My wife wants to replace our (to me) wonderful '90 Maxima SE with something newer. The LS430 looks like a great car and the prices for early examples in good condition with high miles are very attractive. Probably not as athletic as the Maxima but at my age I don't care about that as much as I used to. One reason we chose the '90 Maxima was the spacious back seat -- we have three boys. The LS430's back seat looks large enough to keep the boys' complaints and fighting down to a dull roar.

But I read in consumer reviews on edmonds.com of parts prices in the stratosphere and often with no 3rd-party alternatives. I'm accustomed to parts prices for Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. How well does it work to keep LS430 parts prices down by buying used parts? Any other thoughts on the cost of keeping a high-miles early LS430 running?

FWIW, other candidates for replacing our '90 Maxima are:
-- 2005+ Toyota Avalon Touring (but that glaring blue LCD in the dash is so ugly)
-- 2005+ Acura RL (smallish back seat though)
-- 2009+ Maxima SV (beautiful but more expensive).

I'm sure we'd like any of these. But in terms of bang for buck on the used market, the LS430 blows these others away. Unless parts costs blow your wallet away.

 

Well I can give you my history.
Purchased a 2005 UL in 2010 with 77k miles on it. The dealership went through the whole car as it would have been sold as a CPO car.
I did the Timing belt, water pump, fluids, plugs, etc late 2011. Cost approx. $1400.00
After that all I have done is brakes, tires, oil changes, filters.
Now I have 193k & I just had my 2nd timing belt/water pump service done, this time with tensioner, pulley, cam seals, crank seal, etc All fluids, front lower control arm bushings, radiator cap, replaced trans pan gasket, plugs, pcv valve and probably a few other things I missed= cost $3300
I have a set of front pads that still need to be installed and I need to replace my rear air bags this coming year.
Other than that this car has been great.
The mechanic told me that the inside of my engine was pristine and to keep doing what I was doing as in oil changes, etc.
I have run Amsoil XL since I have owned the car. I was changing the oil every 5-6k. I did have 2 oil analysis done, 1 at 6k and 1 at 8k both came back great.
The mechanic advised me not to extend the oil change intervals past 6k or so.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions.

 

I've driven apprx. 70,000 miles in the last 2 years and the car has performed flawlessly. I'm sitting at just under 177K on it and for being a 2001, I continue to get compliments from people on the ride, condition and looks of the car.
I've replaced a few control arm bushings and trans mount, fixed a leaky Y-pipe gasket, done brakes 2 times and drain/filled the trans fluid. Other than that, no issues at all...

 

They were one of the most reliable cars out there, but they will be showing their age now. Mine's a 2003 that I bought new and have had ZERO mechanical failures on it in all this time. It has never left me anywhere and I've only done maintenance (and a few body repairs from fender benders). It was/is garaged in mild California it's whole life. I'm living on borrowed time, though. It'll be inexpensive if you can do your own work. Otherwise, look for newer cars as labor will be expensive.

 

My experience with my 04 is they do not break, just me alot of hwy miles. I do think if you plan on going to a Lexus dealer and are not open to aftermarket quality parts and even salvage yard parts the parts get Lexus expensive. On yur list I would toss on the Hyundai and infiniti premium models. The G37 is a hoot to drive a bit on the small side though. The big Hyundai I forget the name came with a long warrantee might even be able to get some of the on the back end. Whats yur budget

 

I think everyone's definition of high miles is different. Your 90 Maxima could have well over 300k on it. I bought my LS400 with 200k on it and didn't think much of it. I've had the older model Avalon (2004) and the LS 400 and 430 and loved the Maxima when they come out in the 80s, but never had one. I believe style of ride is going to be important to you. I believe the Avalon with it's FWD and lighter body weight will most easily match the Maxima ride. There are not many cars or even SUVs that will beat the rear seat room provided in the Avalon. It's just huge. I always thought the Avalon was a baby Lexus... until I drove one and realized they are different animals altogether. The LS is much heavier and you don't feel the road as much.

As far as keeping costs down... Buying a clean specimen with a good maintenance record and then continuing that with your ownership will save you the most money. Historically, big repairs are few on these cars, but as they age, that data point may change. We've got 200k on our 2001 LS430 and I would not hesitate taking it across the country.

 

Nothing, not even a Lexus will last forever. You can always fix them when they break but remember.... you are fixing a very complicated and expensive car. If you do your own repairs, like many people here can and do, then you have it made. But you roll in with your LS and need someone else to repair it, well .... the dollars disappear very quickly.

Its true that when well cared for and not abused, they last for a very long time. In the last 7 years I have put on 45,000 miles and its definitely been mainly routine maintenance, a lower ball joint and brakes, oil battery and tires. My driver door lock actuator quit, and rather than spend $600 + to fix it, my Lexus dealer kindly cut me a key for $140.

The LS430 is an very inexpensive to buy now because it's older, most have 100,000 mioes or more, has a V8 engine that burns premium fuel, and people are afraid of the " big repair" that may be around the corner.

in my opinion, it's not a smart choice for someone of modest cash flow looking for economical transport. It's a great choice if you want a big car with a smooth, comfortable ride that cruises down the road at 80 miles per hour with ease.

 

I had months of little issues going wrong. I just had a coil fail this week. If you can handle the old parts needing to be replaced, coils, O2 sensors, spark plugs, radiator, .... its a great car and a dream to drive.
I am happy with my car and now that I have worked my way around the car am really happy with its performance and reliability. I am not sure if I would go for a LS430 as the LS460's are starting to get in the price range I used to see LS430's just two years ago.

Any of these cars is a bargain and a daily pleasure to own and enjoy.

 

I should not talk but my experience has been Camry reliability. Not a great choice if yur on a budget and do alot of city driving. Often overlooked and in 2004 they got even more air bags is safety. Even the old outdated hav unit backup camera I miss when salt covers th camera.

I jusy got a 05 camry from a buddy 1000 bucks 220k miles I think the water pump went at 125k otherwise just routine maintenance. Thing is perfect, hardly expect it to have over 100k miles when ya look at it. This Camry makes ya realize how heavy the LS is enough to say even the Camry is sporty in comparison. Even in 05 rated 34 mpg first year they go the five speed.

 

My 2006 UL cost me $25,000 in total maintenance over 365,000 miles. Roughly $0.07 cents per mile.

 

If you can find a well maintained BASE model (no nav, no mark Levinson speakers, no parking sensors, etc) and you go for a 2002-2003 car from the SOUTH (no winter ice=no salt or rust) you should be fine. Some people might complain about the lights, no massaging rear seats, sound system not optimal, no wine cooler etc but in the end those things break/are expensive to fix and aren't worth the hassle IMO. Avoid the stealership and find a good indy mechanic. Check clublexus for problems...this site is amazing as there are a bunch of kind and helpful people who have talked about every problem that is imaginable. Rockauto.com for parts...and you should be good to go!

I have a 2002 LS430 that I bought off an elderly lady who wanted to upgrade to a ls460....her loss, my gain! 220k mileage but excellent records (changed timing belt etc)...I bought it for $3300. Paid about $80 to have Lexus dealer check it out too. Maybe paid a little more than I should have, but I love the car and at about 3 grand....c'mon man! I got a great car for the price of a crappy civic! All I had to do was replace all struts($450 with mechanic) and a door lock actuator ($200 with the indy mechanic) and change brake pads (cheap and easy to DIY) Comfort/reliability is the best. I'm looking to get at least another 150-200k out of it. If you take care of these cars I'm positive 500k is doable.

Other cars that would be cheap but very reliable include the ES series (2002-2006 is good but has annoying transmission slip that is hard to fix) and the LX if you want a huge truck. The es350 models are super reliable too, but definitely more expensive. If you want a reliable truck though I would go with the 3rd gen 4 runners (96-2002). Those things are TANKS and really cheap! Find a well-maintained one and drive it 500k+ easy (have friends who have 550k+ on their trucks). I got one for my business (2001) for about 4k. It's the best.

Good luck man. I feel for your situation and applaud that you are out there working hard and making a good life for your wife and kids. If you can find a LS430 that fits the above requirements I don't think you will have serious issues.

 

If you can find a good affordable mechanic or can do the work yourself an LS430 isn't a bad car to own. I have an 05 Ultra Luxury with 132,000 miles on it and I've had very few problems with it. The issues I had were:
​​​​​​​
-Ballasts for both headlights failed. There was water inside that corroded them.
-One of the AFS sensors went out causing my headlights to point at the ground
-My passenger window motor seems to be going out but it's still working
-Air suspension was leaking when I bought the car

I bought new OEM ballasts off of eBay pretty cheap. I pulled the fuse for the AFS feature as it's worthless in my opinion. The air suspension got replaced with coilovers since I knew factory air suspension setups can be a huge hassle.

My sister has an 02 with 258,000 miles on it. The only thing we have done is routine maintenance, replace a radiator fan motor, and a taillight bulb. I plan to do the timing belt soon just to be safe.

 

Of those $25.000 do you know how much was spent on the air suspension?

 

Bought my 05 in 2013 with 83k. Currently at 198k. Routine maintenance of oil every 5k. Timing belt, water pump, tensioner ect ect at 100k.($900) New struts on the front at 120k ($600). Two batteries. Just had the 3rd set of tires mounted. Goodyear eagle sports. Currently on my second set of brake pads that I installed myself.
Now the frustrating items. Passenger side lock actuator went out. Bought the $5 replacement motor from Amazon and pulled the actuator. Replaced the motor and zip tied the actuator back together. Works like new now. Subwoofer has started rattling so I'll be replacing that soon. Trunk and hood struts/shocks replaced at 150k. (Amazon)
Overall I couldn't ask for a better car. I've put 100k+ miles on it and less than $100 in non maintenance repairs.
The 430 rides so good and I love the way in which it shifts smooth as silk. It's an absolute joy on long road trips. When you want power it's there. I avg about 24mpg on the hwy over long trips and that's at 80mph.
Last month I had a week where I was looking for a 460 to upgrade into. I drove about 10 different 460's and decided to keep the 430 for at least another 50k. Part of me wants to see how many miles I can get out of this beast.
Find a well maintained 2005/2006 with around 100k or less and you'll be set. You won't regret it.

 

Dealer replaced both rears at roughly $3200.
I replaced the fronts and rears myself with used units $750.