowly leaked down to the 4 psi differential. So, I aired it up and waited for a convenient time to take it in for a replacement at NTB. I do have my can of fix-a-flat and a small compressor in the trunk, but suspect I can go as far on these Pzero's with a nail as I could with the runflats.

    I am amazed that Lexus installs the not-ready-for-prime-time runflats on the otherwise fantastic SC430.
  • schack1schack1 Member Posts: 4
    Rander14: Thanks for the comments. I still need to stick with the run flats. I drive a lot for business at weird hours of the day, and don't want to have to wait for AAA.

    Anyone with comments on replacing run flats with run flats would be appreciated.

    Thanks - Jon
  • oliver9oliver9 Member Posts: 6
    hi jtmav;
    I am also interested in 03 CPO. But I was discouraged by the advertising price at $58K. Its awfully high considering that some has reported that you can get brand new one for $63K.
    Can you shared with us, how much you paid for the car?
  • jtmavjtmav Member Posts: 18
    Sure, my '03 had 29k mi and is CPO'd. I also had a trade so that complicates it a bit. I paid $47k with $25k trade for my '04 Saab 9-5 Aero with 34k mi. I worked the dealer hard(they started at $16k for the trade) and waited until the last day of the month. The Saab trade was generous according to KBB and Edmunds. KBB said $20,700 for trade-in so I would think mid to high 40's depending on miles would be about right. I am in MA, if that makes a difference. Also the 30k mile service was done at no cost to me.
  • zuma13zuma13 Member Posts: 35
    I have a '02 SC430 with run flats. The vehicle originally was equiped with Bridgestone run flats and rode terribly. The dealer exchanged them for the Dunlop run flats at no charge and the vehicle's ride was improved but not perfect. I was able to get 22,000 miles out of the Dunlops. This time I shod the SC430 with Goodyear Eagle
    F1 run falt tires. These tires are amazing. In my opinion they ride as smoothly as a conventional tire and handle better than any other run flat in the curves. All this with 40 pounds of air in them. I strongly recommend them.

    LBN
  • etc42etc42 Member Posts: 8
    Hi, have an opportunity to get an 04 sc 430 with 41K miles for low 40K$, going to dealership for a checkup prior. Looks like in real good shape, any recommendations? seems like a deal to me. much appreciated for your input.
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