Natey2

My kid (new driver) was driving my 2005 LS430 (135K miles).
Car overheated. Maybe not pulled over in time. Head gasket blown (according to mechanic): engine oil + coolant mix.
Mechanic says there's a crack at the top of the radiator.
This car had a radiator service done about 4 months/1K miles ago at a Toyota dealership.

Repair places here (Southern California) suggest buying a new motor (around $5K to $7K), if I really want to keep the car.

Or is it time to get a Tesla?

demark1

To me, the answer depends on the overall reliability of the car and "worry-free-ness" and pleasure of driving it so far. It is reasonable to keep up but not dirt cheap, even in terms of tires, brakes, etc. Do you know what caused the initial failure (overheating etc.) and are you confident it will be repaired to be unlikely to return?

My 2005 Ultra with 155k miles has some issues that irritate me right now that I have not yet found the right mechanic to fix, but I love the car overall for how I use it. Mostly local, but I'd trust in on a medium range trip. Not sure about 1000 miles with a suspension or exhaust rattle (intermittent) in back and a slight steering wheel shimmy at 60 mph especially when not warmed up, until they are repaired, but it remains a great daily driver around town and on the local highways.. Even a used Camry is 20k+, and the days of an ES350 lease for $350 a month (as an example) with nothing down seem long gone...

I know people who love Teslas, but I am unwilling to go there quite yet either in terms of servicing or repairs or need to charge on a long trip. A hybrid or plug-in hybrid seems more for me. The new upper-level-trim Accords look very nice. Old ones were too noisy/stiff for me, bit I would definitely check out a 2023+, and the upper trims are hybrids.

Anyway, back to LS430: A simple thing like broken mirror or lock would not faze me except for price, but driveability/reliability issues are something else. If I started having failures every 3 months that were hard to fix (and I went through that 4 years ago for a stretch with 3 Check Engine light issues over 4 months) I might reconsider, or if car was falling apart/rusting. For me, I'd probably suck down 5k figuring I'm unlikely to have huge repairs for another year or two, because car is imperfect at moment but still has been very reliable. 7k I might start to think really hard as repair, but if I could pay 7k and know my care would be really, really restored and feel like it was driving right, I might, because it is still a goof car to drive. It doesn't feel terribly worn out inside or out. I have air struts are always looming, and I know there are options there too.

In short, 5k-7k is a lot, but if car "feels" good and trouble-free, and you like it day to day and planned to keep it happily before this, then I would consider it. If being niggled by issues already, that might sway me, as these care as getting older. My LS has had issues over the years even under my CPO warranty days, but still feels great to dsrive.

One more thing: my MPG rarely goes above 20 average, even with mostly highway miles. Local is around 15-17. I drive around 3-5k miles per year on the car. If I drove 15k, gas prices would factor in more heavily into my thinking.

Let us know how it goes!

MaxKechely

7 is a lot cheaper than a brand-new car, why would you buy a new car anyway? get used

demark1

BTW, what was root cause? Did radiator failure cause it, or was that a result? It might help some of us avoid the same fate!

Natey2

First mechanic isn't certain; said the blown head gasket was a result of the radiator failure. He doesn't do engine replacements, so I'm having it towed to another place 5 miles away for a another opinion and quote.
The first tow truck driver was able to start the car and drive it up the ramp onto his flatbed tow truck, so something in the engine is still working.
This LS430 had a new timing belt, water pump, thermostat, etc (all OEM) about 8yrs/34K miles ago.
It has never left me stranded (other than dead battery) in the 10 years I've owned it. I'd prefer to fix and keep it, if it makes sense to do it.

MaxKechely

I think you should fix it even if it requires a new motor, for 7k you could get a used ls430 with a worse motor.

LS430inDE.

What exactly was done for the "radiator service"? Is it the original radiator? Did you interrogate your kid thoroughly and ask if the kid noticed the temp gauge go into the red zone? Did the kid observe any idiot lights illuminate? How exactly was the kid driving when this occurred (high speed/highway or stop/go city or drifting it, etc?) This is very interesting to find out the details.

AVSRacing

Yes, I wouldn't just dump the LS unless it's **** condition. Given the car market there's still a lot of garbage going around at inflated prices. And after having a ls it's really hard to switch into anything else. Tesla doesn't have the quality, comfort, fit and finish than the LS. Only reason why I would sell mine is to get a newer LS. But apparently quality isn't as good as 3ls and more problems.

AVSRacing

And aren't 430 motors pretty cheap considering how reliable they are, they never really blow.

Bocatrip

Exactly what I was thinking! How often do you ever hear of a bad LS430 engine? Of course these days, most junk yards are probably as greedy as ever, but It would be worth while trying to find a cheaper engine. Of course the labor is the killer. I would say, that once we are talking about an engine replacement, it's time to move on. Finding another LS430 in great shape for a reasonable price is another hurdle. Good luck with whatever you decide. Too bad about your LS430. They are irreplaceable.

jgscott

iTrader: (1)

A 2005 LS motor in good condition with similar miles can be had for far less than 5-7k. You may want to check car-parts.com. That price they told you is like $3k - $5K more than you can get one for.

Natey2

Radiator was drained and refilled, at the regular 5W-30 engine oil change appointment. Probably not flushed. Toyota (pink) long-life coolant. New Toyota radiator cap. Last time radiator was serviced was 8yrs/34K miles ago at the timing belt change (with new Aisin water pump and Toyota thermostat).
Probably original radiator from 2005.

Kid drove 1 way, about 2 miles: usual drive. Not a major street. Not more than 40 mph.
Claims the check engine and VSC lights came on after the car was started after parking a short while. Decided to drive back home, when engine started smoking about 1 mile from there, so pulled into a school parking lot. Said the engine temp meter was at zero! (That's usually only for a short while when the engine is cold).
I imagine the LS430 engine would shut off if temperature was dangerously high enough to blow a head gasket.

There is a possibility (and I'm guessing) that my kid may have accidentally put the car in S (1 or 2) instead of D(rive) and tried to go at maybe 40 mph.
That might have revved the engine up.
But kid says no. And insists there were no warning thermostat temperature signs.
Has even driven on major freeways under my supervision, and is a pretty conservative driver. The previous day my kid day was driving on the freeway alone under very heavy traffic, but returned home with no incident to report. Maybe the cooling system got compromised then. I drove the car the day before that, and nothing odd to report.

Could a slow coolant/water leak have reduced the radiator fluid levels? I did not check water levels after the radiator service 4 months/1K miles ago. Nothing was leaking on my driveway floor. But pink coolant was splashed at the top parts of the radiator and surrounding sides when I saw the disabled car in the school parking lot.

jhubb01

Keep it! Even if you have spend 5K the car with that low miles will last a long time if you maintain it. There's a good chance the engine might be fixable. If not, there engines with less than 6oK available for about 3 grand. You'll never find a better car than this. My 2005 430 LS has 197,000 miles. I got it 187K on it. New grille, alternator, trunk latch, subwoofer, power steering reservoir, 4 Michelin Defenders, Timing replaced before I bought it. Runs great, and will still be running after they carry me out feet first. Happiness level: priceless!

gonzo6869

I am facing kind of the same situation as you. The transmission in my 05 LS430 is shifting real hard. It has 231000 mostly problem free miles on it. I daily drive her, put on 20,000 miles a year. I really don't want to get rid of the car, it's treated me good so far and having zero car payments is real nice. A few thousand I feel is a lot better than the alternative and I get to keep a car that I know is sorted and proven to be real reliable.

AVSRacing

^^^ this, keeping a good LS running shouldn't be too $$$ I expect you have to throw a few thousand into any other use car to get it up to shape anyways. There's always deferred maintenance. % and prices don't make sense to get a new car. And at my life stage I don't want payments on a depreciating asset.