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As a two Lexus owner and recent purchaser of a late gen 1 NX300h I’m kicking myself and reading with mounting horror that somehow I missed the RAV4, ES, RX, NX canbus theft fiasco despite doing what I thought was extensive research for a nearly new used vehicle from various premium brands and deciding on the NX based on reliability, comfort and the dealer after sales service. Outside of owners forums, the criminal fraternity and a few articles this issue seems have been kept a dirty secret by Lexus and to make matters worse the Lexus (as a brand) attitude seems to be a two fingered, not our problem, fob off to affected and potentially affected owners of vehicles subject to this theft method. A theft method made unjustifiably easy by poor design by the manufacturer and it appears they are making every attempt to deflect and avoid responsibility for. Sadly this appears to be the modus operandi for Lexus (the brand) when faced with inconvenient problems of their making that owners suffer for. Although class actions have been mooted it appears the most likely method owners of affected vehicles can gain satisfactory redress to safeguard their valuable possessions as far as possible and to a level expected of a brand whose vehicles start at £40,000 and go up significantly from there and where even used models are between £20,000 to £35,000 from authorised dealers is to kick up such a very public fuss that it has the potential to become Lexus’s Ratner’s prawn sandwich moment. Although not generally available from a casual internet search and often actively hidden by larger corporates and brands it is relatively easy to establish the full corporate structure, senior and board officers and obtain personal contact details for most large organisations that prefer to remain obscure. Lexus will be no different and it really is wasting time dealing with a ‘customer service’ mouthpiece. That is exactly what they want. Obfuscate, wear down, evade and hopefully the energy and anger will dissipate and the problem quietly go away without doing anything. Should my NX300h be stolen due to canbus theft I am an educated, assertive, persistent and vindictive retired man with plenty of time on my hands and I will make it my mission to make sure Lexus’s refusal to provide a remedial fix for a problem entirely of their own making and they are fully aware of will be their Ratner’s prawn sandwich moment. I will sell my Lexuses, never purchase another one as has been the attitude of some of the more aggrieved owners on this site already inconvenienced and out of pocket due to canbus theft and make sure this does not remain concealed from the general public who think Lexus is an aspirational and desirable brand to own with high customer satisfaction. There is no point keeping this issue under wraps. The criminal fraternity and organised crime gangs are already fully conversant with canbus theft so owners are not disseminating anything that would cause them further significant damage. I would be interested to communicate with other Lexus owners who are concerned about this canbus theft issue, who have been fobbed off so far by Lexus UK Customer Services with such nonsense as use a steering lock deterrent, owners who have suffered and are now ex Lexus owners and who intend never to purchase another Lexus again due to the experience and those who have communicated with Lexus executives or organisations such as Which, mass media generally or similar rather than waste time with Lexus UK Customer Services. As a cohort existing Lexus owners are generally more likely than the average brand customer to be educated, affluent, assertive, pro-active and have useful skills and contacts. If Lexus wants that sort of customer for its premium priced vehicles, but chooses to insult and ignore them when not convenient for the brand as far as I am concerned it should expect to die by or at least be seriously financially damaged by its own sword and arrogance.

Car thieves obviously get ‘Which Car Reports’. I note that in the Feb 24 edition the Lexus brand yet again tops the Reliability Table of 29 brands in all three car age groups. In two car age groups (0-4, 10-15) it gets four stars, and in the 5-9 it gets five. In fact Lexus is the only brand awarded five stars for its reliability in any category. I suspect it’s partly due to Which that car thieves are now increasingly attracted to Lexus. After all, if you’ve sold a stolen car to someone, you don’t want them to come looking for you when it keeps breaking down!

Turned freezing again. Last night’s charge 48.1 up from 47.7 43.3 down from 44.4 go figure!

Have been watching the BBC2 series "Robson Green's Weekend Escapes" and pleased to see that he obviously has great taste in cars as he has a NX450h+ Takumi! It features prominently and I can recommend the series which has a 6.30pm slot daily.

Slight drop today. 47.3 and 40.7

I think Toyota’s cost benefit analysis will hit JLR levels soon. At that point we’ll get the correct solution.

48.5/41.7 tonight.

I'm looking forward to getting my new door handles next month (well 3 anyway, the fourth hasn't arrived!). Unfortunately, I've had the frozen charge port flap a few times last year and this, and now it doesn't open or close properly whatever the weather. Hopefully just an adjustment that will get done when I go in for the door handles. With a 300 miles plus round trip to the dealer, I could do without these little snags. Still love my car overall though.

I agree, I worked for Direct Line as an Engineering Manager (Motor Cliams) and once loyal to the brand as an employee and after retirement that lotalty was abused year after year in premium increases which bore no relation to any adverse risk. I shop around 2 months at renewal every year noticing that hybrid car premiums are being targeted as a high yield premium for Insurers. Manufacturers also are charging astronomical figures for parts fueling repair costs which drive premiums up. Cartel? Yes.

It's software per se but due to the fact that Lexus hasn't rolled out a s/w update to affected vehicles suggests it's a system architectural issue that can't be retrofitted to other vehicles. Hence the wheel arch plates.

Hi All, This canbus issue has gone beyond crazy all over the LOC. We're all aware of it now, but too late after spending, £30-£50K+ on a car. The people that are not aware of it are prospective Lexus owners, still believing the flash tv adverts and past ownership survey results. Keeping it under wraps means no reputational or financial damage to the brand. - of course Toyota/ Lexus are ignoring us. They don't need to do anything yet. Even die hard Lexus fans must be finding it hard supporting the brand after such a disgraceful attitude to owners. The only reason Toyota/ Lexus will fix this is if sales drop and the brand reputation plummets. We all seem to be divided on different forums and threads. Divide, isolate, exterminate and ignore. That's Lexus's canbus response so far. Please go to general forum, canbus theft scandal and make a comment. Push for LOC owners to make canbus a permanent front page issue until Toyota / Lexus acts in our favour. If they do then I'll be the first to shout about how good Toyota / Lexus customer service and ownership is. Also write to the Chairman and MD, details are on the thread. It only takes half an hour and if enough complain we may get security plates for all model owners. They know about Canbus, but are so far up an ivory tower they probably think it'll blow over and business as usual. Know or see in the street anyone with a Lexus. They may not look at LOC or be aware of canbus until their car gets stolen or insurance renewal rockets. Tell them about it. Tell them to write to Toyata GB / Lexus board. Talking to or contacting Lexus Customer Relations is a complete waste of our time. Make the noise. Its the only way we'll get this canbus debacle dealt with. Thanks

From what I can ascertain, the New Gen NX has what's called the Toyota (ECU) Security Key (TSK) implemented. TSK apparently protects against the CAN BUS attacks which have been the subject of numerous thefts of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. In other words the would-be thieves Can Bus device can't communicate with the vehicle's ECU without the relevant TSK so they can't (currently) gain access to the vehicle.

That’s the trouble with old people buying sports cars 😉…I find hand on the ground and just roll out onto the floor is the easiest way …then dust myself off 😁😁 You could price the bits and jobs up on the car but it’s no longer a cheap car then ☹️ Still hope for you to get a winter/spring bargain 👍🏻

@Neilo @Taseen Just to add, SE-L wasn't the only model with auto-dimming mirrors. Sport models had it too. They're actually the second best specced cars right after SE-L. If you're after auto-dimming mirrors and you're looking for SE-L cars only it will narrow your search down too much since the Sport models had it too. Get in touch with breakers. There's lots of cars being advertised as "breaking only" I created a chart some time ago, it should be over 90% correct. I'm going off personal experience with SE & Sport models. The only bit that could be wrong is the wheels. I could not find UK brochure from 15 years ago to double check exactly what models had what options for upgraded alloys. Green - standard spec Red - not available Orange - optional extra (The chart below covers only pre-facelift cars)

I just took out circled one (there is another one on the other side) and pushed in the new ones. The one on the pic is worn out. I presume the new ones will be worn out in few years too.

Cleared another 3 inchs of snow of car before going to work. Have about 7" of snow already with more to come 🥶. LS430 is a very poor snow plough 🫣 other wise very good. Torque of engine means very little throttle. Traction control with snow mode makes LS430 feel quite planted. Have tried to get wheelspin intentionally but the traction control kicks in. Went to do a doughnut in company car park for the staff and failed dismally, LS430 has been named by staff as a "beast"? Who drives a 300hp car in the snow, so far I'm the only one I've seen since snow started.

There was a time before land lines for poor people. I am talking about pigeons. I once tried to bribe Santa to get a bike by tying a kit kat to the leg of one of my father's pigeons and sending it off to the North Pole. We never saw the bird, or kit kat again and needless to say no bike just a belt. I have never trusted men with beards since.

Went out I is today. Really nice - it’s definitely a Lexus.

Years ago 👍

If you order a screen and headunit directly from Lexus it would be cheaper to sell your vehicle and purchase another UX with the higher specification as you would be looking at a bill for £4k+.

The plate for the RX had already been rolled out in South Africa to prevent car jacking. It seems like it was the easiest thing just to get some more made and installed over here.

I’ve always found the Sales people very knowledgable and pleasant …… I’m just a little peeeed that when my 95 Ls400 reaches age 30 Saga won’t insure her they tell me ….. came as a bit of a surprise to the Sales Agent too when renewing my cover last time …… my 91 Ls400 is with Dan’s group so I’ll possibly have them both with his AF setup then …… I’ve been on the Saga 3 yr fixed deals too …… my 2006 Honda Legend which is the youngster might continue unabated ……. let’s see, there’s zero “ loyalty “ from insurers methinks Malc

but don’t drink it neat 🤥 Malc

my best quote this year was from Hastings direct. Problem is that a lot of people ( obviously non- Lexus drivers ) will find that no insurance and cloned number plates is the best option these days.

I think SC430 owners could be the loveliest people on the internet! 💖

I have just enquired about a red and cream one in Shipley. Not for me, but to pass over to you for info. Just arrived yesterday, but no pics yet.

Apparently the last owner of just 10 months was an old fella who couldn’t get in and out very easily so moved it on. He bought it for £6k. There were a lot of red flags. Creamy deposit inside oil filler cap and dodgy front grille that was hanging on by a thread. Bad sun scorch in the back. Although tyres were Dunlop, they were all worn to different degrees. No two the same. The worst thing was no credible service history at all. Hasn’t been seen by Lexus ever as far as I could see. There wasn’t any service book available. Inside it felt really tired and grubby. Possibly an ex smokers car. On the flip side, it’s well priced for an old car and the dealer seemed like an honest enough bloke. I’m sure it’ll sell as it looks good at first glance…… just fussy beggars like me who it doesn’t suit.

Looks like at Lexus Swindon now .

That's probably one of the best reasons I've seen for a buying a 300e. That started my day off with a laugh!

Welcome to LOC by the way. The predicted range figures are a bit like MPG figures and never accurate and always look better than they are. I think the WLTP figure means Would Like To Predict! I have not tried to charge mine via the Chademo yet. At least when you get used to having to charge frequently its a nice drive. As you are in Greater London, perhaps you can take some solace from the fact that it is electric with a poor range and charging speed so may be less likely to be stolen. Enjoy Paul

Yes that's it - the rubber cushion has fallen off the stem on both sides - I found one of the cushions in the centre console but at the time didn't know where it had come from - that was a few months ago and so they had lasted 9 years on my car so if the replacements last the same they will probably outlive my time with the car...!

No "easy" way to turn off the stability control in the facelift models so no fun allowed 😁!

I have one in my Avensis! This thread has just reminded me to remove it tomorrow before I give it in for my new CT!

That sounds about the same as me. It’s an Urban eXplorer so not designed to travel long distances. As a rule of thumb I half the shown range with air con on to work out when I need to charge. Which in effect means a range of 100 miles from fully charged or realistically 50 miles from home. What miles per kWhr are you getting? I am currently 2.7 but was up to 4 in summer. Higher speeds use more electric. The only thing you can do about it is plan a route to charge on the go at services or to buy a petrol hybrid.

I agree Lexus/Toyota need to act and fast. I recently had a attemped theft of my 2023 Lexus ES (will be footing the bill for damage out of my own pocket). I have no idea if the 2023 ES has encrypted can-bus or not, and the thief does not know either. This will result in owners of all cars having insurance premiums needless be increased. Being a new owner of a Lexus branded car I am disapointed in how this is being handled, but then I don't think Lexus is that good at customer care based on my initial purchase experience after delivery. I chose this brand as I thought they had a good reputation, oh how wrong I have been. All companies experience problems of some kind, the true test is how they sort to these problems. History shows that companies that fail their customers don't last long. Maybe their slogan can be "Buy a Lexus , the worst financial decision of your life"

The Autotrader 63 includes new upcars not resales

I’ve been waiting to see what threads and responses there have been about CAN bus theft on the forums and digging on the web before making a second post. It’s a grim picture and I’m now regretting buying another Lexus, but am stuck with the consequences and keeping my fingers crossed. The car is great even if Toyota GB / Lexus isn’t. A not inconsiderable sum has been spent on the fitment of after market security and purchase of the hugely inconvenient Stop Lock Pro Elite, - (a Lexus recommendation akin to suggesting a sticking plaster to fix a severed leg) an unattractive and deeply un-aesthetic decal to stick on the passenger wheel arch trim warning the car is theft protected without going into detail so I might have some hope of finding the vehicle where I left it without the wing and arch lining ripped off. The Stop Lock Pro Elite as recommended on the Lexus PR page to beleaguered owners does not even fit a Lexus steering wheel properly! After only ten days use there is a permanent indent in the steering wheel where the body of the lock rests on the soft texture steering wheel covering. The blade presses down on the lights/indicator stalk potentially causing damage, so the stalk needs to be pressed down to the left indicator position every time the Stop Lock is used. Even in its bag, the Stop Lock slides around the rear seat footwell during driving banging into the base of the seats and the bottom of the rear door interiors. Is this what owners of ‘premium’ vehicles should expect to put up with? Of course whether insurance will be affordable next renewal, maybe shooting up 2-300% or possibly even un-insurable is another matter. After market security products should be an option for the owner wanting additional peace of mind that the vehicle is as secure as it can be made, NOT and I repeat NOT an absolute necessity if they want a reasonable chance of their vehicle remaining where they left it because the manufacturer’s design means they might as well leave the keys in the cup holder and doors unlocked for anybody to take. Worst of all Toyota GB / Lexus division are actively avoiding doing anything about a serious problem to owners entirely of the manufacturer’s making. There were 44,564 Lexus registrations between July 2016 and November 19 in the UK, (source: Statista Research). All highly vulnerable to CAN bus attack, because of the manufacturer’s design. Plus obviously more units registered post Nov 2019 subject to CAN bus theft, but I do not have these figures. Many of these will still be under warranty; many will have been resold as used approved through the Lexus dealer network. How many owners is that with a problem vehicle? 60-70,000 in the UK. Separate, isolate and exterminate seems to be the Toyota GB/Lexus plan of action to ignore owners. As distressing, financially damaging and inconvenient this has been and could well become for so many Lexus owners, individually and even as contributors to these forums we might as well go into our gardens and scream at the back wall until red in the face for all the notice Toyota GB/Lexus division management will take. And for those who have made comments along the line of ‘’ I’ll wait until the next gen before buying, that’s meant to be secure’’ I ask after you have spent £50-70,000 on a brand new vehicle, what happens if a serious problem in its design or electronics occurs down the line and the Toyota GB/Lexus response is, ‘’not our problem’’ are you going to just take it on the chin and say ‘’oh well it’s only money, no matter the manufacturer attitude has cost me £5-10-15-30,000, what’s the next shiny, but flawed offering you have so I can waste another ton of money?’’ Restitution for existing Lexus owners via legal routes such as class action is impractical and costly. The only way Lexus owners will get the aftercare and remedial action to significantly reduce CAN bus vulnerability, rising theft numbers and unaffordable insurance premiums on their vehicles is to make this issue so embarrassing and widely known about for Toyota GB/Lexus that they have no option, but to fix the issue and the manufacturer’s expense or suffer such reputational damage that it costs them new car sales and market share in the UK. As a cohort of owners it’s not easy to achieve, but it is possible, as individual owners shouting into a closed box restitution is impossible. I am willing to be a speck of dust around which a thunderstorm develops as it were. I’ll set up an email address and platform around which owners can coalesce, (with appropriate security so it is not a database of cars to steal) so we are not individuals, nothing more harmful and easily swatted than single midges, but an angry swarming cloud that cannot be ignored. Anyone who has been to Scotland in peak midge season will know what I mean. Out there will be owners with mass media and other useful contacts, PR skills, promotion skills, etc., etc. Many won’t be bothered and wait for someone else to fix the problem- human nature, but out of the few thousand on this website and the 70,000 odd UK Lexus owners there may be enough coming forward to make a difference. Get in touch. This site purports to be for the benefit of owners and not affiliated to any manufacturer, therefore I ask the site owners to put the CANbus theft scandal topic link on the front page in a prominent position and allow a link to contact details until Toyota GB/Lexus division takes this matter seriously and provides a manufacturer’s fix to all affected owners. I ask other site users to request this of the site owner. If they will not, then why not? Maybe this sites owner would like to work with me for the benefit of Lexus owners on this issue. I have no interest in creating a rival Lexus site or taking forum member details for commercial gain. Below are a few other web links to articles about CAN bus and Lexus theft of interest: The CANIS Automotive Labs CTO blog from Dr Ken Tindall has an interesting article on CAN bus theft https://kentindell.github.io/2023/04/03/can-injection/ I’ve extracted the sections of the article I find most telling, but I would recommend reading the whole thing. The dark web site selling the CAN injector theft unit states all the following Toyota Group/Lexus models are vulnerable ‘’ Lexus models including the ES, LC, LS, NX, RX and Toyota models including the GR Supra, Prius, Highlander, Land Cruiser - and RAV4.’’ ‘’Defeating the CAN Injector First, the good news. A CAN Injector can be defeated, and it can be defeated with a pure software fix, so existing cars can be updated and once again we can avoid fitting a mechanical steering wheel lock at the end of each journey.’’ ‘’ Ian (the person who’s RAV 4 was stolen) has tried to get in touch with Toyota to discuss the CAN Injection attack, and to offer help, but hasn’t had much success. Part of the problem is that any large corporation finds it difficult to respond to security issues.’’ Are we heading for this level of theft levels of our vehicles? – ‘’Nearly 20% of Lexus SUVs stolen in Aichi Prefecture.’’ https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14378293 Is this the way Lexus is going to be treating owners from now on? ‘’He wanted to keep his Lexus from being stolen. Now he faces a $20K bill and voided warranty.’’ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/lexus-anti-theft-bill-1.6976240 Maybe we need a few more articles like this in UK mass media? ‘’Here's Why Canadians Might Want To Skip Buying A Lexus RX. Lexus RX Series has the highest chance of being stolen in Canada with a theft percentage of 6.4 percent.’’ https://www.hotcars.com/heres-why-canadians-might-want-to-skip-buying-a-lexus-rx/ Is this what is in store for Lexus owners starting in 2024? ‘’ How Range Rovers became virtually uninsurable. Thefts of the car have risen so much that affordable insurance is just not possible.’’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/land-rover/land-rovers-thefts-expensive-insurance/ No doubt the PR department of Toyota GB monitors this website for grass roots owner feedback and as an early alert to brand reputation issues and feeds this back through the corporate structure by a reporting mechanism. So this comment is directly to: Mr Scott Michael Thompson, Managing Director Toyota (GB) PLC, Director Lexus (GB) Ltd Mr Matthew Peter Harrison, Chairman Toyota (GB) PLC, Both at Great Burgh, Burgh Heath, Epsom, KT18 5XS, i.e. the Toyota / Lexus UK HQ. Dear Mr Thompson, Mr Harrison, I appreciate as a manufacturer/distributor Toyota GB/Lexus has no interest in the owners of Lexus vehicles after a brand new unit is registered other than trying to get them to spend another £50-70,000 on a brand product three years down the line and to try to entice customers from other manufacturers to purchase your brand instead of Porsche, Audi etc. Your model relies on maintaining and enhancing brand reputation. Right now Lexus brand reputation and owner experience among existing owners is severely damaged and getting worse. As owners of within warranty, very often purchased as used approved vehicles from authorised dealerships we expect Toyota (GB) / Lexus to correct a severe deficiency in the design of your vehicles that renders them highly insecure. Such PR page nonsense as use a visible deterrent such as Stop Lock is woefully inadequate and inappropriate to remedy a issue solely due to the manufacturer’s design. These vehicles are targeted because a: they are desirable, b: they are very easy to steal. Both factors are required; both are as a result of manufacturer design. We want a DVLA manufacturer’s recall during 2024 for all affected Lexus models, i.e. ES, LC, LS, NX, RX and possibly UX for main dealers to fit physical CAN bus security to the particularly vulnerable CAN bus connection located near the passenger front wheel arch as has been done for RX and any software updates that would prevent the CAN bus being a set of unauthorised keys to steal and drive away Lexus vehicles at will. This will be at no cost to owners, many of whom have to put up with the ugly, inconvenient Stop Lock and have spent considerable sums on after market security as a critical, absolute necessity to have, not just an aftermarket nice to have extra. At present Lexus as a brand is purchased by consumers for comfort, materials quality and because of reliability reputation. Something built up after the last twenty years. You have been successful in keeping the CAN bus theft issue of Lexus models largely out of the public sphere so far. For how much longer with 70,000 odd potentially very disgruntled owners in the UK that may find their vehicles at the top of the UK 2024 and 2025 most stolen lists and whose insurance as a result will increase by 200-300%, if insurable at all. I hope you take a lesson from Lancia, as you will be aware an otherwise excellent, driver orientated marque, driven out of the UK by its reputation for corrosion and if mentioned now only remembered for being a rust bucket. Is that to be Lexus’s fate when vehicle security is discussed? What do people know about the SC430 now? Most people know it’s the worst car ever made, even though in reality it was one of the best of its time. Audi’s tagline is Vorsprung durch Technik, BMW’s the ultimate driving machine. What is Lexus’s going to be for 2024 and beyond? - Was it stolen? The choice of thieves Uninsurable, Unsellable, stolen, never again! Or are you going to address the CAN bus issue affecting all 2014-2023 models and is it going to be? Lexus - joy for life I will also write personally to these two gentlemen and publish the response- or not as the case may be. I urge all Lexus owners with NX, RX, ES, UX, LC and LS models to take 30 minutes or an hour to write directly to these individuals to complain about Toyota GB / Lexus ignoring the growing CAN injection theft issue. I will also write to the named board members of all the authorised Lexus main dealerships in the UK. I will start including their details on this thread. Toyota GB/ Lexus may not care about owners after a brand new unit is registered, but the organisations that have invested substantially in the infrastructure to sell new, used approved and maintain Lexus vehicles might start getting upset with Toyota GB/Lexus if the brand reputation gets so poor due to this mis-handled CAN bus issue consumers start steering clear of Lexus products. Anyone for a JLR now? They can barely be given away, they certainly can’t be insured for a reasonable amount, if at all, even through JLR’s own insurance scheme!! Is that going to be the fate of Lexus? The more of a public fuss is made, the harder it gets for Toyota GB / Lexus to fail existing owners in its duty of care for its vehicles and the more its reputation degrades.

The EV range is the same as last couple of chargers at 47.5, but with A/C the range is dropping off a bit and down to 41.3

Good luck. Keep warm and above all, SAFE Malc

Whoopee! We now have two keys and locking wheel bolts. We have had to synchronise the new key to the Lexus Link + app and account as otherwise it identifies the user as "Guest" and you won't get the journey data etc saved. We get the "second key registered" pop-up so we will see if this disappears soon as mentioned. We also get the big blue screen asking us to agree to T&Cs but this may also disappear now that everything is registered.

Forever had that BT landline since my parents on New Cross 0728 back in the 1950’s just hanging on in there with the last gasp of my landline as the people I called in Australia only had a landline …… they’ve “ passed “ I never answer the landline now, it was only ever scam calls recent times …… but it’s there till my contract expires later this year when it will get dumped …… I don’t pay for the landline UNLESS I make any non-existent calls to anywhere relying on our mobiles is fine….. they seem to cover all and any eventuality ALWAYS Strange tho’ My business office in Delhi has several UK landline 020…. Numbers that’s free for UK callers to contact …… but I pay Acefone monthly whatever, my Delhi provider …… Until my UK contracts expire later this year ( I think ) I’m with TalkTalk for home Wi-Fi and. 3.for iPhone mobile calls etc Zen has popped up here and I’ll investigate that at the time ….. it’s not available all over the uk tho’ Cruises, Ambassador anyway now use the Musk Starlink facility and I’ll hope that’s better than the crappy Wi-Fi cruises used to have and charge a fortune for SYNOPSIS for you: Dump your landline and provider PROVIDED you have a great mobile signal of course Good luck Malc

Interesting data on the colour split.

Glad to hear you don't have any issues, but just to put my 5 pence here.. I would check that the spark plugs have been done. And the transmission & diff flush is worth doing also. This is a preventative maintenance. Changing stuff that should be changed after something goes wrong is too late.

Some similarities to you.I was all set to move to Vodafone ,from BT,for my broadband and considering dumping my landline and use my all calls included mobile contract. Spoke a few times to BT and ended up getting a noticeable discount off my broadband and retaining my long standing land line number (Only now for a few incoming calls.).£2.00 month. Win win on broadband and landline.It pays to haggle... Now,let battle commence on car insurance....£200 up to,£600.…I don't think so.

No bill, I'm told by family I'm the slowest driver they've ever seen 🙁

Pic for anyone interested, the car was not clean:

How things have changed over time. The original LS400 was starting to sell in the states with 8000 units sold when two (2 )owners complained about the cruise control. They recalled all 8000 cars, called the owners when it would be convenient washed the car and filled to the max with petrol. Owners living over 100 mls away from a dealer were visited by an engineer to perform the recall. Compare that to todays reaction... Seems todays management is full of bean counters looking at spreadsheets instead of customers.

Head gasket issues are virtually unheard of in the UK due to a combination of good fuel and most being regularly serviced by Lexus dealers using good quality synthetic oil, but certainly it is recommended to inspect/clean the EGR out every 40k miles or so. But yes engine changes in 2015 were on the Prius and CT - which also stops carbon build up on the piston rings, scoring the bores and causing oil consumption.

Congrats.... these bloody IS250s... they are so good that it is hard to replace them! It is funny indeed, because I did similar thing 2012 F-Sport > 2010 Premium (it was US AWD, but specs wise like SE-L, but without wood grain), then 2008 SE-L and now 2006 SE-L. So spec. wise I didn't go backward, but age wise older an older. To be fair it kind of makes sense - second generation Lexus IS250 where pretty much the same throughout the years, fundamentally the same engine, gearbox, power, fuel consumption etc. What changes was only infotainment system, minor things like indicators on mirrors, DLRs, things that honestly do not matter. Infotainment is shaite either way, even back when it was new it was outdated and now it is basically irrelevant whenever it is first or last car that rolled of the line, it would be considered outdated. So it kind of makes sense to go for older model all else (vehicle condition) being equal. ML in SE is indeed very unusual and weird, so if memory serves to get ML you had to buy Navigation for £1995 and only then you could put ML option for £1000 (or am I mistaken this for MK3?) So somebody saved £3,000 on SE-L, to then spend them on ML, which to be fair in MK2 makes minor difference considering standard car had 13 speakers and ML only adds 1 speaker in the centre. Sure it goes from something like 375W to 795W in power and clarity is much improved, but apart of that it is not like MK3 that has poverty line 6 speaker stereo which is awful by default. In MK2 ML is really a marginal improvement. As for less stuff to go wrong - probably not, Lexus are not known as far as stuff going wrong is concerned. Certainly not memory seats, not wheel column - but every little helps I guess!

Using the manual is always a joy, if only to experience the wonderfully intuitive nature of it. For example, there is no "Vehicle Customisation" reference in the index of the Owner's Manual. However, there is a "Customisation" reference. So, one duly goes to that page, only to see instructions on how to use the customisation options that are accessed by the button on the steering wheel, and the little LED display. Ever helpful though, it then says, for customisation options available on the navigation screen, please refer to the Navigation System Manual. Whilst desperately trying to maintain the will to live, you dig out the Navigation System Manual, and are filled with hope when you see "Vehicle Customisation" in the index. Excitedly you turn to the required page, and are pleased to see instructions on how to access the Vehicle Customisation settings. The excitement turns to joyful anticipation and curiosity, as your eyes move down the page to see what wonders of customisation are available to you, only to have despair rapidly return when confronted by the sentence "For a list of the settings that can be changed, refer to Owner's Manual." ...FFS. Any lingering will to live has now gone forever, and is replaced with a burning desire to rant on a forum.