Leaderboard

A used Lexus needs to be bought with care and due diligence. Merely buying it because it is a Lexus is somewhat short sighted in my view. If buying from a Trader then, as with all cars checking that a full (preferably Lexus) service history and all/any recalls have been carried out are both essential. The Trader is then required by Statute to remedy any significant faults occurring within 6 months of purchase. If buying privately, then check the service history and condition . If all services have been demonstrated and the condition is acceptable, then enter into a contract with the seller, so that in the event of clear misrepresentation the buyer can seek redress via the courts. If an acceptable service history is not demonstrated or the condition causes concern , then unless you are knowlegeable and competent re cars and their requirements, walk away. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that because it is a Lexus you will not have any problems.

Gentlemen Thought i should now post this having collected the car today from my indy at 217,150 miles she drives better than ever following renewal of the two front UCAs . We had to replace the " new " Blueprint n/side one replaced about 40k miles ago Took the opportunity to replace both now with genuine OEM Toyota parts from Amayama .. the o'side unit is still serviceable after 217k miles .......... but showing signs of age and wear OK the cost: Amayama parts, Left and Right units, looks like same stock numbers BUT marked L and R ( in pen ) ... cost £358.66 incl all shipping costs payable to Amayama UK Customs Duty and VAT and fees and Parcelforce £12 handling fee total £95.80 Fitting costs by my indy £180 Total cost £ 534.46 ( no other vat besides UK Customs Duty stuff ) I think from Lexus would have been about double the cost Malc

Simply buy one of these small jump start battery packs or maybe this one. They work brilliantly and are well worth the price in peace of mind alone.

Great write up and a sound guide to buying a fantastic premium product for the price of a new mainstream vehicle. Yes fuel consumption doesn't seem wonderful, but the reality is that not that many years ago 1.3 engined cars struggled to get similar economy figures. I endorse everything said about modern Mercedes. The build quality of the cars are nothing special and the dealership experience leaves much to be desired.

I think what you pay used depends entirely on demand at the time of looking and what's available. I was tempted earlier in the year to chop my 2015 RX F-Sport in for the newer "L" model as I wanted the extra space. Mine was valued at £26.5K with extras over standard including premium ML stereo, roof bars, LED lights, 19 inch alloys, HUD plus other upgrades and then it had 25K miles on the clock and was blemish free (still is). I decided not to go ahead with the change because I was disappointed in just what little extra space the newer 450L version had (I wanted something that would release two of the three rear seats when packing in our full camping outfit...the tent is a particularly big one!) but was offered no discount on the new prices which started at over £55K. Given that mine was around the £58K mark with the extras when new, to lose over 30K in 4 short years was an eye watering realisation of just what devaluation these cars suffer but saying that, it's still not as steep as say a Jaguar car depreciation of the same year, or any other prestige marque including BMW. Where people score with Lexus is in whole life running costs. A mate has a new F-Pace, another has an X3. The guy with the jag wouldn't dream of buying one, and has his on PCP because with depreciation and reliability issues, it works out cheaper than buying one and suffering depreciation plus the risk (STILL a big one with Jags it seems) of going wrong. The guy with the X3 has suffered transmission problems...very costly repair bills and depreciation was steeper percentage-wise than the RX. Looking around for a second vehicle, we discounted diesel totally. The last three that we've owned from Volvo, Mercedes and Skoda have all proved unreliable even with long trips every few weeks. The Merc was the best (older style W204 220CDi) but has multiple sensor failures (a grand's worth to rectify), the Volvo suffered multiple expensive transmission issues and electrical faults and the Skoda Fabia vRS was hellishly expensive after a 5 year ownership period. New suspension bushes, new Garret Turbo at 75K miles (£1300), new discs and pads, new caliper, new engine mounts, egr bypass and re-map for economy, inlet manifold removed for cleaning etc etc etc. I would never ever buy a diesel again. DMF and clutch irrespective of make will usually want replacing on manual cars circa 100K miles (£1000), turbos if you're unlucky, will go, DMF failures are still common (many of my mates have suffered dmf issues with theirs), and euro 6 engines operating higher boost and direct injection seem to need more frequent servicing (mech says that oil dilution with gas/diesel is a common issue with most direct injection engines) plus they've all had to become horrendously complex to pass EU emissions. Petrol engines just seem to be more reliable and cheaper to run longer term (bar fuel costs) if regularly serviced. At least that is they seem to suffer less issues. Our petrol engined cars have all been more reliable long term. When the skoda went, we replaced that with a 2016 Honda civic 1.8 i-vtec petrol after trying the 1.6 diesel (hated it...unrefined imho, gutless and will no doubt suffer similar issues to other diesels). We were lucky in finding a mint low miles example of the very l;ast of the 1.8 i-vtec engined cars....possibly the most reliable petrol engine ever made, after the Lexus 3 litre V-6 and V-8 motors. My advice to anyone looking in and contemplating a Lexus is this: don't buy one if you are buying purely on fuel economy....RX hybrids are NOT cheap to run fuel-wise. Over a 2 year period with a very careful right boot, driving in mainly hilly areas, I have averaged 30mpg. That's your lot. If you live in the Fens of Lincolnshire you may see closer to 36mpg average. Don't expect any more. You buy an RX (or any other petrol hybrid Lexus) for peace of mind....low running costs, comparatively speaking, due to great reliability and build quality, and customer service from dealerships that other makes look on with envy at. Is it worth holding out for one with all the bells and whistles? Yes, if buying used as used prices don't really reflect the differences in costs new between models. The sweet spot for post 2012 Mk3 RX's is the Advance Plus or F-Sport (which handles better) or if you fancy a more luxurious ride, the Premier. Bear in mind that active suspension can go wrong and if buying one, best to take out Lexus's excellent extended warranty which applies to all cars up to 10 years old. It's worth the extra..so budget for it. I did, and had a new steering rack £1800 incl fitting otherwise) in the first year as it was making a knocking noise. It functioned fine but the dealership recommended as I had the warranty, to replace it, which I did. I can't say that used prices have crept up as new prices have. When I was looking a few years back, a 2 year old F-Sport spec'd up like ours with less than 15K miles averaged £33K. Because the Mk4 came out, a 2 year old one now will cost you more, but bear in mind a similarly specified new car these days is £5K more to buy than the last of the Mk3's in the first place. I priced a new Mk4 to our specification and it came out at over £60K on the road. That's probably why used prices for 2 or 3 year old cars have risen but go back to 2015, and there's a significant price drop. That's where to look for a used RX. Trying the Mk4, I saw and felt very little difference in overall performance and driving than mine, but I much prefer the interior on the new ones. Ask yourself whether buying that new interior and a smidgen more space is worth paying £1000's more for...I don't think it is. The bargains are all in late model Mk3 RX cars. Forget the mileage and buy on condition, specification and service history and you won't go wrong. £25K buys a great low miles highly specified example, 18K still buys a good one a year or two older.

This debate is interesting to me in that it highlights my own mint ls400 Mark 4, It isnt a DHP version but it only as 41k on the clock and condition is comparable to the advertised example . I paid £3750 with 19k on the clock six years ago and I know the gent I bought it from had been trying to sell it for more for at least a year. At the time a couple of members on this forum were foaming at the mouth and beseeching me to contact them if I ever intended to sell it. Well six years on it is virtually the same condition as when I first laid eyes on it and I learned so much from my previous Mark 1 of 16 years ownership regarding preventive corrosion practice that there is no rust on my car and it is now twenty years old. If you were to put the advertised example in that scenario ,then you have a car for the rest of your days at my age and £9K for that peace of mind is nothing when a second hand compact will cost you that. As the advert says its a Lexus LS400 Mark 4 in mint condition, go and find me another one and you are not getting mine even if you offered Nine grand

Went to Lexus Newcastle today specifically to see a Takumi spec car. There was also a base ES in the showroom and a specced up F Sport for demos. The Takumi spec is brilliant and outshines my NX Premier considerably. I love the exterior styling, almost coupe like. Inside, it’s a tech fest. I love the auto heat & vent seats plus the auto heat steering wheel, rear seat control panel and 10.2” HUD. ML audio is mighty and trim is impressive. The noise reducing wheels are stunning. The new spec steering wheels and interior door handles are very modern. If only it had Apple CarPlay.☹️ I will certainly consider the car later this year, sooner if Lexus resolve the CarPlay issue.

Having replaced my LC500h with a Mercedes E53 AMG, I thought I would make one final post before saying goodbye to the Lexus forum. It has now been nearly 2 weeks since I made the change and I have no regrets at all. I was a bit sorry to see the LC500 go at first but I can now see more clearly just how bad some aspects of it are. I think I bought the LC500 on the basis of the looks, which are amazing and unlike anything else on the road. I have never had a car that turns so many heads. If I did it again I would not go for the hybrid. It just hasn't got the performance that it should have.The gearbox suffers badly from the 'rubber band' feeling that most CVT gearboxes have. At times it was just gutless.The E53's performance just blows it away. It is a lot quicker than the V8 LC500 too. The issues that I had with the LC500 just aren't there with the Mercedes.It has a surround camera, proper interior and ambient lighting and an Infotainment system that works properly and is very easy to use. All of the technology feels as though it is a generation on from the Lexus. Maybe Lexus will address some of these issues with future facelifts but for now they are years behind the opposition. I think they are struggling badly with sales and it would be a shame if they stopped production but I think they need to invest a lot to improve the functionality and technology on the car. At present I think it is very much style over substance. I have enjoyed my time on the forum and I would like to thank everyone that helped me with their comments and advice. I hope that you all continue to enjoy your cars and that you don't have all the problems that I did. One final note, I now have a fuel filler flap that opens!!

Never had a first generation IS, then? 😊 Fingers crossed. Have you had the GS from new? Just wondering if it has ever had a dodgy repair with a previous owner. Another possibility, rather than just any old dirt it is encrusted 'animal' (hence the tinge).

We've also been there but its never happened coming from someone who is generally pleasant, its always been new neighbours who kick off from the start. This is really hard, but sometimes making the first move to try to resolve it is the way. Maybe he'll tell you what triggered it, probably something he's going through. Who knows, you might end up helping him through something!

Thanks all for the feedback. Blackview are very good but above what I'm currently willing to pay and the lack of review monitor is a disadvantage for me. They do seem a top notch product though. I have looked at the Viofo but the Aukley DR02 seems to be very similar and was equally well reviewed by Techmoan (I believe it is his current dashcam). Similar spec, £40 cheaper.

Hi A, I think nothing more serious, depressing or worrying than have a bad neighbour, I know that from personal experience. He probably did have a bad day but this is not the way to talk to people! I hope situation will calm between you two. Good luck!

This is strange, I would not expect that from Lexus. If it is a rust I hope Lexus will fix it without the hustle!

Got something similar this Christmas. Not had to use it yet but as you say, piece of mind, and quite a funky piece of kit too.

Yes, that's correct - not a good idea at all. Just buy one of the units I mention above.

Depending on model it is more likely to be in the boot than the engine bay but yes the normal 12v aux batteries can go flat/fail which need to be recharged/replaced, as with a normal vehicle.

Moved to the correct location 😉 The new emission rules are for new models being introduced, so existing models can continue to be sold without modification for some time. The facelift RC F was affected by this, and they went to full Euro 6d compliance. A Gasoline Particulate Filter was fitted which took away 14 bhp 😞 WLTP means mpg figures should be more real world but you need to be careful when comparing different vehicles in case they are on the two different standards.

I had a Nextbase 402G and although it was a good camera it did have its drawbacks, not least of which is that it's on a suction mount and so dangles down quite a way from the top of the screen. This means that it could (and often did) get in the way of the passenger's view and also it was very noticeable from outside. It soon gets very tedious having to remove the camera every time you leave the car somewhere in case some scrote breaks in to nick it, so when I broke the Nextbase (somehow managed to sit on it one day) and I was looking for a replacement, I decided on this Viofo A119S which is very small and unobtrusive, which means that it can be left in the car 24/7. It's a very decent camera, both in daylight and darkness and as I say, you can't really see it from outside unless you're looking for it. I'm well chuffed with it and would highly recommend it. As far as review sites go, Techmoan is great.

Exactly...you could have bought another 2015 Advance (His and Hers LoL) and still had change from what it would otherwise cost you to trade "up" to the newer model. Simply not worth it.

I'd strongly advise you don't do it at all. The battery isn't large and not really the suitable for starting a vehicle. If you wanted to do it then you must take connections directly off the battery. You will blow fuses if you tried to use the engine compartment charging points.

Already worked that one out Jeff. If you carefully remove the under-dash panel (easily undone by pushing in 5 clips) containing the footwell light on the passenger side, then carefully remove the bottom side panel trim adjacent to the door pillar (front) you will see a chassis mounted bolt to which several wires from the fuse box are already earthed. Carefully undo (but do not remove!) the retaining bolt so that you can insert a new grounding fork arrangement (I will make one up and solder a wire tail to it) then re-tighten the retaining bolt, you have a point to run your earth wire to. Be careful when removing the bottom corner edge trim panel. To do this, first remove the footwell side trim panel (...just undo one plastic retaining nut clearly visible towards the rear of the panel then wiggle the panel out), then carefully prise the corner side panel trim out fron the top edge first, being careful not to damage the two white retaining plugs lower down. Once removed you will have clear access to the fuse box wiring and earth point. You have a choice of two reliable power supply points. Either take the 15A power point fuse out (cigarette lighter centre console), or as Lexus recommend, take the fuse marked "ECU IG1 Nr1" out and use this to plug your piggy back adaptor to. I am not sure if this powers off with the ignition...it must do otherwise Lexus wouldn't suggest using it but perhaps someone else could enlighten us? Main thing is whatever fuse point you choose, it must be 12v or less stable supply otherwise you will have issues with the camera. This is why you wouldn't for example want to wire a dashcam to say a sunroof supply as that draws variable voltage/current in operation which would affect the camera. The 15A and the lower amperage ECU supply are both stable supplies. Alternatively, remove the same trim and route your power socket adaptor lead from the lower centre consol power outlet offtake, up above the footwell panel (and replace panel), across to the side trim (and replace side trim) then simply peel back edge rubber slightly, just enough to rout the cable neatly under it, up to the roof trim and tuck into the front of the roof trim where it meets the screen leaving a flexible tail with connector for the camera supply connection. Hope this helps. Only thing I haven't worked out yet is what dashcam to buy!

Okay that makes sense, that was within the 2011 revisions then. So there is just a one year period where the blue steering wheel exists without the sports button. 2011 also brought in Euro 5 engine emissions, revised suspension, and the black engine cover.

Fingers crossed: https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/warranty/

he probably had a bad hair day .. don't take it to heart, he'll probably ( hopefully ) revert to norm quite soon Malc

They can explain how the atom is split, they can tell you why we don't fall off the planet earth which is surrounded by space but when it comes to explaining why a normally mild-mannered human being suddenly declares war against his neighbour. I have great sympathy for you as I know what you are going through, I hope it stops for you asap.

Phil it is an interesting debate, and ever since I purchased my 3rd Lexus,an LS430 ,my pride and joy, and then joined this club, I am bemused by the constant desire to drive the prices down. I have always taken the view, that because these are superb cars, and past maintenance without skimping is key, then the annual maintenance cost is likely to be less than depreciation of a newer upmarket model. It is therefore to me a no brainier , and has proven to be the case. These cars will become classics and the prices will go up. I set my depreciation figure at £3k p.a., so if you take Scott’s LS 400 at £9k, in 3 years it has paid for itself. That depreciation figure by the way is low in today’s market. Regarding insurance, I’m sure a Classic Policy would easily agree that valuation. Some particular cars, like yours sounds, and Scott’s £9k model for sale, are exceptions , and there are plenty of people around who want to invest. Interestingly my friend has a Rover 75, which he expects one day will be a classic, and the Rover 75 club has the same arguments. I have a superb LS430 which I have for my own enjoyment and pleasure, and like Malc I think that they are to be enjoyed, but probably just as many people would wish to be collectors if there were enough good examples around. Good luck to Scott, I say, for those of us who are owners he is certainly not harming us. That is my opinion, cheers, Roger

I don't find myself a fan of the ES as a replacement for the GS. In the USA the ES has run alongside the GS ever since the GS launched (as the ES came first). Although of similar size, they've been pitched differently in that market - the GS as the "Sports Sedan" and the ES as the "Mid-Size Luxury Sedan". The GS platform and engineering is very nice as Hangie alludes to - It was brought home to me by this article: https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/track-tests/2013-lexus-gs-350-f-sport-suspension-walkaround.html Meanwhile, the ES is a Camry (well, TGNA-K now). That's ok, that has its place and that the ES has sold very well in the USA for many years is testament to that fact. The GS, however, is much more in-line with european tastes (much more akin to a BMW 5 or Mercedes E under the skin). For us a big part of the appeal of the GS was the freedom from the torque-steer that plagued our V70. Perhaps there will yet be a TNGA-N based GS.

I bought my RX Premier from Cambridge about 16 months ago. If you are talking to Charles, give him my regards. He is a star and it was unfortunate that he was on leave the day I was supposed to have collected my car. Upon his return, Charles really sorted stuff out for me when some of his colleagues were, shall we say, less than effective and certainly not very customer focused - a surprise at a Lexus dealer. Funnily enough, it is the only time I have ever not had a feedback questionnaire after a dealer visit and I have had Lexus cars since 2006. Exceptionally poor hand over experience aside, the car itself is perfect. Mine is a 62 plate and has been totally problem free, as I would expect.

Hi Grums its a disgrace that Lexus are very aware of the issue and have not addressed it. If the nx was not of a high standard in other areas I would have got rid. But for ride comfort and the finish of the car is first class.

Martin, Would agree on all points you made, took me a while to find right seat settings to feel as good as when I had Vaux Omega. Would say LS seats could be better, I think back seats are better by a long way, but hard to drive when sitting in back. On heated seats the LS range seems to be a gentle warmer, been in Audi/FOrd/BMW of late where your backside is being roasted within 10 seconds, so agree on really cold morning LS is a little too gentleman like. Mondoe V6 in Ghia, a nice car, not driven one, but previous Ford experience tells me Mondeo a well sorted machine more or less since day 1.. X-type, the wife has one, Sport 2 litre, moves well, cheapish to run, but would say after 10 years expect to be spending a lot of money on welding sills every couple of years. Seems to be really common problem on Jags, not just X-type. Grips road well, but clatters about a fair bit, and not so quite at 80 as I would like. Running gear seems susceptible to earlier replacement than I would expect (well compared to LS). If it were me I would stick with Mondeo and enjoy life with the brilliance of heated windscreen (I know Ford used to have patents on this tech, so maybe thats reason why not a common feature).

Service interval is 10k miles or 12 months whichever comes sooner (unless classed as business use and then 12.5k miles I think)

Must say.... Do like the RCF in a BMW Motorsport style colour scheme. A bit different 🙂

Just to add my view: I have purchased a 2012 RX450h with 161,000 miles in May 2018 for £11,500 and drove it about 9K by now. So 170,000 and nothing wrong with the car. Amazing reliability. When I purchase it, there was one company owner from new with all Lexus stamps and services. I just test drive it a bit and call Lexus from the stamps to confirm they have serviced the car. As soon as they confirmed that, I have purchased it( from a small independent dealer in Surrey, where I live). I am writing this to let people know these large engine cars with 2 electrical motors can do a lot of miles and they are great cars. A friend of mine is a mechanic and he told me the hybrid gets a lot of help on a stop start traffic from the electrical engines. They help the petrol engine with the start, when the most torque is required and that does not stress the petrol engine. If you have not decided on a car yet and are even considering anything else, please go to your local Lexus and just test drive one. All the best. Hope in a few years time, I would be able to announce the 200,000 miles and more after that. Happy driving

The dealer is an idiot. The problem you are facing is that the tpms ecu has stuck in a loop mode and yes, you cannot clear the errors with techstream or any other diagnose. To solve the problem, simply take a paper clip and connect the 13 and 4 pins on your obd with the ignition on(not the car started, just ignition on). This will totally reset the tpms ecu.