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A quick list of what to look out for .... don't let this put you off ... all the faults I can remember are listed below (some are common sense), maybe there are a few more that owners can add Seized rear calipers - cost around £300 each - Easiest way to check is to take the car on a test run and then when parked back up again feel the heat on each alloy - should be warm and not excessively hot. No squealing. Also, if discs are still rusted looking after driving then there's a problem. Obviously pulling to the side is noticeable Brake pad shims - some members reported missing brake shims from the rear calliper - probably from when pads were replaced and the garage or dealer forgot to put them back on. Its not something you can easily check on a test drive but if missing they are very hard to source except from a scrap dealer if they will sell them at all separate. Seized front calipers - as with the rears, around £300 each. Both front and backs can be freed if not too far gone, re-greased and put back together again but once seized they may need looking after more than ones not having been seized in the past as pitting and ill fitting rubber seals may be an issue. Why does this happen ... last owner not looking after the car or using the wrong type of grease in that it attacks the rubber boots letting dirt and water into the caliper moving parts. If it was looked after by the dealer then new calipers would have been fitted if seized. Greasing is not a part of the service schedule from Lexus so be aware. You may not experience any warnings that they are seized. Its the most common fault on these cars so get an assurance from the seller to replace if found to be seized or have him check them first. To be honest If it was me i would also check them myself when I got home with a new car just to be sure. Easy DIY job to both replace and maintain (grease) I do mine every 6 months but a lot of owners do it every year. Black oil - A sign the cars not been looked after - the oil should not be black. It will go dark in colour but not black. Again, an easy DIY job - I use Magnatec and an oil change, including the filter will cost you around £60. Takes a bit over 6 litres. Oil filter cap seized - If you can, ask the dealer or garage to ensure the cap housing thr filter will move. A lot of garages, including dealers put these on far too tight and some owners have experienced cracked housings while trying to remove the caps to change the filter. An easy DIY job White crust around front water pump area - an indication the water pump is on its way out - costs around £200 for a new one (inclusive of fitting) Exhaust shot - Black soot around the welded joints - check the centre section around the middle resonator as this is a problem area. Get this checked out at an exhaust centre. Pay for the inspection as you wont get a lot of change back from 3k for the replacement parts (back box and centre) if it has gone or is on its last legs - the pattern parts have not been released to 3rd party manufacturers so the replacement parts are only available from Lexus unless you are going bespoke and going for a stainless one - a Cat back system will cost around £500 - if you have the time and want to get your hands dirty then you can put together a bespoke exhaust yourself for around £100. Tyres rotated wrong way - Ask why have they done this? un-even tyre wear so look around the shocks / springs to see if theres any issues - maybe nothing Tyre choice - A good choice of branded rear tyres will serve well. Remember its a rear wheel drive car - Do not go for cheap brands as while they may last/wear well, the performance in the wet will be hazardous. Read through the forums for owner experiences on brands. Leaking shocks - Expensive replacements but not a real issue - some owners have reported replacing them and hard to find Wheel locking nuts seized - Put on with a tyre dealer air hammer. Will come off with specialised tools and a lot of patience - I think this is common cause on all cars - happened on 3 in our household over the years. Check this out before buying if possible. Wheel security locking nut missing - check this is available when buying the car. Without it you wont be able to take the tyres off easily or replace if you get a puncture Alloy wheel corrosion - this is apparent across the Lexus range - corrosion on the alloy happens and noticeable by bubbles under the alloy coating - will eventually lead to pressure loss if not tended to as it will break the seal between the tyre and the wheel itself Tow hook missing - only handy when you need it so check its there - located in the boot of the car Spare tyre - it houses a space saver wheel - make sure its inflated. If it looks like its been used then take out and inspect to make sure its inflated. DVD sat nav extraction tool missing - only handy when you come to update the sat nav DVD - the tools for this should be in the black tool kit in the boot of the car CD/DVD head unit fully working - take an original CD / a DVD and an MP3 disc with you and test each one out - they should all work without messing with the settings. (you will need to select each disc to play and it should) Noise from front speaker cover - a cracking noise from the speaker cover on the front centre dash board - not experienced this myself but its apparently quite noisy. Also a rattle has been reported, again not widespread. Noise from driver door area - don't know If this is a common area. I originally thought it was the door seal but narrowed it down to the handle above the door rattling slightly - I oiled the hinge and the noise disappeared Coolant level low - check the heating is hot when on. Check for a "gurgling" noise which will indicate the cooling is low - if its low then there could be an issue with a leak or possible indication the pump is on its way out Front headlights - will become "cloudy" over time - no more than any other car and can easily be restored with a bit of elbow grease Corroded wheels - a common issue with the Toyota wheels - bad ones will eventually lose air and deflate due to the corrosion not creating a good seal. Uneven wear on tyres - indication there's something a miss with the alignment / shocks - to be honest this is not reported as a problem on the cars. Maybe more so from owners using non OEM wheels Cams are chain driven - no worries there but they can stretch (very extreme though) Rear blind working - read a few posts on here that its stopped working or stuck in the up position - check its operation Front discs - They are heavy on discs and front pads. Check the wear on the discs on the front - not expensive to replace and an easy DIY job Lights not bright and flickering - an indication that the bulbs are on their way out - check both are the same colour. If not, one has been replaced and other will need to be done at some point. Check all front lights as they are quite fiddly in replacing the bulbs Aircon works - should be cold - if not then check coolant level, if ok the system either has a leak or may need re-gassing Squeeky steering adjustment - has been reported by a few members. Mine squeeks in hot weather when automatically adjusting. Not all the time and has not caused any issues. Mirrors dip when in reverse - the mirrors should dip towards the road when in reverse, a feature on the cars to ensure easy viewing of where you are going. If they don't then its most likely they will just need to be cleaned internally. Again an easy DIY job. Parking sensors - with the engine running have someone walk within a foot of the sensors at the front and the rear of the car - it should start beeping when the person walks past them. Not seen any issues with this reported by the owners. O2 sensors - PreCat (within engine bay) will go around 70 to 80k easy DIY job - cost around £180 for OEM Denso ones - don't use 3rd party ones as they will not last Rear brake shoes - Cant easily be checked on a test drive - changed mine at around 90k last year and they still had a bit of meat on them, probably on the car from new so more than likely will need changing or inspection at least. Easy DIY job Main engine plastic cover - centre engine cover can become loose from removing and re-applying it. there is a push button tab that breaks off and it can in some instances be heard rattling over lumpy roads. Mine has broke - not a real issue as the radio at low volume masks any rattle. I expect some strong glue would fix this. Engine idle - make sure its constant at tick over when cold (quite high) and when hot (around 700revs) - if erratic it could indicate a carbon build up - not an issue with an application with cleaning liquids Valve Rattle - VVTI may rattle from time to time - the oil will drain in some cases from the resoviour for the valves after standing for a bit and as a consequence there is a rattle noise (similar to a dull machine gun noise) but will disappear in a second or so. Happenned on mine a few times when I first had it. but not come back for a couple of years now. Regular oil changes and I do an engine flush each oil change and in my opinion it has helped a lot. Exhaust smoke - no smoke from these - only condensate when in cold weather which is normal for most cars Cabin carpets - check the drivers side has clips anchoring the carpet down (if it has one) if it doesn't then the carpet can creep under the pedals Boot - Its a fair size boot but the opening does not give good access to large items - ideally it could have done with split seats but its not that kind of car I guess. Audio - Make sure the spec includes a Mark Levinson branded head unit which is the better of the head unit specs on these models.(indicated on the front of the stereo on the bottom right of the unit) Rear seat room - its a bit cramped in the back with passengers on the seats - leg room is dismal, maybe that's why I have never sat in the back when its been driven. Wife wont drive it due to the size of the car which I don't mind at all. Reliability - looked after its bullet proof, best make of car I have owned. Running costs are petrol only. Put in the time to do the services (oil, filters etc) and it will serve you well. Parts availability - Had my 250 for 3 years and an IS200 for 2 prior to that - the only time I was unable to get a part was the exhaust for the 250 - I could get one from the dealer but at nearly 3k I thought no way and went down another route. Parts are available from Eurocarparts / ebay / online easily enough and are not expensive. Speed - People forget these are not sports cars - they are quick in manual mode and can keep up with the best of them but are not made for that purpose. Its nice owning one for the individuality of having something different from whats sitting on the neighbours drive or in the works car park. I only know of an IS200 Alteeza and a IS220 local to myself so its my bit of exclusivity. Don't care how old it is, its still better than a new model medium city car. Mileage - mines on 93k - no issue and having has a high miler is200 and this one then I would consider another high miler but with the knowledge of what to look for. I don't think there would be any problems if you are careful in what you are looking at - gut instinct in a lot of cases. I guess there will be very few low milers available now on these cars now but you may be lucky in finding one. Keys - Ensure it has a minimum of 2 keys and they both work - if not then its definitely a bargaining chip to use as a replacement one will cost you around £350 and a trip to Lexus. Corroding windscreen wiper arms - these seem to bubble quite a bit under the paint on the main body of the wiper arm. No issue but it will break through the paint at somepoint. Check front windshield, if non-genuine check if wipers defrosters and auto sensing wipers works OK. As well windshields mouldings sometimes gets gets loose (broken clips) - about £80 to get new mouldings. (Courtesy of Linas.P) Main ground cable - In wet climate it was reported that main ground cable sometimes gets corroded and it is very hard to troubleshoot it.(Courtesy of Linas.P) Squeaky seats reported for the manual option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) DMF issues (Dual Mass Flywheel) for the manual drive option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) Paint - the paint is soft on these cars so are prone to scratching easier than other makes if not careful Cat failure - there has been a couple of reports of the cats failing on these cars but only a few have been reported at relative low mileage for the car (around 80 / 90k miles) not common though. There are 2 cats on these. Service milestones - consider cars around 60k miles require a spark plug change - or so Lexus recommends although they are good for 100k. This is an expensive job at around £600. Not done mine yet, planning on doing them at 100k. I would state at 100k then you will need to get your hands dirty and give the car a good going over, fluids etc just for peace of mind. Lexus service interval report does not state any excessive requirements, mostly checks to be made. Recalls - that I am aware of: cabin carpet mat required securing / airbags / fuel sensor washer. there may be more but these are the ones I know of. Spec - I would personally recommend the top spec SE-L Auto box at 2007 / 2008 as I believe when the face lift came along then the models lost a few features that were on the older models. A sunroof would be brilliant but like gold dust at this spec. Quite a bit of points above - don't let this put you off at all - the exhaust nearly saw me pack the car in when mine went but I went down the stainless route so alls not lost. Best to go into a sale knowing all the points to look at before making your mind up. Best car I have ever owned. One last consideration - in the 7 years I have owned the Lexus brand we have by far spent more money during this time in maintaining a fairly new Vauxhall !! One last point, if you have an ODB error code reader then take along and scan the ecu for any stored fault codes unless the dealer has cleared it down

The whole industry is a scam. The 'authorised' repairer sees the opportunity to quote high knowing that if it's approved they're quids in and if it isn't they'll make an offer to the insurance company to buy the car themselves, repair it cheaply and sell it on for a huge profit. My Alfa was written off by a relatively minor accident which the repairer hugely over-estimated the repair on (total respray to match the damaged panels which added massive labour charge). As it was deemed to be my fault (which it wasn't, at best it was knock-for-knock as the other party drove into me as I was reversing into a parking space but because they claimed to have stopped I was deemed at fault) I was in no position to argue. Next thing I know I'm getting a letter from the DVLA to ask why I'm trying to export the car abroad! The reparier had bought and repaired the car and was shipping it somewhere but the DVLA hadn't yet been notified of the change of ownership by the insurance company. Graham's advice seems the soundest. However, if the insurance company values your car at £17k and the repairs are going to cost £15,600 then presumably they will sell it back to you for £1,400 in it's current state and you'll get the £17k as your pay-out. Even if you end up with a Cat C/D registered car I'd say it's worth thinking about getting it repaired yourself. I bet it can be done for around £10k as a private job. My wife bashed the door in on her old 307CC and we were quoted £2700 for an insurance repair and £400 for a private repair. It's amazing what little extras insurance repairers will find to do.

Sounds about right providing the insurer has got the estimates on th repair right. Their value seems spot on for a 2010 model providing the new 4RX came out which made the 3RX go down in value and normal depreciation of course. £15600 seems a lot though so as above get it checked over by Lexus bodyshop. I remember the pic you put up and can safely say you need a new bumper, bonnet, lights and Fenders along with th associated grills etc. But £16k? I don't think so. Lexus replaced front bumper and Fender on the IS for £3k. Id say maybe £12k at most. Depending on the insurer they pay up to 70% of value before writing off so I'd haggle to say the value is higher or somehow find a lower estimate

Just a quick update on my car for those that may be interested. I purchased my 2012 black ISF from Lexus Nottingham in March this year, it was on 45K mileage, but it looked as if the 'lads' in the dealers might have been taking it out for the odd spin as the rear wheels and arches were caked in mud, that aside, it had everything I wanted over my previous 2009 ISF - slippy diff, later instrument binnacle, revised suspension etc. and was clean inside, with little wear, and had the added benefit of a H&S cat back already fitted. After getting the car I noticed an irritating rattle/squeak coming from around the binnacle, and also when I dropped the car off to Lexus Twickenham for a check-up was disappointed that the exhaust was blowing and they needed to order a new part to do the wheel alignment, but after a bit of discussion this was all done under warranty and they also fixed the rattle inside, so all good! I had the diff oil changed and they topped up the transmission as well. I ordered a Tom's air filter element and kept the original intake housing (I had a Takada on my last ISF, but with the Tom's element am happy to keep the later intake housing for this car). I got the awful budget Pirelli's on the car replaced by Michelin Pilot S tyres all round and had the USRS fitted this week. I also fitted a new steering wheel with a carbon fibre top order off eBay (far more tactile than the stock one which I think is horribly budget and feels like a cheese grater with all the rough holes in the leather). I also replaced the boot spoiler with a carbon fiber one off eBay (subtle but goes well with the black colour). In addition, I got some 'paintshield' added to the front of the car to avoid stop chips etc. I'm not planning on making further mods to the vehicle except possibly for a rear diffuser (be very careful about inferior carbon fibre ones on eBay, they are ******* and don't fit on the car) and am very happy with what I have got for the next few years, I got a good deal with Lexus for an extended warranty for three years and am pleased to have the later model of which I think there are only 50 on UK roads. I will try and upload a pic if I can, but just wanted to give you an update.

Thanks for all the responses. I will make a thorough search tomorrow. If I find it I will take a photo and post it. I can't be the only one who needs a map to find this. I did check the manual but that was worse than useless.

Sounds like a job for trading standards...

Lets hope they get to see this before they have bought it rather than after. I have sent them two questions, 1. Can you send me a picture of the service history showing clearly the mileages in the service book. 2. Can they explain why there is a difference in the mileage showing on the DVLA MOT site and what they are declaring the mileage to be. I also told them that I had checked other cars they had for sale and also those that they had sold and nearly all of them have the same discrepancy in mileage. I haven't heard anything back yet. Mike.

TPMS is fitted to all new cars it has been a legal requirement since 2012 under EU law and the UK is still in the EU for a while yet!! Keep looking. The location & reset procedure is in the handbook.

Fuel pressure sensor gasket mate . Welcome to the forum.

Most definitely not tree sap. More like sand blown in from the Sahara, happens often but haven't seen it for quite a while.

I've been on the road for around 10 hours over the last 2 days and it's probably been the best place to be. Super-cool A/C and tinted windows. Coming back up the M40 today the temp rose from 24 to 30 in the space of about 10 miles as I got away from London. It's a hell of a shock when you finally get out, though!

I get the impression that because Lexus cars are so reliable and well made that when a genuine problem does arise they don't take it seriously. I had an F Sport IS300h and it had a strange knocking noise from the front wheel. It turned out to be a detached tyre pressure sensor banging about inside the tyre!! They replaced it under warranty but had sold be the car like that 11 months before. It was only heard at slow speed and was still working so no dashboard lights or fault codes showing. Good luck and I hope they fix your car soon. Ed

Very grateful to have found this thread. We bought a 2001 Lexus300 with LPG conversion on Monday. We are on route to Birmingham eye hospital and the fuel light has come on. Planning to fill the petrol tank to test as original poster said. Thankful that it hasn't conked out on us yet as we are heading towards Corley services.

Me too, 33 degrees, cool as a cucumber and cool air through the seats as well, shame that didn't extend to our bedroom last night, 28 degrees at midnight! And for any of you West Sussex people, Elite Garage in East Worthing for an air con re-gas, a good price and they know what they're doing.

Just to say I had my USRS fitted by SRD yesterday - great shop and very professional, so can recommend these guys. I'm not sure I'd describe the different in normal driving as 'night and day' with the USRS fitted, but the steering certainly feels more precise and stable and it is just great to know I have had this key mod done.

Hi Jack, firstly, I'm assuming the accident was not your fault, right? If thats the case, take your car to Lexus. The 3rd party's insurer will probably say that it has to go to their recommended repairers. NO IT DOESN'T. Get an estimate from Lexus. If the insurers still want to write it off, Lexus will give you an accurate cost of replacement for a car of similar spec, mileage, condition, etc. Let them argue with Lexus as to a value (if the salesman thinks a sale might be in the offing, he'll be on your side). If the accident was the 3rd party's fault, then you should be recompensed to the situation you were in before the accident, shouldn't cost you a penny. If the accident was your fault, we'll have to have a rethink. Best of luck, Graham.

There are a few relatively easy mods you can do - one is the rear boot spoiler - picture below There is another relatively easy one - front grille - picture below.. You can also install the automatic wing mirror closure kit - no picture for that but its available through a forum member The LED lights I have installed - Interior both front and back / boot and wing mirrors - picture below shows the brightness of them.

Just tripped over this. Apparently Burt Rutan was at one point developing the Lexus V8 as an aero engine. SCALED COMPOSITES MODEL 191

Got my letter yesterday. Haven't even opened it.. as I know what it say anyway (thanks to iftikhar). I am hoping to get mine done in Southend... will have few weeks of holidays in August so possibly can take the car there during the working days. Last recall from Woodford was nothing but normal, but I still have negative feeling about my service in May, hence will try different dealership this time.

I wanted to book my car for the fuel sensor but was told to wait for the prats for the Air bag as the dealer was aware of this second recall last month and advised me to wait. Will call them now that I have received my letter for the air bag recall to get the car booked in to both jobs. Will be using Lexus Sidcup as heard bad reviews of Lexus Woodford which is slightly closer to me.

Hi all, Just wanted to post a quick review regarding Hybrid battery conditioning. I think it was off this site I learned of Hybrid Battery Solutions based in Northampton who I contacted after getting a diagnostic from Lexus. The car lost it's initial surge of power from the battery and would always move off using petrol engine only. Battery indicator would drop to purple very quickly. MPG dropped from about 29/30 to 23-25mpg. I had a CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM message, but it was solid - not flashing check VSC etc as others have described. Lexus ran two separate diagnostics and said it was a smart battery ECU which needed replacing at a cost of £1250 + vat. They gave me a print out of the error code and when researching online it was more common that it was 'Battery pack seriously deteriorated'. I couldn't find much literature regarding the smart battery ECU other than a workbook note suggesting that this is replaced first then if this doesn't work, the battery pack should be replaced. Not knocking Lexus at all but I wasn't overly convinced or filled with confidence. My car is probably only worth £3000-4000 (ambitious?!) and has 150k miles so didn't want to pay for this smart battery unit and then a battery if it didn't work! Using my logic I thought it was more likely than not to be the battery - after all, all batteries do degrade and this seemed to be much much more common when looking online. I contacted Richard at Hybrid Battery Solutions in Northampton who gave some advice and we had a chat about hybrids generally - in fact, we didn't even discuss him 'selling' me his service until I asked (always a good sign I think!). Anyway, cutting to the chase I drove from Teesside to Northampton and averaged 26.2mpg. Left it with Richard for the week and I was astonished when I got it back. It felt like it had been remapped - it was better than before (probably cause I never had from brand new myself). On the same journey back (about 190 miles) I averaged 38mpg. Even after almost a week of short journeys, spirited driving (and traffic light drag racing again ) I am still on 33.4. I am almost gutted that I didn't go for the grid charger (which I think uses some kind of witchcraft to keep the battery cells in their best possible condition) but I might well need a bigger boot to fit a pushchair later on in the year so the car might go although with hindsight, this would have been a good selling point when selling the car. He can do this separate from conditioning I believe or both at same time. It has given me confidence to go and buy another higher mileage hybrid. There is a solution which is significantly cheaper than Lexus and urge others who were in my situation to have a look at this. Hopefully this isn't breaking any forum rules - it's just my experience of this company and that others find it informative.