I really enjoyed these two videos on the Lexus LS430, okay it's a fair bit of money to get everything done, most cars are never really cheap to fix and or maintain, but now that you've done all those things to it, it will give you complete peace of mind, plus you have a really nice and also very reliable car to drive, well done
Matt, thanks for the awesome video. This is a great car. I have had my 2010 Lexus IS 250 awd for approx. 2.5 yrs. I bought it at a fantastic price but I am now paying the piper. I've had to replace the entire exhaust system, dual exhaust, 2 cats, I went with OEM ($3,900 usd), it had this bizarre wiring problem that Lexus couldn't find (it was the speed sensor) which cost me $600 usd. I have a noisy belt which my mechanic diagnosed as the car needs a new water pump/pulley/tensioners/belt with an estimate of $1,800 usd. This will be done next week. I am the second owner of my car which I purchased at a used car lot. My local Lexus dealer has the records of what was done to the car before I acquired it. I did have it checked out beforehand, and my mechanic gave me the green light. Like my former car, a Volvo, nothing needed fixing until 100k miles. My Lexus has 107k miles and these are excellent cars but can be expensive to repair. Due to the COVID crisis and the lack of cars, my IS 250 is worth approx. $13,000 which is why I've decided to fix what needs fixing. I will need rear brakes and rear suspension addressed in 6 months or so. Again, thanks for being a bargain hunter and sharing your LS experience. People are so quick to throw away cars these days and you have a keeper there. :o)
Nice one Matt. So good to see a properly good car getting thoroughly sorted out. Totally agree that you should be able to go at least 5 years on basic costs now. Bravo! 👏
Oh Matt, you are doing what I have longed to do all my life. Finding cars, fixing them, enjoying that satisfaction and moving to another. I moved on to watches when I realised how much money I was spending. Its a kind of hunter gatherer syndrome in this world. Now I want that Lexus.
Nice job, I have one just like yours same color. I love it. I had a LS400 in the past, it was a good car but, the LS430 is more reliable and is the smoothest car I've ever driven.
Today, my 2005 Lexus LS430 gets 25 to 27 mpg on the highway and 20 to 23 in the city - Nashville. I have over 236,000 miles on it. I always use Premium. I am its second owner.
The wheel refurb doesn't sound that expensive - I've just had my Alfa 159 19" ti alloys done for £260 and the brake calipers repainted for a further £100. Well worth the money for the visual impact.
Hello, I am from Australia, and I enjoy watching your videos, your presentation is always direct and not over the top like some others so thank you. Anyway I have an LS430 and love it. It is a wonderful car to drive and own. Mine has done 189000 klms and is a 2004 I have not had the issues that you have had but I believe with normal servicing from someone reliable I will have trouble free running for years to come. Keep up the good work with your vehicle reviews. Cheers
Your car will last longer because of your dry warm climate, I had a 2004 aswell with the revised 6 speed gearbox, people don’t realise how good these cars are... cheers mate happy motoring from my damp country 😞
You should buy a ozone generator it will get rid of the smoke smell. I bought one personally and it's gotten rid of anything from smoke to mold smell! Just be careful not to leave in in the car for to long (i go for like 30-45 minutes)
@@dw4525 From what I've heard from my father is that it will start to smell weird in the car from the ozone for a while. But also you don't need to run it more than 1 hour max for a normal car
@@dw4525 slightly different, but our office bought o-zone generators as part of our 'covid-safety' measures and they run for a couple hours every night. We have been severely warned that no one is to enter during these hours as they would likely die, lol. Very dramatic. The o-zone supposedly kills 99.9% of germs bacteria and virus off all hard and soft surfaces, so I guess that's why they work to remove bad odours too
Good review. eBay should have sponsored today's review. I understand how you feel about mechanics AKA "This is going to cost you mate." I think they are the reason why people are paying £500.00 ( Car finance ) every month for shining new cars.
One thing I love about Lexus is the quality, especially on the electronic componentry. We all know that the gubbins and gadgetry on a twenty year old German car would be temperamental at best.
My uncle had exactly the same car when it came out, it was the only Lexus in our small town and whenever he gave me a lift, I wished my parents home would be much further away from my uncle's so the trip would be longer, cos for me as a teenager that car was like a Japanese spaceship on wheels... ZERO road noise, air con vents moving side to side, amazing sound quality from the stereo, even when my uncle played a rubbish Russian pop music, somehow it sounded better than usually... AMAZING CAR INDEED. AWESOME WORK DONE ON IT AS WELL!!! WELL DONE!!!
Oh my goodness! I've had a number of Lexus cars, I'm currently on my 11th. A 2006 GS300 SE-L. I've had the car for three years and haven't spent anywhere close to your £2,700 on it. I took it to my local Lexus dealer for a full service. Standard charge, £660. They fitted new front wheel bearings,new pads all round, all the fluids, (every one, including oils and filters, transmission, back axle, brakes Aircon and coolant). It's an all-in Lexus price and well worth it. The car rides perfectly, is super comfortable, very very rapid (thanks for the upgrade to stage one Lexus. Cost was just £98), and of course it's super economical too. (Up to 43mpg on a run and between 22 & 28 round town). The car has all the toys, navigation, parking sensors front and rear, reversing camera, rear blind etc.. I've thought about buying an LS430 but why? I've had 3 LS400s and an SC430 I don't need another land yacht. I paid £2,400 for the car 3 years ago and it ain't broke so I'm a happy bunny. Got to agree with you, Lexus are fabulous cars.
I was given a LS 430 no I’m not rich... it had over 650,000ks anyway did brakes ,belts, radiator (new) etc. still smooth as silk ride and everyone that rides in it loves it and they can’t believe the Mileage shows how well it’s put together.
That 5k spend is worth every penny. The LS430 will never devalue, and will fetch at least that in 5 years time. In addition the pleasure of driving it is immensurable, and, if I recall correctly, the JD survey classed it the best vehicle in the world during its reign outclassing the Mercs and suchlike. And I really love your smooth videos. Thank you for keeping us informed.
Weirdest fault I ever had in my LS430 was when I came back to the car one day and it was jacked up at the rear like a 70s Ford. The fault was the rear ride-height sensors but not the potentiometers just corrosion in the connectors which could be fixed for zero cost.
I used to have a glorious pearl white 1992 LS400 which I had bought second-hand with full service history in 1999 with 125,000 miles on it in Denver CO. It was still almost like brand new. I regrettably sold it in 2007 with 250,000 miles and it was still quite like new, because I always took it to a Lexus main dealer for regular services. In the snowy/icy winters I’d switch to four studless snow tires and take it up the mountains with no problems. Loved it. Their “most long-lasting, reliable and dependable cars” reputation is well deserved. In Japan you could also buy the similar Toyota Celsior.
Absolutely brilliant car ! If ONLY it had a diesel in it , I’d have bagged one years ago ! You’ve actually saved a ton of cash with the eBay thing too . Scares me half to death though . I’d go on there , looking for a radiator and come off with the joystick from NASA’s space shuttle ! Please complete the trilogy of this Lexus ! Thanks Matt 👍
I love watching this video as this car is now sitting on my driveway, yes! I managed to make Matt an offer he could not refuse, and being the gentleman he is he even delivered it for me. I have had the car nearly two years now and it is still as beautiful as it is in this video, cheers Matt.
@@HighPeakAutos It is probably the most expensive garden orniment going lol as I am not able to drive it much (health issues) but it looks great and I have no regrets buying it, when I can drive it it is pure luxury.
There is a cabin filter in the glovebox and a small air filter under each front seat. You must take the storage tray out from under the seat to access them. I'm not sure about the back seats as my LS430 is not the Ultra Luxury. I sure do love this car though.
Fantastic cruiser. If you don’t drive too often then it’s worth the hit on fuel costs. I’d buy one of these just for my twice weekly run to work. You know you’ll arrive fresh.
Man sits alone in back seat of car in remote lay-by. As joggers runs by man raises window blind. Nothing to see here...Great comic timing Matt! Thanks for all these videos, I really appreciate the level of detail you provide about the cars and your relaxed presentation style.
Great, interesting video, Matt, I hope that you keep sorting out these wonderful old cars, it is such a treat to see them and keep them going into the future. Thank you.
Love Lexus, bought n RX400 H 50000 mls 96 and not spent a penny on it in 12 months, only thing needs fixing is the interior light bulb. They were so far ahead of the rest when new...still smoother at stop start than my nearly new VW
I’m a shade tree mechanic and like to fix my own cars. I did all four brakes, pads and rotors as well as passenger side front wheel bearing. Both jobs were so easy that a 12 yr old could have done it all in under 2 hrs! I saved millions in labor, so I’m happy!!!
Great car, I have a LS460 the air suspension overhall is expensive to fix but that the only thing that goes wrong, otherwise get coil overs and problems are all over!
Iv been looking for a ls430 for last few years and this is probably the 2nd best one iv seen... I was mad to pass by a 70k millage black one one owner full history and no advisory ever on mot for 3k 😭. If this ever go up for sale I'll 100% be interested
That is a proper nice car and worth spending money on. Given the option of running this Lexus or a £5k Astra/Focus I know I would take the Lexus…it’s a no brainier. Cheers Matt 👍
Great car! I drive a Lexus LX 470 from the same era. Surprised how solid these cars are build, electronics, suspension, leather etc all build bullet proof!
Genuine question, what are the best combinations of interesting, fun and relatively inexpensive to run that you'd recommend for low budgets? Say hundreds of pounds to a couple thousands? Really interested to hear your thoughts.
Favourite series only as LS my favourite car, and ask many if not all traders and you'd get same response, MEGA, cosseting luxo barge, any generation as good as the next, wonderous
My 2000 ls430..Just replaced the telescopic (used for $ 100) and up-down motors (new for $200) on the steering wheel.. , front brakes have no sensor so remachined discs and new pads ($450 repair by dealer), the rear shade needs a repair on a broken joint, wheel alignment ($65).. but other wise a great old car made in Japan too!!
I know I’m seven months late to this party, but as for getting the smoke smell out, a small ozone generator for about 20 minutes every few weeks should kill it off. As for painting the clam shell on the rear view mirror, the parts department at lexus in north Scottsdale sells a lot of body parts - new -that are a better buy than paint. I don’t live anywhere near there - i found them on eBay years ago and they are my default for hard to find and maintenance stuff. I love your channel and these 2001-2006 Lexus cars are done ifcthe finest cars ever made. I had the LS and loved it. I now have the GS and while it’s intended to be as fancy, it’s a wonderful car too. Keep up the brilliant videos - your Cayenne review has me looking for one if those to add to our garage next lol. Anyway - Happy Christmas
Doc Martin Mobile.. I'm always amazed how cheaply you can get an older Lexus in the UK. Here in the States, you could probably double the initial cost. Thanks for all of the really good information.
Great video, do love a LS having owned a 07 LS460. It was lovely. Looking to upgrade to a LS600hl. Would be interested to see if you get your hands on a LS600hl what you think. Please keep the different car video’s coming they are really great
I have been having issues with the wheels on my Volvo S60 and was thinking about having them done and was looking for a reliable place. When a dealer goes to them you know they're sorted. And I'm only in Oldham so winner! £300 is a huge chunk of change, but for the work car wheels actually do, gotta be worth it. Thanks for that. Oh yeah, nice Lexus.
These are one of the best used cars out there. I still like the LS400 too. Very understated and well worth a look. Don't buy the cheapest though, get the best you can afford.
That is a lovely example, very nice looking car. I did have one a few years ago and a beautiful car to drive but the fuel consumption was indeed terrible! Trouble is it's hard not to floor the car when driving, it's just so smooth.
You may have spent what seems a lot of money Matt but even after all these years that still a lot of car. I had the LS400 and 430 did about 130,000 effortless miles in each. So refined, a true luxury car but for many it had the wrong badge!!
How much does a good one of these go for? I think the spend was pretty reasonable tbh for what was a very expensive car when new. Wheel center caps were perhaps not really required! but everything else was just basic TLC/servicing etc and a few fairly minor faults. Run it for X number of years then punt it for a couple of grand maybe - luxurious way to travel:)
Good plan with the new mats in the boot . Keep em there, and they'll always be nice. After his service, my neighbour used to keep the polythene seat covers on for at least a month. "protects the seats mate"
Thank you for explaining the ups and downs of your repair experience. £900 x 4=£3600 for oem suspension struts. I saw an American was to be charged $4000, so he changed the type of suspension on his car for a cost of $1440. I much prefer your plan'B'... unless it's unavailable now because you have RUclips viewers trying to snap any 430's from autotraders.
Great video. I admire your ability to search and acquire parts on line that save you money. The dealer/manufacturer mark up on these OEM parts is insane- I wish I had the ability to do what you do!
Thanx for your info,,,I just payed £1,200 on a major service including a rear caliper and a pair of rear discs,,on a hyundai santa fe,,,nowt cheap nowadays,,great video..👍👍
Great car. I have a 2004 LS 430 Ultra in France. You have few issues. According to Scotty Kilmer, the ONLY way to get rid of that horrible stale smoke smell is an Ozone Generator. The air suspension is a costly fix, but OEM parts should last decades. See what Scotty had to say about a car with several hundred thousand miles on it with the ORIGINAL water pump assembly! Thanks for the videos.
Great video and getting parts of Ebay and the net make a lot of sense. Quite lot of investment on your part but as you say the car should now be able to keep going for quite a few years. In time I'm sure the LS430 will stop being seen as 'old' and will come to be regarded as a modern classic and prices will then rise - trick is knowing when that wil happen!
I see you mentioned the gearbox service again, this is a regular item on these reviews.... Which is absolutely right, I have both my car gearboxes serviced regularly and they are both as smooth as your silky delivery on these videos... Well done
Enzyme cleaner would help with the smoke smell along with an o zone cleaner, I recently detailed a Lexus lh 250 the carpet and leather come up amazing with how high quality they are
I love these videos that show how much car you get for very little money. I have a 17 s350, petrol that I paid 1800 euros for 3 yrs ago. 3 wks ago I looked at a 2017 Lexus ISF 300 sport,30k and a 2016 C220 sport 30k and they were so disappointing,the Lexus especially, was I going to hand out 30k of my hard earned money for something that didn't give near the satisfaction of my 17yr old S,just so others might be impressed, no way Jose. Keep the videos coming great stuff.
Well done. Seems like a small thing nut its a bit of a bug for me, the rear number plated is not level, so maybe a little adjustment will sort that out since you've gone to so much trouble with all the rest of it.
Great video as always. That's a great car for the money and you've made an excellent job bringing it back up to standard. I love the videos where you buy something that needs a bit of tlc always a great transformation
£4250 is still amazing value for one of these in such good condition I think. Here in Germany, you will be looking at at least 8000€ (£6900) for a decent one with good history and a nice spec (I know RHD cars are often worth a little less but this is still a large price gap). I think yours could go up a lot in value as the first generation LS400 did, because they're not too common, reliable and still luxurious today.
Every Lexus ( &Toyota Harrier) radiator clone version I have used I found to be more efficient than the originals and a third of the price. Use original thermostats though. I know of a 2003 LS here that had ZERO faults.. just normal services.... wonderful cars.
Get the 400 if you can find a good one.....avoiding the Air suspension hassle....[ if you did all Four....4 grand plus labour if using genuine parts ].....Transmission cooler hassle.....double glazing hassle....Stereo hassle....apart from bonnet struts....I had none of these issues on my 97 400.....204.000 miles. ....Best car I ever owned.
“I went to my mechanic and he wanted too much money so I got everything off eBay” 😂😂😂
Never change Matt.
£200 on some unnecessary new wheel centres on a £2500 car is exactly the sort of madness that I respect. 😂👍
I would have tried filling and painting them. Failing that, yeah, you gotta replace them if you've already spent the large on the wheel refinishing.
Well 2500 of car of this caliber is pretty cheap and a reak bargain. It is tottalky worth even if you out 3k just to get it in the right condition.
Yet skimped on the radiator - makes no sense.
@@hassanazamuk its better than an OEM part lol with 30% increased cooling efficiency lol
When you want to sell this Lexus I would like to buy it. Just indicate when you ready. I may email your dealership
I really enjoyed these two videos on the Lexus LS430, okay it's a fair bit of money to get everything done, most cars are never really cheap to fix and or maintain, but now that you've done all those things to it, it will give you complete peace of mind, plus you have a really nice and also very reliable car to drive, well done
Matt, thanks for the awesome video. This is a great car. I have had my 2010 Lexus IS 250 awd for approx. 2.5 yrs. I bought it at a fantastic price but I am now paying the piper. I've had to replace the entire exhaust system, dual exhaust, 2 cats, I went with OEM ($3,900 usd), it had this bizarre wiring problem that Lexus couldn't find (it was the speed sensor) which cost me $600 usd. I have a noisy belt which my mechanic diagnosed as the car needs a new water pump/pulley/tensioners/belt with an estimate of $1,800 usd. This will be done next week. I am the second owner of my car which I purchased at a used car lot. My local Lexus dealer has the records of what was done to the car before I acquired it. I did have it checked out beforehand, and my mechanic gave me the green light. Like my former car, a Volvo, nothing needed fixing until 100k miles. My Lexus has 107k miles and these are excellent cars but can be expensive to repair. Due to the COVID crisis and the lack of cars, my IS 250 is worth approx. $13,000 which is why I've decided to fix what needs fixing. I will need rear brakes and rear suspension addressed in 6 months or so.
Again, thanks for being a bargain hunter and sharing your LS experience. People are so quick to throw away cars these days and you have a keeper there. :o)
Can’t wait to see it all sorted. Part 3 a RUclips style detail video? Love seeing a car come out in its best again
He'll probably sell it to his mechanic and you'll never see it again.
With the disgusting stock music?
@@Geshmaal ooo yes. Nothing like the stock music
Loved the LS400 as a kid when it came out around 1989. It started my interest in luxury cars. Was amazing for its time.
"I've got a brand new set of tailored mats, which i need to put in, but keep in boot right now ... because they brand new" 😂😂
I dont want muddy foot prints on them haha
@@HighPeakAutos well ... money well spent 😁👍
Cant fault a bloke for that, very rational behaviour!
I hate to sound ... ermmm, you know what but that sounds EXACTLY like a Lexus owner would do. 😛
😂 I have genuine Rover rubber mats over my premium genuine Rover upholstery mats 🙈
Nice one Matt. So good to see a properly good car getting thoroughly sorted out. Totally agree that you should be able to go at least 5 years on basic costs now. Bravo! 👏
Oh Matt, you are doing what I have longed to do all my life. Finding cars, fixing them, enjoying that satisfaction and moving to another. I moved on to watches when I realised how much money I was spending. Its a kind of hunter gatherer syndrome in this world. Now I want that Lexus.
You’ve done the right thing! Saved a Japanese hero of a car that I reckon is a sure fire classic for the future! 👍👍
Nice job, I have one just like yours same color. I love it. I had a LS400 in the past, it was a good car but, the LS430 is more reliable and is the smoothest car I've ever driven.
Today, my 2005 Lexus LS430 gets 25 to 27 mpg on the highway and 20 to 23 in the city - Nashville. I have over 236,000 miles on it. I always use Premium. I am its second owner.
The wheel refurb doesn't sound that expensive - I've just had my Alfa 159 19" ti alloys done for £260 and the brake calipers repainted for a further £100. Well worth the money for the visual impact.
Hello, I am from Australia, and I enjoy watching your videos, your presentation is always direct and not over the top like some others so thank you. Anyway I have an LS430 and love it. It is a wonderful car to drive and own. Mine has done 189000 klms and is a 2004 I have not had the issues that you have had but I believe with normal servicing from someone reliable I will have trouble free running for years to come. Keep up the good work with your vehicle reviews. Cheers
Your car will last longer because of your dry warm climate, I had a 2004 aswell with the revised 6 speed gearbox, people don’t realise how good these cars are... cheers mate happy motoring from my damp country 😞
You should buy a ozone generator it will get rid of the smoke smell. I bought one personally and it's gotten rid of anything from smoke to mold smell! Just be careful not to leave in in the car for to long (i go for like 30-45 minutes)
And don't breath the ozone!
What happens if you leave it in there too long?
@@dw4525 From what I've heard from my father is that it will start to smell weird in the car from the ozone for a while. But also you don't need to run it more than 1 hour max for a normal car
@@dw4525 slightly different, but our office bought o-zone generators as part of our 'covid-safety' measures and they run for a couple hours every night. We have been severely warned that no one is to enter during these hours as they would likely die, lol. Very dramatic.
The o-zone supposedly kills 99.9% of germs bacteria and virus off all hard and soft surfaces, so I guess that's why they work to remove bad odours too
can we get a big one to fix that hole problem over the Arctic?
Good review. eBay should have sponsored today's review. I understand how you feel about mechanics AKA "This is going to cost you mate." I think they are the reason why people are paying £500.00 ( Car finance ) every month for shining new cars.
Well done for restoring this Lexus car .Keep up the good work of bringing cars up to a great standard .
One thing I love about Lexus is the quality, especially on the electronic componentry.
We all know that the gubbins and gadgetry on a twenty year old German car would be temperamental at best.
Well worth saving and restoring these beautiful older cars. Good on you Matt.
My uncle had exactly the same car when it came out, it was the only Lexus in our small town and whenever he gave me a lift, I wished my parents home would be much further away from my uncle's so the trip would be longer, cos for me as a teenager that car was like a Japanese spaceship on wheels... ZERO road noise, air con vents moving side to side, amazing sound quality from the stereo, even when my uncle played a rubbish Russian pop music, somehow it sounded better than usually...
AMAZING CAR INDEED.
AWESOME WORK DONE ON IT AS WELL!!! WELL DONE!!!
You pampered this old boy but it’s worth every penny! Lexus won’t disappoint!
Oh my goodness! I've had a number of Lexus cars, I'm currently on my 11th. A 2006 GS300 SE-L. I've had the car for three years and haven't spent anywhere close to your £2,700 on it. I took it to my local Lexus dealer for a full service. Standard charge, £660. They fitted new front wheel bearings,new pads all round, all the fluids, (every one, including oils and filters, transmission, back axle, brakes Aircon and coolant). It's an all-in Lexus price and well worth it. The car rides perfectly, is super comfortable, very very rapid (thanks for the upgrade to stage one Lexus. Cost was just £98), and of course it's super economical too. (Up to 43mpg on a run and between 22 & 28 round town). The car has all the toys, navigation, parking sensors front and rear, reversing camera, rear blind etc.. I've thought about buying an LS430 but why? I've had 3 LS400s and an SC430 I don't need another land yacht. I paid £2,400 for the car 3 years ago and it ain't broke so I'm a happy bunny. Got to agree with you, Lexus are fabulous cars.
I was given a LS 430 no I’m not rich... it had over 650,000ks anyway did brakes ,belts, radiator (new) etc. still smooth as silk ride and everyone that rides in it loves it and they can’t believe the Mileage shows how well it’s put together.
That 5k spend is worth every penny. The LS430 will never devalue, and will fetch at least that in 5 years time. In addition the pleasure of driving it is immensurable, and, if I recall correctly, the JD survey classed it the best vehicle in the world during its reign outclassing the Mercs and suchlike. And I really love your smooth videos. Thank you for keeping us informed.
Hahaha. You’re mad mate. It shows that the Lexus quality is quiet a myth. JD Power is rubbish
Weirdest fault I ever had in my LS430 was when I came back to the car one day and it was jacked up at the rear like a 70s Ford. The fault was the rear ride-height sensors but not the potentiometers just corrosion in the connectors which could be fixed for zero cost.
I used to have a glorious pearl white 1992 LS400 which I had bought second-hand with full service history in 1999 with 125,000 miles on it in Denver CO. It was still almost like brand new. I regrettably sold it in 2007 with 250,000 miles and it was still quite like new, because I always took it to a Lexus main dealer for regular services. In the snowy/icy winters I’d switch to four studless snow tires and take it up the mountains with no problems. Loved it. Their “most long-lasting, reliable and dependable cars” reputation is well deserved. In Japan you could also buy the similar Toyota Celsior.
Brilliant savings! eBay always there to save the day, car parts 4 less is always good too
Absolutely brilliant car ! If ONLY it had a diesel in it , I’d have bagged one years ago ! You’ve actually saved a ton of cash with the eBay thing too . Scares me half to death though . I’d go on there , looking for a radiator and come off with the joystick from NASA’s space shuttle !
Please complete the trilogy of this Lexus ! Thanks Matt 👍
I love watching this video as this car is now sitting on my driveway, yes! I managed to make Matt an offer he could not refuse, and being the gentleman he is he even delivered it for me. I have had the car nearly two years now and it is still as beautiful as it is in this video, cheers Matt.
Very good. Pleased to hear it
@@HighPeakAutos It is probably the most expensive garden orniment going lol as I am not able to drive it much (health issues) but it looks great and I have no regrets buying it, when I can drive it it is pure luxury.
There is a cabin filter in the glovebox and a small air filter under each front seat. You must take the storage tray out from under the seat to access them. I'm not sure about the back seats as my LS430 is not the Ultra Luxury. I sure do love this car though.
Fantastic cruiser. If you don’t drive too often then it’s worth the hit on fuel costs. I’d buy one of these just for my twice weekly run to work. You know you’ll arrive fresh.
Man sits alone in back seat of car in remote lay-by. As joggers runs by man raises window blind. Nothing to see here...Great comic timing Matt! Thanks for all these videos, I really appreciate the level of detail you provide about the cars and your relaxed presentation style.
Haha thank you
I used to put Zaflora in a spray bottle and spray it like febreeze to get rid of smoke, can get it anywhere and there are all different scents
Great, interesting video, Matt, I hope that you keep sorting out these wonderful old cars, it is such a treat to see them and keep them going into the future. Thank you.
I'd be interested to hear if the new amp fixed that sound issue because my first thought is that an amp problem would likely manifest in all speakers.
These cars are brilliant... comfort and luxury and a truly smooth ride!
Love Lexus, bought n RX400 H 50000 mls 96 and not spent a penny on it in 12 months, only thing needs fixing is the interior light bulb. They were so far ahead of the rest when new...still smoother at stop start than my nearly new VW
I’m a shade tree mechanic and like to fix my own cars. I did all four brakes, pads and rotors as well as passenger side front wheel bearing. Both jobs were so easy that a 12 yr old could have done it all in under 2 hrs! I saved millions in labor, so I’m happy!!!
Great car, I have a LS460 the air suspension overhall is expensive to fix but that the only thing that goes wrong, otherwise get coil overs and problems are all over!
Iv been looking for a ls430 for last few years and this is probably the 2nd best one iv seen... I was mad to pass by a 70k millage black one one owner full history and no advisory ever on mot for 3k 😭.
If this ever go up for sale I'll 100% be interested
That is a proper nice car and worth spending money on. Given the option of running this Lexus or a £5k Astra/Focus I know I would take the Lexus…it’s a no brainier. Cheers Matt 👍
Was waiting to see this 😄
One of the best car I've driven so far. I had an LS400 that was a great car too.
Great car! I drive a Lexus LX 470 from the same era. Surprised how solid these cars are build, electronics, suspension, leather etc all build bullet proof!
Genuine question, what are the best combinations of interesting, fun and relatively inexpensive to run that you'd recommend for low budgets? Say hundreds of pounds to a couple thousands? Really interested to hear your thoughts.
Favourite series only as LS my favourite car, and ask many if not all traders and you'd get same response, MEGA, cosseting luxo barge, any generation as good as the next, wonderous
Basically a mint s-class for 5 1/2k that's reliable too, can't really go wrong can you
The service life of an S Class is about 90k miles, the LS can easily go 400k with very minimal maintenance.
My 2000 ls430..Just replaced the telescopic (used for $ 100) and up-down motors (new for $200) on the steering wheel.. , front brakes have no sensor so remachined discs and new pads ($450 repair by dealer), the rear shade needs a repair on a broken joint, wheel alignment ($65).. but other wise a great old car made in Japan too!!
I know I’m seven months late to this party, but as for getting the smoke smell out, a small ozone generator for about 20 minutes every few weeks should kill it off.
As for painting the clam shell on the rear view mirror, the parts department at lexus in north Scottsdale sells a lot of body parts - new -that are a better buy than paint. I don’t live anywhere near there - i found them on eBay years ago and they are my default for hard to find and maintenance stuff.
I love your channel and these 2001-2006 Lexus cars are done ifcthe finest cars ever made. I had the LS and loved it. I now have the GS and while it’s intended to be as fancy, it’s a wonderful car too.
Keep up the brilliant videos - your Cayenne review has me looking for one if those to add to our garage next lol. Anyway - Happy Christmas
Doc Martin Mobile.. I'm always amazed how cheaply you can get an older Lexus in the UK. Here in the States, you could probably double the initial cost. Thanks for all of the really good information.
0:40. I think that was quite possibly the most civilised and laid back plug I have ever heard :). Keep up the great reviews.
Thanks for watching!
Great video, do love a LS having owned a 07 LS460. It was lovely. Looking to upgrade to a LS600hl. Would be interested to see if you get your hands on a LS600hl what you think. Please keep the different car video’s coming they are really great
I had an '08 Ls600hl. Had to replace the hybrid battery twice as well as the suspension twice. Zero engine trouble. Only regular maintenance
Great video, loved the out come because quality is priceless
I have been having issues with the wheels on my Volvo S60 and was thinking about having them done and was looking for a reliable place.
When a dealer goes to them you know they're sorted. And I'm only in Oldham so winner! £300 is a huge chunk of change, but for the work car wheels actually do, gotta be worth it.
Thanks for that. Oh yeah, nice Lexus.
Try AirVidox to get rid of the smell.
£20 on Amazon - and very good!
Thanks! I'll give that a whirl
These are one of the best used cars out there. I still like the LS400 too. Very understated and well worth a look. Don't buy the cheapest though, get the best you can afford.
That is a lovely example, very nice looking car. I did have one a few years ago and a beautiful car to drive but the fuel consumption was indeed terrible! Trouble is it's hard not to floor the car when driving, it's just so smooth.
You may have spent what seems a lot of money Matt but even after all these years that still a lot of car. I had the LS400 and 430 did about 130,000 effortless miles in each. So refined, a true luxury car but for many it had the wrong badge!!
How much does a good one of these go for? I think the spend was pretty reasonable tbh for what was a very expensive car when new. Wheel center caps were perhaps not really required! but everything else was just basic TLC/servicing etc and a few fairly minor faults. Run it for X number of years then punt it for a couple of grand maybe - luxurious way to travel:)
Good plan with the new mats in the boot . Keep em there, and they'll always be nice. After his service, my neighbour used to keep the polythene seat covers on for at least a month. "protects the seats mate"
Thank you for explaining the ups and downs of your repair experience. £900 x 4=£3600 for oem suspension struts. I saw an American was to be charged $4000, so he changed the type of suspension on his car for a cost of $1440. I much prefer your plan'B'... unless it's unavailable now because you have RUclips viewers trying to snap any 430's from autotraders.
Great video. Progressing well. Would you recommend the LS430 over the 460?
Great Video. It is nice to hear a Detailed, Breakdown of Maintenance Costs.
Great video. I admire your ability to search and acquire parts on line that save you money. The dealer/manufacturer mark up on these OEM parts is insane- I wish I had the ability to do what you do!
Thanx for your info,,,I just payed £1,200 on a major service including a rear caliper and a pair of rear discs,,on a hyundai santa fe,,,nowt cheap nowadays,,great video..👍👍
Great car. I have a 2004 LS 430 Ultra in France. You have few issues. According to Scotty Kilmer, the ONLY way to get rid of that horrible stale smoke smell is an Ozone Generator. The air suspension is a costly fix, but OEM parts should last decades. See what Scotty had to say about a car with several hundred thousand miles on it with the ORIGINAL water pump assembly! Thanks for the videos.
It's gonna last a life time.
@8:38 not ciggys in that motor lad. Will have been puffing on the Hamlets!
Haha 100%
Matt ,is a class act, he dont play games , I enjoy watching this channel
Should you buy:
Alfa Romeo 159
Fiat Croma (194)
Great video and getting parts of Ebay and the net make a lot of sense. Quite lot of investment on your part but as you say the car should now be able to keep going for quite a few years. In time I'm sure the LS430 will stop being seen as 'old' and will come to be regarded as a modern classic and prices will then rise - trick is knowing when that wil happen!
I see you mentioned the gearbox service again, this is a regular item on these reviews.... Which is absolutely right, I have both my car gearboxes serviced regularly and they are both as smooth as your silky delivery on these videos... Well done
Enzyme cleaner would help with the smoke smell along with an o zone cleaner, I recently detailed a Lexus lh 250 the carpet and leather come up amazing with how high quality they are
Love the shape of the car , solid. Great vid Mat. Nice office .
Thanks 👍
Worth every penny....
I love these videos that show how much car you get for very little money. I have a 17 s350, petrol that I paid 1800 euros for 3 yrs ago. 3 wks ago I looked at a 2017 Lexus ISF 300 sport,30k and a 2016 C220 sport 30k and they were so disappointing,the Lexus especially, was I going to hand out 30k of my hard earned money for something that didn't give near the satisfaction of my 17yr old S,just so others might be impressed, no way Jose. Keep the videos coming great stuff.
Well done. Seems like a small thing nut its a bit of a bug for me, the rear number plated is not level, so maybe a little adjustment will sort that out since you've gone to so much trouble with all the rest of it.
It sounds like Lexus are well supported with aftermarket parts in the UK. That is such a nice car, I'm actually quite envious. 😊
They're great cars
Those 4.3 v8 engines are bomb proof
Matt get an oil cooler fitted ASAP to prevent water getting into the gearbox. Great video they're stunning cars!
Great video as always. Which garage on Stockport you used for the timing belt replacement. I need mine done and lexus wants £900 for it.
Great video as always. That's a great car for the money and you've made an excellent job bringing it back up to standard. I love the videos where you buy something that needs a bit of tlc always a great transformation
Thanks! 👍
Like his M3. The cost ends up more than the cars worth. Sometimes i wonder if he knows the sales business. 🤣.
Good investment. Every drive in your LS430 contributes to your quality of life.
£4250 is still amazing value for one of these in such good condition I think. Here in Germany, you will be looking at at least 8000€ (£6900) for a decent one with good history and a nice spec (I know RHD cars are often worth a little less but this is still a large price gap). I think yours could go up a lot in value as the first generation LS400 did, because they're not too common, reliable and still luxurious today.
£11-12k here in Bangkok!
Fantastic looking car. Amazing how the small details have a big impact.
Every Lexus ( &Toyota Harrier) radiator clone version I have used I found to be more efficient than the originals and a third of the price. Use original thermostats though. I know of a 2003 LS here that had ZERO faults.. just normal services.... wonderful cars.
What with the wood and leather, it's almost my ideal car, except for the grey and 17mpg... Excellent video, Matt - cheers!
Did you fit the door glass yourself?
halo, wondering which type is better, 2002 model or facelift 2005 model? in term of reliability
Get the 400 if you can find a good one.....avoiding the Air suspension hassle....[ if you did all Four....4 grand plus labour if using genuine parts ].....Transmission
cooler hassle.....double glazing hassle....Stereo hassle....apart from bonnet struts....I had none of these issues on my 97 400.....204.000 miles. ....Best car I ever owned.
Keeping brand new mats in the boot as far too clean to put your feet on! Excellent car, absolutely worth keeping.
Haha I dont want to soil the new mats. They're too nice
Great video! Could you show us how the car looks after detailing, pls?
You can get the bonnett struts re-gased instead of getting new or second hand ones.
Almost everything you listed was simply deferred maintenance.
Still leaves you way ahead economically compared with buying a new or newer car.
I'm wondering if the jogger that went past is ok, he looked as if he was about to keel over...🤔
Love the ls430 my favourite luxury car would like to own one when my v70 2.4d is up for sale keep the videos coming matt love em
Thumbs up for prestige wheels, got my X351 ones done and they swapped tyres over for me as well.
where did you get the car waxoiled in manchester area? looking to get this done myself and looking for a recommendation!
Matt, just like your lexus, what other older gem cars can you recommend from same era and around similar budget?
Matt you need to spend 2 and 6 and get a new cap for the tyre pressure plug! Great Video similar to the Doc Martin car! Regards