CriticalVery commonEngine

Lexus LS: 1UZ-FE / 3UZ-FE timing belt — a belt, not a chain, and it is due on age

1UZ-FE / 3UZ-FE timing belt — a belt, not a chain, and it is due on age is a very common engine fault on the Lexus LS on the 1989–2000 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $1,200 to $2,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 12 documented faults on the Lexus LS.

Vehicle: Lexus LS
Engine: 1UZ-FE / 3UZ-FE
Years: 1989–2000
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Lexus LS as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Lexus LS faults12 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Timing belt yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Lexus used a rubber timing belt on the V8 in these cars rather than a chain, because it was quieter, and plenty of owners assume a Lexus V8 must be chain-driven and never look. The interval is roughly 150,000 km or seven years, whichever comes first, and on a car this old it is always the years that expire first. The two idler bearings and the water pump are replaced with it by anyone doing the job properly. The cam and crank seals sit behind the same cover and commonly weep by this age — oil on a belt shortens its life, so a leak there is part of the same job. This is the single most important piece of paperwork on any LS.

What you would notice

No timing belt invoice anywhere in the history
Owner believes the car has a timing chain
Oil weeping from behind the timing cover at the front of the engine
Whirr or rumble from the front of the engine at idle

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the V8 behind the plastic timing covers

Ask for the timing belt invoice and read the date before the kilometres — seven years is the limit whatever the odometer says. If the seller tells you it has a chain, that is your answer: it has a belt and nobody has done it. Look under the bonnet for a dated sticker on the belt cover or strut tower. With the engine idling, listen at the front for a whirr or rumble that would point to a tired idler bearing. Shine a torch down the front of the engine looking for fresh oil around the cover. Check whether the invoice also lists the water pump and idlers. If a workshop inspection is possible: ask for the top cover to be removed so the belt's date code and condition can be read directly.

Parts involved: Timing belt.

What it costs to put right

$1,200 to $2,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“When was the timing belt last replaced, and can I see the invoice?”
“Were the idler bearings and water pump done at the same time?”
“Have the cam or crank seals ever been replaced?”

Now check the Lexus LS you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Generation High Output — 'Lexus LS400 Common Problems'
Lexus Owners Club of North America — 'Common Issues And A LS400 Buying Guide'
PistonHeads — 'Lexus LS 400 or 430: Timing Chains and Air Suspension' thread

Lexus LS buyer questions

Is 1uz-fe / 3uz-fe timing belt — a belt, not a chain, and it is due on age serious on a Lexus LS?

We rate it critical and very common on the Lexus LS. Lexus used a rubber timing belt on the V8 in these cars rather than a chain, because it was quieter, and plenty of owners assume a Lexus V8 must be chain-driven and never look. The interval is roughly 150,000 km or seven years, whichever comes first, and on a car this old it is always the years that expire first. The two idler bearings and the water pump are replaced with it by anyone doing the job properly. The cam and crank seals sit behind the same cover and commonly weep by this age — oil on a belt shortens its life, so a leak there is part of the same job. This is the single most important piece of paperwork on any LS.

How much does it cost to fix on a Lexus LS?

$1,200 to $2,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Lexus LS years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1989–2000 Lexus LS. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.