Rottingman

Finally got around to test driving a 2006 LS-430 and my one issue with the car is the extremely soft and almost unresponsive breaking. I dunno if this is normal with the LS models or there may be a potential issue with the car I test drove. Miles were up around 116,000 but was otherwise clean and drove great. If any LS-430 owners can chime in about the soft breaking it would be greatly appreciated!

My daily driver for the last few years is a toyota tacoma so perhaps I just got too used to that breaking?

Thanks gang!

tkblazer

when was the last time that you have either had the brake system bled or brake fluid changed? I believe it should be done every 30k miles

Rottingman

Wasn't my vehicle tkblazer just one I test drove at a used car dealership near me. Just trying to get an idea of the 430 breaks are normally that soft/weak feeling. Going to have to test drive a few more of them to get a better idea of how they break.

tkblazer

ah I see.. FWIW the brakes on the 430 are pretty strong due to the size of the brake calipers. I had to adjust coming from a Miata to an LS where the LS had a lot more braking power to it.

Rottingman

Yeah I'm def going to need to drive a few more then. Like I said other then that I loved the way it drove but the weak breaks were a big drawback for me. Maybe this Lexus needed new break pads or the breaks needed to be bled? Wasn't planning on purchasing this one anyway with the miles being so high.

Good to know the breaks are nice and strong when the car is optimal though.

shmi

Are you referring to initial bite or maximum braking ability? Compared to my Fiesta ST, the LS430 brakes are mushy and don't do much in the first inch or two of travel. But, if you stomp on them, the car will stop in a hurry. No problem there.

I think they're meant to be softer by design to keep the car from jerking/diving too much under light braking, so that you don't have to be as careful with your brake inputs as you are in a car with highly sensitive brake response like my ST. I also thought it was a problem at first, so I did a brake flush, but it's still rather soft in mine. To be clear, the brakes are plenty strong when you really push on them, but the pedal travel/response is calibrated more for comfort than response. It took some time for me to adjust to it, but now I don't mind it too much.

Bocatrip

Mine too have always been somewhat mushy, with some play before brakes react. However, as mentioned, if you step on them aggressively, the car does stop fairly well. It is not as responsive as most German cars (BMW, Audi).

Jabberwock

Brakes on the LS430 definitely seem soft on initial pedal travel and pressure but under more pedal travel and more pressure they are pretty powerful. The LS is a heavy car but it is capable of going apprx 150 mph (engine governor defeated). The brakes on the LS are sized and designed to provide more than adequate stopping power given the speeds that it can attain.

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

i have upgraded stainless steel lines and new fluid on my LS. The first few mm is pretty soft but after that it'll stop pretty quick.

Bocatrip

You should not need to bleed the brakes unless the lines were opened or you have a leak.

Rottingman

Yeah it's def the initial pedal travel that felt mushy to me so the breaks on this one must have been ok. The one time I did have to step on them hard the breaking was fine. I'd have to test drive one a couple more times to see if they initial soft breaking would bother me because otherwise I love the way the Lexus 430 handles and I love the way it looks as well. More so then the LS-460's to be honest. Hard to get an overall impression of the car with the sales person going a mile a minute. Chances are if I decide to pull the trigger on an LS-430 over my other prospects I'll have to go out of state to find the color combination and mileage requirements I'm after. Not complaining though as it's better to go to the extra trouble then settle for something local.

Thanks for everyones help with clarification.

Rottingman

Bocatrip by mushy breaking I mean the break doesn't really do much when pressing in for the first inch or two. When I slammed on the break it was pretty responsive. I initially thought there was a leak or other problem until I posted about this in another thread and other 430 owners mentioned that the very soft breaking of the LS was normal.