Hi all,

I am new to Lexus and I am planning to buy a used UX250h F Sport Design.

Hope you can help me with few questions I have.

1) When buying from the official Lexus dealership, should I still pay for the pre-purchase car inspection (e.g. RAC or AA inspection)?

2) What questions should I ask the Lexus dealership when I visit to check some UX250h f sport design cars?

 

Some of the questions I was thinking asking Lexus dealership are:

a) Is this Lexus Select approved car?

b) Can you show me the service history?

c) When is the next service due?

d) Can you show me the HPI report?

e) Can you show me hybrid battery health report?

f) Are there any known mechanical or electrical problems?

 

Thank you for the help.

Welcome to the forum 

See here for details of lexus sales. This link refers to online sales, however, i believe you get the same '150 point check' etc when buying at a dealership

 

https://www.lexus.co.uk/pre-owned

 

You seem to have settled on the model you want...if you know the year (approximately), you can download the manual from here:

https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/about-my-lexus/manuals?

 

Thanks for sharing all the links.

The car will have to be late 2022 reg. or 2023 reg. because I want the facelifted version with the touchscreen.

2 hours ago, MileMuncher said:

UX250h F Sport Design

I don't own a UX250, however I'm sure a few people who do will post shortly with their advice...

2 hours ago, MileMuncher said:

1) When buying from the official Lexus dealership, should I still pay for the pre-purchase car inspection (e.g. RAC or AA inspection)?

Personally I wouldn't feel the need to on such a new car still under the three year manufacturer's warranty, or when purchasing from a main dealer who will give an additional comprehensive warranty. You still want to give it a good visual inspection thought for bumps and scrapes, both inside and out.

1 hour ago, MileMuncher said:

Thanks for sharing all the links.

The car will have to be late 2022 reg. or 2023 reg. because I want the facelifted version with the touchscreen.

All F Sport Designs are facelift, they weren't introduced until late 2022. Had mine coming up to 2 years and no problems at all.  Nothing in particular to look out for.
Just be aware UX's have very restricted rear seat legroom if the front occupants are tall ish/ like to stretch out and the boot isn't very big. People have come on here moaning about them in the past because they never checked before buying. 🙄  Can hold a fair bit with the seats down though. I'd class them as a couples' car not a family one.

1. Make sure you inspect the car fully before purchase.  Point out any existing paint damage and ask for repairs before completing the purchase.  Be especially careful around the boot, engine bay, door edges and check the plastic trim, focusing on front and rear bumpers and bottom edges of the car.  Point out any damage before purchase.  Check panel gaps are consistent as Lexus has very tight tolerances on these, and any uneven gaps are a sure sign of a collision or repair.  The dealer I use in Edinburgh are very good and I would trust them to give the car the full pre-sale inspection, but some people seem less happy about other dealers.  A pre purchase inspection by yourself or an independent mechanic should focus on consumable or non warranty parts such as brake pads/discs, suspension components, sensors etc.  The pre purchase inspection is less about buying a lemon, and more about predicting any non warranty maintenance that will need done soon.  If any issues like worn boots/ bushings/ coils/control arms/wheel bearings etc or worn brake components or tyres, report this to the sales advisor and ask for the upcoming repairs to be taken into account in the cars price.  As we live in a wet country, and worse, one where a lot of vehicles are used near the sea (salt water), always check for rust everywhere, including under the car.  This is where an inspection will come in handy as almost all of the underside is covered and will require the removal of covers to check.   Also, pay attention to the condition of  the hard plastics around the seats, these can be easily scratched by careless owners if that concerns you.

 

2.

a. Check the Lexus UK website.  Your car should be listed there and the advert will inform you about Lexus select status.

b. There should be no issue in them showing you the service history.  As the vehicle is relatively new, it is likely to have a full Lexus service history.  This means the full history should be on their system.  Even if a service is missing, the car will not be Lexus select approved if it has any serious issues.   This is because the warranty costs to the dealership would cost more than the higher sales price.  Saying that, it's always good to see the service history to give yourself peace of mind that you are not dealing with a dodgy sales rep or lazy technician.

c. From my experience, the sales rep should tell you when the next service is due, and if it is a major or minor.  Many cars at the age you are looking at will be PCP returns, meaning they would be serviced at eh end of the agreement, giving you most of a year until the next service.  My last Lexus was 50 weeks(and 9986 miles) out from it's next service, which for me, was a major. 

d. Again, this should not be a problem.  The dealership should have an HPI check done before the they accept the car.  Asking to see it can give you extra peace of mind.

e.  This will have been checked on all select approved vehicles, and the report should be on their system.  The vehicle would not be select approved if this failed.  Again, a good thing to see for peace of mind.

f. I've not heard of any mechanical or electrical faults being major issues.  However, in modern cars, electrical systems are becoming more complex, and complexity leads to more points of failure.  Being a Lexus (Toyota), I'd be confident in the reliability of the purchase.  The drive chain is solid (partially due to being naturally aspirated- less heat and complexity), and the E-CVT is pretty much bulletproof.  Search around the internet to see if you find any recurring reports of issues, but I haven't came across any. 

a few other points...

Check if any optional packs are included so you are sure that the car has all the features you expect.  Check that you have the user manual, and the standard accessories such as towing eye and lock nut key.  Check that you have been given floor mats and that all removable covers in the boot are present.  Check the divider in the glove box is there (it is removable).

As far as maintenance goes, check the history, but it's very likely that  the car has a full service history to maintain the 10 yr warranty.   Check when the MOT is due.

Be fully aware of the warranty terms.  The extended warranty CAN be activated as long as you get your service done by Lexus, even if the previous owner did not.  You used car comes with a 1 year warranty, so major cost items such as the pistons, cylinders, hybrid battery etc will be covered by this, and will be extended for each yearly service up to 10yr/100k miles. Hybrid battery warranty can be extended to 15 years.

Be aware that the F Sport models have a firmer ride than non f-sport models.  This is compounded by the run flats supplied with them.  If the ride feels firm, consider a no f sport version, or switch to no run flats.  Non run flats will also run quieter. 

 

Trust yourself.  Trust a mechanic you know.  Never relay on a salesman or a technician you do not know or have never even met.

 

 

Thank you all for the amazing answers. I am already making a detailed list for my next visits to Lexus dealerships. 

Also check the windscreen has no chips.

Be aware of the limitations of the 12v battery  . Don't leave it in accessory mode for to long !

Sorry, since I am new to UX, what is accessory mode?

 

37 minutes ago, MileMuncher said:

Sorry, since I am new to UX, what is accessory mode?

 

It’s when you press the start button without pressing the brake pedal. 

Anytime you are ‘fiddling’ in the car make sure it’s in Ready mode (big green READY displayed in the instrument cluster) by pressing the brake pedal before pressing the start button. 

If you only put it in accessory mode the 12v battery will deplete pretty quickly. Hybrids tend to have a lower than normal capacity 12v battery as they do not need to turn a big heavy combustion engine.

Hi all,

I need advice about this.

Just spoke on the phone with one dealership (not official Lexus) which has a used Lexus UX250h f sport design at a good price.

The car is 72 reg. They say that car only has 1 stamp in the service book (service was done by Lexus).

It should be 2 stamps. Right?

Does that mean this car is no longer eligible for Lexus 10 year warranty since 1 stamp is missing?

1 minute ago, MileMuncher said:

It should be 2 stamps. Right?

Most likely - but it could have been registered at the end of February 2023, serviced in Feb/March 2024 so could still have a couple of weeks left before the next service is due.

 

3 minutes ago, MileMuncher said:

Does that mean this car is no longer eligible for Lexus 10 year warranty since 1 stamp is missing?

No. It means the 3 year original manufacturer's warranty is technically void if it hasn't been serviced according to the schedule (although Lexus might overlook that it is just missing a month or two, or if it gets serviced by Lexus soon).

The 10 year warranty just needs the vehicle to have a service (with no faults found) and is then automatically covered for the next 12 months/10k miles - it doesn't matter what the prior service history is.

Just called the dealership again.

They say one stamp in the service book on 8/8/2024 at 9711 miles (car currently has 13,000 miles).

Service invoice says 20k/24 month full service. 

They don't have invoice for intermediate service.

Does this change anything previously said by @ColinBarber?

1 hour ago, MileMuncher said:

Does this change anything previously said by @ColinBarber?

Not really. Worst case is the first service wasn't done so you have lost the main 3 year warranty, but from 8/8/24 until 8/8/25 you are covered under Relax 10 year warranty (which isn't as good as the manufacturer's warranty).

Possibly the 10k service was done, just they don't have the paperwork and it would show up on the Lexus owners app (which you can't really get to see unless you become the owner).

 

I'd be surprised if someone did purchase a new vehicle and then missed the first service and voided their warranty.