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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!

I really wouldn’t let the possibility of something happening put you off, particularly when the chances are so low and the car is too good an opportunity to miss. I own a car that isn’t susceptible to the attack but it does probably get a disproportionately high amount of air time on this forum because of the concerns of owners. You could easily read that it’s a real problem with LCs but the fact is it’s doesn’t seem to be happening. SUVs on the other hand are another story….

Well I’m booked in for next week too now. Ghost HQ gave me two local fitters and having checked them out made a decision to go ahead. I did discuss Ghost with the Lexus parts manager and he had no issue with Ghost and did not advise against it. The only issue he mentioned was an issue they had once when they had to do extended tests in a car for a customer that refused to give the code and set it to valet mode. They went over 30mph for a period of time and it triggered the Ghost. That issue could have been resolved if the owner had simply changed the main code while they had the car, rather than use valet mode. Then set the code back to their normal one afterwards. He did say they fitted 3rd party immobilisers and trackers themselves for customers, in fact the car behind us in the workshop was having just that done. But the one they offered had a subscription and I didnt want to do go down that route. I did raise the point about battery drain with the installer, and was told it is a passive device if fitted correctly, and is dormant until someone tries to start the car. He had recently done an RX350h and when we discussed Canbus attack he brought up the RAV4 (which of course we know shares the same Canbus set up).

I think we are the most up beat division of the Lexus massive. All doom and gloom on the other threads. Theft, tyre wear, depreciation, mpg....the list goes on.

I have known the service manager at my dealership for many many years both personally and professionally. The last time l was in l told him l was thinking of having the ghost fitted, although l didn't ask him specifically about battery drain he told me he could put me on to someone who fits them and he has sent many Lexus customers to him and they are happy with the installs. He likes the ghost system himself.

Hey Cinders you will go to the ball. Your hairy Bobfather has waved his magic wand. Corrected for you.

Another reduction to report but not surprising as overnight temperatures plunged to around minus 6. Prediction of 46.7/38.8. Actual yesterday was 27.

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

It means a relay attack where thieves “scan” for your keys and relay back to the car doesn’t work. UWB uses very specific timing, and a relay can be detected - meaning the car (in theory) won’t unlock if the key isn’t actually within the right distance of the car.

Thank you Colin and Linas for taking the time and ☺️clarifying. I hope the thieves are as up to date on the info. Much appreciated.

I didn’t name it but I suppose I could think of something a little more exotic based on cement like Granny Clampet’s “Ceement Pond”.

They’re only doing the RX so their name will still be mud as far as LC, LS, UX, NX and ES owners are concerned. If they do nothing their name will also be mud with insurers. See JLR auction prices for how well that plan worked out. The only way to solve it is to make a Lexus something thieves aren’t interested in, by fixing every afflicted car. Every single one. By recall. Not by owners chasing Lexus on an individual basis because Dave down the pub said they could get something done about it if they asked nicely. The first post from new members here is “my cars gone, apparently I could have had some plates fitted to stop it”. That ain’t good enough. Suggesting to owners they fit immobilisers and (now proven pointless) steering locks ain’t good enough either.

It’s in the dictionary - look for ‘Lexus attitude to security flaws’ - it’s right there 👍

I assume they just forge some documents locally and they still perhaps have some sort of Toyota dealer or whatever, so it is not much more complicated than replacing lost key. All that Lexus knows is that somebody with legitimate local ownership documents needs key, local staff probably accepts bribes and turns blind eye and pretend they didn't know it was not them who imported the car into the country. I guess in theory somebody can legitimately import the car from abroad, so there has to be way to get keys. Now sure Lexus/Toyota could start asking for VINs and start doing due diligence on every car, but there is nothing that can't be forged and especially if local staff is onboard it would be hard to pin down the thefts. I assume Lexus/Toyota just focuses on being car companies and leaves the theft for police to investigate. Long story short - they just get replacement keys.

Linus see below. Linas see further below........

No such thing as cheap motoring these days. I came from a 3.0L BMW 5 series (0 to 60 4.9 seconds) to a 450NX+. The BMW was a lovely car, however when the 3 year warranty ended, independent warranties became more expensive and covered less. Lexus 10 year warranty, provided the car is serviced by them, was a major factor in my brand change. You know that you are getting old when the length of the warranty is more important then the 0 to 60 time!

And reliability also plays the role here - not only IS is now comparatively old car with little value to be had, but also it is 100% reliable, so there is simply no demand for parts. I would assume many thieves that brake the the cars for parts do so with or as legitimate business later on selling the parts on places like ebay. But if car does not have any common problems, then all the parts are rather worthless. Take for example IS250 computers and ECU. They can be worth £1000, because that is how much dealership charges, but because they almost never fail you can get ECU for IS250 for £20, there is just no demand for used Lexus parts. Whatever get's worn are usually wear and tear components one would not get used anyway. So that also partially why I say reliable cars are of less interest. High-mileage also rarely matters for thieves, if they get car with 180,000 miles they still going to lie engine done only 40,000 - not exactly type of people with morale to be truthful about condition. Probably more relevant for selling whole cars in Africa, but again the market there is such that cars can be easily clocked and buyers will accept any car regardless, as long as it runs at all. My understanding is that the actual sucm that steals the cars gets set fee for doing it... like £2,000... maybe up-to £5,000 for some very expensive "special order" cars. So if car is worth less than £10,000 it is almost safe from theft, there is simply no margin that can be made on the car. Let's say IS300h is worth £10,000, certainly after theft some scratches, missing service history etc. it may not be worth that. £2,000 to get it stolen, £2,000 for all other expenses + risk related with type of work it is, likely weeks of hide and seek play between various hiding places and final sale price (because it has to be quick) of £8,000? Such car will be hardly worth anything, not to mention the profit probably needs to be split between multiple people, paying of their part to their leaders etc. I think - prime targets are Luxury SUVs with price tag between say £45k - £85k, not expensive enough trigger half of police force or have entire team working on recovering it, not too expensive to then sell in target market (Africa) and has enough value in it to cover the costs. RX/NX fits perfectly in that category.

It’s a sad but true fact if looking for a SC430 you have to be ready to travel the next day ….or leave a securing deposit over the phone . My cars not perfect yet I have the time and ability to make it just right . Buying an SC430 is a bit like getting a classic , you will need to do work on it as most of these cars have had a life . Bumps and scraps can be fixed ,electrical gremlins sorted, and mechanical bits replaced, it’s just how much of that work you can do yourself . My cars does not FSH yet I can see by the bills it’s had a good level of maintenance and I can upgrade on that myself .

Yes - all summer tyres do this in winter when they are cold and it gets down to around freezing as the tread blocks lose their elasticity - gets better once the tyres have warmed up after a bit of driving - lots of thread on here about it. No need to be concerned, though it's quite startling when you first hear it.

Did you know Mark 1 has 5 flaps on the front grill. Mark 2 has 6. Simples

Well that’s all I’ve got to go on 😉 Maybe be called different names on other models in the Lexus range . Went back to the photo on Facebook but not details about the car , other that with different lighting the car looked Black and with low side lighting, it looked Indigo Pearl 👍🏻

Insurers have forever operated an effective CARTEL in all but name and there’s bugger all the Competition Authorities can do about it I’m sure ……. it’s a complex business and the insured simply gets screwed over whatever the product being bought I can’t believe this will ever be unravelled to the financial, premium reducing benefit of us punters Just summat we have to live with if we want to run cars I’m afraid I think I’m being a realist 🥵 Malc

Had some work done at Lex Tek. Timing belt finally sorted with this current one being in since 2012 (32003 miles). It was also a genuine Toyota and hardly looks worn. Looking good (got Dave to keep it for me for pics), pics below. Ignore the price of the brake discs, I think he did me a favour on them as they had to crack it (was seized on, maybe last fitter didn't use sufficient anti seize) and didn't charge labour. Another enjoyable exp (aside from the bill, but you get what you pay for and alot cheaper/better than MDs I'm sure). Work completed: Timing belt and water pump with genuine parts. Wheel bearing which I assume is an NSK or similar as he only tries to use original parts. ATF renewed as gear changes could be felt slightly. Discs/coolant. Next job, once he sends me a rough estimate is the engine cam covers as they're leaking onto the exhaust manifolds slightly. Causing a but of a pong in the cabin!

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.

Like many others on this site I have just experienced a large increase in my Lexus UX insurance renewal premium. Budget Insurance increased the amount from around £300 last January to over £500 so having done my annual price comparisons I’m now with a slightly more competitive premium with Ageas (via Quidco Compare). Having many years experience working in Personal Lines Insurance (motor, home, travel etc) it appears there has been a huge increase in all insurance premiums in the past 10 months. The significant increased car insurance costs on Lexus models are no worse than any other motor manufacturers. I accept car repair costs have increased but dare I suggest there may be a cartel across all the larger insurance companies to agree to implement this huge increase across the board?

As above from Tickedon, UWB is a wireless technology that is used in this instance for the vehicle to more accurately determine how near a key fob is to the vehicle using Time of Flight calculations - therefore if your key is 'relayed' from your home to the vehicle it will know and won't unlock. It also potentially allows a UWB capable phone to be used as a key fob. I'm 99% sure the LBX will use authentication on the CAN bus, the same as the Yaris Cross, and therefore isn't susceptible to the common attack we see on the ES and RX but Toyota haven't officially confirmed this.

Going extinct maybe, but just as long as we are still alive and kicking, many of us intend to try to carry on enjoying it while we can. Antibiotic resistance, Putin, AI taking over the world, 1% of the world's population owning 59% of it's wealth. Very little we can do about these, but by kicking up enough of a fuss over Lexus canbus theft we might get to save enough on insurance for a little holiday and get to leave our cars without the stress of wondering if they'll be there when we need them such a going to the hospital to treat our dementia even if it is someone else that has to drive us.

I have three new Lexi and they all had a full tank of fuel. They come factory fitted with carpet maps and I’ve always got mudflaps after asking.

Times change, not always for the better. There was a time when it was not unknown for Lexus salesmen to include a statistically demonstrable mention of the low likelihood of theft in their spiel to prospective customers. Nowadays, sad to say, it would perhaps be more reasonable for them to admit that theft, even more than imitation, is the sincerest form of flattery.

Welcome to the forums. You’re new member number 3 this week discussing security - on the positive side you’ve still got your Lexus - the other two new members haven’t! RX owners can have steel plates fitted free of charge but it won’t stop someone ripping your bumper to bits - contact your dealer for their invisible steel plate ‘solution’ as they don’t seem to give two hoots about advertising it. Actually, don’t contact them. Go into your dealer in person on a Saturday and ask in a very loud voice next to the sales desks what they’re going to do about the problem. Then ask Lexus customer services why a recall hasn’t been issued. Then get on social media and ask them the same question. Then get your 4 figure insurance renewal and pay through the nose for Lexus UKs lackadaisical attitude to their customers. Then get an immobiliser fitted at a cost to you of several hundred pounds. Then get your bumper ripped off anyway.

2nd Key fob arrived at Dealers yesterday - car delivered Sept 23. Apparently locking wheel bolts were sent out to Dealers last week, so should be in stock. A timely phone call to your Dealer may prove fruitful

Just the latter point. All the targeted Toyota/Lexus vehicles also have the pre / primary / main cats in the engine bay - it is Toyota's standard design.

Well, I guess if you put it that way, then yes - Lexus reliability is one of key marketing tools used (not sole, but certainly not irrelevant), so if Lexus wins on reliability survey, they obviously capitalise on that and some people may consider it when buying cars, thus to some small degree increasing volumes sold. The more popular is the model, the more in demand it is, the more likely it is to be stolen. So yes - reliability in that sense contributes. I guess the reason why I said reliable cars are less in demand is little bit contrived and not necessarily relevant to Lexus, but when it comes to theft for parts unreliability of certain cars sometimes makes them a target - something like BMW M3 and M5 bearing issues, where at some point there was strong demand for second hand engines and cars were likely stolen just for their engine as it was easy £10,000 flip. As for selling stolen vehicles... very rarely whole vehicle is sold in UK (or the country where it was stolen in general), as far as Europe is concerned I would say that is almost never the case. Simply because in Europe/UK we have robust enough systems where such car would be found out sooner or later. If the car as a whole stays in country, then it would be re-bodied/re-VINed, which was the case for more performance/track oriented cars, not sure if it is still popular, but back in the day things like Lotus Elise, BMW M3, Porsche 911, Boxer were in this camp - basically car get's crashed on track, insurance does not cover track use, so there is unreported car shell with documents that could be legitimised. But that would not apply to Lexus much, RC-F perhaps, but the yare just too rare to become an industry. So my guess would be - all whole cars are exported out to Africa... and for that reason buyer neither cares where the car came from, nor really benefits from lower price and with local standards it would be acceptable that new to them car comes with ripped off bumper and some hanging wires. I doubt thieves care to even fix anything, it may be something seller in Africa deals with, but basically there would be complete separation from sucm in UK that steals it and sucm in Africa that buys it and the buyer themselves. So it isn't as much of "double edge sword" in my view. As for selling cars for parts - at that point it also does not matter... Even CANBUS weakness overall in my opinion does not matter - NX/RX are stolen because they are in demand, if not for CANBUS issue, there would be something else. Worst case scenario they could come and just tow the car away, or hijack it... sure CANBUS is convenient, but not the only way to get the car. I remember anecdotal story about BMW X6 when it came out and BMW right away expected that cars will have huge challenge when it came to thieves (I believe it was in ruzzia), so they had individually codded keys with factory immobiliser which at the time was challenging to steal. Thieves solution - they forged the ownership documents, paid dealership employee a bribe and sent them to BMW factory to get the keys. Few weeks later they got the keys and simply drove the cars away like their own.

Potentially vulnerable models are ones with CAN bus connectivity into the headlight which includes: NX RX series IV ES IS facelift (10/2016 on) RC F RC any with triple headlights, all from 10/2018 UX LC LS GS facelift (10/2015 on) GS F Whether they are a target would come down to how accessible the headlight wiring is from the wheel arch and the market for the vehicle/parts. Something like a GS F is going to be difficult to offload without it being noticed and there would be a very limited market for parts. Potentially there is also nuance between the models so the attacking tool doesn't work on all vehicles (yet). Based on info posted by our members here, it seems NX, RX, ES and LC are vulnerable to this attack.

Thanks for your comments, Linus, but I’m not sure that it really contradicts my admittedly somewhat ‘tongue in cheek’ observation. The majority of car theft is now targeted vehicles stolen to order - either to be sold on or broken for parts. So it’s driven by demand. As you rightly say: Now what contributes to the fact that Lexus cars ‘are genuinely sought after’ is their much lauded reliability - as promoted by the likes of ‘Which’! It’s certainly the case that some stolen vehicles are bought by unsuspecting buyers, but I doubt the majority can be unaware of the history of their new, remarkably cheap motor - especially if, as I suppose, such attractive features as the famed Lexus Warranty appear difficult to enforce! It thus follows that if a Warranty claim is difficult to enforce, then its reliability becomes an important factor in the relationship between car thief and car buyer. I suspect that this type of buyer is not generally one who seeks redress through the Courts, but will be more inclined to take direct and personal action. 👊 The CANBUS vulnerability also strikes me as a ‘two-edged sword’. Unless the vehicle is being broken for parts, then the thieves have to repair the damage before anyone is going to buy the car - whether it stays in the UK or is shipped abroad. Clearly, it can be just as easily stolen again by another set of thieves using the same method - only this time the ‘owner’ may be less inclined to report it! Worse still, they may come looking for a replacement from their original supplier - and not in the best of moods. So my advice to car thieves attempting to sell on a stolen Lexus is that it is in their own interests to fit an effective shield to foil further CANBUS attacks in the future. 😊

All the time in very cold weather. The rubber is very hard when cold and skips and judders on parking turning. It's OK, just a "feature". At first I thought it was a problem with the steering/suspension. But it's just big cold hard tyres.

Did you know they put back seats in for US market? 4 seat car is cheaper to insure than a 2 seater.

I do two year plans with three services over those two years (paid over that time on a monthly DD) - just taken out another two year plan and the cost for the three services is as per the price currently on the Lexus website and so that's fixed for two years for me. May be worth checking on yours if the uplift is policy for a 5 year plan or a mistake.

more scary is a lexus manual than universal possibilities of earth😀 i think i will have to ask someone at the dealers ,maybe to show me

Not driving today. Got a other 3"-4" of snow on car. Also will need to dig car out and path to road. Plus we have a warning for even more snow plus blizzards today 🥶. All public transport is not running North of Inverness and police have said do not drive. Police warning for not driving in highlands is quite rare. People up here are prepared for winter and given a bit more free reign for travelling.

Think the launch date was around November 2005 👍🏻

They are always 'fresh' in this house. Hardly get to warm the wine rack before getting uncorked.

Hey @corpjones, I use this one: Wireless CarPlay for Lexus NX RX IS ES GS RC CT LS LX LC UX – Road Top Just make sure to select the correct navigation option based on your car (e.g trackpad, joystick etc..) Here is a post I made which includes installation instructions:

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

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

If you are in Hampshire then you might be interested to know that Jemca (Lexus and Toyota) have their own bodyshop at Jemca Bracknell. I had quite a bit of damage on my Lexus repaired there a nunber of years ago and was very pleased with the outcome - would never know the repair had been done. That was done on insurance so not sure if you are paying personally or it's insurance you are claiming on.

Put a GR Yaris engine in it and create a new F model ....I'd be interested

Thanks for giving clean engine a mention, while you have been thinking what to do next! I have been tinkering with my new, 11 Yr old Rav so far, fitted bonnet protector, resprayed wheels and calipers, added black centre caps and wheelnuts, carbon cill protectors, rear bumper ss protector , twin exhaust, mudflaps, invincible badges to sides, lanoguarded underneath there is more but cannot recall at the moment, forgive me its not a Lexus🤔

Agree totally. What about collective action? Letter to lexus uk from the all of us?

So what is the benefit of the protected no claims cover, especially as that pushes up the cost considerably? Are we chumps for buying the extra cover? Anyone else like to chime in on this?