Hey everyone,
Based on your knowledge and experience, what are the top 3 major problems associated with the 2007 LS 460s? I've read about the wind noise in depth and jmcraney has already sent me in the right direction and is helping me out with some patches. He's the man!!!! My car is out of the factory warranty period, so I'm trying to pick and choose which fixes to pursue.

1. wind noise?
2.
3.

I know Lexus strives to meet the needs of their customers, and I don't want to use my "good will" fix (if there is such a thing) on an adjustment that isn't a major flaw. Thank you ahead of time for any information and suggestions.

 

2. seats
3. (can't think of any)

 

3. NAV and Phone Lockout

 

1) hesitation on acceleration (intermittent)
2) ML amplifier taking a dump
3) road noise when going over bumps (rough suspension)

 

1) engine valve springs
2) wind noise
3.a) brake actuator noise (requires replacement)
3.b) hesitation on acceleration (requires firmware update)
3.c) ML amplifier (requires replacement)
3.d) glovebox compartment adjustment
3.e) front seats cushion
3.f) dash clips replacement to fix potential rattling

These issues aren't in any particular order of importance, except for the valve springs replacement which is very important. They're the widely known issues about this model & year. I leave it to you to decide what are your favorite major 2 issues beside the valve springs.

One thing I'm not sure about is a known issue that has to do with the fuel system where a pipe needs to be replaced if I'm not mistaken. You may want to check the published TSIB's.

 

I recently had the trunk open switch - the exterior manual switch on the trunk lid -replaced because the flexible cover had become a gooey/gummy mess that left residue on my fingers when I touched it. My car is a 2007 LS460 that I bought new, in Sep 07. It had been getting worse for a couple of years so I asked the dealer to replace it under the warranty. Although the dealership people said that mine was the only one they had seen with this problem it seems to be a common defect with many Toyota models. They did replace it at no cost to me.

I inherited a 2007 Sienna and a 2005 Highlander and they both have this problem with their liftgate open switches. The Sienna has the problem to the extreme - whenever I touch it I have to go through a major hand cleaning effort. A check of the Internet shows that this is an very common problem for the Sienna and Prius models.

For those of you who never touch that switch because you open your trunk using the remote key and/or dash switch, you should give it a feel before your warranty expires - replacement by a Lexus Dealer is probably about $500.

 

I think you got them all here. I had issues with the

1. wind noise
2. seat comfort
3. valve springs ( still have not received a penny for my GS350 or the LS460 being done.

 

1. NAV system lockout while car is moving - actually requires more effort to manually try to set a destination using map location and/or POIs than just entering the text
2. NAV map updates are - too expensive, aren't frequent enough, and are way behind actual road conditions
3. NAV system software doesn't get updated - stagnant functionality (surely they could add the new NAV features - such as weather with just a software upgrade!)

Except for the relatively small screen, my phone now has a better NAV system than my much more expensive Lexus NAV system. And it gets real-time traffic without having to pay the monthly XM fee. Mounting a tablet in the car - would provide the larger screen - and have the better NAV...

This isn't a complaint specifically about the LS - it's more of a general complaint with all of the built-in car NAV systems. They treat the NAV system not as a computer - but as just another car component.

Rather than relying on XM to provide satellite data - would rather have Internet access - and get up-to-date via Internet (current traffic, weather, updated maps, ...).

On a related topic - the newer LS systems don't have the HDD music feature - which is another step backward. My experience with trying to access music via USB or BT is that those systems are not as easy to use as built-in HDD music library on my LS - because there is at least a little organization to the music files with the LS (artist, album, song, genre) - but access via USB or BT seems to be solely by file and folder structure - much more difficult to navigate.

Probably unrealistic to expect Lexus will do anything about this in their next generation models...

 

Thank you to all that have replied. My seats seems O.K. Are you referring to the bar discomfort on the driver's seat? My back does seem a little sore when I drive the car sometimes, but I think I just haven't found the proper ergonomic setup yet. I have an appointment to get the wind noise looked at and will mention the seat discomfort at that time. Thank you!!!!

 

What about air struts problems?

 

any of these apply to "08?

I know wind noise & glove door problems do, since I have them.

 

The 07 LS 460 isn't a perfect vehicle and it have flaws. I have experienced a few with my own 460. The 460 seems flawless compared with the flaws of the 07 flagships of the BMW, MB, Audi, and Jaguar. The LS 460 is still an excellent vehicle and continues the pursuit of perfection.

 

Surprised no-one has mentioned the front suspension design resulting in premature failure of the control arm bushings. Replacement cost: $3000 - $5000!

 

No, not available in that model.

 

2007 LS460 SWB?

1. ML amplifier failure - 1st because it is unbearable to drive the vehicle once the amp fails.

2. Brakes - warped rotors and failure of brake actuator because felt every time brakes applied.

3. Driver's seating - unbearably uncomfortable on long drives once padding compresses and metal supports are felt.

Other issues such as valve recall, nav system deficiencies (nanny, voice, and interface), inferior audio integration, suspect control arm bushings, and iffy engine control program (anti-knock issue) are more annoyances and inconveniences than things that will drive you crazy. It's a decent vehicle, but it comes with problems. Fortunately, they are well-known and fixes for ALL of them are easily (though NOT inexpensively) at hand.