Buy Advice Please For A Potential Lexus Owner :)

[Muzy]

Hi guys hope you all doing well.

I was looking for some help and hope you guys can give me some feedback based on your experience.

I am looking to buy a Lexus IS 250 Petrol between 2006-2008 and would like as advice on the following things.

1) Whats the max miledge the car should have done?

2) What are the common faults, things that could go wrong or that need to be ensured have been replaced such as recall stuff on these cars??

3) Where would i be able to find body kits, etc items which i could use to customize my car ( cant seem to find much on eBay or anywhere else)

4) What should i look out for when i go to check a vehicle.

Basically i know nothing about Lexus and would like some help please :)

Thanks guys :)

[Stuno1]

Cant help with all of thosequestions but my response is below.

1. Mileage is subjecxtive. Abverage annual milage is 10-12k but it all depends what you are comfortable with.

2. Best to call a dealer regarding recalls and then check the paperwork to ensure it has all been done.

3. There are little to no aftermarket kits for lexus cars because there are not a huge amount of them. Best bet is to buy from the states where the market is a lot bigger.

4. Do a HPI check. Not that expensive and worth every penny. Check tyre wear and look to see how long ago bads and discs were changed as these are not that cheap to replace. Also, look for signs of how well the car has been cared for. If there are lots of minor issues it probably hasnt been cared for that well.

[finest1]

mileage won't matter too much. i bought mine slightly higher, but because i don't do much miles, i've clawed it back to just above average for its age. a car that is driven is reliable. the engine is designed to be used. japanese and german cars have very good solid reps for high mileage. there are members here who have over 130k on their clocks, no issues! this also depends on whether the car has been serviced regular or not. try to get as much paper work from the seller. if the seller has gone to his local mechanic for servicing, this is fine, but i would expect the receipts to be kept. i've kept mine.

my is250 has been faultless. obviously you have to think about wear and tear, brakes, brake discs, bulbs. if you get the reg, you can phone any lexus and they can tell you the service history over the phone. i did this when i bought mine. i ended up talking to the actual mechanic who carried out the servicing, and asssured me to go for the car. i did!!

regarding customising, that is something you need to check out with japanese car enthusiasts. body kits come from the US and japan, and at a price. TOMS do customising here in the UK, but very expensive.

what to look for in a vehicle: google it! autotrader has good advice so does honest john.

good luck!

[Muzy]

Thanks guys.. i will use this information as a starting point.

Would anyone have an approx running cost for these cars??

Any information about regular stuff such as

1) cost of full service

2) replacing brake pads and dics

Is there anything with these cars that require alot of money to be spent on?? any weakness in engines like bmws have or steering rod issues? or bushes issues? anti role bar issues, any particular sensors that go crazy and need replacing? Anything of this sort that would come under common faults??

[aly-g]

hi muzy, cost of a full service is between £200/ 300 depending on if anything extra has to be done ie: brake fluid change approx £70, coolant change approx £80 to £100... discs and pads cost is anywhere up to £200 per corner depending where you go to have it done ,(not to hard to do yourself ) hope this is of help to you and others.....

Allan

[normski2]

One issue you need to be aware of is the seizing of Slide Pins on the Brakes.

Make sure you do these regularly......maybe once every 12 months or so.

is200 newbie put up a splendid post about this with pics. Dead easy to follow and so worth doing....it will save you a lot of money in the long run. Go here,

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/tutorials/article/223-overhaul-of-front-brake-caliper-and-slide-pins/

I've recommended this goes in the 'How to' area of the forum. Noobie did a really good job on this and I felt there was a danger it would get buried amongst all the other posts in the 250 forum area. It hasn't been approved yet so i'm not sure if it is visible to everyone. I can see it but it says unapproved by it.

You'll find quite a lot of useful info here....worth taking a look.

[aly-g]

Defiantly agree with normski, in fact it was noobie's guide that inspired me to do this job myself after being quoted £570.00 to replace discs and pads on my car, in fact I found one of the rear calipers was seized solid and beyond repair, the service agent never mentioned that to me at the service ! So I decided to replace both rear calipers all four discs and pads, time taken in total approx 4hours and I know the job has been done properly, also saved myself about £300. Labour... Well worth looking at this guide, thanks noo bie.......

Allan

[Ishaq]

One issue you need to be aware of is the seizing of Slide Pins on the Brakes.

Make sure you do these regularly......maybe once every 12 months or so.

is200 newbie put up a splendid post about this with pics. Dead easy to follow and so worth doing....it will save you a lot of money in the long run. Go here,

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/tutorials/article/223-overhaul-of-front-brake-caliper-and-slide-pins/

I've recommended this goes in the 'How to' area of the forum. Noobie did a really good job on this and I felt there was a danger it would get buried amongst all the other posts in the 250 forum area. It hasn't been approved yet so i'm not sure if it is visible to everyone. I can see it but it says unapproved by it.

You'll find quite a lot of useful info here....worth taking a look.

Normski - That link doesnt work, just tried it

Also how would one know if the calippers are siezed when driving, or is it only when replacing the pads when the mech will be able to tell?

Thanks

[normski2]

OK go here then

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/86430-front-brake-caliper-and-pins-removal/?hl=%2Bslide+%2Bpins

Thats a tad frustrating as I asked a mod to look into that some time back.

[Ishaq]

Thanks Normski.

Your right that guide is very good and easy for most of us to follow and do ourself.

[Exdee]

If it's seized in the position it is in when your foot is off the brake pedal, then you probably won't notice while driving unless you brake hard in which case the car should nose dive as it's just the fronts that are working.

It it's seized in the position is it in when your foot is on the brake pedal, then there should be a burning smell/excessive heat/smoke.

If it's sticking then you may hear a noise when you lift your foot off the brake pedal, as the specific caliper will not be released immediately like the rest.

[Ishaq]

If it's seized in the position it is in when your foot is off the brake pedal, then you probably won't notice while driving unless you brake hard in which case the car should nose dive as it's just the fronts that are working.

It it's seized in the position is it in when your foot is on the brake pedal, then there should be a burning smell/excessive heat/smoke.

If it's sticking then you may hear a noise when you lift your foot off the brake pedal, as the specific caliper will not be released immediately like the rest.

Thanks Exdee.

This will help me keep and eye or nose on my calippers.

[Muzy]

Thanks guys, iv looked at the guide and it seems simple enough. All i need now is a lexus and a drive way to do it lol which shouldnt be hard lol.

Oh and need to sell my 320d saloon sport so il be working on that now but if theres any other things anyone can think of that i should check when buying ( i will of course contact lexus to get background info on the car) then please keep posting. Im making a list :D

[is200 Newbie]

Thanks Normski for the recommendation - will try and get some more guides up as I get through the jobs on the car.

Ishaq - The easiest way to check if your rear brakes have seized and in all honesty it will be the rear callipers that will more than likely seize on a regular basis due to the slide pins ---- water and dirt gets through the seals on the rubber boots on the pins (unavoidable) and corrodes the pins from inside the slide pin recess on the calliper making them hard to operate properly.

Anyway, the easiest way is to put your hand on each alloy wheel after driving the car and feel for a difference in heat - careful as they can get very hot - if one feels hotter than the other there's a very good chance that the brake calliper on the hotter side has seized. There's no reason to think that the cooler one hasn't seized also but its a very good / quick and easy determination of finding which one (if any) has gone and its good practise to do the other side at the same time anyway - when you have done one side you will see how easy it is to do - the fronts are a different design but the principle is the same and are again easy to do.

Rather than replace the calipers it is very easy to free them if they are not too far gone - they should come off the wheel assembly quite easy even if seized - Once off use a heat source directed on the slide pin recess in short bursts until you can feel it starting to get a bit on play in the movement. I have used a plumbing torch to do mine. All you will be doing is helping to melt all the "gunk" inside the recess which will be a majority of the old grease and when you have released it you will realise what I mean as the grease will have acted as a binding agent preventing the brakes from operating properly.

It could be a case that someone has done the maintenance before you and put the wrong type of grease in and that's caused the damage. Castrol LM (high melting point) grease I have used with no issues.

If purchasing the rear callipers you need to be aware that in 2007 there was an update to the calliper assembly whereby they changed or revised the assembly. The easiest way to check the part required for your car would be to take your wheel off and you will see a few stamped numbers / letters on the caliper itself - something along the lines of 43 L 18 or 10 R 43 - just check this part number when looking for any new ones should you need them.

[is200 Newbie]

Muzy

One area I keep banging on about to people to check when buying one of these cars is to check the exhaust out.

This caught me out when mine went last year, a bit premature I think but hey....life goes on. At the time they were not available from the likes of ATS etc as I guess its not worth these manufacturers designing and keeping them on stock as the cars are relatively new. I was stuck with a car I could not drive for a few weeks until I done a good temporary fix that probably would have lasted a good few years but I didn't want to take the chance it would go in the middle of nowhere. It was really undriveable, unable to get it over 30 mph when it went.

At the time there was a two week lead time for the part and a further week to get it into the dealer to fit and back to me.

I went with an aftermarket stainless steel one that was made for the car - quite noisy compared to the OEM one but no other issues really.

If you consider the cost of a new exhaust which is only available (at the time) from Lexus at £2700 (back boxes and middle section) and the car off the road for a good part of a month then that's a whole lot of hassle. The exhaust may be available now from the likes of ATS etc, I haven't checked and would consider replacing the stainless one with a 3rd party one due to the drone noise experienced with stainless one.

Check the exhaust

[Ishaq]

Thanks Normski for the recommendation - will try and get some more guides up as I get through the jobs on the car.

Ishaq - The easiest way to check if your rear brakes have seized and in all honesty it will be the rear callipers that will more than likely seize on a regular basis due to the slide pins ---- water and dirt gets through the seals on the rubber boots on the pins (unavoidable) and corrodes the pins from inside the slide pin recess on the calliper making them hard to operate properly..

Thanks newbie, this is great info.

Funny reading about the excess heat as the other day when I opened the drivers door after a 30 minute journey there was a lot of heat coming from under the car when I got out. Didn't last that long but was very hot air.

Will check and feel the alloys next time. It's just I don't drive my car everyday and there could be times where i don't drive for 3-4 days straight as I work in Central London so use the Tube.

Also remember when I first took the car to lexus after buying it for a quick service the service manager said to me "make sure you take the car for regular runs as the rear clippers are known to seize" - shame they know this yet don't do anything about it

[is200 Newbie]

The rear calipers were replaced under warranty when they seized but only under certain circumstances.

I initially checked mine out after I felt the heat from one of my real wheels when I was standing next to the wheel and that was through trousers. I got it done virtually straight away as I think in producing that much heat it could be dangerous, fire and other parts failing due to the excessive heat.

[toffee_pie]

*****!

my car is on <55k miles, can i get these calipers done?

the warranty is out, i contacted lexus. (2008 car), but i still think a car that low miles should have a critical part like that replaced its its a known fault

[aly-g]

if the caliper pins are lubricated as part of the service this would not happen surely ?....

Allan

[toffee_pie]

yeah but its beside the point? the part should not fail...at all

does the revised part need lubricant ?

[johnatg]

There's nothing in Lexus Service specifications about inspecting or lubricating the caliper slider pins. Caliper inspection only extends to checking the cylinder bore and piston for rust. (And they would only do that if there was a specific brake problem - I suppose they might find a tight slider whilst dismantling) Regular (ie during routine service) brake maintenance only covers a visual check of pad thickness.

The maintenance specs include visual checks of the hoses, pads and discs. The specs do call for checking the hoses with a mirror, discs with a micrometer and dial gauge (for runout) and pads with a ruler. Yeah, right.

I've got new rear calipers (the type that go with pre-2007 solid discs) because the old slider pins were seized irretrievably. The car had on-time regular service before I bought it, from a Lexus dealer. The new ones look exactly the same as the old ones to me, so I reckon on regular inspection and lubrication in future. I bought the new calipers (complete with mounts) for a bargain price (less than reconditioned calipers from a factor) in March 2014 from Lexus Stockport.

If you want lubrication doing, you'll have to ask for it specifically or do it yourself (it's not difficult)

BTW - there was a recall (but only in USA) in 2009 for ISs and some other models built in 2005 and 2006. This was to address the issue of potential rust in the slide pin holes in the caliper. The documentation has a link on here somewhere. But it made it sound like a relatively minor issue, causing noise from the rear pads and being the exception rather than the rule. I beg to differ - I think it applies to all ISs, at least, sooner or later. And it is a condition which critically needs rectification (or preferably maintenance to stop it happening in the first place)

[aly-g]

I think that I have been misunderstood , my point is that it is a known fault with the calipers seizing so surely it SHOULD be part of the service ? It does not take that long to lube the slide pins , Lexus are not the only manufacturer to use this design on the calipers therefore this must happen to other vehicles ? Or do other manufactures lube the pins as part of the service schedule ? I also have had to replace both rear calipers on my 250 , and like John got my calipers at a bargain price from Lexus Sheffield, for less than the price of reconditioned ones, I think Lexus probably ordered in hundreds too many in light of the problem and now they are desperate to unload them !!!!.....

Allan

[Muzy]

Hi everyone, once again thanks for all the info, iv been looking into these car's more and have started to like the 2010 upwards model as they have thd LED lights inside the head light which look amazing. Im still trying to sell my bmw but in the mean time iv been searching for a lexus but find it hard to find one with xenons, leather, anc colour in black. Seems to be very few on auto trader with xenons. I was thinking of after market lights but iv seen poor reviews from them.

So far I see very few issues with lexus which is great, if anyone can think of anything else please post comments on here. Thanksss

[Muzy]

Hi guys. Hope you all doing well.

I have been looking for a Lexus and have found one.. Just wondered what you guys thought of it.

Link is below :)

Any feedback would be great :D

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201407035503889/sort/default/usedcars/radius/1501/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/transmission/automatic/make/lexus/fuel-type/petrol/price-to/8500/page/3/maximum-age/up_to_8_years_old/maximum-mileage/up_to_70000_miles/model/is/postcode/le55ar?logcode=p

[toffee_pie]

Its nice, black is very hard to keep clean though, and the slightest mark stands out.

this is my lexus, its caxton slate which is almost as bad, it looks great when it is clean though.

you should get se-l spec, them xenons, cooled seats and memory seats will be missed........

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gv2e7ygosrmgk05/20140720_165136.jpg