Lexus LS 460 Owner Experiences

james108 · September 2008

You're sure you want to do so for a >70K new car ;-| If it's easy as it is, you should ask Lexus to do it for you. Don't forget you paid $$$ for a Lexus 460.

genec1947 · October 2008

hi i had a 07 LS460 with that defect i was told that the 08 was fix so we went with a trade to a 08 with the same defect i was told the same lye you were told and all the other owners were told this was my 11 lexus and my last lexus . if a blog for a class action suite is out there i have not found one yet .

bmlexus · October 2008

It will be your lexus 11th and last lexus :surprise:

Mind if I ask, what other car is in your mind?

rgsw · October 2008

I'm told by local dealer that Lexus will replace the front windows with dual pane glass on driver and passenger doors per a technical instruction and add more insulation/rubber to door jam if you experience the problem. Have they done this on your 09 yet?

rennybosch · October 2008

I have had absolutely no wind noise in my 08 LS460 -- but it is the L version. I suspect that the defect is only in the SWB. Has anyone experienced wind noise in an LS460L?

russinca · November 2008

I have an '08 LS 460 L...and am having the same problem with severe wind noise at speeds over 60 MPH. My car now has 5k miles. I've taken the car to Lexus three times..and have been told (over and over) that the wind noise is "normal". My next visit is to a lemon law Attorney!

Russ

San Diego, CA

russinca · November 2008

I have an '08 LS 460 L...and the wind noise still exists! Totally annoying!

Russ

San Diego, CA

mrcd · December 2008

I'm thinking about buying an LS460. I live in a FL city which is slanted towards an older population. By virtue of this demographic most 460 owners are on the older side. I just don't want to buy an old mans car. Thanks

xier · December 2008

08 L here as well and no wind noise here.... although I drove an 09 L and it had what I considered some wind noise but very minor at 60mph.

georgef · December 2008

Ls 460 07--At 20,000 miles I am told that this is the normal life of my tires.Hard to believe.Anyone have this experience?

luv06crv · December 2008

This sounds kinda stupid and somewhat funny, but you know how the car door closes by itself so you don't really need to slam the car door. Well my dad wasn't paying attention closed it slowly and force sucked in his thumb and slammed on it. Yeah so he said his thumb was flattened like something from a cartoon. It was pretty bad since it was bleeding. Don't know if this has happened to anyone, but something to watch out for. :surprise:

rgsw · December 2008

Can't speak from experience on the LS460; however, I did note in the owner's manual package or posted on the car somewhere that the expected mileage on theses new low profile tires was 20,000 miles. Don't think Lexus is trying to keep this a secret. Customer demand and industry competitive styles have forced this on us. I think I prefer the former profile tires, i.e. the 16 or 17 inch wheels. Maybe some other brand might do better?

rgsw · December 2008

I feel your dad's pain; sorry, couldn't help saying that... I checked my LS460 and I note that the automatic door closer only engages when the door is nearly closed, e.g. about 1/4 inch. The door has to be manually closed the nearly closed position and the auto closer closes or snugs up the door the last 1/4 inch or so. Sorry to hear of your father's experience; however, I have heard of people getting smashed fingers in doors without automatic door closers. Thanks for the warning, I'll try and be sure to keep my fingers away from the door jamb.

genec1947 · December 2008

yes glass wae changeed at factor did not help.

bruce1946 · April 2009

One of the few things I don't like about the LS 460 is the small outside mirrors. The mirrors on the new RX350 are just fine. Anybody aware of somebody switching to a larger mirror (has to be powered, heated, and auto-dimming). I realize the cosmetics may be slightly diminished but the absence of a large blind spot when changing lanes on the freeway would sure be nice.

bmlexus · April 2009

One of the few things I don't like about the LS 460 is the small outside mirrors. The mirrors on the new RX350 are just fine. Anybody aware of somebody switching to a larger mirror (has to be powered, heated, and auto-dimming). I realize the cosmetics may be slightly diminished but the absence of a large blind spot when changing lanes on the freeway would sure be nice.

Hello,

This is 1 of the 2reasons why I changed my mind from buying an sedan to buying an suv.

The mirrors are indeed small,and I think this problem is there in the whole Lexus sedan line up, including other manufactures like bmw and mercedes.

The RX side mirrors are more than big enough and has a much better visibility.

I hope you find a solution, but changing the original side mirrors to a larger aftermarket won't look nice

smithg · May 2009

My 2008 LS 460 Keyless Entry System seems to have a short range. I can get the car to recognize (lock or unlock) the remote only 7 - 9 ft from the front of the vehicle. It will recognize the remote roughly 35 ft from the rear. Yesterday I walked past my car 4 times trying to get some recognition from the front.....Nothing. Also, the keys were locked in the automobile today. Had to go across town to retrieve the extra remote to open the door. This should not happen.
How far should the car recognize the remote from the front? Now the remote is virtually useless when trying to find the car in a parking lot. Any thoughts would be appreciated

jmcraney · May 2009

Are you having this problem with both remotes? If the answer is no then replace the battery in the remote that has a problem and try again. If the answer is yes then replace the batteries in both remotes and try again.

rennybosch · May 2009

When the key is in the car, you should not be able to lock the car. It should go beeeep and refuse to lock. So this too suggests the likelihood of battery being weak.

dcwalker · June 2009

Well I started this conversation regarding the jerky transmission, etc. back in 2007. I now have 30K on the car and have tried to have it taken back under the Lemon Law. Unfortunately, I failed. The car is worse now. Performance is not smooth any longer and the transmission often slips a little between shifts. I would say that accelleration is down about 10%. I could go on and on, but as has been the case for too long, the dealer can't find anything wrong. Absolutely pathetic! This is one erratic automobile. For someone who has been a car buff most of my life, I can say that this car has had me going up and down like a YoYo for more than 10 years. I am done. I will sell it and buy something else.

dcwalker · June 2009

Renny: Sorry for such a late response. I don't look at this site often, although I should. Problems have never been resolved. I even tried to convince the Lemon Law boys to have Lexus take it back. No deal. Problem is actually worse now, but very erractic. At 30K miles, I am done with this car. Sorry, but it never drives the same way twice and it drive me crazy. Even my wife, who is clueless when it comes to cars, has noticed the problem. Unfortunately, the dealer can't figure it out. Of course, they never think that a Lexus can have a problem. Right..

Good luck. DC

dcwalker · June 2009

Dear God. You are so right. The loaner cars I get from Lexus when I bring it in for service shift better and almost go as fast. Lexus has a problem on their hands and it is too big to admit.

dcwalker · June 2009

Both Tustin Lexus and Newport Lexus are owned by the same people. I have been driving LS's since 1992. These two dealers are the worst. I have never taken my Lexus to these people that they were able confirm a complaint I had, except the starter that went out that cost me $1600. to replace.

Sorry folks, but the Lexus LS 460 has indeed been overhyped. It is smooth as glass only when it feels like it, and I should be able to count on that every time I drive it, not just when it figures out how I drive, if ever.

dssxxxx · June 2009

You guys are beating a dead horse.

The LS460 has been a great car and will grab another 2010 in the Fall when they come out. Have recomended the car to my friends and they all love it.

Maybe your problem is with the dealer and not the car.

dcwalker · June 2009

Yes, I suspect that Lexus will do well with the average luxury car buyer in 2010. However, it is not just a dealer issue, or in my head, or the heads of others who have taken the time to list their complaints. In my case, your suggestion is an insult to my 45 years of building, racing and lusting over the automobile. Beating a dead horse, as you say, is part of what it takes to make the improvements necessary to build on what is in most respects a truly extraordinary automobile

lvbengal · July 2009

i have an 08 ls 460 and i live in vegas were its over 100 degrees for like 3-4 months....as soon as summer kicked i have had a serious gas fumes smell issue everytime i filled up my tank..would get home and park in the garage and within 5 minutes the entire garage smelled like gas to a point were it would make your eyes tear...this would go on for a day and half...the service department told me its normal for the gas tank to purge itself after a fill especially in the summer time when its hot...they checked out my vehicle and found nothing wrong...and told me that others were complaining but just dealing with it...well i am not happy about dealing with it as i have two little ones at home that this can effect health wise..anyone else have input on this matter...?

nvbanker · July 2009

Hate to ask, but if you only fill the tank 3/4 full, does it still smell? If not, then it's probably the charcoal canister needs replacement.

lvbengal · August 2009

i even tried half a tank...its an issue when we get over 105 temp or so....they have been unable to solve the problem and i am now anticipating some sort of nice compensation...by the way are you a loan officer? I own a mortgage company in henderson.....

nvbanker · August 2009

I'm the President & CEO.

doctorjim123 · September 2009

My LS460 will frequently not start when it has been sitting for 6 or more hours, especially on hot days---it starts and immediately dies, as many as 7 or 8 time before if finally kicks in.. I have taken it to the dealer twice and they cannot find anything wrong----tell me all is OK, but the problem persists. Anyone out there have any ideas? I spoke with the mechanic and got the impression he did not know what he was talking about.

vkasner · September 2009

I had the same problem,they replaced the glass & put sone sort of shield & have not had the problem since

vkasner · September 2009

I am annoyed that they are not releasing any info on 2010LS460

drvegas · September 2009

Help
I need some help from my fellow LS460 owners. I have a 2007 LS460, last year almost to the day I had to replace all 4 tires at 20,000 miles - the tires were shredding with steel belts visible. I replaced them with Michelens and after one year and only 12K miles the tires are badly worn on the inside vs the outside and badly cupped. Both time my dealer (Lexus of Las Vegas) tells me that this is normal. This is my wife's car, she literally drives the kids to school and back etc and an occasional road trip. We are all careful drivers. I have never heard of this before - I cannot be replacing tires every year nor can I relax with the kids in the car should a tire fail. I think there is something wrong with the car, the dealer of course blames the tires. Any thoughts? Thanks

dssxxxx · September 2009

Sounds like they are out of balance or could be alignment.

My '07 460 has 16K and the tires look like crap. Thank goodness I am getting the '10 AWD when it arrives so I don't have to replace them.

Oh, I also change out to snows in the winter.

I guess Lexus uses crappy tires................bargain prices for an expensive auto.

smithg · September 2009

Something is wrong with your car. This should not be happening. I have a '08 460 with 25,000 miles, and still have plenty rubber to spare. Should get at least another 10 or 15,000 miles. The brand is Bridgestone Turanza; what was your first set?

rennybosch · September 2009

For what it's worth, I just got my 20,000 mile service (on an '08 LS460L) and they told me the tires are worn out on the inside, indicating the wheels are out of alignment. At the 15,000 mile service they gave me no indication of anything being wrong. I'm planning on getting new tires from the local Firestone Tire Station (Bridgestone Turanza's).

dfw3 · September 2009

We have the same problem with our LS460 not starting. It is an intermittent problem that only happens after sitting outside for 6 hours or more. Been to the dealer once, but they couldn't find anything wrong. I'm scheduled to return it tomorrow and told them to leave it outside in the sun for 6 hours. Unfortunately, we had a cold front come through so I may cancel it. It only happens on hot days. Please keep posted if you find problem. I would think Lexus would have some kind of data base on this.

dcwalker · November 2009

Factory tires are horrible. Mine had the same issue. Went to a softer ride Michelin. Much nicer ride but suffers slightly on handling. Worth the change.
Try the Michelin Pilot HX MXM 4

dssxxxx · November 2009

Solved the problem.

Went to Audi A8L.

kenbrody1 · November 2009

I am in the LA area and seriously considering buying Lexus LS460 year 2009 or 2010

Any advice on where i can get the "best purchase pricing" or maybe best lease terms, be it a web based source, a regular Lexus dealer, a car broker, a out of state dealer or whatever etc?

Any advice on whether to buy the 2009 or the 2010.?
I tend to keep my cars for 8 years or more and even on a lease would tend to buy outright at end of 3 or4 or 5 years and then keep for a while

dcwalker · November 2009

My only advice is to think again about what you want to buy. I have a 2007 LS and have had a love hate relationship with the car. I won't go in to everything, but if you are looking for a car that handles well and can be counted on to run exactly the same every time you get in it, don't buy one of these. Lexus has numerous issues with this car but won't admit it. This car is fast and can be extremely smooth. I emphasize the word can. It attempts to learn the driving pattern of the person driving it. Not good for the pure car enthusiast. Then again, perhaps they have improved some of the issues since 2007. Good luck.

kenbrody1 · November 2009

thanks dcwalker

if not this then any suggestions on what else i should look at?

dcwalker · November 2009

Not really. I know there are many out there that swear by the LS. I have owned three. The first one I bought was the only won I was really happy with and that was a 1991. The 2000 model had many of the same issues as the current one has. The fit and finish on the LS is superb and as I stated, the smothness is often unbelieveable. But there are just too many issues. Brakes, handling, shifting,road noise with the tires, wind noise with the windows, inconsistent power are just some of the issues I have had. They still do not match up to the handling or feel of the German cars, even though many of those also have mechanical issues. The average driver would not mention some of the things I notice, sort of like my wife. If it starts and looks like a luxury car, she is happy. If you are not very critical, it is probably a good choice for you. As for myself, I am tired of spending 80K or more for a car and being unhappy :lemon: . I may give BMW or Mercedes one more chance, but I cannot recommend them. It has been awhile since I have had one of those. Good luck.

mdxfan3 · November 2009

Hey Ken,

I'm also considering the 2010 LS460 (but have concerns about the reliability) and the 2010 Acura MDX if I stick with an SUV. (But I don't really need an SUV, and while I think the new MDX is a little odd looking, the LS is fantastic looking.)

I currently have a BMW X5 which has exceeded my expectations in terms of performance & handling, but has been plagued with too many defects. It's not the cost of the repairs, which might run $350/qtr, it's that I have to return to the dealer every 3 months when something else breaks. And I only drive 3K mi/yr! Yep, every 750 mi something else goes. :sick: (And, no, I'm not retired. I just live close enough to work to walk during the week leaving only weekend miles.)

My car before this was a Toyota Avalon, which was kind of boring, but mechanically perfect. I expected the X5 to be comparable with the Avalon in terms of reliability but it is not. This is why reliability is high on my list this time around.

While researching reliability, I've realized that it is not brand specific but model specific; meaning the 2010 BMW X5 scores very low while the 2010 BMW 3- and 6-series score very high, with the 5 series in the middle.

Unfortunately, the quality of the BMW and Lexus has slipped in the last decade while the quality of Mercedes, which was horrible, has recently started to improve. You should check out consumer reports 2009 car ratings which shows the observed reliability ratings for each model. You might then adjust your search based on that. I believe the GS & IS models are the most reliable followed closely by the LS. The LS was marginal in 2007 but has been steadily improving every year thereafter.

If I go with a 2010 LS, I'd hope the radio and transmission issues have been sorted. If not, I'd just have "whatever" fixed under warranty and then dump it after 4 years. You never know, I might get lucky with it. Then again, I could always go with a Toyota Highlander which has the highest reliability scores of all?!? Problem is, I was really hoping to get a cool car this time around, :shades: you know, before I get too old.

Best of luck with your search and I hope this helped a bit!

dssxxxx · November 2009

Since we telling experiences, etc., here is mine.

2004 RX
2006 RX
2008 RX
2004 LS
2007 LS
2004 SC

Never had a problem with any of the cars. Regualr maintenance and no over issues. Just got tired of them and wanted a change.

Now:

2010 Q5
2009 A8L

Enter the German side and got rid of the [non-permissible content removed] side.

Wife says RX is not even in the same class as the Q5. Better in all aspects without going into detail of each.

My A8L.....much more room inside and the back seat area is huge. 4 wheel drive by the auto makers that have had it for 25+ years. Bose standard. 19" wheels standard. Etc..Etc.

Miss the touch screen on the navigation of the LS. Miss that the heated/cooled heats shut off, when you turn the car off. The A8L remains on the next time you start the car. A8L ride is very tight and sporty....LS is a touch more cushy. 8 speed trans in the LS was kind of touchy and A8L is smooth.

Voice recognition and navigation of the Q5 blows away any nav I have seen. 10 times better than the LS and the A8L (the Q5 is the newer version).

If the Audi's don't make it in the long run, I will go back to Mercedes and bite the bullet when it comes to maintenance.

BMW.........too many problems with the I-Drive.

These are just MHO.

mdxfan3 · November 2009

Dssxxxx,

Thanks very much for your reply. I very much appreciate it.

I failed to mention that I've only test driven 3 models so far, the GS, LS and Audi Q5.

I found the Q5 modern, perfect, and very enjoyable to drive. It's still on my list. My only concerns with the Q5 are minor: $50K fully loaded (which is a tad pricey for a small, albeit premium, SUV) and it's styling is a tad more compact than I'm used to. But I like the styling much better than the Q7. Plus the Q5 has the updated A4 platform unlike the Q7, drives like a car, etc.

I was tempted to mention the Q5 above but wasn't sure if it would fit into a "luxury car" discussion. But, frankly, your glowing recommendation will have me going back for a second drive. (I liked the styling of the 2009 Acura MDX and thought that would be my car when C&D magazine rated it #1 last year. But I find the 2010 MDX's styling more conservative and I'm not really liking it as much.)

It's funny. Logically, I WANT to go back to driving a car because it should better meet my needs "on paper." But after living with the extra utility of an SUV, it's hard to switch back for some reason. Especially when so many SUVs handle like cars these days. And you're right, the German's know handling and the Audi's in particular have mastered the art of the 4wd.

You gave me something else to think about. Thanks again for posting up!

garyh1 · November 2009

if not this then any suggestions on what else i should look at?

Let me tell you what I did. After having an '05 LS430 for a few years, I passed it to my wife and bought a less-than-2-yr-old Mercedes S550 4matic with about 20K mi on it for a lot less than a new LS460L. Bought it from a Mercedes dealer with an extended MB warranty, so it will be under warranty for over 5 more years. It has been reliable and I love the way it drives and handles - much less "boring" than the LS430 (which otherwise is a great, trouble-free car). The optional Drive Dynamic Multi-Contour seats are phenomenal, and the optional Distronic Cruise Control is fantastic. The optional Night View Assist is a waste. Check one out and I think you'll find nothing else compares.

nvbanker · November 2009

The S Class is without peer IMO for driving and handling. The LS is boring, to be sure. But having had both, the S-500 first, then two LS430s, I just can't handle the down time of the MB. Sure, I'd rather
DRIVE the MB, but the service is expensive, even routine service, and every couple of weeks, something went out from catastrophic computer failures (covered, of course, than goodness) to glitches, lights that don't light, and lights that do light that shouldn't.....I just couldn't take it. Plus, the dealer service here between the two is incomparable in favor of Lexus. You always get a loaner for anything you bring the car in for, had to beg for one from MB, and often got an enterprise car from them, not an MB for a loaner.

I chose to sacrifice the driving pleasure for the peace of mind of the Lexus, and haven't changed my mind. I'm soon in the market for another LS460.

rpac · November 2009

Hello Luv06crv - Very sorry to hear about your door situation, however I have a very small but irritating problem with the trunk door. The owner's manual said that it beeps or buzzes when it opens or closes.to warn you. One day I ran into the shop foreman at Lexus dealer and he said no prioblem. Give me a few minutes. Half hour later he brought my car back. I tried the trunk again. No diffrence. Silent opening and closing. I think this is dangerous when you have an automatic trunk. Anybody have any ideas as to what to do? Thanks much.
rpac.

rennybosch · December 2009

Twice in the past week when I first got in my car in the morning and tried to start it, it wouldn't start. Instead it gave me a message saying "Key not detected." When I checked the key (which was in my pocket), the message changed to "Step on Brake and Touch Key to Start Switch". When I did that the message went away and then I was able to start the car normally.

Anybody else had anything like this happen? Does it imply a maintenance problem? Or can I ignore it?

Lexus LS 460 Owner Experiences

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles