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Time flies! It has been half a year since I switch from my 460L. To date, although it costs some fortune to maintain, this car is basically trouble-free.
Earlier last month, there were some annoying noises in the front that resembled poorly lubricated door joints. These noises were more obvious on uneven road surfaces. A local dealer charged me $90 diagnostic fee, which is equivalent to half an hour of labour cost. Then an advisor came to me presenting a not so good news. He said the lower control arms were worn out, costing $900 on each side. Adding on the estimate was the 120k mile service including a spark plug task. Initially I was lost of words looking at the estimate but felt far better when recalling the failure of the stupid height compressor in my previous 5-year old car. To my understanding, this 430 does not have air suspension because there is no 'height button', which is definitely a blessing. What has actually amazed me is that the control arms are actually the original parts that were assembled back in 2002! This is Lexus reliability! Look at the night and day difference between 430 and 460. I am glad that I sold that money pit before too late.
During the week without my 430, I was given an ES loaner. While it is not a valid comparison due to their age and model differences, I have to say the ES rides a lot rougher and its engine is a lot louder. Given that I bought my 430 with $4800, a $3k bill (with the diagnostic fee deducted) sounds a lot without doubt. However, don't forget this is almost a 20-year old car. What else can you ask for? Out of curiosity, I ask the advisor what other expensive maintenance will the car need in the future. Fortunately, both the water pump and timing belt were replaced by the previous owner at a dealership at 90k miles, which are something that I would not need to worry about until the car reaches 180k miles. As of this moment, my car is still blowing freezing air from the Arctic! I believe this car is going to run strong for many years to come.
As a separate note, I really cannot tell the difference in terms of ride comfort between my 430 and sold 460L. What is the point of air suspension when the traditional coils can give such a butter smooth ride? The only viable explanation is that they are designed to fail, so more revenue (I have experienced it the first hand!). Despite that 430 is a little quieter than 460, it doesn't pick up speed as quick as a 460 (not a complaint but rather an observation). If anyone has experience with 500, please kindly share how does it drive compare to a 430/460. All I have to say is that you are so awesome, my 430! It makes me wonder why not its successors would use the same parts...
Update - I have just reached Oklahoma City after a 450-mile drive from Houston. The entire trip is nothing but heaven. I wish I could take the rear seat! After my dinner in Dallas, the fuel tank was still half full!! I think it is fair to assume that it also has a 22 gal capacity like a 460?? To be safe, I did refuel the tank to its full capacity before continuing the later leg of the drive.
Sorry you took your car to a Lexus dealer. Do some research and get some references or Yelp reviews for an experienced shop that services older Lexus vehicles. Better yet, ask on here for recommendations of shops in your area.
The dealerships are not setup or have enough knowledgeable mechanics to work on these cars. Plus, they are totally overpriced as you found out on the 460.
Positives-
The active air suspension allows it to get the lower CD (aerodynamic drag) as it actively lowers the car above a certain speed.
I can raise my ground clearance when on rough roads as needed.
It also assists with cornering by stiffening the dampers and spring rate on the outside struts.
Air suspension levels the car regardless of the load in the vehicle.
Active air suspension is as far ahead of coilovers as coilovers are ahead of leaf springs/separate dampers.
Negatives-
Air suspension is more complex and therefore less reliable and more expensive to repair than coilovers and our cars are all 15-21 years old.
Personally I like the air suspension and will be repairing mine if it ever fails, rather than replacing it with coilovers.
As for Lexus dealers being expensive, they are no different to Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, etc.
To the OP.....Yes you paid excessively for your repairs, but hopefully from the responses to your thread, you may be able to find a reasonable independent shop to work on your car. I too went to the dealer at my initial purchase 11 years ago. I was lucky to find a reputable independent shop who has been servicing my car since at a fraction of the dealer cost. Yes our cars are reliable, but also can be quite expensive to repair if you are not DIY or have an Indy to go to. I'm at 156,000 miles and have not done a single repair item for a number of years... just oil changes, tires, and battery. Take care of your car and it will take care of you.
Time flies! It has been half a year since I switch from my 460L. To date, although it costs some fortune to maintain, this car is basically trouble-free.
Earlier last month, there were some annoying noises in the front that resembled poorly lubricated door joints. These noises were more obvious on uneven road surfaces. A local dealer charged me $90 diagnostic fee, which is equivalent to half an hour of labour cost. Then an advisor came to me presenting a not so good news. He said the lower control arms were worn out, costing $900 on each side. Adding on the estimate was the 120k mile service including a spark plug task. Initially I was lost of words looking at the estimate but felt far better when recalling the failure of the stupid height compressor in my previous 5-year old car. To my understanding, this 430 does not have air suspension because there is no 'height button', which is definitely a blessing. What has actually amazed me is that the control arms are actually the original parts that were assembled back in 2002! This is Lexus reliability! Look at the night and day difference between 430 and 460. I am glad that I sold that money pit before too late.
During the week without my 430, I was given an ES loaner. While it is not a valid comparison due to their age and model differences, I have to say the ES rides a lot rougher and its engine is a lot louder. Given that I bought my 430 with $4800, a $3k bill (with the diagnostic fee deducted) sounds a lot without doubt. However, don't forget this is almost a 20-year old car. What else can you ask for? Out of curiosity, I ask the advisor what other expensive maintenance will the car need in the future. Fortunately, both the water pump and timing belt were replaced by the previous owner at a dealership at 90k miles, which are something that I would not need to worry about until the car reaches 180k miles. As of this moment, my car is still blowing freezing air from the Arctic! I believe this car is going to run strong for many years to come.
As a separate note, I really cannot tell the difference in terms of ride comfort between my 430 and sold 460L. What is the point of air suspension when the traditional coils can give such a butter smooth ride? The only viable explanation is that they are designed to fail, so more revenue (I have experienced it the first hand!). Despite that 430 is a little quieter than 460, it doesn't pick up speed as quick as a 460 (not a complaint but rather an observation). If anyone has experience with 500, please kindly share how does it drive compare to a 430/460. All I have to say is that you are so awesome, my 430! It makes me wonder why not its successors would use the same parts...
Update - I have just reached Oklahoma City after a 450-mile drive from Houston. The entire trip is nothing but heaven. I wish I could take the rear seat! After my dinner in Dallas, the fuel tank was still half full!! I think it is fair to assume that it also has a 22 gal capacity like a 460?? To be safe, I did refuel the tank to its full capacity before continuing the later leg of the drive.
Good night and have a wonderful weekend =)
I am glad you love your ls430 as much as I do. I had similar sqeaks and ended up replacing upper and lower control arms and steering rack. I had to do the work myself because of the cost . 574,000 miles and counting.
still drive 700 miles + per week
I am glad you love your ls430 as much as I do. I had similar sqeaks and ended up replacing upper and lower control arms and steering rack. I had to do the work myself because of the cost . 574,000 miles and counting.
still drive 700 miles + per week
Okay we need pictures of a 500k+ mile example 430 lol
I do not have any knowledge in fixing a car although I do know what different parts do. Actually I have asked the advisor about the bushing replacement but dealers only replace the whole unit. Personally I don't trust independent shops because of the experience with my parent's car. I would rather pay a premium for the peace of mind.
One thing that I am still learning every day is parking the car. Due to the absence of rear camera, I often have to exit my car and check the amount of remaining space with the wall / car behind me. This is the only one thing I missed about my 460.
Tiffanny, does your car have the little "buttons" (sensors) spread across the front and rear bumpers? If so - you have a parking assist feature which will alert you on the dash when you are getting too close to the car in front or behind you. If you have this Park Assist feature you should read up on it in the owners manual, it will help you a ton in parking the car stress free and without having to get in and out of the car.
I do not have any knowledge in fixing a car although I do know what different parts do. Actually I have asked the advisor about the bushing replacement but dealers only replace the whole unit. Personally I don't trust independent shops because of the experience with my parent's car. I would rather pay a premium for the peace of mind.
One thing that I am still learning every day is parking the car. Due to the absence of rear camera, I often have to exit my car and check the amount of remaining space with the wall / car behind me. This is the only one thing I missed about my 460.
Hi tiffany16, Perhaps the following may be of help ...
The Lexus park assist system detects the nearby objects and their approximate distance from your vehicle, and guides you using a screen display and alarms when driving your vehicle at parking speeds
Turn the system on
A beep sounds and a graphic image appears on the multi-information display.
Push the button once more to turn off the system.
The Lexus park assist system indicates the distance to the obstacle according to the following chart.
Front or rear sensor
Distance to the obstacle
1. About 3.0 ft. (1 m) to about 1.5 ft. (50 cm)
Beeps Front: None Rear: Slow
2. About 1.5 ft. (50 cm) to about 1.1 ft. (37.5 cm)
Beeps Medium
3. About 1.1 ft. (50 cm) to about 0.8 ft. (25 cm)
Beeps Fast
4. Less than about 0.8 ft. (25 cm)
Flashes and emits a steady tone....
Tiffanny, does your car have the little "buttons" (sensors) spread across the front and rear bumpers? If so - you have a parking assist feature which will alert you on the dash when you are getting too close to the car in front or behind you. If you have this Park Assist feature you should read up on it in the owners manual, it will help you a ton in parking the car stress free and without having to get in and out of the car.
Originally Posted by 430SLOwner
Hi tiffany16, Perhaps the following may be of help ...
The Lexus park assist system detects the nearby objects and their approximate distance from your vehicle, and guides you using a screen display and alarms when driving your vehicle at parking speeds
Turn the system on
A beep sounds and a graphic image appears on the multi-information display.
Push the button once more to turn off the system.
The Lexus park assist system indicates the distance to the obstacle according to the following chart.
Front or rear sensor
Distance to the obstacle
1. About 3.0 ft. (1 m) to about 1.5 ft. (50 cm)
Beeps Front: None Rear: Slow
2. About 1.5 ft. (50 cm) to about 1.1 ft. (37.5 cm)
Beeps Medium
3. About 1.1 ft. (50 cm) to about 0.8 ft. (25 cm)
Beeps Fast
4. Less than about 0.8 ft. (25 cm)
Flashes and emits a steady tone....
Corner sensor
Distance to the obstacle
1. About 3.0 ft. (1 m) to about 1.5 ft. (50 cm)
Indicator arches None Beeps None
2. About 1.5 ft. (50 cm) to about 1.1 ft. (37.5 cm)
Indicator arches ... Beeps Slow
3. About 1.1 ft. (37.5 cm) to about 0.8 ft. (25 cm)
Indicator arches ... Beeps Fast
4. Less than about 0.8 ft. (25 cm)
Indicator arch flashes ... Emits steasy tone
Avoid damaging the sensors and the area around them. Keep the sensors free from mud, snow, ice and other debris
Detection range
About 3 ft. (1 m)
About 1.5 ft (50 cm) Objects or situations which may result in mistaken obstacle detection
●When you stop your vehicle in extreme hot or cold weather.
●Foreign matter such as snowflakes or mud gets on the sensor.
●Road bumps, gravel or glass if driving on such surfaces.
●Devices issuing ultrasonic waves such as another vehicle’s horn, motorcycle’s engine, the air braking sound from heavy-duty vehicles, if such a devices are operated around your vehicle.
●Rain or water splashing over the sensor.
●The ground, if the vehicle is on non-level ground
●A radio antenna, towing eyelet, towing hitch or fender pole, if mounted.
●Mud, ice or snow on the sensor.
●High curbs. Objects which may not be detected
●Wires or ropes.
●Objects with a surface area too small to reflect ultrasonic waves such as a chain-link fence.
●Sound wave absorbing objects such as cotton or snow.
●Objects with a sharp edge.
●Shorter objects.
●Tall objects with the upper part projected.
■Operating condition
The ignition switch must be turned to ON.
■Park assist graphics (vehicles equipped with the Navigation system) System
The park assist graphics also appear on the navigation display. For details, see the separate “Navigation System Owner’s Manual”.
■Certification for the Lexus park assist system (Canada)
This ISM device complies with Canadian ICES-001.
■Failure warnings
If a system error is detected, the master warning light comes on, 5 beeps sound, the following warning message appears, and graphic information indicates the faulty sensor. (P.334)
■Customization
The volume of the beeps can be changed.
To prevent park assist system malfunction
Do not install anything within the sensor detection range (accessories, etc.). Doing so could cause a malfunction, which could lead to an accident. Situations which may cause detection failure
●Sensors will not detect obstacles directly under the bumper. A short object, thin stake or the like may cease to be detected as the vehicle draws close.
●If an obstacle is very close to the vehicle.
●Sensors will malfunction if subjected to a strong impact.
■System malfunction
●An accident will affect the sensors, resulting in system failure.
●If the indicators remain on without a beeping sound, the system may be malfunctioning. Contact your Lexus dealer.
06-04-21, 08:50 PM
I LOVE this car!!!
