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Lexus GS 2005 Problems

Are you having problems with your 2005 Lexus GS? Let our team of motoring experts keep you up to date with all of the latest 2005 Lexus GS issues & faults. We have gathered all of the most frequently asked questions and problems relating to the 2005 Lexus GS in one spot to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

Used Lexus GS300 and GS430 review: 2005-2011

Graham Smith reviews the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Lexus GS300 and GS430 as a used buy.

Lexus took on the big German brands with build quality but rivals have a lively edge.

Look around you on the road and you'll see heaps of Benzes, BMWs and Audis, standing out with their distinctive three-pointed star, blue-spinner and interlinked ring badges.

By rights you should also see Lexuses but sadly they don't stand out like the big three Germans. This is ironic, given that Lexus, the Japanese prestige brand, was conceived to compete with the German luxury car brands if not beat them at their own game.

Lexus build quality certainly shook the Germans up and obliged them to lift their game. They still dominate the luxury end of the market.

Lexus remains a bit player, held back by its close relationship with Toyota, the car for the common man.

When new, the rear-wheel drive GS had the qualities normally associated with the Lexus brand — build quality, refinement and comfort — but it also brought a level of sportiness not previously associated with the brand.

There were two six-cylinder GS300s, the Sports and the Sports Luxury, and the V8 GS430.

Inside the well-appointed cabin, the front seats were luxuriously proportioned and padded, and there was plenty of travel for tall occupants.

For rear access, you needed to duck a little to avoid hitting the coupe-like roofline and seating could be tight if the front passengers slid their seats back. Tall passengers could find the headroom limited.

The 3.0-litre V6 was a new, direct-injection engine. It had plenty of torque across a broad rev range, which delivered great driveability and miserly fuel consumption.

The 4.3-litre V8 was smooth, refined engine shared with the LS luxury sedan. Both engines were used in conjunction with smooth, seamless six-speed sequential-shift automatics.

Despite the attempt at sportiness, the GS came up short for some when measured against rivals, but in comfort and refinement terms the new model was streets ahead.

In a used car, quality is paramount. A car that is well designed, engineered and well-built should give less trouble.

This is where the GS300/GS430 — designed and engineered to the highest standards and built to a quality level unseen before — comes into its own. It still surpasses German rivals even though the Germans have improved in response to the competition.

As owners we have spoken to confirm, you can buy a used GS300 or GS430 with confidence that it will give you good trouble free motoring even after accumulating quite high mileage.

The engines and transmissions are bulletproof, the chassis stands up well, and you're hard-pressed to find a squeak or rattle in the body.

Indeed, if you do hear a squeak or rattle you should be suspicious that the car might have been involved in a crash.

Even though the GS300/GS430 is a high quality car you should still check for crash repairs, careless driving in the form of bumps and scrapes as well as a regular service record.

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Used Lexus GS review: 1997-2013

Lexus GS300 is an upmarket Japanese sedan with a fair bit of sportiness in its makeup. It's aimed at people who can't afford a BMW 5-Series or Mercedes E-Class, or who do have the cash but like to be seen in something different. There's no doubt the Lexus designers benchmarked the BMW as their first cars used a straight six engine and rear-wheel drive. Later models, from 2005, use a more space efficient V6 setup.

These are big, smooth cars that make excellent touring machines and aren't overly challenged on rough and ready Australian bush roads. Rear seat legroom in the medium-large Lexus isn't bad for a rear-drive car but if you're sitting behind a driver who likes their seat well back, you may be cramped. Things improved significantly with the new model of 2005.

Boot size is good and it's reasonably easy to load. Lexus first reached us in Australia as the GS300 in November 1997, these are getting on in years but longevity has been a feature of all Lexus models since day one and cars of that age may, repeat may, still be in good condition. Lexus models older than 1997 are almost certainly rebadged Toyota Aristos that are grey imports from Japan.

The GS300 had a 3.0-litre engine that a bit down on torque at low revs, but in the European manner, it came into action at the top end of the tacho. From the new model of March 2005, the GS300 was joined by a V8 GS430 with a 4.3-litre engine.

Unlike the German marques that have gone haywire in their model numbers, Lexus model names generally indicate engine capacity, the exception being the hybrids, these have a 3.5-litre petrol engine with electric assistance and are labelled the GS450h - '450' indicating it produces the sort of performance expected from a 4.5-litre petrol, 'h' for hybrid.

A Lexus GS460 V8 joined the Australian lineup in March 2008. The Lexus GS was renewed again in April 2012 with a GS350 and GS450h coming downunder. The first models all had five-speed automatic transmissions. From the 2005 model this was upgraded to six forward ratios with sequential overrides. Lexus GS hybrids are the exception to the rule, having the extra efficiency of a CVT automatic.

Lexus GS300 was one of the first vehicles to use an electronic system, dubbed Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) in these cars, to help the driver get out of trouble should they enter a corner too fast or unexpectedly strike a slippery road. It's a bit slow to back off when compared with today's ESC units.

Lexus dealers were relatively rare in Australia in the earliest days of the marque, but as the cars became successful the numbers have increased. There's surprisingly good coverage in country cities, though, naturally, the dealers are predominantly in the major capitals and the Gold Coast.

Many senior Toyota mechanics have been trained to help out Lexus owners in emergencies. Spare parts prices and servicing costs are about average for a car in this upmarket class and we haven't had any complaints of availability of parts.

Insurance charges are moderate for a car in this class as, contrary to the desires of the Lexus marketing people, the GS models are generally seen as comfortable cruisers rather than full-on sports sedans.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

It's virtually essential to have them checked by an expert. A Lexus trained mechanic is best, or call on a senior inspector from your local motoring association. Some Toyota mechanics are trained on Lexus and can also do a pre-purchase inspection.

Test each of the functions on the stereo, electric seats, climate-control, windows, doors and so on. Be suspicious if anything doesn't work to perfection because these are quality cars that are only a few years old. The owner's handbook is an excellent guide as to what all the controls do.

Make sure the engine starts virtually instantaneously and the transmission operates almost imperceptibly. The brakes should stop the car surely and in a straight line and the steering should be precise in its operation.

Listen for unusual noises and look for the slightest sign of anything out of the ordinary. Repairs will be expensive so get a quote for even the most minor defects. Better still ensure the seller has the car repaired before you buy it.  Check for damage to the body work and the interior trim and remember the car should be close to immaculate in all areas.

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