As an aside, the boys at Lexus of Reading certainly did you a solid by doing that inspection for free. They might not accept payment, but I bet a case of beer dropped off on a Friday afternoon would be much appreciated by everyone! 🍻👍
Exactly ..Go do it ..Free means they have invested upfront with their customers and transparent with the cost .Whether You or I like it or not ..a Case of beer or a Platter or M&S sandwiches will be great . Go do it
Glad to hear that Lexus service is still good. We always found them to be excellent. Parts prices can be a bit crazy. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with this car.
Look, prices can be crazy, but if you do the work yourself, at least you save on labour and you have a genuine part. I learn this the hard way. No more rubbish parts. Only genuine or parts with a good name on it eg: Blue print etc.
Toyota and Lexus are renowned for their after-sales care so you were definitely in safe hands. To get this for free - big respect. I'm sure that an online search is an easy(ish) way to source a 2nd hand Battery clamp/figment. The cost - estimate £50 or under. As for the rest...... leaving that up to you and more knowledgeable Subs to find a solution. Good luck, Jack.
I have a 2000 LS400 I didn't know it first there was a water issue in the trunk until the spring thaw.. I had this horrible smell coming from my trunk. I could not find the issue and when I started to remove everything in the back, I saw the whole spare tire section was flooded with water... I was told to clean out all the drainage areas which I did but it did not solve the problem. It turns out the trunk hatch was a little raised on the passenger side so somebody removed it and straightened it out for me and that solve the problem but I haven't yet put the spare tire and the mat above that back yet.. my steering wheel column does not go up and down and I would like that fixed. But I'm assuming they'll charge an arm and a leg otherwise I'm happy with the car. But where I live there are lots of hills and some ice in the winter and a rear wheel drive car is not ideal for that kind of driving
A Neighbour had a similar wet carpet issue on his Audi A8 , turned out to be the roof drains down the A pillar, they block and the water ends up inside the car and results in very wet carpets. In an A8 the main ECUs are under the carpet!! not a good idea where, due to the design, its liable to get very wet. My old E46 BMW had similar issues with the drain off points getting blocked, but it was a very easy fix, unlike the Audi!
Have owned a fair number of the usual high end German makes over the years in addition to two Lexi. The service experience from Lexus USA has been far superior to any of the others going back at least a dozen years. Dropped off my LS460 this morning and was given my pick of service loaner vehicles to drive for the day. Last time (and I do mean the last time) I took a vehicle to the BMW dealer for a recall service, they acted as if they were doing me a huge favor by calling an Uber for me. This type of customer service keeps me coming back to Lexus products, in addition to their stellar reliability. Cheers!
That is so true, I purchased one of my Lexus vehicles from Carvana. I took it to the Lexus dealer for a check up. They let me use the loaner for a day because they didn't want me to wait all day.
Lexus have a great reputation for customer service, although the prices are eye-watering, and reliability. Be interesting to see how your LS400 turns out, thanks very much for sharing.
There is a reason why Lexus (Toyota) has the reputation they have, this is a driving proof. I think that with a little work and few hundred pounds you'll be able to drive another 200K miles. On the power steering, it seems that a seal(o-ring) deteriorated, the cheap guy here would take it apart, measure everything and find a generic replacement, if I could not find an original. Perhaps your TH-cam prestige can open the door of a rebuilding place and they either give you the seal or tell you what you need.
Regarding the steering rack, he can drive as it is for many years as long he keeps topping it up. I had a civic many years ago that when I bought it the steering rack was leaking already. I got a quote to replace it and I ran away from it. Owned the car for 10 years always topping it up now and then without issues.
I owned a 1998 ‘R’ Mk IV LS400 and ran this for 13 years and 235k miles - it is still the best car I have ever owned and even as the car got older, I managed to source new parts for the vehicle but not always via main dealers. Plenty of general garages can work on these cars with no problems whatsoever. My local Lexus dealer who are still servicing my 18 year old LS430 offer me great deals on their servicing and labour rates to encourage me to keep using them for works. Their service is excellent and in my opinion the best of all the manufacturers out there 👌👌👌
there is only one way to get the correct ride back - throw those coilovers in the bin + refit normal springs + struts. your battery clamp is in the boot. drill a hole next to the snapped stud + put a M6 nut+ bolt in [thats the ones with the 10mm head] CHANGE YOUR CAMBELT!!! keep up the good work
Jack, it's a pity the previous owners chose to stuff about with the suspension components, those cars had a lovely comfortable ride in standard trim. Lexus service is legendary, albeit expensive.
Oh and the mishmash with the shocks is definitely a thing. If the front wheels hit a bump, they will start oscillating, then a few milliseconds later, the rear hits the same bump and starts oscillating. If the damping is not chosen properly, front-to-back, then they can combine in uncomfortable ways. If it were me, I'd replace all four with stock (or stock equivalent aftermarket shocks). Just my humble opinion, because you said you want to experience it the way it should be. If there are aftermarket coilovers on the front, they are probably too stiff.
Get some second hand or rebuilt shocks for the car if you want it to feel like a Lexus, BCS will not let you enjoy the ride the way it was intended, even with 4 of them.
Another great vid Jack. That leak in the footwell? Had same on a Hyundai 'Tucson'. Chased it for months. Long story short. Checked the sunroof drain. Used a long thin fibreglass rod. Not blocked etc. BUT, later found the plastic drain pipe connected to the sunroof dain hole had detached due shrinkage of this old plastic pipe. So blowing it clear and 'rodding' it through never showed up this detachment issue. Just a thought......... Good for you Lexus Reading. Nice to hear of good service!!!!!!
I wonder if any bulkhead drainage tubes are blocked in the engine bay too ?. If they are serious levels of water will drop down the bulkhead into the footwells. My own vehicle had this problem and some years ago a friends Passat was in the same state . The drain holes were full of mud and moss.
Looks like those coil overs also have a fair bit of preload added to the springs, may be worth trying backing those off a bit as well as dialling down the damping which you have already done.
They are a brilliant car! But, only when original. Unfortunately lots have been ruined by conversions. Here in Thailand they are about 3 times the UK price!
It seems you got yourself a cheap one with relatively minor problems. Personally speaking, I prefer the LS430 (I'd like an SC430, but decent ones are pricey).
Hi Jack, not too bad from Lexus (even if they quoted for unobtainable parts!). For your door, until it is rehung (and boot lid), lather the seals in vaseline as a temp fix (MR2 owners have done it for decades on the T-Bars!), aside from that, balance the suspenders and it'll be tidy.
I would only do that if you are going to replace them. If I'm not mistaken that is a petroleum product and will cause the rubber to degrade. I think it causes it to swell first, which would explain why it works (as well as just having goop in there).
Vaseline on weather strips ? 😳 No, no and no ! It will kill the rubber. There is silicone grease specifically available for that. I've been using it for decades on my old car. It works perfectly on rubber seals, re-softening them almost as new. I saved a friend's 1974 TR6 dried and cracking windshield seals with it...
The previous "short-term" owner, who wound the suspension up, could've maybe fitted stiffer springs? I'd see if there are any serial numbers on the springs you can double-check with BC. Mind you, in my humble opinion, for what it's worth, I'd just junk them for some OEN struts.
The only way to get a perfect ride in an LS400 is to go back to original spec suspension. The designers put many thousands of hours into the LS400 only for people to mess it up with after market parts. Every time people modify a Lexus they make it worse then complain.
Those shock-absorbers are designed so you can reduce the tension in the spring by backing off the knurled spring seat at the bottom. Before you start spending I'd just try progressively adjusting the springs and see if it reduces the fore-and-aft pitching.
I own a LS400 and installed BC Coilovers with high end springs. Its wonderful that it handles better but the ride is atrocious in comparison to the old luxury wafty ride. So I suggest you buy front OEM units if you want the lovely ride. It actually handles decently with the OEM units for a big body 90s luxury car.
A few years ago I took my GS450H into Lexus Lincoln for check engine light. Turned out to be dirty lambda sensor which they cleaned. They asked me if I wanted them to wash the car, which I politely declined. I asked for the bill and they said no charge! The car was a long time out of warranty and didn't even come from them! Best customer service ever!
BC Racing is a company set up to support the “Fast and Furious” tuner crowd. They produce cheap, Chinese-made junk that enables you to lower the car so the entire thing can scrape on the ground, which is what the kids like. They also have spring rates far higher than stock, for that miserable bouncy ride. Finally, they have adjustable damping knobs which can be twirled around and around with no apparent effect. Job One should be to source a proper set of stock front struts, and then deposit the existing ones straight into the bin! I bought a Miata that was slammed to the ground with BC coilovers. I was able to raise it to a reasonable (lower than stock) ride height, but it boasts zero compliance even with the knobs twirled towards the soft side until my fingers blistered. I’ve driven it on the track where it feels okay, but on bumpy roads the car skitters over road imperfections and bounces the occupants heads off the roof over larger ones. I’ve since procured a proper set of shocks and springs from a Miata specialist but have yet to fit them. Once I’ve done so, I will have to decide if my conscience will allow me to sell the like-new BC Racing setup on eBay. Although I could probably recover some of the costs I’ve incurred in replacing them, part of me wouldn’t feel right inflicting them on some poor unsuspecting person. If that part prevails they will go straight into the bin!
You should have no qualms about reselling the BC coilovers, as long as you are up front about what they are. Someone is looking for that exact setup. Horses for courses.....
I think they are made in Taiwan, not China. They are not the best, but they are not the worst either -- they are certainly motorsports / track day orientated though. "I’ve driven it on the track where it feels okay" Well, it's designed for track days. You can't have both tight transient response in your MX-5 race car on super sticky Advan A048 tyres, **and** a complaint ride too, it doesn't work like that! Any suspension, like BC, that is designed to offer body control despite the high loads generated by super sticky track day and R-compound tyres is not going to ride well. Conversely, if you put A048s on a MX-5 with stock suspension (assuming an NA MX-5, those were 175mm 14" tyres on a standard one!), the body roll will be horrific, as the suspension will be overwhelmed by the grip generated by the tyres! :)
@@bobmcl2406 Exactly, someone will be looking to build a MX-5 race car or hillclimb car, and while the BC Racing coilovers are not the best of the best (i.e., your KW V3 or Ohlins or so forth), they are certainly OK and will do much better than a stock setup when paired with super sticky tyres. I guess where 576103 or the previous owner went wrong is thinking they are suitable for road car use. As always you have to check the spring rates, calculate natural frequencies and so on yourself (the sportiest OEM setups on road cars tend to be about 1.5-2 Hz suspension natural frequency, so you don't want to go any higher than that in terms of natural frequency -- whereas an S class might be well under 1 hZ!) -- it's a compromise. Between stock and a racing setup, there are intermediate setups of say lowering springs with uprated sports shocks (e.g., Koni Yellow, Koni DFV, Bilstein etc). So you could use something like that to say make a super-soft old MX5 drive like a more modern sporty road car like a S2000. It sounds like 576103's Miata specialist has clued them in on a setup along these lines, which is probably a good choice. The S2000's stock setup is quite stiff (for that good transient response on modern tyres), but not to the level of a BC Racing motorsport-orientated setup. PS. For some amusement check out Gabe's (OneLapHeroes, a racing driver) rant on the ND MX5 suspension being excessively soft: th-cam.com/video/-ICyUZmn1UA/w-d-xo.html "A brand new car that drives like a 30 year old car. Mazda set out to make the NA reborn, and recreated all the bad points of a 30 year old car. Totally unacceptable." Seems like what he really wanted was a Honda S2000, but with the miserly fuel consumption of the 1.5L MX5! :)
'Coilover' setups vary a lot! That's why they use inter-changable motorsport springs after all, where said springs are available anywhere from 2kg/mm (road-car-ish) up to 20 kg/mm (rock-solid) at 1 kg/mm increments. Some 'coilover' setups are around 3-5 kg/mm spring rate, giving about a 1.5Hz-1.8Hz suspension natural frequency (depending on corner weight & suspension motion ratio), which is about the same as an OEM setup on a sporty road car like a Subaru WRX or Renault Megane RS (OE setups tend to use progressive rate springs that are not fully linear though). Others 'coilover' setups run 14 kg/mm or more, which is rock-solid and is designed for a racing car, on slick tyres, on a circuit with heavily loaded corners (such a setup is totally crazy and unreasonable for a road car!). Even so, even if the BC setup for a LS400 is at the WRX/RenaultSport road car side of things (based on the sporty dampers they have available), that is still ****dramatically**** stiffer than the incredibly soft suspension the LS400 came with as standard! That's why I doubt BC Racing would have something that is truly suitable for a LS400, as it is out side their wheel house.
Lexus main dealers sound wonderful. I’ve never had a Lexus but if the experience you’ve had is universal then maybe that will change. I’d rather set my BMW on fire than have to take it back to my local dealer.
Great video Jack, my daily is a Lexus and I find Lexus customer care excellent! I’m in for service three times a year once you get a relationship going with your dealership the price of service/labour comes down! Not the most exciting cars in the world but in my experience they are by far the most reliable.
Agree absolutely, a friend of mine bought a used Lexus from his local dealer years ago, it's done many, many kilometres, always serviced by that dealer. The Lexus looks and runs like new.
Hi Jack at about 11:14 there appears to be a drip onto the corner of the front passenger seat coming from the sun roof.. Or it's getting late and the Christmas lights are playing tricks with my eyesight 🙈👍👍
And there you have it, immediate difference between German big-headed arrogance and through the nose prices and the supreme customer service from Lexus. And they even did it free! Can't beat that.
The values of LS400s have really started to rocket now, I paid £500 for my 140k FSH 1996 model six years ago. Unfortunately I have hacked it up pretty badly in order to fit a rear mount turbo in there and generally abuse it. Oh well, it's still fun!! Great cars
With your sunroof drains, there are hoses coming from each corner of the roof where you've already cleared the drains. I'm not sure on the Lexus but on many other cars this is a semi-rigid plastic hose that connects to rubber elbow "valves" that exit into the inner wing/wheelarch area. The semi-rigid plastic hose shrinks and pulls out of the rubber elbow "valves" allowing water to come straight out of the drain hose into the footwell. Try looking behind the driver side kick panel but also check that where the body flanges are on the inner wing at the front end of the boot aperture aren't letting all the water in which is then flowing forwards due to gravity and/or breaking. You show the flanges at 7:19 in the video, should be seam sealer but it isn't always sufficient, water gets in the gap between the flanges and rots it then makes the boot and drivers footwell wet
Another great video Jack, as I’ve said before I had one of these and an LS430 at the same time. I remember being upset in my early ownership at hitting a fox taking people to Cardiff Airport. I thought the damage on the fog light was going to be expensive as it was pushed back into the bumper. When I checked it at home I saw a steel bracket that had actually limited the damage and stopped the unit from falling apart. I’m sure this belt and braces build quality saved me a lot of money as I was able to pull things back into place with just a small crack in the plastic. For everyone who was concerned about the fox, with cubs, I saw no sign of it on or near the road on the way home so hopefully it got away ok. Thanks again Jack. Regards, Bob M. South Wales
@@Number27 Thanks, and you and family as well. I love watching your enjoyable episodes and look forward to more news and trials 🤭 with your interesting purchases. Regards, Bob M.
Americans would say, "Did this hot chick treat you well or was she too kinky?" They seem to have a sexual relationship to inanimate objects, namely cars. @1:20 Yes, but you hardly can blame the good old Lexus for the poor decision making of the previous owners. :)
In the early 2000's I spent time at the Avonmouth Toyota Import Centre in Bristol where these cars and others arrived from Japan. All Lexus were treated with the upmost care and respect and the pre delivery preparation before Transport to UK dealers was exemplary, separated from all the other Toyota stuff including the huge expensive Landcruisers. The SC 430 in the day was a dog, the IS200, especially the SE Auto (from memory) was my favourite, great cars, shame they have morphed into the modern day iterations which are anonymous, ugly, overpriced and thankfully rare on UK roads? If they exist, perhaps take the car to an independent Toyota garage to sort out your rear suspension issue.
Steering rack is an interesting one. Power steering packed up on my IS250 and saw some eye wateringly similar prices for a new steering rack. Replaced the power steering ECU for a £20 second-hand part just in case and it cured the issue, but the cost of things like a steering rack put me off (relatively) posh motoring.
I'd try driving it on every setting on the front coilovers, it probably drove fine on them before so one of the settings must match the rears i'd think
Solid car and yes they are built as best as they could be (unlike Mercedes of the same era), insecure battery is an MOT fail as I'm sure you know, weeping shocks are too although it is the discretion of the tester. Steering rack will be a seal or O-ring and not £3000+ to fix. I'd fit some standard front suspension if it can be found used and rebuilt? You can see the dimensions/travel of the coilovers just isn't right at all, spring should be much larger and more open. A good car though, well done.
I had a '94 North America model. The dashboard not lighting up is due to a fault in the wiring harness in the trunk. When the temperature gets low, one of the plugs slips out because it shrinks. It just needs to be popped back in. You might have to do this every winter. When I had mine, Lexus admitted that it was a common problem, and while they charged me (about $60, I think it was) the first time, every subsequent winter I took it in and they did it for free.
To be fair to the Lexus dealership,even if you were paying for it,I think it would be correct of them to include in a 'Safety Check' everything they deemed important.Really interesting.Cheers!
Hard ride in the front can be too much pre-load on the springs like motorcycle. Back-off the 2 rings with a C-spanner to lessen the hard ride. Then check the sag.
Just get the replacement shocks from factory or KYB and factory springs. If you want better handling but not harsh go with Koni shocks. BC Racing coilovers....no way...
I really enjoyed the S Class series & this one is a little gem as well ... Once again Lexus proves it's in another customer care league ... something the German manufacturers just don't get ... that Lexus would still be bothered with an older model speaks volumes ...👍
Always wanted a first gen LS400, from the time my boss had a new one early nineties in upstate NY. Your experience with that dealer makes me want one all over again. Build quality in cars just seems to be a thing of the past...
You should look into Lanoguard as a cheap and very easy way to protect the underside of your car. Some good videos worth watching on TH-cam. You would buy whole kit for under £90 and do the job in minutes. My dad just bought it for his Saab and was impressed.
Great video and considering the mileage not that bad at all. Looking forward to seeing you sort the major issues. That’s the thing with Lexus, they rarely go wrong but when they do main dealer parts prices are unbelievable although servicing even for my 5.0 V8 ISF is very reasonable hence why I still use them over a specialist, owned a 08 ISF for 5 years serviced at Lexus and recently bought a later facelift ISF which is 11 years old yet the dealer treats you like you’re in a new car when you visit. I’ve had every new Lexus model as a free courtesy car whilst my ISF was in for service too. They treat you so well as a customer and make you feel special. I’ve never had that with any other dealer.
I for one think thats a very intelligent thing to do - take the Merc & the Lexus to a dealer to see how much they intend to charge & then see how much cheaper they are to fix elsewhere -Brilliant strategy - agree 100%
I have a 1990 Lexus LS400 I got for $650 USD with 258k miles, I brought it to Longo Lexus right here in Southern California, they said that the car was too old and should be retired and handed over to a recycling facility. 🤨 this was said by the employee, the papers they gave me, and email, it made me laugh so hard, the car is BEAUTIFUL and honestly in better shape than most 5 year old cars now.
My experience after visiting Lexus dealerships/shops in two different Euro countries is that it seems to me that they have the same orders in how to treat their customers (my guess from Lexus Coprorate in Japan).... because it has been such a big difference compared to the usual dealership experience (pick any common major Euro brand) & i´m not talking about when buying a car but when u bring it in to have a problem fixed. Yes...Lexus parts can be very expensive depending upon what part & for what model...this is true....it is what it is. But, the way the staff works with you to solve your problem & fix your car.... this is where they shine & labor cost is in my experience not worse than any other dealership. I´m not a fanatic Lexus fanboy...loyalty goes both ways... But, as long as Lexus keeps up the build quality of their cars & as long as the dealerships don´t act like they are fat & happy...I´ll stick to Lexus.
LS400 looks so much like a Camry from the same year. I guess that's because it was made before 2002, when Toyota/Lexus began making a bunch of differently shaped cars each year.
Honestly, go on eBay or any Toyota/Lexus scrap yard and get 2nd hand front shocks for this car - original ones. If you want to experience the car how it is from the factory, get OEM parts and flip the 3rd party BC front suspension. Never watched your channel before but if you handy and have the space, you can replace the bushes, service the suspension and it's done. You can even get the compressor for the aircon on the 2nd hand market - infact I wouldn't bother with new parts unless you plan to keep the car for another 20 years and have deep pockets.
Lexus service has always been several cuts above the rest. It's the way their staff are trained. Okay, I know the repair and service prices are very high, and I have a theory about this. I own a 2006 GS300 SE-L, and I've had work done at Lexus as well as by a very good local repair shop. Whilst the latter was a lot cheaper, it has to be said that the Lexus work was incredibly thorough and there was always a little something extra which wasn't charged for. For example: my car went to Lexus for a service; cost £1,100! but when I collected the car the first thing I noticed was that it had been polished (free) and valetted (also free), the car was gleaming outside and spotless inside (it was like a new car!). In addition, and also free, was a full and comprehensively detailed vehicle report. The "freebies" I think probably amounted to about £300 worth of work. Very impressive I thought. May I suggest that you replace your entire suspension set-up with matched coilovers? You won't regret it. I enjoyed your review very much, so I've subscribed and hit the bell.
The coil overs will be spring adjustment that knob on top is for final tuning. The preload is to tight and will need backing off BC should be able to this simply. LS400 shocks are about 5times standard after market shocks. BC coil over shocks are better for final adjustment and longevity . If no history on CAMBELT change it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!! agree with Paul Riggers
Lexus are good solid cars and SUV’s….you have to keep up on maintenance or it could eat you alive. You went to the dealers service bay that’s a serious service markup….there are things that I have done at the dealer and things I have done at a local shop. I have a 2006 RX 400h SUV and everything thing works….my batteries in the hybrid are still performing well….it acts like a Prius….it’s great for car camping to keep you warm or cool!! You can just set and forget it!! Just make a list and get the most important things fixed first…. People will tell you to get rid of it…DON’T!! If you like it and it serves it’s purpose…it’s doing it’s job!! If you get rid of and start all over….your new car will break down as well!! Even new cars break something!! If something breaks….get it fixed!! Good luck and enjoy owning a Lexus….this is my second one! I had a auto starter in stalled to warm up or cool off my truck!! Great right now when it’s 2 degrees in Wisconsin
3:00 One hour of labor at Mercedes is 130quid? Who is working on the car? Toto Wolff himself? 200K miles and just : new aircon compressor, a used battery clamp, two used seals, some cluster lightning, a dripping oil pan, an additive for the steering house and some good used coils.. Bring a 24 year old 7 series with 200K miles to the BMW dealer and you get a quote so high you can apply for a mortgage!!
16yrs ago i had a Japanese import Toyota/Lexus Soarer 2.5 twin turbo, it needed a drivers side shock, only place i could buy from it was from Lexus…£320!!! For one shock and that was 16yrs ago, id cry now if i had to get one but saying that it was wonderful to drive afterwards.
200k miles is nothing nowadays, I have 240k miles on my '05 Mazda3 and know several people with much higher mileage. First and foremost repair, in my opinion, I would suggest would be the window leaks. As for suspension, get rid of the coil-overs and just buy a full set of shocks and struts from a good aftermarket, it'll save you money and level things out. Get some new Michelin tires on there. Finally have the vehicle sprayed with a corrosion resistant spray. We have Krown here in Canada, not sure if you have it there. My car has been sprayed yearly, and is a daily driver through 16.5 yrs of all kinds of weather, salted roads, etc, and is at this moment completely rust free. No leaks, very low maintenance and still rides like new. Oh and surprised the Lexus dealer didn't charge. Thats very uncommon these days.
My mom had a 1995 LS400 that we bought “certified pre-owned” in 1998. That car was unbelievably luxurious in its day. We were the envy of the neighborhood!
What a horrible voice and a man trying to be a teenager , The kids must cringe ,wife walks 2 foot behind ,He is trying to be TIM off BMW ..I have a LS 430 ,with 567,000 miles on the clock , lexus love it .
years ago we bought a 6/7 year old LS400 from Lexus Guildford so it was relatively small money for them. Both Guildford and Reading Lexus support and service was superb. So much so that after years of indifferent or plain poor service for Mercedes and BMW dealers we reverted back to Lexus. When you spend £50k on a new car your confidence in the future service of the dealer is an important thing to consider.
You seem to be like another famous Englishman when it come to cars: Basil Fawlty. Follow the recommendations of the dealer; have them do the work, A to Z; pay for Lexus parts, not grey market junk. Do it right; pay full tab; then - enjoy your car!
4:00 - Reminds me of a Honda dealers. I had a car I booked in for minor work (I don't even recall what it was now) and told them they needed to call me if it needed more work doing. When I went to pick it up they suddenly told me the car needed new brakes all round and they'd done it - please pay another £400. I told them it was unsolicited work and I wouldn't pay and they told me it would be illegal for them not to do the work (total bollocks) and I needed to pay, in full, before they'd give me the car back. I agreed to pay for the work I actually requested (around £120 ) and when they handed me the card machine it had £520 on it, and the service managers thumb over the screen (nice try).... I told them I was paying £120, they threatened to call the police, auction the car off and so on and so forth. Total snowball artists. I eventually paid in what I actually owed, and they refused to give me the keys so I just snatched the keys and left. Never heard any more about it, but they were disenfranchised by Honda a few months later (can't think why) and closed down. It was a bad experience, but at least Honda dealt with it effectively. Biggest turd - The brake disks had been changed on the last MOT, about 3 months prior and their "new" ones were slightly rusty....
FYI, As long as the engine does not have varible valve timing Your engine is not a interference engine,you only need to change your cam belt when it's broke. That leather and dashboard is in pristine condition. I wanted a 1996 through 1997 LS400 to avoid the variable valve timing in my USA market, 1998 adds variable valve timing interference engine.
Not a bad haircut mate,not bad at all... The lexus will be the better car and more reliable than the Merc and I love mercs but the s class is known for its problems where's the lexus isn't so much,if you offered me one of them I'd take the ls400 even though I prefer the mercedes"still think you'd like my w202😂 🤣
The “I bought the cheapest Rolls Royce and look how much they want to fix it!” content has been done to death by Hoovies Garage etc. Maybe do more fix ups on interesting cars like the Lotus or a Peugeot 205 where you can improve a tatty car?
I just chatted with Lexus of Reading, on the phone, they insisted that they did NOT have free inspection service. Do you know if they made changes lately?
A comment on bc racing coil overs. I no way would I knock them as I have them on my civic and they make it feel great but even on the softest setting they are a firm ride. I would in no way think of them as soft as an original ride. May be if they where wound out to there fullest height so they had more travel, would this then help.
Common problem for the boot seal to leak, replacing the seal sorts that issue out, £35 for a new one off the bay, why bother taking off an 24 year old perished rubber seal to put it back on. Drivers door leak is likely from the chrome door trim, it attaches to the door via studs and nuts and over time that seal fails and rots a stud and nut along the top. My car leaks from the same location and in heavy rain can see water drip from the doors tweeter speaker grill. Inspected door seal, door mirror seal, and blew out the sunroof drains and non were deemed the cause of my leaking. So I assume my window trim is leaking based on what i found from a 1998 door I took apart.
![More Fixes AND Deciding to KEEP or SELL The BisMerc? [Mercedes W124 300CE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vez3JwJPP5k/mqdefault.jpg)
As an aside, the boys at Lexus of Reading certainly did you a solid by doing that inspection for free. They might not accept payment, but I bet a case of beer dropped off on a Friday afternoon would be much appreciated by everyone! 🍻👍
Exactly ..Go do it ..Free means they have invested upfront with their customers and transparent with the cost .Whether You or I like it or not ..a Case of beer or a Platter or M&S sandwiches will be great . Go do it
@@rajmax6922
That is exactly what I do when my mechanic doesnt charge for small things.
You're not wrong but they do get exposure and it's good way to advertise their customer service :)
Glad to hear that Lexus service is still good. We always found them to be excellent. Parts prices can be a bit crazy. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with this car.
Look, prices can be crazy, but if you do the work yourself, at least you save on labour and you have a genuine part. I learn this the hard way. No more rubbish parts. Only genuine or parts with a good name on it eg: Blue print etc.
Honestly, for the money, that seems like a fantastic car.
Toyota and Lexus are renowned for their after-sales care so you were definitely in safe hands. To get this for free - big respect.
I'm sure that an online search is an easy(ish) way to source a 2nd hand Battery clamp/figment. The cost - estimate £50 or under.
As for the rest...... leaving that up to you and more knowledgeable Subs to find a solution.
Good luck, Jack.
Thank you Graham!!
Gold badges incoming?
hahahah!! No...
I have a 2000 LS400 I didn't know it first there was a water issue in the trunk until the spring thaw.. I had this horrible smell coming from my trunk. I could not find the issue and when I started to remove everything in the back, I saw the whole spare tire section was flooded with water... I was told to clean out all the drainage areas which I did but it did not solve the problem. It turns out the trunk hatch was a little raised on the passenger side so somebody removed it and straightened it out for me and that solve the problem but I haven't yet put the spare tire and the mat above that back yet.. my steering wheel column does not go up and down and I would like that fixed. But I'm assuming they'll charge an arm and a leg otherwise I'm happy with the car. But where I live there are lots of hills and some ice in the winter and a rear wheel drive car is not ideal for that kind of driving
A Neighbour had a similar wet carpet issue on his Audi A8 , turned out to be the roof drains down the A pillar, they block and the water ends up inside the car and results in very wet carpets. In an A8 the main ECUs are under the carpet!! not a good idea where, due to the design, its liable to get very wet.
My old E46 BMW had similar issues with the drain off points getting blocked, but it was a very easy fix, unlike the Audi!
Love how half the Lexus sign was broken.....like the lexus. 😁
Overall it doesn’t sound too bad, I think you’ve got a good bargain with this one.
These dealerships are going to get wise to your timewasting.
£180 an hour for Lexus ! pay £48 for my Saab 9.3 Aero convertible
Have owned a fair number of the usual high end German makes over the years in addition to two Lexi. The service experience from Lexus USA has been far superior to any of the others going back at least a dozen years. Dropped off my LS460 this morning and was given my pick of service loaner vehicles to drive for the day. Last time (and I do mean the last time) I took a vehicle to the BMW dealer for a recall service, they acted as if they were doing me a huge favor by calling an Uber for me. This type of customer service keeps me coming back to Lexus products, in addition to their stellar reliability. Cheers!
I think that is a german premium cars dealerships' global customer policy to treat every customer like s...t
That is so true, I purchased one of my Lexus vehicles from Carvana. I took it to the Lexus dealer for a check up. They let me use the loaner for a day because they didn't want me to wait all day.
How refreshing to hear of how good the Lexus customer service was. Well done Lexus. Looks like you have a decent car, looking forward to more on this
I really like the Lexus customer service. I go to Lexus Glasgow
Lexus have a great reputation for customer service, although the prices are eye-watering, and reliability. Be interesting to see how your LS400 turns out, thanks very much for sharing.
As long as Jack can fix the water leaks and fix the rust all will be well.
There is a reason why Lexus (Toyota) has the reputation they have, this is a driving proof. I think that with a little work and few hundred pounds you'll be able to drive another 200K miles. On the power steering, it seems that a seal(o-ring) deteriorated, the cheap guy here would take it apart, measure everything and find a generic replacement, if I could not find an original. Perhaps your TH-cam prestige can open the door of a rebuilding place and they either give you the seal or tell you what you need.
Regarding the steering rack, he can drive as it is for many years as long he keeps topping it up. I had a civic many years ago that when I bought it the steering rack was leaking already. I got a quote to replace it and I ran away from it. Owned the car for 10 years always topping it up now and then without issues.
I owned a 1998 ‘R’ Mk IV LS400 and ran this for 13 years and 235k miles - it is still the best car I have ever owned and even as the car got older, I managed to source new parts for the vehicle but not always via main dealers. Plenty of general garages can work on these cars with no problems whatsoever. My local Lexus dealer who are still servicing my 18 year old LS430 offer me great deals on their servicing and labour rates to encourage me to keep using them for works. Their service is excellent and in my opinion the best of all the manufacturers out there 👌👌👌
Amazing! It’s good to know how it is still going great!
there is only one way to get the correct ride back - throw those coilovers in the bin + refit normal springs + struts.
your battery clamp is in the boot. drill a hole next to the snapped stud + put a M6 nut+ bolt in [thats the ones with the 10mm head]
CHANGE YOUR CAMBELT!!! keep up the good work
Better still, put the coilovers on Ebay and use the cash to buy a good 2nd hand set of original spec springs. Modifications rarely make a car better!
@@TheMentalblockrock Now that is an advice. Don't ask how I know lol
This guy has no mechanical knowledge whatsoever. It’s almost painful.
@@mark4lev don’t watch it, it will not hurt you then 😂😂. Sorry I couldn’t resist.
Coilovers are better
Jack, it's a pity the previous owners chose to stuff about with the suspension components, those cars had a lovely comfortable ride in standard trim. Lexus service is legendary, albeit expensive.
Replace the door seal, new shocks all the way around and it'll be fine. Definitely don't want to keep the mishmash suspension 😂
Coil Overs are always harder than stock even on their lowest setting.
Oh and the mishmash with the shocks is definitely a thing. If the front wheels hit a bump, they will start oscillating, then a few milliseconds later, the rear hits the same bump and starts oscillating. If the damping is not chosen properly, front-to-back, then they can combine in uncomfortable ways. If it were me, I'd replace all four with stock (or stock equivalent aftermarket shocks). Just my humble opinion, because you said you want to experience it the way it should be. If there are aftermarket coilovers on the front, they are probably too stiff.
Get some second hand or rebuilt shocks for the car if you want it to feel like a Lexus, BCS will not let you enjoy the ride the way it was intended, even with 4 of them.
Another great vid Jack.
That leak in the footwell? Had same on a Hyundai 'Tucson'. Chased it for months. Long story short.
Checked the sunroof drain. Used a long thin fibreglass rod. Not blocked etc. BUT, later found the plastic drain pipe connected to the sunroof dain hole had detached due shrinkage of this old plastic pipe. So blowing it clear and 'rodding' it through never showed up this detachment issue. Just a thought.........
Good for you Lexus Reading. Nice to hear of good service!!!!!!
I wonder if any bulkhead drainage tubes are blocked in the engine bay too ?. If they are serious levels of water will drop down the bulkhead into the footwells. My own vehicle had this problem and some years ago a friends Passat was in the same state . The drain holes were full of mud and moss.
Lexus always seem to score highly on customer care and overall reliability of their cars. Look forward to further progress. 👍
Looks like those coil overs also have a fair bit of preload added to the springs, may be worth trying backing those off a bit as well as dialling down the damping which you have already done.
They are a brilliant car! But, only when original. Unfortunately lots have been ruined by conversions. Here in Thailand they are about 3 times the UK price!
It seems you got yourself a cheap one with relatively minor problems. Personally speaking, I prefer the LS430 (I'd like an SC430, but decent ones are pricey).
Hi Jack, not too bad from Lexus (even if they quoted for unobtainable parts!). For your door, until it is rehung (and boot lid), lather the seals in vaseline as a temp fix (MR2 owners have done it for decades on the T-Bars!), aside from that, balance the suspenders and it'll be tidy.
I would only do that if you are going to replace them. If I'm not mistaken that is a petroleum product and will cause the rubber to degrade. I think it causes it to swell first, which would explain why it works (as well as just having goop in there).
Vaseline on weather strips ? 😳 No, no and no ! It will kill the rubber. There is silicone grease specifically available for that. I've been using it for decades on my old car. It works perfectly on rubber seals, re-softening them almost as new. I saved a friend's 1974 TR6 dried and cracking windshield seals with it...
Might be worth checking the scuttle panel drains too? They could be clogged with crud
I'd second that.
Stick a fresh set of kyb shockers on it all round and remove those coilovers 👍
The previous "short-term" owner, who wound the suspension up, could've maybe fitted stiffer springs? I'd see if there are any serial numbers on the springs you can double-check with BC. Mind you, in my humble opinion, for what it's worth, I'd just junk them for some OEN struts.
Hey Jack, no wonder the components are weeping, it,s the £8000 total quote.
The only way to get a perfect ride in an LS400 is to go back to original spec suspension. The designers put many thousands of hours into the LS400 only for people to mess it up with after market parts. Every time people modify a Lexus they make it worse then complain.
Those shock-absorbers are designed so you can reduce the tension in the spring by backing off the knurled spring seat at the bottom. Before you start spending I'd just try progressively adjusting the springs and see if it reduces the fore-and-aft pitching.
I own a LS400 and installed BC Coilovers with high end springs. Its wonderful that it handles better but the ride is atrocious in comparison to the old luxury wafty ride. So I suggest you buy front OEM units if you want the lovely ride. It actually handles decently with the OEM units for a big body 90s luxury car.
@Number 27, Epic series man!. I live for this ok :)
Ah thank you Alejandro!!
Is there any plastic weather sheet inside the door ?
A few years ago I took my GS450H into Lexus Lincoln for check engine light. Turned out to be dirty lambda sensor which they cleaned. They asked me if I wanted them to wash the car, which I politely declined. I asked for the bill and they said no charge! The car was a long time out of warranty and didn't even come from them! Best customer service ever!
BC Racing is a company set up to support the “Fast and Furious” tuner crowd. They produce cheap, Chinese-made junk that enables you to lower the car so the entire thing can scrape on the ground, which is what the kids like. They also have spring rates far higher than stock, for that miserable bouncy ride. Finally, they have adjustable damping knobs which can be twirled around and around with no apparent effect.
Job One should be to source a proper set of stock front struts, and then deposit the existing ones straight into the bin!
I bought a Miata that was slammed to the ground with BC coilovers. I was able to raise it to a reasonable (lower than stock) ride height, but it boasts zero compliance even with the knobs twirled towards the soft side until my fingers blistered. I’ve driven it on the track where it feels okay, but on bumpy roads the car skitters over road imperfections and bounces the occupants heads off the roof over larger ones. I’ve since procured a proper set of shocks and springs from a Miata specialist but have yet to fit them. Once I’ve done so, I will have to decide if my conscience will allow me to sell the like-new BC Racing setup on eBay. Although I could probably recover some of the costs I’ve incurred in replacing them, part of me wouldn’t feel right inflicting them on some poor unsuspecting person. If that part prevails they will go straight into the bin!
AM looking at some standard shocks!!
You should have no qualms about reselling the BC coilovers, as long as you are up front about what they are. Someone is looking for that exact setup. Horses for courses.....
I think they are made in Taiwan, not China. They are not the best, but they are not the worst either -- they are certainly motorsports / track day orientated though. "I’ve driven it on the track where it feels okay" Well, it's designed for track days. You can't have both tight transient response in your MX-5 race car on super sticky Advan A048 tyres, **and** a complaint ride too, it doesn't work like that! Any suspension, like BC, that is designed to offer body control despite the high loads generated by super sticky track day and R-compound tyres is not going to ride well. Conversely, if you put A048s on a MX-5 with stock suspension (assuming an NA MX-5, those were 175mm 14" tyres on a standard one!), the body roll will be horrific, as the suspension will be overwhelmed by the grip generated by the tyres! :)
@@bobmcl2406 Exactly, someone will be looking to build a MX-5 race car or hillclimb car, and while the BC Racing coilovers are not the best of the best (i.e., your KW V3 or Ohlins or so forth), they are certainly OK and will do much better than a stock setup when paired with super sticky tyres. I guess where 576103 or the previous owner went wrong is thinking they are suitable for road car use. As always you have to check the spring rates, calculate natural frequencies and so on yourself (the sportiest OEM setups on road cars tend to be about 1.5-2 Hz suspension natural frequency, so you don't want to go any higher than that in terms of natural frequency -- whereas an S class might be well under 1 hZ!) -- it's a compromise.
Between stock and a racing setup, there are intermediate setups of say lowering springs with uprated sports shocks (e.g., Koni Yellow, Koni DFV, Bilstein etc). So you could use something like that to say make a super-soft old MX5 drive like a more modern sporty road car like a S2000. It sounds like 576103's Miata specialist has clued them in on a setup along these lines, which is probably a good choice. The S2000's stock setup is quite stiff (for that good transient response on modern tyres), but not to the level of a BC Racing motorsport-orientated setup.
PS. For some amusement check out Gabe's (OneLapHeroes, a racing driver) rant on the ND MX5 suspension being excessively soft: th-cam.com/video/-ICyUZmn1UA/w-d-xo.html "A brand new car that drives like a 30 year old car. Mazda set out to make the NA reborn, and recreated all the bad points of a 30 year old car. Totally unacceptable." Seems like what he really wanted was a Honda S2000, but with the miserly fuel consumption of the 1.5L MX5! :)
'Coilover' setups vary a lot! That's why they use inter-changable motorsport springs after all, where said springs are available anywhere from 2kg/mm (road-car-ish) up to 20 kg/mm (rock-solid) at 1 kg/mm increments. Some 'coilover' setups are around 3-5 kg/mm spring rate, giving about a 1.5Hz-1.8Hz suspension natural frequency (depending on corner weight & suspension motion ratio), which is about the same as an OEM setup on a sporty road car like a Subaru WRX or Renault Megane RS (OE setups tend to use progressive rate springs that are not fully linear though). Others 'coilover' setups run 14 kg/mm or more, which is rock-solid and is designed for a racing car, on slick tyres, on a circuit with heavily loaded corners (such a setup is totally crazy and unreasonable for a road car!).
Even so, even if the BC setup for a LS400 is at the WRX/RenaultSport road car side of things (based on the sporty dampers they have available), that is still ****dramatically**** stiffer than the incredibly soft suspension the LS400 came with as standard! That's why I doubt BC Racing would have something that is truly suitable for a LS400, as it is out side their wheel house.
Lexus main dealers sound wonderful. I’ve never had a Lexus but if the experience you’ve had is universal then maybe that will change. I’d rather set my BMW on fire than have to take it back to my local dealer.
Great video Jack, my daily is a Lexus and I find Lexus customer care excellent! I’m in for service three times a year once you get a relationship going with your dealership the price of service/labour comes down!
Not the most exciting cars in the world but in my experience they are by far the most reliable.
Agree absolutely, a friend of mine bought a used Lexus from his local dealer years ago, it's done many, many kilometres, always serviced by that dealer. The Lexus looks and runs like new.
@@gazzafloss Yeah they are superb cars! Look after them and they can last an awfully long time!
He needs a donor car which I think he's already sitting in..!
Loving this series. It seems that your Lexus is in great shape. So far! Great stuff Jack - good luck with it.
Hi Jack at about 11:14 there appears to be a drip onto the corner of the front passenger seat coming from the sun roof.. Or it's getting late and the Christmas lights are playing tricks with my eyesight 🙈👍👍
As they're virtually new I would sell the silly coilovers and buy a good second hand set of front struts!
Good advice!
And there you have it, immediate difference between German big-headed arrogance and through the nose prices and the supreme customer service from Lexus. And they even did it free! Can't beat that.
Check out a Toyota battery clamp, landcrusier or similar, got to be available and cheap at a breakers. And everything else you need for that matter.
The values of LS400s have really started to rocket now, I paid £500 for my 140k FSH 1996 model six years ago. Unfortunately I have hacked it up pretty badly in order to fit a rear mount turbo in there and generally abuse it. Oh well, it's still fun!!
Great cars
With your sunroof drains, there are hoses coming from each corner of the roof where you've already cleared the drains. I'm not sure on the Lexus but on many other cars this is a semi-rigid plastic hose that connects to rubber elbow "valves" that exit into the inner wing/wheelarch area.
The semi-rigid plastic hose shrinks and pulls out of the rubber elbow "valves" allowing water to come straight out of the drain hose into the footwell. Try looking behind the driver side kick panel but also check that where the body flanges are on the inner wing at the front end of the boot aperture aren't letting all the water in which is then flowing forwards due to gravity and/or breaking. You show the flanges at 7:19 in the video, should be seam sealer but it isn't always sufficient, water gets in the gap between the flanges and rots it then makes the boot and drivers footwell wet
Yes, I also wanted to suggest that there are many ways that a sunroof can deliver water to the floor, so don't stop looking there just yet.
Another great video Jack, as I’ve said before I had one of these and an LS430 at the same time. I remember being upset in my early ownership at hitting a fox taking people to Cardiff Airport. I thought the damage on the fog light was going to be expensive as it was pushed back into the bumper. When I checked it at home I saw a steel bracket that had actually limited the damage and stopped the unit from falling apart. I’m sure this belt and braces build quality saved me a lot of money as I was able to pull things back into place with just a small crack in the plastic.
For everyone who was concerned about the fox, with cubs, I saw no sign of it on or near the road on the way home so hopefully it got away ok. Thanks again Jack. Regards, Bob M. South Wales
P.S. the fox wasn’t taking people to the airport, I was 🤗🤪
Cheers Bob, have a good holidays Mate!
@@Number27 Thanks, and you and family as well. I love watching your enjoyable episodes and look forward to more news and trials 🤭 with your interesting purchases. Regards, Bob M.
@@bobmizen1 I wanted to double-check on those foxy airport minicab drivers 👍👍. (edit:+1)
Americans would say, "Did this hot chick treat you well or was she too kinky?" They seem to have a sexual relationship to inanimate objects, namely cars.
@1:20 Yes, but you hardly can blame the good old Lexus for the poor decision making of the previous owners. :)
In the early 2000's I spent time at the Avonmouth Toyota Import Centre in Bristol where these cars and others arrived from Japan. All Lexus were treated with the upmost care and respect and the pre delivery preparation before Transport to UK dealers was exemplary, separated from all the other Toyota stuff including the huge expensive Landcruisers. The SC 430 in the day was a dog, the IS200, especially the SE Auto (from memory) was my favourite, great cars, shame they have morphed into the modern day iterations which are anonymous, ugly, overpriced and thankfully rare on UK roads? If they exist, perhaps take the car to an independent Toyota garage to sort out your rear suspension issue.
Steering rack is an interesting one. Power steering packed up on my IS250 and saw some eye wateringly similar prices for a new steering rack. Replaced the power steering ECU for a £20 second-hand part just in case and it cured the issue, but the cost of things like a steering rack put me off (relatively) posh motoring.
Astonishing how much Lexus charges for a rack.
I'd try driving it on every setting on the front coilovers, it probably drove fine on them before so one of the settings must match the rears i'd think
Solid car and yes they are built as best as they could be (unlike Mercedes of the same era), insecure battery is an MOT fail as I'm sure you know, weeping shocks are too although it is the discretion of the tester. Steering rack will be a seal or O-ring and not £3000+ to fix. I'd fit some standard front suspension if it can be found used and rebuilt? You can see the dimensions/travel of the coilovers just isn't right at all, spring should be much larger and more open. A good car though, well done.
I had a '94 North America model. The dashboard not lighting up is due to a fault in the wiring harness in the trunk. When the temperature gets low, one of the plugs slips out because it shrinks. It just needs to be popped back in. You might have to do this every winter.
When I had mine, Lexus admitted that it was a common problem, and while they charged me (about $60, I think it was) the first time, every subsequent winter I took it in and they did it for free.
To be fair to the Lexus dealership,even if you were paying for it,I think it would be correct of them to include in a 'Safety Check' everything they deemed important.Really interesting.Cheers!
Hard ride in the front can be too much pre-load on the springs like motorcycle. Back-off the 2 rings with a C-spanner to lessen the hard ride. Then check the sag.
Just get the replacement shocks from factory or KYB and factory springs. If you want better handling but not harsh go with Koni shocks. BC Racing coilovers....no way...
I really enjoyed the S Class series & this one is a little gem as well ...
Once again Lexus proves it's in another customer care league ... something the German manufacturers just don't get ... that Lexus would still be bothered with an older model speaks volumes ...👍
You're never going to experience the stock ride comfort with coil overs no matter how soft you try to set them.
Always wanted a first gen LS400, from the time my boss had a new one early nineties in upstate NY. Your experience with that dealer makes me want one all over again. Build quality in cars just seems to be a thing of the past...
Awesome video. Keep up the good work.
You should look into Lanoguard as a cheap and very easy way to protect the underside of your car. Some good videos worth watching on TH-cam. You would buy whole kit for under £90 and do the job in minutes. My dad just bought it for his Saab and was impressed.
Great video and considering the mileage not that bad at all. Looking forward to seeing you sort the major issues.
That’s the thing with Lexus, they rarely go wrong but when they do main dealer parts prices are unbelievable although servicing even for my 5.0 V8 ISF is very reasonable hence why I still use them over a specialist, owned a 08 ISF for 5 years serviced at Lexus and recently bought a later facelift ISF which is 11 years old yet the dealer treats you like you’re in a new car when you visit.
I’ve had every new Lexus model as a free courtesy car whilst my ISF was in for service too. They treat you so well as a customer and make you feel special. I’ve never had that with any other dealer.
I for one think thats a very intelligent thing to do - take the Merc & the Lexus to a dealer to see how much they intend to charge & then see how much cheaper they are to fix elsewhere -Brilliant strategy - agree 100%
I have a 1990 Lexus LS400 I got for $650 USD with 258k miles, I brought it to Longo Lexus right here in Southern California, they said that the car was too old and should be retired and handed over to a recycling facility. 🤨 this was said by the employee, the papers they gave me, and email, it made me laugh so hard, the car is BEAUTIFUL and honestly in better shape than most 5 year old cars now.
My experience after visiting Lexus dealerships/shops in two different Euro countries is that it seems to me that they have the same orders in how to treat their customers (my guess from Lexus Coprorate in Japan).... because it has been such a big difference compared to the usual dealership experience (pick any common major Euro brand) & i´m not talking about when buying a car but when u bring it in to have a problem fixed.
Yes...Lexus parts can be very expensive depending upon what part & for what model...this is true....it is what it is. But, the way the staff works with you to solve your problem & fix your car.... this is where they shine & labor cost is in my experience not worse than any other dealership.
I´m not a fanatic Lexus fanboy...loyalty goes both ways... But, as long as Lexus keeps up the build quality of their cars & as long as the dealerships don´t act like they are fat & happy...I´ll stick to Lexus.
LS400 looks so much like a Camry from the same year. I guess that's because it was made before 2002, when Toyota/Lexus began making a bunch of differently shaped cars each year.
Honestly, go on eBay or any Toyota/Lexus scrap yard and get 2nd hand front shocks for this car - original ones.
If you want to experience the car how it is from the factory, get OEM parts and flip the 3rd party BC front suspension.
Never watched your channel before but if you handy and have the space, you can replace the bushes, service the suspension and it's done.
You can even get the compressor for the aircon on the 2nd hand market - infact I wouldn't bother with new parts unless you plan to keep the car for another 20 years and have deep pockets.
Lexus service has always been several cuts above the rest. It's the way their staff are trained. Okay, I know the repair and service prices are very high, and I have a theory about this. I own a 2006 GS300 SE-L, and I've had work done at Lexus as well as by a very good local repair shop. Whilst the latter was a lot cheaper, it has to be said that the Lexus work was incredibly thorough and there was always a little something extra which wasn't charged for. For example: my car went to Lexus for a service; cost £1,100! but when I collected the car the first thing I noticed was that it had been polished (free) and valetted (also free), the car was gleaming outside and spotless inside (it was like a new car!). In addition, and also free, was a full and comprehensively detailed vehicle report. The "freebies" I think probably amounted to about £300 worth of work. Very impressive I thought.
May I suggest that you replace your entire suspension set-up with matched coilovers? You won't regret it. I enjoyed your review very much, so I've subscribed and hit the bell.
The coil overs will be spring adjustment that knob on top is for final tuning. The preload is to tight and will need backing off BC should be able to this simply. LS400 shocks are about 5times standard after market shocks. BC coil over shocks are better for final adjustment and longevity . If no history on CAMBELT change it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!! agree with Paul Riggers
Lexus are good solid cars and SUV’s….you have to keep up on maintenance or it could eat you alive. You went to the dealers service bay that’s a serious service markup….there are things that I have done at the dealer and things I have done at a local shop. I have a 2006 RX 400h SUV and everything thing works….my batteries in the hybrid are still performing well….it acts like a Prius….it’s great for car camping to keep you warm or cool!! You can just set and forget it!! Just make a list and get the most important things fixed first….
People will tell you to get rid of it…DON’T!! If you like it and it serves it’s purpose…it’s doing it’s job!! If you get rid of and start all over….your new car will break down as well!! Even new cars break something!! If something breaks….get it fixed!! Good luck and enjoy owning a Lexus….this is my second one! I had a auto starter in stalled to warm up or cool off my truck!! Great right now when it’s 2 degrees in Wisconsin
3:00 One hour of labor at Mercedes is 130quid? Who is working on the car? Toto Wolff himself?
200K miles and just : new aircon compressor, a used battery clamp, two used seals, some cluster lightning, a dripping oil pan, an additive for the steering house and some good used coils..
Bring a 24 year old 7 series with 200K miles to the BMW dealer and you get a quote so high you can apply for a mortgage!!
Great car.... Extremely advanced for its time. That car has got kit some luxury cars don't even have today.
A definite future classic if not already
16yrs ago i had a Japanese import Toyota/Lexus Soarer 2.5 twin turbo, it needed a drivers side shock, only place i could buy from it was from Lexus…£320!!! For one shock and that was 16yrs ago, id cry now if i had to get one but saying that it was wonderful to drive afterwards.
200k miles is nothing nowadays, I have 240k miles on my '05 Mazda3 and know several people with much higher mileage. First and foremost repair, in my opinion, I would suggest would be the window leaks. As for suspension, get rid of the coil-overs and just buy a full set of shocks and struts from a good aftermarket, it'll save you money and level things out. Get some new Michelin tires on there. Finally have the vehicle sprayed with a corrosion resistant spray. We have Krown here in Canada, not sure if you have it there. My car has been sprayed yearly, and is a daily driver through 16.5 yrs of all kinds of weather, salted roads, etc, and is at this moment completely rust free. No leaks, very low maintenance and still rides like new. Oh and surprised the Lexus dealer didn't charge. Thats very uncommon these days.
My mom had a 1995 LS400 that we bought “certified pre-owned” in 1998. That car was unbelievably luxurious in its day. We were the envy of the neighborhood!
What a horrible voice and a man trying to be a teenager , The kids must cringe ,wife walks 2 foot behind ,He is trying to be TIM off BMW ..I have a LS 430 ,with 567,000 miles on the clock , lexus love it .
Good news overall. By the way, did I see a drop of water fall from the sunroof at 11:12 ?
years ago we bought a 6/7 year old LS400 from Lexus Guildford so it was relatively small money for them. Both Guildford and Reading Lexus support and service was superb. So much so that after years of indifferent or plain poor service for Mercedes and BMW dealers we reverted back to Lexus. When you spend £50k on a new car your confidence in the future service of the dealer is an important thing to consider.
You seem to be like another famous Englishman when it come to cars: Basil Fawlty. Follow the recommendations of the dealer; have them do the work, A to Z; pay for Lexus parts, not grey market junk. Do it right; pay full tab; then - enjoy your car!
4:00 - Reminds me of a Honda dealers. I had a car I booked in for minor work (I don't even recall what it was now) and told them they needed to call me if it needed more work doing. When I went to pick it up they suddenly told me the car needed new brakes all round and they'd done it - please pay another £400. I told them it was unsolicited work and I wouldn't pay and they told me it would be illegal for them not to do the work (total bollocks) and I needed to pay, in full, before they'd give me the car back. I agreed to pay for the work I actually requested (around £120 ) and when they handed me the card machine it had £520 on it, and the service managers thumb over the screen (nice try).... I told them I was paying £120, they threatened to call the police, auction the car off and so on and so forth. Total snowball artists. I eventually paid in what I actually owed, and they refused to give me the keys so I just snatched the keys and left. Never heard any more about it, but they were disenfranchised by Honda a few months later (can't think why) and closed down. It was a bad experience, but at least Honda dealt with it effectively.
Biggest turd - The brake disks had been changed on the last MOT, about 3 months prior and their "new" ones were slightly rusty....
My mechanic mate priced a rack for a 2007 LS460 as it was noisy…wait for it
£6000+vat
Or
£3900+vat for the electric pump
Drive a 2001 LS 430 , OEM suspension parts are crazy expensive . ie , $430 australian for a single front lower control arm ball joint.
FYI, As long as the engine does not have varible valve timing Your engine is not a interference engine,you only need to change your cam belt when it's broke. That leather and dashboard is in pristine condition. I wanted a 1996 through 1997 LS400 to avoid the variable valve timing in my USA market, 1998 adds variable valve timing interference engine.
Not a bad haircut mate,not bad at all... The lexus will be the better car and more reliable than the Merc and I love mercs but the s class is known for its problems where's the lexus isn't so much,if you offered me one of them I'd take the ls400 even though I prefer the mercedes"still think you'd like my w202😂 🤣
PAS Rack is weeping because it thought it had to pay the repair bill.
😄😄👍👍👍
Lucas Oil Power Steering Stop Leak will take care of the power steering rack. assuming it's available in the UK.
The “I bought the cheapest Rolls Royce and look how much they want to fix it!” content has been done to death by Hoovies Garage etc.
Maybe do more fix ups on interesting cars like the Lotus or a Peugeot 205 where you can improve a tatty car?
Youve done well for £850 as those things are nothing major ,anyway thats why i never go to main dealers as they charge premium prices.
£280 for a battery clamp ? Jesus, that's the price of a holiday for me at a B&B, inclusive of a smuggled in tart after the landlady's asleep.
Lexus of Reading ,Good work guys...This Is why Lexus + Toyota cars Are just The Best.....
A great advert for Lexus. It would certainly point me in their direction, if I was looking for a car, which I am not !! Quality, honest service.
I just chatted with Lexus of Reading, on the phone, they insisted that they did NOT have free inspection service. Do you know if they made changes lately?
They were were wobbly from the factory app apparently but std springs as ND shocks might improve matters ,i like these kind of videos and lexus,s
And if you believe everything dealer says, the problem is you.
A comment on bc racing coil overs. I no way would I knock them as I have them on my civic and they make it feel great but even on the softest setting they are a firm ride. I would in no way think of them as soft as an original ride. May be if they where wound out to there fullest height so they had more travel, would this then help.
Common problem for the boot seal to leak, replacing the seal sorts that issue out, £35 for a new one off the bay, why bother taking off an 24 year old perished rubber seal to put it back on. Drivers door leak is likely from the chrome door trim, it attaches to the door via studs and nuts and over time that seal fails and rots a stud and nut along the top. My car leaks from the same location and in heavy rain can see water drip from the doors tweeter speaker grill. Inspected door seal, door mirror seal, and blew out the sunroof drains and non were deemed the cause of my leaking. So I assume my window trim is leaking based on what i found from a 1998 door I took apart.
Fascinating approach. really interesting film, Jack.
Used OEM front struts. KYB’s if you want to refresh everything. Cam belt. Drive it.