Hello Gentlemen , I am new to this site and hoping I can getsome insight I’m looking to buy a LS460( I have always wanted one ) a 2008 or2009. I found a 2008 that I like with low miles 45k however when I drove it everything was fine and loved the car except at low speeds when I wasbreaking I would hear and feel in the brake pedal almost a friction and dull almost rubbing noise that seemed to berotational . I brought this to the attention of the sales rep who really didnot know what it could be nor did his mechanic. I’m thinking maybe warped rotoror caliper on its way out ?.. I ended up not buying it and asked them to makethe noise go away.. They called back and offered to give me a 700 dollarreduction on the car since they said they put new rotors and pads on the car ?,, the rotors did not look new maybe they were turned down but not new. Myquestion is has anyone reconciled this ?

 

oh wow ok nuff said im scrapping that deal shame though she was a looker !

 

First of all, welcome to CL!
Secondly, as I am not a mechanic, but between experienced DIYer's and quite a few owners in this corner of the forum and me having and remedying a bit of a brake issue myself, I'll take a stab and say that the rotors and pads need to be replaced.
If you heard a "clicking" noise or the brakes felt squishy, then the actuator could be bad-via Lexus, a couple grand, used/ebay, I think somewhere in the $500 range.
Many more will be gladly providing answers as well as additional input, but I think the replacement of rotors and pads should do the trick.
I would also advise, if your able, to have it inspected by Lexus. Small amount of money for a piece of mind.
There is well detailed list of things that you should be mindful of regarding the LS, as it will provide you with key elements to look at/have inspected.
Also, have you plugged the VIN into www.mylexus.com ? It'll give you all of the maintenance history.
If I mange to find the list before someone else posts' it, i'll place it here in the thread.
Please do keep us updated!
GL!

 

Beware!! I like the low mileage but the braking problems could be simple or a big issue. Did the rotors and pads solve the problem? If not you should pass this one up.

 

I agree to an extent.
What is the over all condition of the car?
How does the maint. history look?
If the actuator is in fact bad, I don't think you'd want that repair out the gate, so I'd pass as well, unless the selling dealership is willing to work a deal with you on their dime.
If the rotors don't look new and they said they replaced them, they're lying and indeed walk away, unless its one hell of a deal.
In all honesty, if your not quite sure what it is, and you're really interested, you should have it inspected.
Here is the list I was telling you about.

Front Control Arms: the front suspensions of these cars are more complex than the earlier XF30 cars; they have six control arms (3 per side). Bushings in early models have the tendency to crack; dealers tend to replace the whole thing. Expensive; but an indie shop may be cheaper. You can hear a clunking if you go over bumps at low speed. I think this was largely resolved by '08.

Brake Actuator: some of them make a clacking noise when brakes are applied; remedy is to replace the actuator (this is expensive). Also there are a bunch of software updates for the braking system for a couple minor issues. Problem in some '07 and '08 cars.

Engine: there is a recall out for a few Toyota engines from this timeframe for valve springs (they can crack); any dealer can tell you if the recall has been done from the VIN number; and I think a dealer would probably still honor it but I would double check. It might show up on Carfax (mine did). The UR engines have a timing chain (not belt) so that expensive maintenance item is no longer a concern.

Transmission: generally durable but there is a software update floating around to correct some clunking noises that people complained about.

ML Amp: these can die on occasion but not too common; there are places on the internet that repair them for a couple hundred bucks.

Air Suspension: the big one on any LS. The air springs and shocks are a single unit; so if one goes they both go; and they need to be replaced in pairs. The suspensions don't usually fail but when they do it's about $900 a shock plus an hour of labor to replace; so make sure the car doesn't sink into it's suspension overnight. If you see the 'Sport/ Comfort' and 'Height Hi' switches on the left side of the dash below the gear selector your car has it. Toyota seems to be improving the air suspension with each generation; but on a higher mileage car this is something to look out for.

Wind Noise: there is a little plastic triangle on the front windows that sometimes leaks; there is a documented fix on this and other forums on how to remove and seal this. I think my car has it but I haven't bothered to address it yet.

That's it as far as I know for the big ones. And then some other random tidbits:

Drivers side armrest; I've seen these wear a little but but the LWB cars seem to have the leather versions rather than the synthetic ones. Lexus leather generally wears very well. There is a recall for '07 models that may cover this.

Leather and plastics: in the Southwest the sun tends to dry these out; good detailing products will generally return them to near-new condition but if the car sits outside for long periods of time this can be annoying. The quality of the semi-aniline leather in particular is extraordinary; and the wood trim is the best I've seen outside a Rolls Royce. The Alcantara headliner is also easy to care for and wears well.

Tires: the 19" wheels have high performance tires that wear quickly. Also high-friction brake pads on the Touring Package cost more and last less than the standard ones.

Nav: the 07+ have HD based which means you pretty much have to have the dealer update; no cheap upgrades on ebay for this one.

None of the above should scare you off. I have two Mercedes from the pre-1992 era (which are generally regarded as indestructible) and the Lexus LS meets or exceeds their build quality in almost every area.

The reliability is no contest; these are (generally) very hardy, very durable cars. I've had my '01 LS430 for 9 years and have really had nothing aside from general maintenance, a couple 02 sensors, and a MAF sensor go out over that time. All the toys still work; it still sails through the DMV smog check.

Also many of the smaller (and more annoying) issues have documented DIY fixes here and on other forums that save time and money over going to the dealer. Provided you do regular maintenance the engine and transmission seem almost indestructible.

Obviously get a Carfax report; and if you are picky about autos you'll want to see, touch and feel the car before you take it home. Investigate an aftermarket warranty; but generally I think you'd be ok without one.

You can also pay $10 and get an account for the day at https://techinfo.toyota.com and see what TSBs were issued and if your car might be subject to them (they list affected VINs). Also if you call most Lexus Dealers and give them the VIN they can pull up the dealer service history which is always nice to see (they can tell you if the car had the valve spring and any other recalls, for example).

That said, I think the LS is probably the ONLY car of this class that I would even consider buying sight unseen with a reasonably high level of confidence.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ADDED BY ANOTHER MEMBER, ROADFROG-provides GREAT info:

That repair is closer to 750 bucks from United Radio. That said, once repaired, it will likely never fail again.

Another common issue, is the water pump. That too is an easy fix and inexpensive. I DIY'd mine and the water pump can be had on Ebay for 50-60 bucks. Takes about an hour or two for labor.

Also, I'll add that the factory rotors are prone to warpage. My aftermarket Bendix rotors which I also DIY'd are easily and cheaply replaced. I paid 60 bucks or so for BOTH fronts. I just need to replace the rears now, as they are starting to warp as well.

 

CRowe14, great post summarizing common XF40 LS issues. Just a few notes:

There are actually 4 per side for a total of 8. The problem was not fixed until late in the '10 model year. If you are willing to use generic parts the repair can be done for ~$1500 on RWD cars. It's much harder to find cheap parts for AWD cars.

The repair from United Radio is $425 to $750 plus shipping.

The recall actually covers plastic dashboards, door trim, and armrests on some '07 cars which are prone to melting over time. Late-build '07 and later cars should not be affected.

The leather armrests aren't on all LWBs, but can be found on either LWB cars with the Luxury Package or SWB cars with the Comfort Plus package. They do tend to wear if you're not careful with them.

Agreed, provided that you have the money to handle the occasional four-figure repair bill. These are excellent cars, but they are luxury cars, and not nearly as cheap to maintain as a Corolla or Camry. With good maintenance, though, they will last a very long time without major issues.

Agreed. I bought my LS sight unseen and would not have done so with a German full-size luxobarge.

 

LOL@German luxobarge!
Great add-on's dal.
I'd like to take the credit for the summarization write-up, but I obtained it from another post written by jainla.
I, too added a few additional notes, a few the same as what you pointed out.
I'd like to poll your opinion regarding what dlbucksls10 said, regarding to run away from the car...
What would you do?

 

The brakes on my 2009 LS460 are doing the same thing, it's also a low mileage example and I've only owned it for about a week. I had the brakes inspected when I had the oil changed right after buying and the tech at the Lexus Indy shop I took it too said the brakes were fine, pads had 8-9mm left and everything was OEM.

Well the brakes are not fine. There is a grinding/rubbing noise when slowing to 0, it's noticeable around 15mph all the way down to 0. And at highway speeds the brakes shudder. From what I've read on the forum and been told by other members, the rotors are warped and the OEM pads stink. Many owners swap the OEM pads and rotors out for aftermarket stuff which is way better and I'm planning on doing the same.

I'm guessing that's what's going on with this car too. But of course it's going to be up to you to get it checked out.

 

thank you all for the insight and welcome I will get my LS but I think I'm going to a pass on this one its a clean LS , silver 2008 with 45k miles maintenance history looks good noting that stands out as a red flag .. however I feel like the dealer is not being straight up I know what new rotors look like and the ones on the car are not new so with that said I will continue y search,... Would anyone we weary of a LS with 70k on the clock? I have one for a really good price 23k 2009 with 70 k

 

That is a fair deal and 70k is nothing for an 09. BTW, all dealers will lie to you. Most do, from my experience. Selling cars can be a pretty dishonest business.

 

Hard to know without hearing the exact noise. If it really is a brake noise, brakes are easy/cheap to fix and I wouldn't care (or would at most knock off a few hundred from the price). If it's a bearing noise, again a few hundred dollars. But it could also be a symptom of control arm or other suspension issues, especially if there are clunks or play in the steering.

 

That is an outright LIE. It is a COMPLETELY dishonest business.

They make casinos seem like day care centers. It is one under-handed tactic after another to remove as much cash from the consumer as possible. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying every employee at a dealership is dirty, but ... well, I could point out the ones that are, but it may offend.

I bet that if there was a 100% honest and fair dealing dealership out there, and word got out, the place would look like Chick-Fil-A at 7:45 am (in the south) all day, every day.

 

other than that dull grinding noise when slowing down the LS is tip top , they offered to knock off 700 after they said they were buried in the car .. I know its a game and I know how to play it I asked them to make the noise go away and ill stroke check to them ... and they countered with " we will give you 700 off the price " I know for 700 I can wrap all new brembo rotors and pads but not sure that's what I want to off break with a new car.. I have a few more im reaching out on .. you guys have been great for my first post Im looking forward to becoming part of this community .. Thank you and warm regards to all who took time to reach out to my post

 

Nothing can be truer than then above.
If you had a great interaction where you thought it was all smiles you probably got taken. If they complement you on your negotiation skills you got a bad deal. If the manager came out to personally thank you, you got a bad deal. Dealerships are filled with dishonest sales people that are a students of how to take your money and make you feel happy about it.

 

So, so true. I'm an informed customer, I've bought a lot of cars in my life, and I don't think I've ever outnegotiated a salesman. That's true both for the transactions where I felt good driving away and the ones where I knew I'd been taken immediately. In hindsight they all end up looking bad.

These guys are very good at what they do, and they will say anything they need to in order to get the deal done. Dealing with them is a hazard and expense of enjoying cars. It's a very good reason to choose good cars and keep them a long time.