BlackReef

Thinking about going to look at an 07 LS460 next week. It has 140,000 miles but has been serviced directly by Lexus dealership for many years. The current owner says the only mechanical issue he knows of is a shudder/vibration when the transmissions shifts around 35-45 mph and he says it's been doing this for a 1.5 years and hasn't gotten any worse. Is this a common issue on these cars? How concerned should I be about it?

Anfanger

It probably needs transmission fluid refresh.

colfax

I have an 07 with now around 138,000 miles and I have had to spend roughly $8000 on it in addition to the purchase price of $11,000
three years ago,
I had to replace all of the suspension components from shocks to control arms, linkages, bushing etc - $4000
and that was with my own trusted mechanic, the dealer quoted me $6500

all new tires in addition to all four wheel brake rotors and pads, $1600

I could go on and on, and now with some $20,000 spent it is indeed a wonderful reliable car, I like it a lot

but I personally would be very concerned about the transmission issue you are reporting
really needs to be checked out by a qualified dealer as I would not trust a regular mechanic
IF the fix is not a simple drain and fluid fill then you could easily be out thousands, and thousands tranny work

dentav

I have the L version (which is just a few inches longer inside for the backseat, when the owner has a driver. I have almost 250,000 miles on it and the engine and transmission have never shuddered at all. So NO it is not usual. I would ask a dealer what they think and how much would it cost to fix it. Issues I have with this advanced age is: exhaust system lights are on and needs to be replaced as catalytic convertor has reached its end of life, the screen is no longer as bright as it once was, ok at night, but during the day barely readable. It is a great car and I intend to keep it forever!

Doublebase

Regarding the transmission shudder...yes, I would be concerned, because that sounds like a torque converter and that basically means a new transmission. Would a simple fluid exchange fix it? It could but I wouldn’t bet on it. But yeah, it could.

The only good thing? These transmissions are very reliable and therefore you can often buy a used unti with low mileage for under $1,500.

texas008

i remember that people used to report transmission shudder after dealer oil change...

Gumart1

My LS430 transmission started to shudder after I did a drain and fill with pan drop. I have high miles (over 300k) with an unknown service history. Probably would have been better had I left it alone. The shudder occurs in the torque converter. I don't believe that automatically means I'm looking at a new or complete overhaul just yet. I'm told I most likely have a glazed converter clutch. The torque converter can be replaced which is a big job, yes. I'd be happy with 300k on any original transmission though. I'm still slowly changing all of the fluid to see if the shudder improves.