Is250 - Help/guidance/advice Please

[bluenose1940]

Just wondering if there is anything specific that I should be looking out for when (possibly) purchasing a May 06 - IS250 SE-L MM with 56K on the clock and one owner.

For example, is it likely that the exhaust system might be nearing the end of its useful life, things of that nature.

Any help/guidance will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

[noby76]

I think the exhaust systems on the MK2 IS's are stainless steel so expect around 10-15 years of service life my IS3 is 10yrs old and still on its original exhaust, IS250 does not have belts it uses chains so no cambelt service needs doing. start from front and work your way back.

• first check all round body condition and paint work for any signs of accidet or respray work.
  
• pop bonnet open and check engine oil level and condtion if its too low will need instant top up before you even drive off.
  
• not sure if you can check other fluids like coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid as i think the IS250 engine bays are sealed
  
• lock car and check all 4 doors are locked. unlock car and check all four doors unlock.
  
• turn ignition on but dont start the car to see if system is OK without any service/engine mngt lights
  
• start car up and it should crank on first try if it hesitats might be starter, Battery, or spark plugs needs attension
  
• check all electrics from power steering , radio, A/C, power windows etc to make sure all are working.
  
• if its an Auto move gear lever from P to L each time waiting for a second to see if the current selected gear shows up on the dash.
  
• drive both in town and also on an open road say about 70mph to see if gears all shifts up and down a good 15 - 20mins drive to warm up the engine.
  
• ounce the test drive is over leave engine running to see if fan kicks in and goes of and dont be shy to look under the car to see if there are any under body leaks whilts car is running as thats when fluids are all working.
  
• pop boot open to see if there is a sparetyre and tyre breakdown service tools.
  
• check service history/ mot against DVLA site and alsoi hpi checks and if all is clear and you are happy with the drive before you can start negotiating price.
  

hope this helps

[Exdee]

Just wondering if there is anything specific that I should be looking out for when (possibly) purchasing a May 06 - IS250 SE-L MM with 56K on the clock and one owner.

For example, is it likely that the exhaust system might be nearing the end of its useful life, things of that nature.

Any help/guidance will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

Dash noise and blown sub woofers.

Jammed rear callipers come to mind too. Not sure if there's a way to tell this without taking the wheels off.

[bluenose1940]

I think the exhaust systems on the MK2 IS's are stainless steel so expect around 10-15 years of service life my IS3 is 10yrs old and still on its original exhaust, IS250 does not have belts it uses chains so no cambelt service needs doing. start from front and work your way back.

• first check all round body condition and paint work for any signs of accidet or respray work.
  
• pop bonnet open and check engine oil level and condtion if its too low will need instant top up before you even drive off.
  
• not sure if you can check other fluids like coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid as i think the IS250 engine bays are sealed
  
• lock car and check all 4 doors are locked. unlock car and check all four doors unlock.
  
• turn ignition on but dont start the car to see if system is OK without any service/engine mngt lights
  
• start car up and it should crank on first try if it hesitats might be starter, battery, or spark plugs needs attension
  
• check all electrics from power steering , radio, A/C, power windows etc to make sure all are working.
  
• if its an Auto move gear lever from P to L each time waiting for a second to see if the current selected gear shows up on the dash.
  
• drive both in town and also on an open road say about 70mph to see if gears all shifts up and down a good 15 - 20mins drive to warm up the engine.
  
• ounce the test drive is over leave engine running to see if fan kicks in and goes of and dont be shy to look under the car to see if there are any under body leaks whilts car is running as thats when fluids are all working.
  
• pop boot open to see if there is a sparetyre and tyre breakdown service tools.
  
• check service history/ mot against DVLA site and alsoi hpi checks and if all is clear and you are happy with the drive before you can start negotiating price.
  

hope this helps

Hi noby76, What a great reply to my post, I thank you most sincerely for the time taken to be so helpful. I am really pleased to hear that the exhaust sysem is stainless, didn't realise that. Also extremely pleased to hear that the cambelt is in fact a chain, that always gives a bit more 'peace of mind' I will print off your reply and will have it with me when I go to look at the car. This particular car will be from a Lexus Dealer so I imagine that most things will be in order, although I do have my eyes on a couple of private motors too but, I will scrutinise each of them by following your guidelines.

56K on the clock is I think, quite a bit below the average for a car of that age. Does this model tend to perform well even when the mileage gets high?

Thanks again for your input, really helpful, thank you.

[bluenose1940]

Just wondering if there is anything specific that I should be looking out for when (possibly) purchasing a May 06 - IS250 SE-L MM with 56K on the clock and one owner.

For example, is it likely that the exhaust system might be nearing the end of its useful life, things of that nature.

Any help/guidance will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

Dash noise and blown sub woofers.

Jammed rear callipers come to mind too. Not sure if there's a way to tell this without taking the wheels off.

Hi Exdee, Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. Interesting that you mention the 'jammed rear callipers' because when I purchased my 220d, Lexus mentioned that they had replaced them as they had become seized. The blown subwoofers seems a strange one, I haven't heard of that one before. Is this a common problem with this model or only applicable where the car may have been driven by the 'boy racer' type of driver? ( no disrespect intended to anyone on the forum but when I walk along the seafront here at home the cruisers drive by with their 'Boom Boom' blasting out, I can only imagine that their subwoofers must fill the boot space!)) How do you tell if they are 'blown'? The only thought that I might have is that the output might sound as though it is underwater.

Thanks again for your help.

[noby76]

[56K on the clock is I think, quite a bit below the average for a car of that age. Does this model tend to perform well even when the mileage gets high?

on a lexus engine 56k is barely broken in :D ..these engine are normally designed for a minimum of 300K. on a good day IS250 could hit 160mph 'on German Autobhan' so dont worry about performance because its there..my IS3 is 10yrs old with over 110K on the clock and still drives and shifts through gears smoothly and when am in the mood for performance it does not fail me either...if its from a Lexus Dealer you would at least get 6 months warranty based on 'sale of goods act' try to see if you can get them to do an interim service before you pick it up thats if you going with the lexus dealer of course. Good Luck

[mraines]

I would also presume that a car of that age will have corroded alloys so see if they can all be replaced. The alloys are notorious for corroding. My 07 plate is on it's 2nd set and I got the 2nd set put on during the "used car warranty" period.

Thanks.

[bluenose1940]

I would also presume that a car of that age will have corroded alloys so see if they can all be replaced. The alloys are notorious for corroding. My 07 plate is on it's 2nd set and I got the 2nd set put on during the "used car warranty" period.

Thanks.

Hello, Thank you for your comments, yes you are absolutely right, Lexus inform me that the wheels have in fact been replaced/refurbished already Will have to keep my eye on them if I go for it. Any idea why Lexus wheels are so prone to this problem? Mine on my currendt 220d are absolutely fine.

If the wheels are refurbished rather than replaced, isn't a subsequent problem down to the refurbishers not doing a proper job?

[normski2]

Lexus have had problems with alloys for years. It is about time they got this sorted once and for all.

I had two sets on my 2001 is200. Here we are 11 years later, still complaining about this.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

[bluenose1940]

Lexus have had problems with alloys for years. It is about time they got this sorted once and for all.

I had two sets on my 2001 is200. Here we are 11 years later, still complaining about this.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Hi normski2, Am I correct in thinking that Lexus make their own wheels and if they do, and as a consequence have had considerable problems over what seems like many years, why have they not gone down the route of getting their wheels from specialist manufacturers if there is such a thing?

[Exdee]

Just wondering if there is anything specific that I should be looking out for when (possibly) purchasing a May 06 - IS250 SE-L MM with 56K on the clock and one owner.

For example, is it likely that the exhaust system might be nearing the end of its useful life, things of that nature.

Any help/guidance will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

Dash noise and blown sub woofers.

Jammed rear callipers come to mind too. Not sure if there's a way to tell this without taking the wheels off.

Hi Exdee, Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. Interesting that you mention the 'jammed rear callipers' because when I purchased my 220d, Lexus mentioned that they had replaced them as they had become seized. The blown subwoofers seems a strange one, I haven't heard of that one before. Is this a common problem with this model or only applicable where the car may have been driven by the 'boy racer' type of driver? ( no disrespect intended to anyone on the forum but when I walk along the seafront here at home the cruisers drive by with their 'Boom Boom' blasting out, I can only imagine that their subwoofers must fill the boot space!)) How do you tell if they are 'blown'? The only thought that I might have is that the output might sound as though it is underwater.

Thanks again for your help.

The sub woofer on this car (both ML and non ML) is not very durable. The sub eventually goes weak over time even if played at volumes that don't cause distortion and develops a tear in it. The tear then causes a noise at certain bass frequencies at low and high volumes.

I wouldn't worry too much if you are buying from a dealer because you do get some sort of warranty whereby smaller imperfections you come across can be fixed later. Just focus on the main bits like engine, bodywork and suspension.

Lexus do have a problem with alloy corrosion. The main markets for the car are USA and Japan both of which have moderate weather conditions and hence less alloy corrosion. I think the newer cars and models have better alloys that are less prone to corrosion but the older ones will always be a cosmetic issue.

If I was buying from a dealer I would make sure the alloys are spotless. You will find plenty of threads on here regarding how to preserve that condition.

[bluenose1940]

Just wondering if there is anything specific that I should be looking out for when (possibly) purchasing a May 06 - IS250 SE-L MM with 56K on the clock and one owner.

For example, is it likely that the exhaust system might be nearing the end of its useful life, things of that nature.

Any help/guidance will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

Dash noise and blown sub woofers.

Jammed rear callipers come to mind too. Not sure if there's a way to tell this without taking the wheels off.

Hi Exdee, Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. Interesting that you mention the 'jammed rear callipers' because when I purchased my 220d, Lexus mentioned that they had replaced them as they had become seized. The blown subwoofers seems a strange one, I haven't heard of that one before. Is this a common problem with this model or only applicable where the car may have been driven by the 'boy racer' type of driver? ( no disrespect intended to anyone on the forum but when I walk along the seafront here at home the cruisers drive by with their 'Boom Boom' blasting out, I can only imagine that their subwoofers must fill the boot space!)) How do you tell if they are 'blown'? The only thought that I might have is that the output might sound as though it is underwater.

Thanks again for your help.

The sub woofer on this car (both ML and non ML) is not very durable. The sub eventually goes weak over time even if played at volumes that don't cause distortion and develops a tear in it. The tear then causes a noise at certain bass frequencies at low and high volumes.

I wouldn't worry too much if you are buying from a dealer because you do get some sort of warranty whereby smaller imperfections you come across can be fixed later. Just focus on the main bits like engine, bodywork and suspension.

Lexus do have a problem with alloy corrosion. The main markets for the car are USA and Japan both of which have moderate weather conditions and hence less alloy corrosion. I think the newer cars and models have better alloys that are less prone to corrosion but the older ones will always be a cosmetic issue.

If I was buying from a dealer I would make sure the alloys are spotless. You will find plenty of threads on here regarding how to preserve that condition.

Thank you once again Exdee, most helpful.

[BosniaLexus]

Hi Geoff, I just traded my IS250 MM Sport. It's an 06 model with 67k on the clock. I would be interested in what you are paying for your IS. This car has been bulletproof, not even a puncture. All I would advise is to make sure your car has a full history, recall work has been done - this will have happened if it was serviced by Lex. A few years ago they offered me a service plan, and in retrospect, I should have taken it, as my last service was expensive.

The only fault I had with the car was with the Mark Levinson DVD CD changer, it stopped working a few days ago - kept the CDd, would not eject or play. However, you will have a warranty and anything that pops up, they will fix it . This forum is a great place to ask questions about your car, as other IS owners will tip you off on issues that arise during the guarantee period.

Having had an IS250 since 06, my reaction to it is that I just committed to buying another. Even though they will bring a new model next year, I do not believe there is a more reliable car out there than the current iIS250, it matches the legendary IS200.

By the way, the last trip I did in my IS250 was 1300 miles through Europe, which took 23 driving hours, and the car handled flawlessly.

Best wishes with your new car

[bluenose1940]

Hi Geoff, I just traded my IS250 MM Sport. It's an 06 model with 67k on the clock. I would be interested in what you are paying for your IS. This car has been bulletproof, not even a puncture. All I would advise is to make sure your car has a full history, recall work has been done - this will have happened if it was serviced by Lex. A few years ago they offered me a service plan, and in retrospect, I should have taken it, as my last service was expensive.

The only fault I had with the car was with the Mark Levinson DVD CD changer, it stopped working a few days ago - kept the CDd, would not eject or play. However, you will have a warranty and anything that pops up, they will fix it . This forum is a great place to ask questions about your car, as other IS owners will tip you off on issues that arise during the guarantee period.

Having had an IS250 since 06, my reaction to it is that I just committed to buying another. Even though they will bring a new model next year, I do not believe there is a more reliable car out there than the current iIS250, it matches the legendary IS200.

By the way, the last trip I did in my IS250 was 1300 miles through Europe, which took 23 driving hours, and the car handled flawlessly.

Best wishes with your new car

Hello BosniaLexus, Thank you for your valued comments, much appreciated. Interesting that you ask what I am likely to pay for the car because earlier I did a little investigating to see if I could establish what would be a reasonable price from a dealer. The price of the car car is £10995 but, when I did a valuation on What Car it came up with a figure of £7786 but, this does not seem realistic to me. When i fed my own car details into the system it came up with a part exchange figure of £8847.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this please. By the way, I currently have my car for sale on Autotrader and I am asking £9750, is this a reasonable sum?

[MW70]

Hi Geoff. So you are preparing to take the plunge with petrol ... Excellent. In addition to all the wise words above i would (after recent disposal of a 50k 2006 sel mm IS250 auto as you know). Watch out for the rattles/squeaks particularly when sunny, get a warranty for as long as possible. And finally after purchase keep an eye on 4 wheel allignment - mine was disastrous for the wallet. (oh and the alloys did corrode even though refurbished when purchased.). Mine never let me down mechanically but i did worry that the gearbox/ engine was not running right occasionally. In the end it was the high costs of fuel, tyres, servicing, and depreciation that killed it for me. Now that its gone I do look at my photos and think that was the best looking car I ever had. :-( but just too expensive for me to live with.

Good luck I dont think you'll regret it. How were the new Sat Nav discs? Hope you are keeping well. Marcus

[BosniaLexus]

Lexus seems to work on threes and fours. Three is the profit they would like on your part ex. This is why their offer is low. Four is the profit on the new one. They will say that they incur significant costs in turning the part ex into something they can guarantee to the next buyer. Is the car you are trading worth more than the car you are buying, or do all these numbers refer to the same car.

Are u buying new.

[normski2]

The price of the car car is £10995 but, when I did a valuation on What Car it came up with a figure of £7786 but, this does not seem realistic to me. When i fed my own car details into the system it came up with a part exchange figure of £8847.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this please. By the way, I currently have my car for sale on Autotrader and I am asking £9750, is this a reasonable sum?

I am thinking the Lexus dealerships are trying it on a bit with their second hand prices. A 6 (possibly nearly 7) yr old car for 11 grand, seems a tad over the top to me. If half the value is lost in three years, call it 14K, how can it still be 11K a further 3 years on. Every car I have looked at so far I would estimate to be about 2K over priced. For me its not stacking up...fear I might go elsewhere.

Don't forget to allow for the road tax on the 250. £270 for the auto and a cool £460 for the manual.

[MW70]

Well said Normski!

[Tango]

I think the exhaust systems on the MK2 IS's are stainless steel so expect around 10-15 years of service life

Seems to be a common perception, but the exhaust system on the second generation IS is NOT manufactured in stainless steel. I did fit a stainless steel Tanabe system to my IS250 SE-L only a few months after the car was new, and I still have the original non stainless steel system stored in my garage. The exhaust tips are polished stainless steel which may lead people to think the entire system is the same.

However, my 11 year old IS200 Sport is still running with the original exhaust system after 90K miles so assuming the quality hasn't dropped on the second generation, the exhaust system shouldn't be high on the worry list of a six year old car. In discussion with Tony Bones of WIM he mentioned he wasn't aware of anyone in the tyre and exhaust business that had actually fitted a new exhaust system to a IS200 due to the original rusting out.

[bluenose1940]

Lexus seems to work on threes and fours. Three is the profit they would like on your part ex. This is why their offer is low. Four is the profit on the new one. They will say that they incur significant costs in turning the part ex into something they can guarantee to the next buyer. Is the car you are trading worth more than the car you are buying, or do all these numbers refer to the same car.

Are u buying new.

Hi again, I am thinking of trading my 57 plate IS SE-L MM 220d for an IS250 (same spec) Numerous calls to motor traders has indicated a P/X value on mine of around £7K. One Lexus Dealership has offered me £7.5K for mine against something in the region of £12K and, another Lexus Dealership has offered me £9K against the one I am interested in at £10995.

The 250 is about 15months older than my 220d and has covered another 6000miles, it is a one owner car whereas I am the 4th owner of my car, including Lexus being one of them.

I am inclined to agree with normski as regards pricing. I purchased my car on October 28th last year (2011) for £12400 with a full one year warranty so you will see that I am taking a bit of a hit by changing. I am only thinking of changing because of all the problems I've come across on here with regards to the engine on the 220d. I really shouldn't have purchased a diesel car because i don't do many miles annually but, I admit to not being aware of the inherent problems of covering such low mileages, I was simply looking at the quality of the car and the mpg figures. My plan is to do more miles per annum now that my wife has retired but, it still won't be enough (I don't think) to warrant owning a diesel. I must say that my car is absolutely first class. It's the best car that I have ever owned and it runs like a dream, the accelleration is superb but, I still have the nagging niggles in the back of my mind about the engine problems. Also, I need to bear in mind the fact that I can only buy a warranty (Lexus) up to the cars 7th birthday. If I get the engine problems after the warranty has expired then it will probably be the knackers yard for the car!

I really fancy the 250 but am now teetering somewhat! If I could get a buyer for mine I would then buy privately and then buy a Lexus Warranty, that way i'm sure that I could get myself a better deal.

[noby76]

I think the exhaust systems on the MK2 IS's are stainless steel so expect around 10-15 years of service life

Seems to be a common perception, but the exhaust system on the second generation IS is NOT manufactured in stainless steel. I did fit a stainless steel Tanabe system to my IS250 SE-L only a few months after the car was new, and I still have the original non stainless steel system stored in my garage. The exhaust tips are polished stainless steel which may lead people to think the entire system is the same.

However, my 11 year old IS200 Sport is still running with the original exhaust system after 90K miles so assuming the quality hasn't dropped on the second generation, the exhaust system shouldn't be high on the worry list of a six year old car. In discussion with Tony Bones of WIM he mentioned he wasn't aware of anyone in the tyre and exhaust business that had actually fitted a new exhaust system to a IS200 due to the original rusting out.

Thanks for correcting Tango..seems like they really do last a long time even without them being stainless steel! well thats Lexus engineering for you i guess.