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Lexus1989–2023 Critical issues documented

Lexus LS USF40: common faults & what to check

The USF40 is the Lexus LS built 2006–2018. It was sold here with the 4.6 V8 petrol and 5.0 V8 hybrid. Of the 12 faults documented for the LS, 5 apply to this generation, each with its symptoms, what to inspect and a typical repair cost. Free, no account needed.

Check this exact Lexus LS

  • Odometer history
  • Money owing
  • Reported stolen
  • Ownership history
  • Official NZ vehicle register data
  • NZ owned and operated

Type the plate for the free basics. The full record is a paid check from $13.49, one car at a time, no subscription.

No NZ plate yet, or buying in Australia? Pick the generation and engine and start a free check below. New to KickTyres? How the check works →

12

Documented faults

Critical

Most serious

$1,100–$2,500

Typical repair

6

Systems covered

You're looking at the USF40

2 engine variants are documented for this generation. Pick yours to narrow further, or keep reading for the generation as a whole.

Choose a different generation

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

A 2008 Lexus LS is the USF40 generation (2006 to 2018).

Start your free check on this Lexus LS

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Lexus LS USF40Engine not picked yet

Pick the engine above first: the LS came with 2, and without it the report has to show all of their faults. Pick the engine

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Can't confirm for this car

Lexus LS · 2008

Narrowed to the year. No engine is recorded for this vehicle. Pick an engine to see which faults apply.

Tell us the engine, or check the engine code on the car, before relying on this.

  • No engine is recorded for this vehicle.

matched on year only

What to look out for

The checks worth doing on a Lexus LS before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

  • Costly issue

    Observe vehicle ride height at all four corners before and after test drive.

    See why

    Front Air Suspension Strut Failure (LS460 and LS500)

    Both the USF40 LS460 and VXFA50 LS500 use electronically controlled air suspension. The front air struts develop bladder leaks, causing the vehicle to sag at the front overnight or to trigger height-sensor warnings. Replacement struts are expensive OEM items; aftermarket coilover conversion kits are an alternative that sacrifices ride height adjustment. Failure rate increases significantly with age and in NZ's damp climate.

    What you would notice

    • Vehicle sitting noticeably lower at one or both front corners after sitting overnight
    • Air suspension warning light on dash
    • Compressor audible running frequently or continuously
    • Harsh ride or abnormal body roll if suspension defaults to limp mode

    Typically $1,500–$4,500 to put right.

  • Costly issue

    Inspect the power steering rack boots from beneath the vehicle for oil staining or wetness.

    See why

    Power Steering Rack Inner Seal Leak (LS460 USF40)

    The hydraulic power steering rack on LS460 models develops inner seal leaks with age and mileage. Symptoms begin as minor weeping at the rack boots but progress to measurable fluid loss. NZ and AU humidity and temperature cycling accelerate seal degradation. Remanufactured rack units are available; OEM replacement is a multi-hour job requiring subframe drop on this platform.

    What you would notice

    • Power steering fluid level dropping requiring top-up
    • Oily residue or wetness at inner rack boots
    • Groan or increased effort in steering at low speed when fluid low
    • Fluid drips on driveway beneath centre of vehicle

    Typically $900–$2,200 to put right.

  • Worth checking

    Test the navigation and check GPS lock, and confirm whether an import has been converted to English mapping.

    See why

    Navigation and GPS system failure on imports

    Older LS navigation systems (XF30/XF40) fail or are Japanese-only on imports, with GPS antennas, DVD-based map drives and the head unit itself prone to faults that are costly and awkward to repair or convert.

    What you would notice

    • Navigation not working or errors
    • No GPS position
    • Japanese-only menus
    • Blank or faulty display

    Typically $200–$2,000 to put right.

See all 5 issues for this oneDocumented for the exact year and engine you picked.
Electrical1

01Navigation and GPS system failure on imports

Test the navigation and check GPS lock, and confirm whether an import has been converted to English mapping.2000–2017Electrical
OccasionalElectrical $200–$2,000 to fix

Older LS navigation systems (XF30/XF40) fail or are Japanese-only on imports, with GPS antennas, DVD-based map drives and the head unit itself prone to faults that are costly and awkward to repair or convert.

Symptoms to notice

  • Navigation not working or errors
  • No GPS position
  • Japanese-only menus
  • Blank or faulty display

What to check

Test the navigation and check GPS lock, and confirm whether an import has been converted to English mapping.

Where to look: Navigation head unit and GPS antenna

Ask the seller

  • “Does the navigation and GPS work?”
  • “Is it converted to English?”
  • “Any display faults?”
Body, brakes, suspension & interior1

02Front Air Suspension Strut Failure (LS460 and LS500)

Observe vehicle ride height at all four corners before and after test drive.petrol2006–2023SuspensionRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller
Fluid leaks1

03Power Steering Rack Inner Seal Leak (LS460 USF40)

Inspect the power steering rack boots from beneath the vehicle for oil staining or wetness.petrol2006–2012Fluid Leaks
OccasionalFluid Leaks $900–$2,200 to fix

The hydraulic power steering rack on LS460 models develops inner seal leaks with age and mileage. Symptoms begin as minor weeping at the rack boots but progress to measurable fluid loss. NZ and AU humidity and temperature cycling accelerate seal degradation. Remanufactured rack units are available; OEM replacement is a multi-hour job requiring subframe drop on this platform.

Symptoms to notice

  • Power steering fluid level dropping requiring top-up
  • Oily residue or wetness at inner rack boots
  • Groan or increased effort in steering at low speed when fluid low
  • Fluid drips on driveway beneath centre of vehicle

What to check

  1. Inspect the power steering rack boots from beneath the vehicle for oil staining or wetness.
  2. Check fluid reservoir level and condition.
  3. Wipe the inner boot area clean, then re-inspect after a test drive with lock-to-lock steering movements.

Where to look: Steering rack mounted to front subframe, inner rack seals behind the steering rack boots

Parts involved: Steering rack.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the power steering fluid level ever needed topping up?”
  • “Any heaviness or groan in the steering, especially on full lock?”
  • “Has the rack ever been replaced or rebuilt?”
Depends on the exact engine — 2 moreDocumented for a specific engine we could not confirm from what you picked. Check the engine code on the car.
Engine, transmission & cooling2

011UR-FSE 4.6 V8 Secondary Timing Chain Tensioner Rattle (LS460 USF40)

Cold start only — rattle is absent once oil pressure builds.petrol2006–2012EngineRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

028-Speed Automatic Solenoid Wear and Shift Quality Degradation (LS460)

Test drive from cold — note shift quality through all lower gears.petrol2006–2012Transmission
OccasionalTransmission $1,800–$4,500 to fix

Can't confirm for this car

The AA80E 8-speed automatic in the LS460 develops solenoid wear leading to delayed or rough gear changes, particularly when cold. Hard shifts between 1st–2nd and 2nd–3rd, shudder on light throttle torque-converter engagement, and hesitation during kickdown are the most reported patterns. Fluid condition is critical — LS460s with neglected ATF changes accelerate solenoid wear significantly. Full solenoid body replacement or valve body rebuild is the documented repair.

Symptoms to notice

  • Delayed or clunky 1-2 or 2-3 upshift from cold
  • Shudder or judder under light throttle at low speed (torque converter)
  • Hesitation or hunting between gears
  • Transmission warning light in later-stage failures

What to check

  1. Test drive from cold — note shift quality through all lower gears.
  2. Light throttle cruise at 50 km/h to check for torque converter shudder.
  3. Check ATF colour and smell on dipstick — dark or burnt fluid is a risk indicator.
  4. Verify ATF service history.

Where to look: AA80E transmission, solenoid body and valve body inside the transmission pan

Parts involved: Torque converter, Mechatronic / valve body.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the automatic transmission fluid ever been changed?”
  • “Any rough, delayed, or shuddering gear changes?”
  • “Has the transmission been scanned for fault codes?”
Other Lexus LS engines and years7 documented issues that do not apply to the one you picked.
Engine, transmission & cooling3

011UZ-FE / 3UZ-FE timing belt — a belt, not a chain, and it is due on age

Ask for the timing belt invoice and read the date before the kilometres — seven years is the limit whatever the odometer says.petrol1989–2000EngineRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

02V35A-FTS 3.5 Twin-Turbo Cold-Start Timing Chain Tensioner Rattle (LS500)

Insist on a cold start — do not allow engine to be warmed before inspection.petrol2017 onwardEngine
OccasionalEngine $2,800–$6,000 to fix

Does not apply

The V35A-FTS 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 shared with Land Cruiser 300 and Crown Sedan exhibits a documented cold-start timing chain rattle on some units. Hydraulic tensioners do not retain full oil pressure during extended cold soaks, allowing chain slack for several seconds until the oil system pressurises. The pattern has been reported on LS500 and cross-platform on the V35A family. Extended oil drain intervals and use of incorrect viscosity oil worsen frequency.

The front of a dual overhead camshaft engine with the timing cover removed, exposing the timing chain and sprockets.Example of the part — not this vehicle

The front of a twin-cam engine with the timing cover off — chain, sprockets and guides.

Logansenf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Symptoms to notice

  • Cold-start timing chain rattle from engine front, lasting 3–15 seconds
  • Worse after overnight soak in cold conditions
  • VVTI or camshaft correlation codes in some cases
  • No symptoms once fully warmed up

What to check

  1. Insist on a cold start — do not allow engine to be warmed before inspection.
  2. Listen immediately at engine startup for metallic rattling at the front of the engine.
  3. Verify correct oil grade (0W-20 specified) and check service history for adherence to 10,000 km or 12-month intervals.

Where to look: Primary and secondary timing chains at front of V35A-FTS engine block

Parts involved: Timing chain, Turbocharger.

Ask the seller

  • “Does it make any rattle at all on a cold morning start?”
  • “What oil grade and change interval has been used?”
  • “Has any timing or engine work been done?”

033UZ-FE valve stem seal oil smoke on cold start

Watch the exhaust for a blue puff on a genuine cold start and after the car has idled and is revved; check plug condition.petrol2000–2006Engine
CommonEngine $800–$2,500 to fix

Does not apply

The XF30 LS430's 3UZ-FE 4.3 V8 develops hardened valve stem seals that let oil seep past overnight, giving a puff of blue smoke on cold start-up. Common with age; requires seal replacement to cure.

Symptoms to notice

  • Blue smoke puff on cold start
  • Smoke after long idle then revving
  • Slight oil consumption
  • Oily plugs over time

What to check

Watch the exhaust for a blue puff on a genuine cold start and after the car has idled and is revved; check plug condition.

Where to look: Cylinder head valve stem seals

Ask the seller

  • “Any blue smoke on cold start?”
  • “Have the valve stem seals been replaced?”
  • “How much oil does it use?”
Electrical2

01Starter motor buried under the intake manifold

On the 1UZ-FE V8 the starter motor sits in the valley of the engine, underneath the intake manifold.petrol1989–2000ElectricalRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

02Leaking ECU capacitors on early cars — hard starting and a cascade of unrelated faults

Get a genuinely cold first start and note whether it catches promptly or labours.petrol1989–1997Electrical
CommonElectrical $300–$1,200 to fix

Does not apply

Unconfirmed. This entry does not match our record of which engines and years this model was sold with, and is awaiting review. Confirm it against the car before acting on it.

The engine computers in the earliest of these cars use electrolytic capacitors that leak as they age, and the escaping electrolyte corrodes the circuit board underneath. What the owner sees is not one clean fault but a scatter of them: hard starting, rough running, warning lights and odd electrical behaviour that no single component explains. Because the symptoms look like everything else, cars get sensors, coils and fuel pumps fitted one after another with no lasting improvement. Re-capping the board is a known, affordable repair and the faults typically vanish with it — but a car still carrying the original board is a car whose electrical history should be read carefully before you buy it.

Symptoms to notice

  • Hard starting or long cranking that has crept in over time
  • Rough running with no consistent pattern
  • Several unrelated electrical complaints at once
  • Warning lights that come and go
  • A history of parts fitted that did not fix it

What to check

  1. Get a genuinely cold first start and note whether it catches promptly or labours.
  2. Then read the service history looking for a pattern rather than a single entry: a list of different sensors and ignition parts fitted over a couple of years, none of which cured the complaint, is the signature of this fault.
  3. Ask the owner plainly whether the car has any electrical quirk they have learned to live with, because people stop noticing them.
  4. Sit in it and work through the electrics you can reach — lights, windows, climate, instruments — and see whether anything behaves oddly.
  5. Ask whether the ECU has ever been repaired, re-capped or replaced, and treat a documented re-cap as a positive rather than a worry.

Where to look: Engine ECU, mounted inside the car behind the interior trim

Ask the seller

  • “Has the ECU ever been re-capped, repaired or replaced?”
  • “Does it start promptly on a cold morning?”
  • “Are there any electrical faults you have simply got used to?”
Body, brakes, suspension & interior2

01Air suspension leaks, height-sensor faults and a car that sits down overnight

The decisive test costs nothing but patience: see the car after it has stood overnight, before anyone starts it.1989–2005SuspensionRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

02Soft-close door motors that stop pulling the door shut

Test every door, not just the driver's — push each one gently to the first catch and let go, and it should draw itself shut with a soft whirr.petrol1989–2000Interior
CommonInterior $350–$1,600 to fix

Does not apply

These cars pull their own doors closed the last few millimetres with a small motor in each door, and after thirty years those motors and their cables wear out. A door that no longer pulls itself in feels wrong on a car of this type, and worse, it can leave the door not quite latched — which means wind noise, a door-ajar warning, and on a wet NZ winter, water getting into the car. Parts for the mechanism are getting hard to find and units are usually rebuilt rather than replaced, so this is worth checking on every door rather than just the driver's.

Symptoms to notice

  • A door that has to be slammed rather than pushed to shut properly
  • Whirring or grinding from inside the door as it closes
  • Door-ajar warning that stays lit after the door is shut
  • Wind noise from one door at speed
  • Damp carpet in one footwell

What to check

Test every door, not just the driver's — push each one gently to the first catch and let go, and it should draw itself shut with a soft whirr. A door that stays sitting proud, or that whirrs and grinds without pulling in, has a failing motor. Listen to each one, because a noisy motor is one that is on its way out even if it still works. Check the carpet in each footwell with your hand for damp, since a door that has not been sealing properly lets water in. Sit in the car and check no door-ajar light stays on once everything is closed. On a test drive, listen for wind noise from one side.

Where to look: Soft-close motor and cable inside each door, behind the trim card

Ask the seller

  • “Do all four doors still pull themselves shut?”
  • “Has any door motor been repaired or replaced?”
  • “Has any footwell ever been wet?”

Lexus LS faults in detail

Narrowed to the Lexus LS · 2008. Each of these has its own page: the symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller and what the repair costs. Free, no account needed.

1UR-FSE 4.6 V8 Secondary Timing Chain Tensioner Rattle (LS460 USF40)Major · EngineFront Air Suspension Strut Failure (LS460 and LS500)Major · Suspension

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Lexus LS’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

Other Lexus models

Lexus IS41 documented faultsLexus NX22 documented faultsLexus RX21 documented faultsLexus Altezza11 documented faultsLexus LX11 documented faultsLexus SC11 documented faults

Lexus LS buyer questions

Is the Lexus LS reliable?

Like any used car, it depends on the specific example and its service history. Across the 12 documented faults for the Lexus LS, the recurring problem areas are engine, suspension, and transmission. A Lexus LS with a full service history and no signs of the issues listed on this page can be a sound buy but each one needs to be checked individually before you commit.

What are the most common problems with a used Lexus LS?

We've catalogued 12 known faults for the Lexus LS, covering engine, suspension, and transmission. All 12 are written out in full on this page, with the symptoms to notice, what to inspect, and typical repair costs for each. Free to read, no account needed.

How much do repairs cost on a Lexus LS?

Most single repairs on the Lexus LS fall between $1,100–$2,500 at NZ independent-workshop rates. Some of the 12 documented faults cost less and a few cost considerably more, and no one car needs them all. Knowing which ones to look for before you view is what lets you negotiate the price down or walk away.

Should I get a pre-purchase inspection on a Lexus LS?

Yes. A Lexus LS inspection focused on its known weak points is the single best way to avoid an expensive mistake. KickTyres gives you a guided, model-specific inspection plus a market valuation and negotiation figure for $24.90 far less than the cost of missing one of the faults on this page.