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Evening, I've been signed up for quite awhile now and have wanted to buy an ISF multiple times but it's never worked out. A very nice one popped up at a local classic/ prestige sales place owned by a friend of a friend. He'd invited me over to have a look and no pressure, not many seem to venture up north so he'd suggested I take advantage to at least have a look around one in person at last! Before I knew it I was out for a test drive and then discussing a deal for my current car ( a Golf R Estate) This all happened very quickly, I went from being happy with my golf to owning the ISF in a day! First proper drive out was my favourite 110 mile loop in the North Pennines which I tend to do quite often in my second car, an old BMW. Really impressed, I don't agree with the write ups on them about the suspension being harsh and not well damped, which most seem to say! The roads in the north Pennines are a good test for compliant suspension, my golf wasn't great at speed over continuous bumps but the Lexus ate them up! Great fun! Ill get a couple of snaps up from the drive when I can. Looking forward to reading more of the forum (and trying to ignore the threads with large expensive problems!) Thanks, Scott

Rich - Can you get Dan at lexus to drain the gearbox oil and tell you if it's been contaminated with coolant or not. If it hasn't, there's more confidence that the gearbox will be OK. Perhaps will make your decisions easier.

What a nightmare. My car is a 2009 approaching 90k miles so have contacted Lexus today to inquire about doing the preventative work and having the rad/transmission cooler replaced plus any likely ancillary parts. Had my ATF replaced earlier this year and all was clean and uncontaminated so I'm hopeful the problem had not yet started on mine. Awaiting the quote but I'll be sure to share it on here once I get it so those of us awaiting this time bomb have an idea of what it might cost to prevent it before it happens. Dan.

Autotrader Lexus NX I guess no surprise to current owners, the NX is the 2020 Autotrader ‘best hybrid car.’ 🥳

You should show VSC off when the button is pressed. I would plug in a cheap scan tool to see if throws up any errors, it is possible its been disabled for a reason! Did you buy from a dealer?

Thanks Guys Thanks and yes it was a Mk7 estate. It had the Mountune engine and gearbox software on it and was a really quick car, in a straight line it just gripped no matter the weather, not sure how it managed in all honesty! It was good at everything but just not exciting to me. I enjoy driving out in the hills and it couldnt quite keep up with the undulations when going quickly and became rather crashy, which is where i couldnt believe how good the ISF did! Excellent, you cant be all too far from me, im just south of Durham. I will keep an eye out for a black GSF! Thank you and here you go, the 2002 in the same spots: IMG_20200719_160451 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200716_193352 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Thanks Mark, i hope so! Thank You and its a 58 plate, albeit a very well looked after 58 plate, definitely top of my budget. I couldnt get into a facelift one i dont think! I found the suspension really crashy on my Golf R which is what went to be replaced by the ISF and my old BMW 2002 is like getting dragged around on a shovel 😆 the ISF has Michelin PS4S tyres all round which maybe helps a little, they did on my Golf R and previous R32. Thank You both! Thanks, i hope you're right haha and it's 12 years old now and has a mixture of Lexus and specialist servicing, the last few years have been via Lexus. I'll be keeping an eye on the radiator and look to maybe get that done like you say. Im unsure whether the water pump has been done but there's no tell tale signs just yet, i've found the old owner on social media so will ask him soon if he knows more about preventative work.

In general these days, in my experience, discs and pads wear pretty much together and so often it's a replacement of discs and pads together. On my IS300h I had the front discs/pads replaced at 80K miles for the first time. They probably had another 20K miles left in them but the pads and discs were getting a pronounced lip and when measured the discs were closing in on minimum thickness and as the garage were replaced the wheel bearings (under warranty) I chose to have discs and pads done at the same time (at my expense of course). The rears were still only somewhere around 50% worn. I bought my car at 2 years old with 40K miles on it (it was a 2014 build) and to my knowledge (as it was sold originally and serviced by the dealer I purchased from) the original mileage was mostly motorway miles, and over 50% of my additional 40K miles mileage has also been motorway. It's possible that the pads were replaced before you bought the car for some reason (should be on the service records if done at Lexus though) or the tick sheet wasn't completed correctly (which wouldn't be a surprise - I tend to take them with a pinch of salt) I would suggest that 50% worn at ~30k miles is nothing to worry about anyway and I would see how the wear goes over the next 30K miles. They will report each service so see what the next one says.

As someone who has gone from a 17" shod IS250 to an 18" shod IS300h, I'd stick with your 17" wheels.

I know I used to get mine serviced by Robin Lamb in Gloucester. Steve Winwood and Richard Ashcroft both use him rather than the Main Dealer. Great guy who I knew from when I dealt with M J Warner in Gloucester before Mercedes booted out the decent local dealers around 2002

hello. went outside once it was dark and yes they are directional lights and were not both on at the same time so i must have had the fog lights on which is a mystery as i am normally pretty aware of what switches i have put on. anyhow all good now. thanks input from each/all of you.

The ride in my IS300h is significantly worse than the ride in my IS250. The road past my local hospital has been dug up more times than I can remember. My IS250 would waft over the road scars. My IS300h rattles and bangs over all of them. I'd swap the 18's for 17's in a jiffy. Ok, it probably corners better than my IS250 did, but I'm 52 and I'll never be Ayrton Senna.

Hello, I have just joined the forum and I’ll join the club as well in the coming days. I’d like to thank everyone who has answered a couple of questions for me. I have just bought a silver gs 450h se-l 2007 with 82k mikes on the clock. I love the car but already it is trying to bite me back, typical of most cars I guess. Typically it’s something that I really need in the coming weeks. Not sure if this the right place to ask but I took the nav disc out to clean it and check condition etc., and now it won’t go back in, normal clicking noises which I guess means it not sitting correctly! Anybody got any ideas short of taking the reader out of the glovebox! Is this a common problem experienced by any member? Would appreciate any comments or should I resort to the good old Tom Tom!? Thanks Guy

I leave mine on all year and like Lark,do not have problems. I have had the rotten smelly egg problem in some other cars and got rid of it by turning the heating comtrol on high for the last 10 minutes of several journeys until all of the bacteria had been killed.

Lovely turbo!! Just be aware there is no obvious signs of failure on the radiator as the corrosion and failure can happen internally.

Later MK4 last run of the LS400 has the coil on plug. So on each spark plug there is an ignition coil. These are straight forward to get at and replace. They seem to be reliable and I don't see many complaints...I believe manufactured by Denso. Guess what...Denso also make coils for Jags...and...yes they fail very regularly so I suppose the quality is completely different looking at years circa 2000 - 2003.

If you guys are referring to the TRC off light? -I've just gone to check it on mine and it comes on briefly during ignition on and goes off even if you don't start the engine - it does come on and stay on if you select TRC off from the switch - hope this helps

I purchased this product a couple of months ago. Works wonders! I believe it kills the bacteria in the vents and that's what gives unpleasant odours in the car. You insert a tube into the vents, then spray until the foam comes out the vent. Simple to use and the odours have not returned 2 months later. Only negative was the slow delivery

Is it possible to tape over the light which on the LS400 is reflected onto the screen from under the Dash panel moulding? Would be a naughty thing to do but imagine someone will have tried it in the past to hide a fault. Or am I talking rubbish?

Sounds like a duff or incorrect sensor or less likely a damaged toothed ring. What made you decide that this particular sensor was faulty? Where did you buy it from? I’m unfamiliar with the type of sensor on an RX300, however the sensors fitted on my RX400h have a resistance of 1725 ohms (coil and magnet type). In my experience of similar sensors on Citroen cars they mainly fail due to going open circuit which causes the ABS self diagnostics to turn off the system. No requirement for resetting ABS normally unless a permanent fault code has been logged which would require a diagnostic (Techstream) connection to clear. You are correct Right=Offside in the UK

Quickest and simplist mod to my car so far, changed the gear shift knob to a ISF carbon fibre one, looks quite smart!

Also - If you're looking for any auto box repairs and don't want to use Lexus, I can recommend Transmission Technology not too far from us in Knowle. https://goo.gl/maps/kk8ahkULbR81DJA27 Not had any Lexus repaired by him, but Ken really knows his stuff.

According to Swedish law you are allowed to have different size tyres than the recommendations if it doesn't change the wheel circulation distance more than 5%. (and some other rules about how it fits in the well etc.). I am certain a change of only the profile with one step would not give me any insurance or legal issues. Mechanical? That depends on if the slightly larger wheels interfere with steering or suspension which is kind of what I want to learn from you guys. Also if the slightly larger wheels would look stupid. Maybe it's just me who thinks the wheels have a lot of space around them compared to similar cars.

Don't know about that one but I recently had mine serviced and they used "Kleen Air" by CarPlan which seems to have worked great. It's an antibacterial cleaner spray and left no odour at all.

No, still waiting for the CarPlay update to be released.

Definitely yes to the warranty and service plan. I'd have new tyres. Brakes probably ok for a while. My 2015 Auris hybrid with 29k went in to the dealer as AC had failed and did a health check as well. When I viewed the car I noticed NSF tyre had slight side wall damage and slight cracking. Would not change it and said perfectly sound. Mentioned it on health check Wednesday but did say ok structurally. Mentioned rear or front disks in amber as 1cm pitting starting. Plan to fit all new tyres before they MOT it in January as all original and so old. Current tread depth between 3.5-4mm. James👍

I bought a Pure Highway 400 and it's excellent. Easy to install and cables easily hidden . Neat install. £60 or therabouts.

What model do you have.......only the SE-L and above have it as standard...the rest are options on the list. See sticky under the 450h area....

Hello there, Ive been sent a link to this chat as the kind sender assumed I am the Pete being referred to. Much as I’m very encouraged to learn of James and his new steed, I’m not sure it was formerly mine. You see mine was May ‘07 and 130,007 miles. James talks of ‘06 and low mileage. Perhaps one of you fine chaps, best of all James, could provide some clarity, please? Many thanks. PeteTP

I have seen a good few cars, 450h's included, where the actual internals have DAB all over them but in actual fact they do not have DAB. It is just an easy way of making the radsio a generic model but not necessarily with the actual functionality built in.

The GS is a credit to you Richie.

I should mention that I spoke to Ron yesterday and he's in fine fettle.

+1 Insurance issues? Mechanical issues? Your call of course, but I wouldn't... Maybe change the tyres, not the wheels?

Just follow what is in the Handbook Jonatan.

Nice! Neverlateforv8

Lovely. Enjoy. Suspension might be the newer version if it's a 2010 plate. Which definitely rides better.

All European keys work on 433.92Mhz, near as dammit to 434. Depends on how many digits after the decimal point you're working to. 😉 That's the frequency they're licensed to work on. U.S. keys work on a different frequency, hence why if you're buying off Chinese sites, you have to make sure you specify the European version. Otherwise the key will be transmitting on a different frequency to the receiver in the car and they won't hear each other.

That's why I like Japex in Kings Langley. Same management, same staff, same reception. They know me and they know our cars and I trust them 100%.

Well done, for as long as you have it, it will be a joy.

Seems odd that the discs are worn without corresponding wear on the pads. I get pad measurements reported during servicing. So for example, if they say the front pads are on 9mm, and you assume a starting size of 12mm and wear limit of 3mm, that would be about one-third wear. I haven't seen corresponding measurements for the discs but presumably they're basing their report on actual measurements rather than a quick glance. You could ask them what the measurement is when new, what the worn measurement on your car is and the limit of wear when the disc should be replaced..

Great cars - and a great choice of road. (A686) Went over the tops a couple of weeks ago for the first time in ages and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and lack of traffic. ISF is very different to the anodyne German hot hatch offerings, in the initial lack of torque, top end power delivery, noise, character, Reliability and almost Zero depreciation (mine was) and bank vault build quality....... enjoy your time with it - and post some of the photos of your 2002!!

Congratulations. How does it compare to your old Golf R? Was it a Mk7?

Ah! I wasn't aware of that fact. (Mind you - I'm only just aware that I'm not necessarily aware of all the things that I should be aware of - - - as far as I'm aware!)

Well done mate!! 😁😎😁

well done that man...just a little bit green (envious) over here right now.👍

On my two visits to Lexus Leeds (although I eventually bought elsewhere) I found Chris Pattison Chris.Pattison@vantagemotorgroup.co.uk really helpful and 'Lexus patient' (I think 'Lexus patient' should be an adjective!)

The P0037 code is an oxygen sensor code, but as the other Mark was saying, it may be a symptom, not a cause of the issue. That said, P0037 is the code for the oxygen sensor heater failure. That can be caused by something as simple as the sensor being unplugged. The other thing can be nibbled wiring by rodents, they do love to chew wires and the oxygen sensor wiring is right there under the car. Once you've eliminated the obvious reasons and also checked and confirmed the heater resistance in the sensor is not correct, then change the sensor . The P0037 will be the only code a simple reader will get out of the car. It really needs a good deep diagnosis with a proper code reader like Techstream to have a chance at finding the VSC issue. A simple OBD reader won't show VSC codes. VSC errors can be tricky to diagnose as there are a raft of sensors that can cause the light to be lit. Mismatched tyres causing differential ABS sensor speeds on the wheels, the gearbox speed sensor, the steering angle sensor, the yaw sensor, all are tied into the VSC. Luckily other systems use these sensors so if the speedo is reading correctly and the ABS light isn't lit, the fault points more to steering or yaw sensor, wiring to one or more sensor or the VSC module itself. But don't take my word as gospel, diagnosis is the only way to be sure. The VSC error could be tied to the vibration/hum, but not necessarily. Only a deep diagnosis will give you an indication if that's the case. Sorry to be vague, but diagnosis over the internet is about as accurate as reading runes, or staring into crystal balls. 🙂

I forgot the worst of them all. Not measured by reliability as it never ever broke down even if i deliberately tried. A brandnew 1994 Ford Mondeo diesel with 90 hp.. Companycar of course. Everything on that car was mediocre, the styling utterly bland, the interior design uninspiring, te buildquality questionnable but it never ever broke down, drove 120000 rattling kilometers with it, the last 20k km shortshifting without clutch but it would not die. Roadholding was on the brink of dangerous. It was so nose heavy understeer was everywhere in every corner. The most serious part was sudden death understeer, without warning you loose all grip and the car just plows straight on. I hated that car. It followed my alfas that DID break down a lot but there was design, passion ( and underfunded development..). All my alfas were anything but bland there was a philosophy behind them ( 1 look good 2 make lots of noise 3 red paint 4 that ll do it). the mondeo had neither it was designed by accountants. And that brings me to Lexus. When i got my IS250 i was blown away with the build quality, The NVH, the attention to detail, the over engineering, for me that was a different world. The IS300H was already different as i had the idea there was more toyota than lexus in it but is still liked it very much however it just wasnt thesame as the 250. Todays cars seem one step further again withe the ES as prime example of a worked over toyota, make it into a lexus type of thing. Reminds me a bit of Audi/VW 15 years ago. In every Audi you could see VW shine through. Maybe it is toyota going upmarket and approaching Lexus but i really feel Lexus should up its game to preserve its image. Anyway, just a thought.

I think there is a massive difference between the shiny dealer palaces and the local village garage. The latter is build on trust only. The owner knows you and you know the owner The garage plays a role in local society and has a reputation build on years, you see each other in the pub. I bought my daughters first car from Peters Garage, without a testdrive as i trust Peter. it was a Suzuki Swift for 1500 euros and it took her through uni. On the other side of the spectrum are the dealers of premium brands. Their entire business is directed from the factory directly. A big handbook of how the building must look like, how many m2, how many cars to shift by model etc. even the clothes of the salespeople are laid down in directives from munich stuttgart etc. The investments are enormous, the overhead frightening and they all struggle to be profitable. They are run like insurance companies and if they dont get the end year bonuses they are in the red. Life is difficult as main dealer we should not forget that but in my experience in lots of cases it can go horribly wrong on the showroom floor. Customer first seems to be a marketingslogan only.....

Brakes: guess how it's been driven is a factor? Extend the warranty: i would! If it has been used already it could... suggest there is more to be done?

Sounds like you want a custom job? Plenty of places offering cat back stainless steel systems built to your requirements in the UK but I notice your location is “Other/Non UK so unsure what you have available.