ok, I have just become the proud owner of a 1999 IS200 with 48,000 miles on the clock. I have a stamped-up service book with Lexus and Toyota dealer stamps, but no receipts showing what work was carried out at each service.

I see from other threads that it's recommended that the cam belt be changed at 60,000 or 6 years.

I've seen one previous IS200 that had a sticker in the engine bay saying when the cam belt was changed. I have no such sticker in my engine bay.

I'm trying to figure out if mine will have been changed or not. You would hope that a Lexus or Toyota service would have changed it when it was 6 years old. But then wouldn't they have put a sticker in the engine bay ?

I could always try phoning up said dealers and seeing if they'll tell me what work was carried out. Has anyone tried this sort of thing, will dealers normally tell you stuff done for previous owners ?

Any other ideas ?

Congratulations on the new car, I believe it's 6 years or 100,000 miles for the cambelt. If it's been maintained by Lexus/Toyota dealers all it's life it should be easy to find out what's been done by contacting the dealers in question........

I think they are normally quite happy to tell you what's been done

Lexus changed their minds with the cam belt,

First they said 100,000miles or 6years, then they changed it to 60,000 so it may not have been changed,

Maybe contact the garages that did the services see if they can tell you?

Stav

Thanks for the replies guys.

I phoned the garage who did the last few services (a Toyota dealer) and they were extremely helpful. I now know that the cam belt change hasn't been done yet, and also a few other things, e.g. spark plugs haven't been changed for a while, air filter changed a year ago, etc.

Really? Mine says 100,000 in the service book, and I asked the dealer to confirm when I had it done last week and he said it's still 6 years or 100,000............hope no one's been conned into an early belt change

I would ask your dealer to confirm in writing that they or Lexus will pay for any engine damage if the belt fails within 100,000miles/6years
if the vehicle is serviced at the correct intervals by an approved Lexus Dealer Service Department.

If they do this I will no longer recommend 6 years/60,000miles to anyone who asks. Until they do however I am playing it safe as will
I'm sure many others until such a thing appears and we have a scanned picture of it. Sorry but a cam belt will make a nasty mess of an
otherise healthy engine if it fails, & not worth the risk in my book unless guarantees are forthcoming.

My belt would never have made 100,000 so i glad i got mine done at 80,000

Ian

My service book, says 10 years/100,000 miles ????


Im confused now, it was replaced at 60,000 before i bought it....

Obviously it is a major component, so it's always best to be prudent but I would have thought Lexus were being conservative when they set it as 100,000 miles or 6 years................either way, that's what it says on the service schedule (below) for what they just did as well

*EDIT* Sorry, just realised that's not particularly easy to read, but it's the third line down in the smaller grey box just above the signature.............

My book also says 100,000miles John, but the Service Manager advised me (off the record) to get it done nearer the 60,000miles.
I await a letter from LexusGB or a Lexus Main Deadler indemnifying 100,000miles/6 years before I will recommend it.

I don't get why they'd say that, if it's on the service schedule, that's what they tell their mechanics to do so surely they are endorsing it by default?

Have there been a lot of cambelt failures before 100,000 miles (and 6 years)?

I'm certain somewhere on LOC, a several members have stated there was a revision to the recommendations to
6 Years/60,000miles.

Just ask the your Lexus dealer if they would repair any engine damage free of charge to an IS200 they had serviced by the book
and the cambelt failed within the 6 Years/100,000miles.........

Then if they will, tell him/her to put it in writing....

I've just noticed that it says revised March 2007 on the side of the service schedule so might be an old one...........

Only confusing part is I found the thread where this revision was discussed and it mentioned that Lexus Woodford was the dealership that contacted a member about it so it's bizarre that they said it was 100k...........

Doesn't matter to me as I don't do enough miles to do more than 60k in a 6 year period but guess it won't do any harm to get it checked at 60k

When i had brought my last IS200 about 4 years ago it was recomended by Lexus dealer (Twickenham i believe) that it was 6 years OR 100,000 miles which ever was he sooner.....

4 years on and with my 05 Plate IS200 When i brought it last year ..it was revised to 6years OR 60,000 miles again which is ever the sooner..

But to be honest if anyone has any slight know how with cars or any common sense when getting to 60,000 OR 6 years just have a look at the belts etc and inspect them ....if in doubt pop it in to a Lexus dealer & get them to check it over ( they wont charge you if they do it will be minimal ) and if all is ok then say to who ever the person is get them to put that in writing.....

mine has now done 112000 miles, so i need to know if it needs changing at 120,000 , or not, will ring my dealership tomorrow and try and clarify whats what.

When i worked for Toyota/Lexus i only ever remember 1 cambelt breaking, and that was on an old Camry 2 litre, which are 60,000 mile intervals, it had done 84000.

Well my car is going into Lexus Hatfield on friday for a service..i will ask either the head service manager or the head mechanic....what the score is with the Cambelt change...

hi i was told by lexus wolverhampton to get it done at 60,000 or 6 years
as my is200 is 6 years old but only done 37,000 miles
i have had it changed
hope this helps john
all best neil

i had my cambelt kit done @ 85,000 and was told the belt looked in good shape and would of lasted to the 100,000 but you never know! and it was at the six year mark.
these belts seem to wear differently from car to car so best to play safe and get it changed 60,000 or at least get it checked

I'm perhaps guilty of having two parallel discussions on this same subject in different sub-forums

I've posted an update on this following a conversation with a very helpful guy at Lexus Guildford in the IS 200 forum >>here<<

Does it matter if the belt is changed by Lexus or by an independent?

I recently bought an IS200 with no service history. I e-mailed my local Dealer (Cardiff) to see if they could tell me if they had ever serviced it. They e-mailed me back saying that it had some services by Lexus in Bristol! So I e-mailed them and they sent me by post a print-out of all the servicing they had done on it! I was very impressed! So in my opinion its well worth contacting the Dealer who did the servicing (just look at their stamps on the service book!).

Just got back from Charlesworth Motors in Glossop and what a great garage. He changed my cambelt and other 3 belts for £200. Steve (the owner) knows his stuff and has got a few LOC cars in there at the mo. Going to get my car serviced later in the month and possible get it lowered.

I strongly advise changinmg your belt at 60k, we have seen too many come in in a terrible condition if left any longer and known them to break before 100k.
James

Erron the side of caution and change it anyway , you then have peace of mind . If it snaps you will be left with a bigger bill than just changing it in the first place . I do it to all my cars regardless of mileage when I get them , my Renault is being done on friday .
Regards.
Paul.

Slightly
Steve fitted my Supecharger, Pro-Lex Manifold, HKS Pod Gauges, HKS Exhaust, Lexus Pedals, TTE Anti-Roll Bars etc
Top bloke and good prices too

When i spoke to Steve, he said that if i left it till about 80k (Mines at 75k) that the likely hood it could have snapped so its worth changing.

I'm taking in tomorrow to a Lexus dealer for a visual check (9 years old, 49k miles). They've agreed that if they say it's ok until the next service, then they'll have to pay if it snaps between now and then.

Took it into Lexus Guildford this afternoon. They had a look at it and said the cam belt looked fine. But they backed out of giving any sort of guarantee, contrary to what they'd said on the phone, grr