22nd Apr 2007, 19:21
Make sure you get the timing belt AND water pump done at the sime time. I had my timing belt done a 79,000 miles, but not the water pump. At 91,000 the water pump seized and damaged my timing belt. I had to replace both at a cost of 3500.00, but this is the only major repair since buying in 1995. The car just hit 100,000 and still is like new. Make sure you keep the leather conditioned otherwise it will crack.
24th Jun 2007, 17:43
I own a 91 LS400 with 346000 miles on the clock, & it just refuses to die. Best car ever.
9th Dec 2008, 15:50
I have a 1990 LS400, which I bought from an older guy for 3500.
Is the driver window a common problem? It's hard to bring the window up.
26th Feb 2011, 23:00
I bought a 1990 Lexus in 1994 from the first owner, and it had 45000km. Now it has 254900km, and two days ago it shut down everything. Mechanic said it needed an alternator, but I had a gut feeling that it's something bigger than the alternator, but all in all, it has been a well built car, very comfortable to drive, I would another one, but a newer model.
Kim, NSW, Australia.
21st Apr 2007, 19:55
You won't have those kinds of costs on a 2003 until it, too is 13 years old.
I just picked up a '93 (essentially same car) and consider $1.5k in parts to completely catch up on maintenance a steal (got discounted on purchase price because of work needed, doing the work myself at Advance Auto, it's not trivial work, but it isn't all it's hyped up to be, you don't need a lift to replace any of the above, it's all under hood).
Considering that once you replace the water pump, timing/serpentine belts/idlers/tensioners and plugs/wires it'll run another 100k with nothing, but oil changes is just unbelievable, for any car.
These are the most reliable cars ever built, corroborated fact. Check the consumer reports, nothing to be scared about.