Looking to buy a LS, any issues I should look out for?

[del la sol]

Prospective LS owner doing my initial research before I start looking more seriously at some used LS's. Looking at the V8 model only, something in the 2000-2002 year range, more likely an earlier model as price is going to be important. The ratings and specs look good on carpoint.com, but read through most of the owner reviews and saw alot of people talking about how problematic theirs are, I'm not taking that too seriously though because the owner's reviews of my previous cars on there were pretty brutal too, and both those cars have been bullet proof for me. But are there any common issues related to the LS that I should look out for or expect to see in the future, understand unless I get a smoking good deal the car I buy will most likely be something in the 70-100k mileage range. Thanks! Hopefully you'll see me posting here as a real LS owner soon.

 

[mharrison]

If you find one that has any sort of problem shifting I would stay away from it. These transmissions are "finiky". I have seen more than one horror story posted about these.

I would also make sure that it is running SMOOTH with no hesitations. The coil packs tend to fail when the valve cover seals leak around the spark plug boots. I would suggest that you pull the plug wires and check the end of the boots for oil. If they are dry you should be good!

Now, that said, I think these are GREAT cars. I couldn't be happier with mine, and it has 125K on it! I hope you find the one you are looking for and enjoy it.

P.S. I didn't consider a sunroof a big deal at the time, but now I wish that I had gotten one with a sunroof.

 

[ohioLS]

Well I own a 00 LS8 Sport and "knock on wood" havent had any major issues with it. Alot of people say stay away from 00 but, if you found one that runs smooth and hasnt had any major tranny issues I would say hop on it. Good luck and let us know how you turn out!

-Scott-

 

[pbslmo]

Havn't had any problems with my '00 V6. Just watch out for the dealers. They think your loaded and try to jack up the price. Go through KBB and Car soup or private person.

 

[captainalias]

'02 is probably the best and most reliable year before they changed in '03. Plus with cars coming off the leases now, the '02s should be plentiful and cheap.

 

[itsnotmydaddys]

go for a 01+ the 00 has alot of problems, i have had alot of problems with my 00 and alot of other have as well. i thinkk the 02 would be the best bet, just look for anything you would usually look for in a used car, but look a little deeper in the ls.

 

[SoonerLS]

The coil packs tend to fail when the valve cover seals leak around the spark plug boots.

This is true.

I would suggest that you pull the plug wires and check the end of the boots for oil. If they are dry you should be good!

This, however, is only slightly impossible; the LS has no plug wires.

You have to pull the coil packs to see if there's oil in the well, but that's not something the dealer's likely to allow, as it's not exactly a trivial operation. It's not a major operation, but it does take some time.

 

[SoonerLS]

go for a 01+ the 00 has alot of problems, i have had alot of problems with my 00 and alot of other have as well. i thinkk the 02 would be the best bet, just look for anything you would usually look for in a used car, but look a little deeper in the ls.

The general recommendations are to go for an '01 or '02 (1st gen) or an '04 or newer (2nd gen). The '00 had a lot of problems which were addressed in the '01 model; '00s can be excellent cars and excellent values, particularly if you can find one that's had all the work done. ('00 was the first year of production for the DEW-98 platform, so problems should be expected.)

Similarly, '03 was a major changeover year. It hasn't been nearly as problematic as the '00s, and lots of '03 LS owners swear by them (just ask ToddG). The '04s added a few features (like factory Sirius-ready head units and the Navigation system with THX-certified sound system), and later '04s dropped some features (like moisture-sensitive wipers).

Aside from the obvious "how much can you afford to spend" question, you also have to ask what you want to do with the car. If you want to do some modding and hot-rodding, you're probably looking for an '01 or '02. The engine control system changed radically in '03 (to the CAN architecture), and there are, generally, fewer modifications available for them. F'rinstance, you can get a Magnaflow exhaust for the pre-'03 LSes to gain some power, but there's not a similar setup for the '03 and newer cars (there's not enough power to be gained there to justify the cost--the newer cars have very free-flowing exhausts).

 

[mharrison]

OK, OK... You got me on the plug wires comment, but I'm old school.... I can't help slipping into the way I think of things!!