The LS400 buying guide
 

Im interested in an LS400 199x and interested if anybody here owned one, maybe could point out issues with them usually or any thing to look for with them ?
Or special models i should chase.

Any input would be great


Thanks


Sent from my IBrick

i own one. ive had 19 cars in the last 16 years and its by far one of my favorites. i have a 98 which has the vvti motor and the 5 speed automatic. these cars are historically bullet proof and have always been rated one of the best lexus's, and major repairs on them are uncommon. and even when there is a major failure like a motor or transmission used parts are fairly cheap because of the low demand....the only issue i have seen other owners talk about that i experience is occasionally my instrument clusters tach and speedo will stop working...it doesnt affect the car at all though, the gauges just die...a quick bonk on the top of the dash though fixes it everytime:happyanim:
i should note mine doesnt have the factory air bag suspension, which is known to be problematic (although no more problematic than an aftermarket one, also companies make strut conversion kits for them, for people who dont want the air suspension)

This thread made me take a look at these and now I want one too.

Is there anything to look out for when test driving one?

If the car has air suspension could it be replaced easily with either OEM struts or possibly some street-oriented coilovers without having CEL or other issues?

What's the gas mileage like? I'm reading like 20-22mpg hwy which isn't great, but it's a big car with a V8.

Just how bulletproof/reliable are these things? Would you let your wife a 20 year old LS400 as her main vehicle? (Yes I would be doing proper maintenance on it)

Buy one with prejudice and confidence.

These cars are the pinnacle of Lexus reliability - if the previous owner didn't neglect it, you will get tons of life out of it provided you do maintenance. Look at Consumers Reports and all the other stats sites that only look at reliability - they all rank this car top of the litter.

my parents had a 90/91 with over 450k miles. transmission had to be replaced at around 300. other than that, no major issues. due to an unfortunate patch of black ice, it was totaled due to body damage, but i'm sure it would have kept going for years.

would recommend

I had a 92 SC400. 1st gen 1UZs are virtually bulletproof, given proper maintenance.

the key thing that sold me on mine was the fact that it had $800 worth of new michelin tires. With 148k on the odometer its little things like that, that can tell you how much the previous owner cared about it.
and yes the problematic aribags can be replaced with a conventional strut for around the same money it would cost to do that job on any other car

My father had a LS400 with this same issue.

He had his speedo/tach cable replaced multiple times, then his gas gauge stopped working. Then he got rid of it because he wanted the RX300.

Last time I looked at a late 90s LS400 they were still over $10K. I do still want one. They ooze luxury, quality, and comfort.

There's a nice rust-free '91 with 140k miles I want to go look at. At least he says rust free, but there's those terrible chrome wheel arch accents that too many people use to hide rust.

Do owners of these cars generally keep maintenance records on the same level as someone with say a BMW would?

Mid 90s go for less. Thats why i want one, they have something special about them


Sent from my IBrick

Your typical Lexus and typical BMW owner will keep the same level of maintenance records: http://www.alliedoil.com/wp-content/...oil-sludge.jpg

I was told these are pretty bad on gas. But I have seen tons with 250k+