1998 Lexus

Short version: Great condition late-model LS400 with many rare and desirable features. Excellent service history, fresh MOT until Jan 2018, extremely reliable. Only two owners (including me) since 2004.

After over 6 years of happy ownership, it’s time for me to sell my much-loved LS400. This is the third LS400 I’ve owned and by far the best. It’s a Mk4 variant of the car, which is the last version that Lexus made before switching to the LS430. Compared to earlier LS400s, this later car has the following advantages:

VVTi (variable valve timing) engine with 280bhp and a wodge of extra torque

5-speed autobox with “J” shifter for (slightly) better fuel economy

HID head lights

Rear parking sensors

6-disc in-dash CD changer

Touchscreen Sat-nav

My car also has the very rare factory-fitted “Dynamic Handling Pack”, which retains the magic carpet LS ride quality, but has thicker anti-roll bars to make it less wallowy in the bends, and bigger 17 inch wheels fitted with Pirelli P0 tyres. (Current tyres are the correct 245/45/17 Pirellis, nearly new on the front and about 50% worn on the rear.)

As you’d expect with an LS400, everything works. The car has been extremely reliable, it's never used a drop of oil and the only things I’ve had to spend money on were a new battery in 2010 and another in 2016, and a front suspension overhaul (new dampers and bushes) in 2014. Overall condition is very good; the bonnet has some minor stonechips, there’s a light scuff and some faded lacquer on the rear bumper. The leather seats are in excellent condition with no scuffing or cracking, the previous owner fitted a wood veneer kit to the interior which I intended to remove (a simple job if it’s not to your taste) but I have grown to quite like it.

The V5 shows that I am the sixth keeper, I’m told that the first owner transferred it from his business, to his name, to his wife’s name, (making me the fourth “actual” owner) but I am not able to prove this. However, the service history certainly indicates that this is likely. I have a service book with main dealer stamps up to 2004 (86,000 miles). At this point the chap I bought it from purchased the car, and serviced it himself in a very diligent fashion. I have a sorted file of receipts that show which service parts (mainly Lexus main dealer) were purchased at each service interval.

I purchased the car in 2010, and as I am a serial Lexus/Toyota owner, ex-mechanic, and degree-qualified mechanical engineer, I have also done my own servicing. I gave the car an extremely thorough service shortly after purchase, including gearbox and diff oil, cambelt and tensioners, waterpump, and platinum sparkplugs. I have kept the service history up-to-date since then, typically on an annual basis despite doing only 3-4000 miles per year. Again, I have filed all the receipts so you can see what’s been done and when. The full service history is as follows:

22/1/1998 – 0 miles - Delivery Inspection – McCarthy Lexus Bromley

3/3/1998 – 1595 miles – Initial Service - McCarthy Lexus Bromley

22/10/1998 – 10600 miles – A Service - McCarthy Lexus Bromley

8/9/1999 – 20777 miles – A Service - McCarthy Lexus Bromley

19/5/2000 – 29915 miles – B Service - McCarthy Lexus Bromley

Sold to second owner (my assumption)

13/12/2000 – 34929 miles – A Service – Lexus Leicester

04/09/2001 – 44406 miles – A Service - Lexus Leicester

27/3/2002 – 53838 miles – B Service - Lexus Leicester

1/10/2002 – 63134 miles – A Service - Lexus Leicester

15/04/2003 – 72013 miles – A Service - Lexus Leicester

22/04/2004 – Previous owner (third?) purchased

17/05/2004 – 86082 miles – B Service – Lexus Brighton

14/5/2005 – 95272 miles – A Service – Previous owner

7/10/2006 – 103233 miles – A Service – Previous Owner

26/08/2008 – 112904 miles – B Service – Previous owner

23/06/2010 – 122959 miles - A service – Previous owner

07/08/2010 – I purchased

01/11/2011 – 124,505 miles – B service plus cambelt and plugs

01/02./2012 – 31/01/2013 – Car declared SORN so no servicing done

03/01/2014 – 134,106 miles – A service – including suspension overhaul

28/03/2015 – 139,887 miles – B service

07/05/2016 – 146,310 miles – A service

Please get in touch if you'd like any more information, I can normally answer the phone between 7pm and 10pm on weekdays.