When I was looking to go back to a LC, I was looking for the 01 LX without NAV because it would be similar to the LC we liked, but also have the Levinson audio, a notable upgrade over the LC audio. In 02 the LX came standard with NAV, thus 01 was my focus year. However, the 01 that had everything else we wanted came hampered with the NAV. The NAV turned out to be more helpful than we anticipated in cross country trips, but eventually it started to get bogged down. Turns out the DVD player was going bad, and it struggled keeping up with the data in the v7.1 disk. It started giving weird routing, could only take a couple stops on a trip, and finally died and would not show the map. The other functions worked fine, e. g. stereo, HVAC. I tried a repair shop that some others used on ih8mud, and it worked again for about a year, and died again.
This time I went to ebay and found a GEN4 DVD unit and replaced my dead one. This has been great. I was able to update to the v13.1 data disk (using a Gen4 disk). The 01 lacked the voice commands and vehicle info connectors (mpg, miles to empty, etc), but the map worked and multi-point destinations and POIs worked well again - still working well.
In the past, I had reservations about the durability of the NAV and AHC. Now that I have lived with them, I no longer look to replace them. We still have the original AHC system, and have replaced the front shocks, but with regular replacement of the AHC fluid at 60K, it has been a very reliable and pleasing system for us. We have used AHC frequently in Low and Normal, occasionally in Hi.
I have found that dealers have been more aware of NAV and AHC repair and preventive issues than they were 10-15 years ago; and multiple options for repairs or rebuilts now exist. With my NAV issues, we ended up using a Garmin GPS, and then to Waze. Each has its own strenths and weaknesses, but on our road trips, all three would be in use to get max benefit of each.
The 100s are remarkably durable and the systems are designed and created to fit than durability pattern. There will be a few instances of problems, more commonly with the first model year for a feature. This is what let me to look for the 01/02, 05, and 07 models.
So I have been among those who were looking at options to replace the NAV and AHC systems when they broke down. However, I am now no longer in that camp, but will look for rebuilt or new replacement parts whenever the systems break down - which turns out to be rare. Now that I have added an 07LX, I enjoy the VVTi and VGRS features and the difference they make for the LX driving experience. The repair frequency is not nearly as bad as what I have experienced with other manufacturers, so in the long run, the 100 is a remarkably reliable vehicle. I have also found my well maintained LX will typically ride better than the "certified" used vehicles on a dealer lot.
. And the fix is a new board which last time I checked is north of $600.
Not to say it does not happen but...
(Hey didn't that truck also belong to you at one point?
) but yes it can be fixed....
and research problems on 10-15 year old vehicles
