1991 Lexus Soarer from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

Emv screen went blank the first week of ownership.

Drivers seat badly scuffed.

Radiator top tank cracked at 100000km.

Left air bag failed at 102000km.

Electric steering column badly worn.

Tappets are very rattly.

Door trims cracking.

Power steering pump failed at 103000km.

Alternator failed at 103000 km.

Front lower control arm bushes failed at 105000km.

Fuel pump ecu failed at 105000km.

Dash went blank at 102000km.

Steering rack leaking at 103000km.

Steering rack bushes replaced at 105000km.

This car is reasonably quick, but not what you would expect from a 4 litre quad cam 32 valve v8.

The interior is reasonably quiet, but it still suffers from squeaks and rattles.

For such a large two door car it handles reasonably good, but smoothness over bumps is'nt the best.

Fuel economy is high not the most fuel efficient of cars.

It would seem to me that you have neglected the vehicle. If you had kept up the Oil Changes then you would not have such a Loud Tappet Sound from the Engine. You folks buy these Japanese Cars and think you can change the Oil when you feel like it. I do not see how you could possibly lay any blame on Lexus for your Cars Troubles.

The vehicle in question has only had full synthetic oil at all times since it's arrival in Australia with 60000km on it. They just aren't of the build quality of the Europeans. In few they are as we call a soft car designed for 100000km and then replace.

If the writer of this comment had bothered to read to the bottom of this review he/she would have seen that the car was only purchased this year (2006). Therefore, it's a bit rough to blame the owner for not changing the oil on a regular basis. I'd say the previous owner sold it because of these problems and the only thing I could really fault the current owner on is maybe it didn't have a pre-purchase inspection done.

FYI- I'd say this car was probably a Toyota and not a Lexus as car was badged either the Toyota Soarer or Lexus SC400. Therefore I reckon previous owner has swapped Toyota badge with a Lexus one (I have seen this done regularly). So car could then be a used import from Japan with falsified (wound-back) odometer and has had little or no servicing (and definitely not by Lexus).

I find the coments on the Toyota Soarer rather odd, the 4.0 GTL is both quick and reliable. There are two points I would like to make, firstly these cars are now 15 years old, it would be expected to find parts wearing out on a vehicle of this age, secondly there is no such vehicle as a Lexus Soarer all these cars are in fact Toyota, Lexus is just a brand name of Toyota which was used for their export market, the badges are put on these cars by their owners. Finaly I have owned two of these cars for a total of nine years and yes I have had to do repairs on them, but only what I would expect on a 15 year old car.

We have owned a Toyota Soarer for five years now in the UK. Worst problem we've had was heater matrix burst; a pig to change, but the rest of car is immaculate. We have full history from japan and it's now at 125 thousand miles. It goes like a rocket. You must have got a dog one; there are loads around.

Sounds like your car has done MORE THAN THE KM SHOWN ON THE ODO METER..

This is usually the case with Aussie imports however from the sounds of it, your car is well over 250,000km.

It's a Lexus V8, its designed to last as long as its maintained..

Cheers,

Adam.

Sound like the car has had its odometer wound back, or it has been neglected/abused by its previous owner. Otherwise they have typical Toyota reliability, as we have a Camry which has done 360000 kms, and its engine doesn't rattle despite the fact that it head gasket went a while back, which was a mission to replace.