1996 Lexus LS400 4.0L Petrol · P228 APG

A thirty-year-old LS400 carrying a recurring pattern of suspension-related advisories tells the most important mechanical story here. Across the 2023 and 2024 tests, both front lower ball joints were flagged with slight play, and corrosion advisories appeared on the nearside front coil spring and both nearside rear coil springs by 2025. While none of these were severe enough to cause a failure, a cluster of advisories concentrated on the front suspension linkages and coil springs on a car of this age points to the kind of progressive wear that can move from minor to significant within a single test cycle. The most recent test on 11 August 2026 returned a clean pass with no advisories or defects recorded, which is a positive data point, but the underlying theme is a vehicle whose rubber and spring components are now reaching the stage where replacement should be anticipated rather than viewed as a remote concern. The recorded mileage of 179,589 against roughly thirty years on the road equates to an average annual accumulation of around 6,000 miles, which is notably low for a luxury saloon of this vintage. There are no significant gaps in the annual MOT history between 2020 and 2026, indicating the car has been used consistently and presented for testing every year without lengthy periods off the road. Low annual mileage on a vehicle of this age typically translates to less wear on major drivetrain components such as the engine, automatic transmission and final drive, but it does place greater emphasis on the condition of rubber items, bushes, brake components and body corrosion, since lower running hours combined with three decades of natural ageing allow deterioration to progress between infrequent longer journeys. The fact that the front ball joints were flagged within recent tests despite the modest mileage reinforces that age, rather than distance, is the dominant wear factor here. For a prospective buyer, the priorities on inspection should mirror exactly what the MOT history has flagged. On a test drive, listen for knocking or clonking from the front suspension when traversing speed bumps, uneven surfaces or potholes, as worn lower ball joints with play typically announce themselves through noise rather than visible movement at the wheel. Pay close attention to steering precision; any wandering, vagueness through the centre or a tendency to tram-line can indicate the play recorded in 2024 has worsened. Both front lower arms should be physically checked by hand for movement at the ball joint, and the nearside front and both rear coil springs should be inspected for surface corrosion and any visible pitting, as the repeat advisories on these components suggest they may now be approaching the point where replacement is prudent. The rear springs in particular warrant a check with the wheels removed, as corrosion noted on the nearside rear in 2023 had migrated to a second spring by 2025. Beyond the suspension, the 2020 failure for an ineffective offside front wiper and the recurring minor windscreen damage advisories from 2020 onwards suggest the wiper linkage and glass condition are areas worth examining. Operate the wipers across a wet screen to confirm full clearing at both ends of the arc, and inspect the front windscreen for any chip or crack that has expanded since the last test, particularly around the central area where damage has previously been recorded. Given the mileage profile, it is also sensible to check the condition and age of the brake fluid and coolant, and to look underneath the vehicle for any oil misting from the V8 engine or seepage from the automatic transmission, as thirty years of service will inevitably take a toll on gaskets and flexible lines even where MOT records are silent on such matters.