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IS200 Problems


IS-PW
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Hi everyone,

I thought it would be useful to list the problems I have had so far with my car, and then we can do a comparison to see which problems are common to the IS200. The following have been replaced under warranty:

1. 5 x 17 inch alloys - Pitting

2. Head unit - cd player wouldn't play

3. Driver's seat - motor failure & creaks - fixed twice then replaced

4. ABS ecu - abs failure

5. Clutch pedal - clicking noise

6. Front brake discs - corrosion

7. Headlamp washer - poor alignment

8. Floor mats - recalled due to catching throttle - very scary!

9. Exhaust chrome tip - corrosion

10. Rusting stone chips on roof - obviously not galvanised. Re-painted free of charge

Do any of these sound familiar to your car?

Phil :P

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probs i have had:

Gearbox - replaced under warranty with new redesigned box

waterpump - replaced

seat- squeaking

alloys - pitting corrosion starting

wheel alignment - not aligned ( fixed)

loose speaker in drivers door ( fixed)

poo - poo paint - anti chip? my botty!!!!!

words changed due to anti swear policy on the site

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Thanks for the replies guys.

Yet more problems still to be sorted with my "Monday morning car" :

1. Juddering drivers folding door mirror (only occasionally does it - never when i'm near the dealer).

2. Poor starting - about once every 4-6 weeks the car turns over very fast, as if the starter motor is spinning - again, it never does it at the dealers, and they can't find a fault.

Thats all the faults for today!!

By the way Richie, last summer I got fed up with all of the faults on my car, and tried without success to sell it. Only two guys came to look at it, and both were driving Honda Civic Coupes - different colours though! I guess the IS200 must a natural progression for Civic drivers!

Phil

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is the IS like a BETA model?? Seems to be alot of faults when my old 92 beast doesnt seem to have much wrong with it.. maybe the odd warn rubber.. but mechanically it is sound.

Seems like Lexus use their Customers to pick up snags and faults.. then in 5 years time it will be spot on!

;)

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IS-PW;

When you get the starting problem, is it after you have run the car for a very short time (like start up, move a few feet and turn off) ?

This can cause the symptom you have and it's because the engine will have fuel in the cylinders if it hasn't completed it's warm-up cycle. The ECU won't subsequently start the engine till the fuel has been forced out (hence the fast turning over) because it kills the cats.

Of course, you might have well have a fault, but it's just a thought :D

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Lexicon,

No, the problem is after the car has sat for a while, whether that be 1 or 8 hours. It seems to happen more in the winter than the summer. The car always starts fine the second time around, and it is'nt that frequent, so i'm not too concerned at the moment.

I'll get it checked out again when my replacement wheels arrive from Lexus.

Phil

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IS-PW

I had the same problem after leaving the car outside when we went to the NIA in Birmingham. It took three turns of the key to fire up. I keep mine nice and snug in the garage over-night, and no probs since. I wonder if JD Powers will be interested in all of the problems with the Lexi, or do we have to wait for Top-Gear to have another survey?

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Wallace

You may have a point there - I can't remember having any problems after the car has been in the garage overnight. So it may be temperature related????

Forgot about another fault:

Door pins wear our - peugeot style - causing a clicking noise when you open the front doors. Both sides replaced under warranty.

By the way - I don't want to come across negative about the car - I think it's great. I just think that my car has suffered from being an early production model, i.e. reg. 6/99.

Cheers Phil.

Does anyone know how much extended warranties cost? - i'll probably need it:tumble:

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funny you should say about the starting problem, i also get that every now and then, on average every 6 - 8 weeks, but mine is outside all the time and it has also happened in the summer so not sure about the temp related possibility,

with the fuel injection it shouldnt matter what the temp is, unless you are running a diesel of course (yes i know the IS isnt diesel).

cheers

robbie.

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Mine occasionally fails to start first time I turn it over too but then is fine second time. I keep it outside all the time too. At first it happened a bit more often, probably 'cause it takes longer to get the 6 cylinders moving than with my old cavalier so I was letting go too soon. There's definitely something else wrong (other than me) but like you say - just very infrequently.

As for the others....

1. 5 x 17 inch alloys pitting - I've only got 16's (sob!) and ok so far although textured surface is murder to get the brake dust off.

2. cd player - OK

3. Driver's seat - motor failure & creaks - never had a problem with it cause it's not electric!!

4. ABS ecu - abs failure - nope, OK

5. Clutch pedal - clicking noise - nope, OK

6. Front brake discs - corrosion - praps I'd better have a look at them...

7. Headlamp washer - poor alignment - don't have these either!

8. Floor mats - recalled due to catching throttle - nope, but new in Sept last year.

9. Exhaust chrome tip - corrosion - mine's just a mucky black colour - no chrome.

10. Rusting stone chips on roof - obviously not galvanised - body OK so far.

[Edited on 13-1-2002 by javadude]

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I had a few..

1. Corrosion on front and rear discs - replaced by warranty

2. Shock absorbers - replaced under warranty

3. CD player jammed cd's - replaced (apparently problem is common) My cd's from the old unit are still with the Lexus dealer...must go get em!

4. Cracking sound when braking - fixed

5. Once had to call RAC when the engine light came on and would NOT turn over. There was a weird noise when i had tried to start it, then the light came on. Engineer reset by disconnecting the Battery for 10 mins to fix.

Not that i love to have my butt warmed, but as it is winter, just to note that the drivers side heated seat doesn't work properly. It comes on when it feels like it. Doesn't reallt bother me, but do you think I should take it in??

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Luckily the only problem I've had so far with my 8000 mile IS200 SE is the wheel corrosion.

But I haven't had them replaced yet because LEXUS are supposed to be modifying them !

i.e the back of the wheel is going to be powder coated.

Apparently LEXUS GB have returned two large freight planes full of corroded wheels to LEXUS JAPAN

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Black Magic

I think all of the heated seats on the IS fade in and out. Mine doesn't really get going for around 20 minutes. I thought it was a fault until I tried numerous IS200 courtesy cars, which were all the same.

Robbie

I never really noticed any problems with my discs. I just took the word of my dealer that they were corroded. The only problem that I noticed personally was a slight grinding noise, but that still happens with the new pads and discs.

Chris

I will shortly be on my second set of replacement wheels. My dealer told me that Lexus modified the wheels last August, but are still having problems with them. It seems that different dealers tell people different things!

Phil

:cool:

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Well I have no problem with my seat. By the time the main heater gets going, my backside's burning and I'm ready to turn it off :smilegrin:

I doesn't take more than 5mins at most to get warm.

BTW the passenger seat gets warm whether anyone's sat in it or not but blackmagic did say it was the drivers seat.

My wheels are showing signs of pitting, especially near the rear edge of the spokes. I shall mention it when it's in the dealers (on Monday) - it's not quite 5 months old & 10K miles.

[Edited on 18-1-2002 by lexicon]

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ok have now been told about the problem with the rusting on the brake disc drums, ( THANKS MAGIC! ) mine had already been changed when i got the car.

If you have the new type disc there is a grey coating on the drum, easy to see, but you still get a dark mark around the drum from where it passes underneath the caliper!

cheers

robbie

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Has anyone experienced rusting stonechips on the leading edge of the C pillar.

I have noticed one today whilst washing and polishing my car (sad I know at this time of year).

Does anyone else's car suffer from soft paint and the resulting rust?

Cheers Phil :cool:

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the paint/ clearcoat is really soft( ie crap) so u have to be careful, it is meant to be anti chip but it isnt, thats why i got the x-pel kit on the bonnet and wings. I have one or two rusty chips on a pillar as well.

cheers

robbie

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I have recently (about 2 months ago) got the Ming treatment done to my car. According to Ming UK, there is no need to wax or polish your car after the process. Just wash it with their shampoo and it will maintain a showroom finish. I must admit when it came back from the treatment, it looked STUNNING, but it's not looking like what it did when i had it done..still looks good, and I can't remember when last I waxed it. It cost me £400 to have it done. I was wondering if anyone else has had it done?

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Hi everybody,

Just got my IS a couple of months back and can relate to a few of them proplems (seats creaking,alloys pitted,cd player) other than these its a great car, but if only i had found this site sooner i would have hung on and got a later model, i take it lexus solved these problems?

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