Considering a used 1995 LS400

[jrock80]

Hey guys, well I have become a Toyota buyer for life. Last summer I bought a 1990 Toyota Camry LE as a daily driver. I thought it was going to be just a cheap car to drive, but I really love it. I got it cheap, it was owned by an older couple who bought it new and lived in Florida. The car is in mint condition. No rust or problems. A local car dealer has a 95 LS400 for sale. I can buy it for around $6k. Its got 96,000 miles on it. Very clean car, no rust on it and everything is in good shape. No big door dings and a few light scratches. Not bad at all for the age. Interior smells clean and the chrome wheels literally look like new. The only thing I noticed is that the power antenna doesnt go all the way down. The car has not had the 90,000 mile service (water pump, timing belt, etc). Can anyone give me some tips on other things to look for? I really like the car and I think for the money its a great buy. I have looked on eBay and there are ones similar selling for more.

[98CamryLE]

LS400s are nice cars that last a long time. Just beware, if something breaks- you'll have a harder time finding parts (unless you go to the dealer). Lexus cars are more expensive to repair, mainly because the parts are expensive. They may not break down often, but even the best cars have wear and tear parts. I'd take it to a mechanic that you trust just to make sure that it's running at 100%. Also get a quote on that 90,000 mile service. I think I remember hearing somewhere that water pumps for those cars are really expensive.

I think the only problem that LS's have is that the displays for the audio and climate controls like to stop working over time, but there may be more. Search this forum and Lexus-specific forums for more details.

Good Luck! If you found a good one it could be a good deal.

[Fresco Bob]

try to get the dealer to throw in the service for free if you buy it, or at least pay for part of it. The LS400's are built like tanks. They were the first offering from lexus, and they spent billions perfecting it before it even came out.

[jhbhatia]

Originally Posted by Fresco Bob

They were the first offering from lexus, and they spent billions perfecting it before it even came out.

Actually the Es250 was available in certain markets before the LS400. As far a these car go, at 96K miles they are just broken in. As usual you would want to check frame and body of the car for accidents, and also check maint records (for oil and tranny drain&fills). But one thing for sure goes is the power steering in these babies. I know some owners have had a/c problems..since your in florida, you might want to get that looked as well. Other than that, it seems like a good price.

[jrock80]

Well I drove the car today. It was nicer than I had expected. Very smooth and quiet. All power accessories seem to work fine. The only problem I did notice was with the transmission. It shifts very smoothly from first to second gear. But when it shifts from 2nd to 3rd, it has a very firm shift. Not as smooth as 1 - 2. Then the 3-4 shift is very smooth. Is this normal? I tried it in both power and normal modes and there was no change. Could this be a big problem waiting to just get worse? I dont have the service records, so I dont know if the transmission fluid/filter has ever been changed. Am I making too much of this?

[jhbhatia]

Its really tought for us to tell what is a problem. Is the frame/body straight from what you could see? Then if the carfax is clean, ask the seller to give you authorization to speak to his insurance agent. Ask the agent to see any accident/claim history for this car.