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Hi Jon Your profile shows the year of your car is 2020?? So I guess the nav system would be as up-to-date as possible. However, for anyone out there buying a second hand motor that’s a few years old, I would say don’t count on the dealership making sure that the sat nav maps are current, mine didn’t!! You will have to check the age of the map data when you do your test drive and hope to goodness that the previous owner spent the extra dosh on getting regular updates. If you’re lucky you’ll inherit a good/current one, otherwise expect to find a nav system that’s as old as the car it sits in. The other week, i asked my local Lexus dealer about getting the most recent update for my sat nav and was told it costs the dealership well over £100 to buy the licence from HQ for you and they then charge that on to you, plus labour to upload it, plus VAT. He said it’s so expensive he doesn’t do it either and just uses google maps on his mobile for directions!! i have to say that I think you’re going to be rather underwhelmed by the Lexus sat nav. The two I’ve had would only take the first portion of the post code, so it will get you to the general area, but after that you have to hunt for numbers on people’s front doors as you kerb crawl down the street ☹️ Added to that it’s certainly not an intuitive system, it’s hard to use, hard to program and forgets things you’ve just put in. If you get something wrong and want to take one step back and re-try, forget it; you’ll be quicker starting from the beginning again. Combine that with trying to use the weird illegitimate cross between a mouse and a joystick in your left hand and it gets so frustrating that you start to wish you hadn’t thrown away your old AA road atlas after all - It’s not their best selling point!! On other matters, don’t worry at all. Lexus dealers are the best around for looking after you and your car, they won’t let you down. Enjoy your new car!!

I have managed to get my £200 bargain up and running for a mere £130. Have covered a good few miles but have no service history. Auto transmission would I be ok with sump dump new filter and dump again after 500 miles or so. Cambelt would like to change as matter of course do I change water pump and crank pulley. Engine oil and filter, flush cooling and refill with I assume oat anti freeze. Any advice on what else to do and lubricant recommendations etc would be much appreciated. Neil.

Hi Jon, at first there seems like there's a lot to take in with our hybrids but we all soon get the hang of it. Don't leave the vehicle on/running in N or sit in a jam in N for any length of time as that mode does not change up the big hybrid/traction battery. Instead if you are stationary for any length of time then pop it in park, apply the handbrake and take your foot off the brake pedal. I've found that it's best not to sit with your foot on the brake pedal for too long either, especially after a long and/or hard stop as it leaves a little brake material on the rotor which can then make the brakes feel warped until it's cleaned off. Good brake pressure at speed will recharge the hybrid/traction battery and the combustion engine can recharge the big battery under power/when cruising or even switch on when station or when it's necessary to top up the hybrid battery. The engine will also kick in more if you have the cabin heater cranked up, so mpg will drop a bit more when it's colder. Good luck and I may see you around. Cheers, Lee

More. will take some decent fresh pics if it ever stops raining.

This guy is brilliant

You say it's your first Lexus so I'm assuming it'll be your first hybrid too? If so, there's a knack to driving them. Don't 'baby' the car. Accelerate briskly to the desired speed and then just back your foot ever so slightly off and, traffic flow and hills allowing, you should be able to maintain speed on battery for a while. Anticipate traffic ahead and try to brake gently because this is how the traction battery is recharged. The aim is to get the regenerative braking system to do most of the stopping for you so that the traction battery stays charged. If I remember correctly, I think the regen system slows the car down to 3mph and then the traditional hydraulic brakes take over to bring the car to a full stop - which is why brake pads and discs last much longer on a hybrid car than a conventional one. If it's an emergency situation and you need to anchor on then the hydraulic brakes come on immediately, but otherwise the regen system is your new best friend Remember though, these are hybrid cars, not electric cars. If you manage to drive on battery alone then the most you'll get is maybe a couple of miles before the battery goes flat. This also means that you can't drive the car (or even start it) if you run out of petrol. You need three things to be working for the car to run - the 12v battery, the 288v traction battery and the petrol engine. Because the petrol engine only runs as and when necessary and not continuously, anything that would normally be driven from the engine by a belt such as the alternator and power steering pump etc., is driven by electric motors. Hybrids have no starter motor, no alternator, and a small 12v 'starter' battery that can often go flat if the car is left standing for two or three weeks so a few of us on here carry one of these or something similar which is small enough to carry in the glove box. They work very well and are well worth the cost for peace of mind alone. It's perfectly fine to jump start a hybrid if needed but never use a hybrid to jump start a conventional car or the end result may be a big bang that causes a huge dent in your wallet! One other thing is that if you're ever parked up for a while (say you've taken your wife to the hairdressers/dentist/shops/whatever) and you're sat in the car listening to the radio while waiting for her, always make sure that the car is in READY mode and P (never N). This is because the traction battery will lose charge quite quickly but if the car is in READY and P, the petrol engine will fire up as and when necessary to keep the battery charged. At traffic lights or other similar situations keep the car in D with your foot on the brakes rather than moving into N as you may have been taught when learning to drive - the hybrid system doesn't work with the car in N. Above all else - enjoy!

Jem Lexus/Suzuki in north london is where i usually go for repairs/parts change. they know their way round these cars. http://www.jemlexus.co.uk/

Evening everyone, nice to be here! I have recently bought a one-owner, fsh 2003 RX300 in great nick and I'm really chuffed with it. Only real problem was a hissing radio which I was aware of when I bought it. I eventually narrowed down to a fault in the amplifier so I replaced it with one from a scrapper (£90) and all good now. It was a nightmare to access mind, I expected over-engineering but really.....! Other than that there's condensation in one of the headlamps which i'll sort at some point (I made a half hearted attempt with a hair dryer and a tube of sealant but it steamed straight up again next time I drove the car!) and a slightly irritating clicking noise behind the dash which I presume is that servo thing that seems to be an issue on these from what I've read. I'll sort it if it actually fails but it's working fine atm. And that's it. An amazing car for not a lot of money, couldn't be happier!

Hello. Just bought my first CT. A 2016 model, it has the F-sport package and the red leather seats. Not new to Lexus, my last car was an ultra reliable, solid but gas-guzzling is200h (as per avatar!). First thing I noticed is a little wear/damage to the red leather in the usual places. As others on the forum have suggested, the black leather is probably more forgiving but I do like the red and am hoping I might be able to restore them. There are one or two other little cosmetic imperfections too. I get the impression it hasn't been particularly well looked after, hence me getting it a little cheaper than some others. 1 owner full Lexus service history though, which was the main priority. So what is the foot parking pedal all about and how does it compare to the park button on the console (such a newbie question I know). Does everyone use the foot pedal whenever they park or just on hills? My first hybrid, I'm obsessing a little about trying to keep it in battery mode as much as possible around town, for economy and because I just love driving about with no engine [I should concede that I was originally considering a Nissan Leaf of similar age]. Only 2 days since I bought the car, I hope in time I'll forget all of this battery versus engine and just enjoy the overall experience lol. I must admit I am finding so much tech a little overwhelming at the moment but am sure I will get used to it. Driving on the motorway is an absolute pleasure. I have heard about harsh ride and was weary of the F-sport for that, but it is smooth, silky and feels solid without being at all firm. Quiet too. Thinking about some wheel spacers to align the wheels to the bodywork. Controversial I expect so would appreciate any recommendations or concerns in this area. Think the stereo is slightly less good than the standard one in my old is200 . Might consider some beefier/bassier speakers perhaps? Any recommendations welcomed. Thanks for listening, may post a few pics soon.

Hi everyone Just introducing myself 😁 My name’s Si and I have a GS250 F-sport (on a ‘12 plate), which I bought as an approved used last summer. Before that I had a GS450h SE-L on a ‘57 plate. The reason for “dropping” to the 250 was that when I had two hybrid system warnings about a month apart, I took the 450 into the local Lexus dealer to get it checked over, they said the hybrid battery had only days to live and then provided me with a list of all the other stuff that was wrong with the car on top of that (none of which was visible on the outside). All in all, the price of the new hybrid battery plus the fixes for everything else came to more than the value of the car ☹️ I found myself in a very tricky situation!! Has anyone ever tried to trade in a hybrid where the hybrid doesn’t work? What trader’s gonna take the risk? Luckily the Lexus guys offered me a big chunk off anything they had in their approved used forecourt and took the old girl as a trade in. After such a sobering experience, I bottled out of buying another battery powered car and decided to go back to good old pure petrol; you know where you stand with hydrocarbons!!😉 Despite the change of power source, I knew I wanted to stick with the GS model, the IS is sporty and more ‘nippy’ around town, but once I get in, it instantly becomes a three seater! At 6’3” and 18 stone, I need the extra room to spread out and get comfortable. The GS is a great cruiser but not so big that you can’t fit it in the car park. The layout and equipment are really good too, quality stuff! The only tiny little niggle I have is that the 250 can never be as quick as the 450 from a standing start (minus the electric motor). I look forward to ‘meeting’ you all over the years ahead and I hope I can be a useful member of the club. Stay safe & well Si

Hi Guys, I said I would stick up pics of my newly refurbished wheels once I had the grey inserts and wheel nut covers, so here they are (the wheel nut covers were wrong size first time round so had to wait for the correct ones). I think they finish off the light anthracite wheels perfectly, just a pity the locking wheel nuts are a tad rusty....

ECO mode just means that when you press the accelerator it takes ages to wind up Sport means that you use more fuel (which somewhat defeats the idea of a hybrid) and is more fun Normal is what you'll settle on for 99% of the time

this is what you will notice straight away when going between the modes and you can be on the move when you change mode aswell eco - really slow acceleration normal - slow acceleration sport - enjoyable acceleration

And for info, it's dual mass

Thanks guys, I drove it back from the garage there and i didnt notice anything. They said it was still doing it so will give it a good test tomorrow. Appreciate the comments, if its still doing it I think i'll try new pins first So annoying 🙂

Welcome to Europe's Leading Lexus Club! Please Enjoy!

I’ve got these spare if you’re interested.

Yep cheers can’t wait. can I ask about the modes. what do the modes mean and what’s best to drive in,I get the EV mode is just electric but what about the others?

I had an annoying brake tap/knock from the NSR that was cured with a new slider pin bung/guide doohickey - a cheap fix.

As per old skool method, if pulling the fuse prevents the drain then you re-fit the fuse to investigate further. If after re-fitting the fuse. the fault doesn't reappear...then you focus on finding the coldest beer 😆 I guess it all depends on what the cause of the drain is. I eagerly await to hear back from Fabian...

Nah, she'll be fine, as will you Jon. If you don't get a paper manual then you can download one from here https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/about-my-lexus/manuals/ I read mine from cover to cover, just like I would read any other book. I know, I'm sad, but it really does help to get your head around some things. And don't forget that we need to see pictures as well 🙂

This may be caused by the disc brakes having an excessive clearance within the calipers. The other possibility is a weak spring. Chris.

You're welcome 🙂 You can't manually select EV (Electric Vehicle) Mode and expect it to go from 0 to 60mph or whatever, but my RX450h has switched to battery at about 40mph during normal driving. It's a bit of a difficult concept to explain but you'll soon get used to it when you're doing it yourself. Not really but that's where most of it comes from. Every time you lift your foot up from the accelerator pedal you'll see the power meter dip into the 'Charge' area so it is charging, although not by much. However, when you actively brake then you'll see the power meter dip right down to the bottom of the scale, which indicates maximum charging. Never, really. I've had my RX450h for over two years now and never selected Neutral at all. No it won't - but don't worry about that because the traction battery will last at least a couple of months with the car not being used, possibly even longer. The way the system works is that the 12v battery only has to boot the computers to get the hybrid system running and into READY mode, along with a couple of other things. In a conventional car the starter motor will draw about 300A or more to crank the engine, so the battery has to be quite big and beefy. Getting a hybrid system up and running takes less than 20A, which is why Lexus/Toyota thought it a good idea to save some money and only provide a small capacity 12v battery. I can see their rationale for this but the downside is that the car can't be left standing as long as a conventional car before the 12v battery goes flat. So, the 12v battery gets the car into READY mode, which is our equivalent of the engine running in a conventional car. As I said above, our cars don't have starter motors or alternators, but in READY mode the 12v battery is being charged by means of a DC/DC converter, which takes the 288v of the traction battery and converts it to 14.5v or thereabouts. When the petrol engine is needed, the hybrid system energises MG1 (or is it MG2? I always get mixed up!) and spins the engine up to about 1,000rpm before the system applies fuel and a spark to fire it, which is why all three things (12v battery, traction battery and petrol engine) are needed for the car to run. If the traction battery were ever to go flat then you'd have to call out the dealer or some other specialist who has the knowledge and the equipment to deal with it - at 288v, it's not something the AA, RAC or other breakdown service is equipped to deal with.

Got some pics from when first purchased.

Will sort some out today.

Yes, we love to see pictures of member's cars

Not a specific Lexus/Toyota specialist but a very good and trustworthy mechanic who really knows his stuff and his prices are very reasonable too. He's worked on my RX300 when I had it and also my current RX450h and I highly recommend him. John Barton Ribble View Garage 2A Rough Hey Rd (industrial estate opposite Crematorium) Preston PR2 5AR 01772 798856

There are apparently 4 speakers mounted on the rear parcel shelf one of which is the sub woofer (No. 7 ). On earlier models this speaker has been known to fail due to the cone becoming detached from the speaker framework. Normal access is gained by removing the rear seats and top shelf cover. Sorry no idea on size of the speakers but generic replacements are generally available, the 2 important factors are size and impedance.

If purchasing new, your Nav system will be at whatever map version was install at the factory. If purchasing used, your Nav system will be at whatever map version the previous owner updated it to (otherwise what it can out of the factory with). A dealer won't update at their own expense - they don't get map updates to install for free from Lexus. No need to worry about partial postcode - new models have all supported full post code for 10 years plus now. The CT has always supported this.

I don’t think the SR had a different suspension set up to the S SE and SE-L models. It was just a base model with the GFX body kit, so it should ride the same. I have never tried an F-Sport 2IS but had both a 2007 and a 2011 SE-L. In my opinion, the ride in the 2007 was marginally better than the 2011, most likely due to the smaller standard 17 inch wheels. I also found the steering to be heavier in the earlier car, which I preferred. Personally I found the leather to be of better quality in the 2011 car. The extra rear leg room was due to a change of the front seat back pocket design. The earlier cars had a ridge pocket that could be pulled forward, where as the later models had a material based version. Again the gain in leg room is minimal. If your kids are young enough to still be in car seats with an iso fix base , then we found the Maxi Cosi range to be a very tight fit. I had to move my seat forward in to a compromised driving position and I’m only 5ft7. Good luck with your search. Both cars were absolutely brilliant.

Look on the bright side, given the reliability of the IS, cheap running costs, unlikely to be banned due to emissions, and now lack of new stock, used priced will stay very firm, which is good for us existing owners.

Welcome Dave. Look at Youtube "How to drive a Lexus hybrid"

That is really good work and commendable. I can turn my hand to most things but electronics baffle me. I did however find my distance control switch, it looks like this....

lol Definitely! It has made me realise that I over tighten absolutely everything.

Hi, are you aware the ignition has to be switched on when trying to get the disc to eject?

you mean what is she spending it on!😅

They look rather smart Brian. (I won't show your pictures to my wife, for I have encouraged her to believe that any scuffs on the wheels will necessitate brand new wheels, (for reasons of metal stress! 😉 ) and that they'd have to be paid for out of 'housekeeping.) 'Mum's the word' eh?

I know... I replaced a full set on mine a couple of months ago and still weep to this day. 😢 That said, it did transform the ride and handling of the car plus eliminating a knocking noise and some interior rattles along the way.

The issue with the plug exterior oiling up is the spark plug tube seal on that cylinder. Its a common issue. Part 11193-38020 x 4 per side. They are only €2 or €3 each from Amayama.com. Worth checking inside each tube for any oil when you are doing spark plug replacement. After you remove the coil pack but before you remove the plug take a photo with your camera phone "down the tube". You will see the plug surrounded by oil and then its replacement time for the seal. Worst case this may cause a misfire.

Wouldn't it be useful if there was a pretty comprehensive list of recommended Lexus independents in the UK? This can prove particularly helpful if you are a long way from home and have a problem. In the circumstances, I have started to make a record of any such recommendations as you never know when/where you might have a problem apart from normal service requirements.

Thanks for the recommendation @LexIS200Sport Remember to use discount code lovelexus for free shipping to Club Members.

If it’s the HID bulb sit down now, Lexus price will knock you down. 81110L BULB, DISCHARGE HEADLAMP 90981-20013 45V 35W 2 € 383.13

Don't forget, servicing is both time and mileage dependent. 12 months or 10000 miles. So, if you have only driven 5000 miles in the last 11 months, it will need doing to maintain warranty.