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I don’t quite see how these Dealerships are ‘rip offs’? Surely, a ‘rip off’ is when you don’t get what you pay for - such as being told that your roof requires extensive, expensive repairs and later discovering that it didn’t. Or that the price you’ve paid wasn’t justified by the work done. But you’re not being conned into buying a car, are you? You have the opportunity to test drive the car, compare it with other, similar examples and - ultimately - walk away from the deal. If it turns out to be mis-sold and not as described or develops faults, you have legal rights to redress. No doubt there are car buyers whose purchase turns out to be a disappointment, but buying that specific car was their choice. Personally, I’ve never had a problem with walking away from a deal. Perhaps more importantly once I’ve bought what I want at a price with which I’m happy - I stop looking! So I don’t feel ‘ripped off’ if something cheaper suddenly appears.

The opposite. E10 is less efficient than E5, all other things being equal because Ethanol has less energy density compared to gasoline as The Swedish Guy has stated. In addition, here in the UK E5 is only available as 97+ RON which itself is more efficient than 95 RON in our vehicles, so E10 actually has two strikes against it. Whether the extra efficiency you get with E5 overcomes the price premium depends on the vehicle and the difference in cost between the two which will vary considerable depending where you live in the UK. This thread isn't about the 450h+ but it is a good point - if you have a plug-in hybrid you want to be using your petrol at least every 6 months, and if you are going months not weeks without using it then E5 is certainly a better option.

Hello Our new FSport Design Love it. Only had is a couple of weeks. Pre registered 10 miles only

The general advice is to not reveal that you have it installed. I guess the idea is to have the potential thief stumble and panic, instead of prepare and go looking for it in the usual place they are usually installed. I had an S5 tracker installed alongside mine last year. I know it won’t stop the attempt in theft but I feel better knowing that I can always track it at least.

Technical Service Bulletin is a document that identifies an unanticipated vehicle or part issue and provides a solution.

Decided to give the car a long overdue thorough spring clean. I always clean inside of the rear wheel arches, which are easily accessible as the arch liner sits about an inch up from the edge. However the front liner is clipped right up against the edge of the arch rim. Curiosity got the best of me so I prised the middle of the clips out, which releases the claws of the lower section (see image). There are 4 to remove for each arch. Pulling the liner away as shown, I ran my fingers along the inside of the arch rim. See the results! Appreciate modern cars have good corrosion resistance, but over a long period this muck holding moisture could eventually lead to the dreaded arch bubbling you see on older vehicles. Wasn't a tough job to clean it out, probably a once a year or two job.

Aerial ….this claims to fit a SC430. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-Aerial-Power-Antenna-Replacement/dp/B07H4H6GQK

Thanks for your reply, Al. I spoke with a couple of Lexus dealers (and Lexus Parts Direct) and surprisingly (?) none of them were really very sure what the specification required is. The comment from one was that the OEM one isn't an AGM battery - jury's still out on that... So, I settled for a Bosch S5 005 which is a 63 Ah battery and maintenance free, has a 5 year guarantee , and it's now fitted and so far so good all working. The Bosch isn't AGM either but by all accounts has technology to prevent it leaking. Thanks for taking the time to reply. 😀

The free hybrid health check only extends the warranty on the hybrid battery and not the system. Extended warranties are just another insurance, and so it depends on one's feelings about risk. My view is that on a 13 year old car it wouldn't be unheard of for something expensive to fail, so it's worth it to me. Add to the fact that it includes UK and European breakdown cover (I travel once or twice a year) and it means the warranty part is only costing me around £350 a year. Like any insurance, it may never get used, but I like the peace of mind in having it.

Hi Denise and welcome to the best Lexus forum there is. Audi A5's ? Not a car I've ever liked. What engines in them did you have? The ES300h is a fabulous looking car and according to owners on this forum drives like a dream. I therefore recommend you look in the ES section of the forum and peruse what's been inputted there. Regarding the CVT transmission. When you floor the accelerator pedal you'll notice the revs climb sharply and your rate of road progression not quite as fast as the revs have shot. It could be a little disconcerting But once you've mastered the transmission, which coming from and I'm assuming automatic cars, you'll master very very quickly. You'll notice a serene experience driving the ES once you've mastered the CVT. Once you own the ES you'll wonder why you didn't go Lexus years ago. You won't get a more reliable brand and the service centres are second to none. Enjoy your test drive.

Speaking of which. My mechanic buddy is giving my new acquisition a thorough examination today and is replacing cam belt, pump and plugs as part of a full service. I feel like an expectant father waiting to hear some news.

Welcome Mike! Quite a few SC430 owners here who I'm sure will help you. "Washing a car - Washing a car, is very much like making love to a beautiful woman. You've got to caress the bodywork"

Seems they are just tarring all Lexus with the same brush - as far as I'm aware the CT isn't vulnerable to the CAN bus thefts of other Lexus models from roughly 2016 onwards, and I've not seem any reports here - only the old reports of CAT thefts which seems to have diminished over the last couple of years.

Exactly the car you should NEVER buy. Lots of keepers who pass down the problems to the next owner.

To quote my lovely Mum …… ‘If it smells bad, it is bad’.

Nothing but great things to say about the car, can see myself in a Takumi LBX in a few years time

The way i look at it is that if you dont have the sticker on then they are going to attempt to steel it, ( damage to your car )if it does have the sticker on it may stop them from attempting to steel it. ( no damage to your car ) i dont think it would be easy to find, its only as big as a stick of chewing gum and can be fitted Anywhere within the wiring loom, under the bonnet, within the passenger compartment or even the boot, that's a lot of places to look

Ok on the video it sounds like a rattle. The injectors typically make a tick like that of an auto igniting cooking stove. If it is the hydraulic lifters then that sound is normally only there around 10-20 seconds when cold starting and doesn't come back again until the next cold start. Your noise seems to be there intermittently right?

Ordered this.

Thats great! A 63AH battery should be more than capable, & should easily last you 5 years if the car is being used every 5-10 days or so. As long as your not running permanent live power with the ignition off i.e a hardwired dashcam in parking mode (motion detection) etc it shouldnt drain your battery. Theres a way to test the 12v voltage from the multimedia screen holding Menu button & flicking headlight switch on/off upto 5x. Takes you into a diagnostic screen. (IS300H) maybe the same technique on other models? Or just use a multimeter to check resting voltage after being parked for an hour anything above 12.2v will keep you out of trouble. If you really want peace of mind & dont want to be stranded either charge it once a month or keep a jump pack in the boot ready to go I.e noco GB40 Cost approx £80. Top tip is dont listen to the radio or use power when the car is off. For example move elec seats, interior lights, radio, air tyre compressor always use when car is in the 'Ready' mode so the voltage you output is getting a chance to recharge the battery.

The indicated tyre pressure for my NX450 is also 2.3 which is clearly shown on the drivers door pillar and handbook as per all NX450 vehicles and is the maufactures setting based on tyre size, weight model etc etc . Therefore cannot understand why you would wish to adjust pressures [up or down] and going against this stated instruction as it is there for a reason !

Touch it in, leave for a week, then T cut.

I take it you are looking at used? All lexuses from the past few years are highly susceptible to being stolen using the can bus method. Where thieves tear down your bumper and connect to your headlight wiring to gain access to the cars computer then hack it to start without needing a key. Even if they dont manage to steal it several people on this forum have ended up spending on repairs to the bumper + dealing with the hassle of claiming insurance + being without a car for weeks. Unless you have a gated compound to your house I would say this is something to be aware of as this means insurance prices might be very high + its a lot of hassle if your car gets targeted. I think the newer cars have this issue fixed. Else the car itself is a great buy like any other Toyota lexus product. Some elements of driving a hybrid take a bit of getting used to like the cvt box but its not a big deal for normal driving. One thing good about hybrids is the super low maintenance. Brakes and tyres last forever and theres not much else other than regular fluid changes that is needed.

I'm sorry for your loss Mine is 2009 72k se-i fsh,2 keys Auto trader value at 4850 .

Just to be clear about the noise in electric mode only - is the noise apparent when it is electric mode only or is it 'not' apparent when it is electric mode only? I remember a video by The Car Care Nut on a Toyota V8, can't remember if it was the 2UR-FSE though, and there was a noise caused by one of the Timing Chain hydraulic tensioners. LH side only iirc (passenger side in the UK) The issue was that the hydraulic tensioner was stuck and wasn't putting tension on the timing chain guide so it was slack. Not slack enough for the chain to come off though, the tensioner can't go all the way back in because of a locking mechanism which is a failsafe. Can't remember what the noise sounded like or whether the noise was from cold or when warm. Maybe this is worth investigating though.

I already have new rear reluctor rings which will be installed when the bearings are done. I was going to do just 1 job at a time i.e. new discs and pads first, but got some good deals on all the parts I purchased and the mechanic can do them all in one shot. Hopefully that will fix the annoying judder/pulsating problem. By comparison I had new discs and pads fitted to my RX last year which has over twice the mileage (164k), never had a problem with judder or ABS and presumably still on its original sensors and bearings.

Well, it took Lexus UK and Reading Lexus less than an hour to call me to sort the fitting of the plates foc and with a courtesy car for the day. Great service by Lexus but annoying to have to resort to this to try and keep your car !

I just renewed with Saga for £560. Paid £330 with Tesco last year but they wanted £850 for renewal !

Genuine…… so it ain’t going to be cheap even if he is my mate!!!

I found a good garage in my region with Hunter alignment that was willing to do it (not all of them do, when you offer to supply the parts b/c they don't get a cut, which is shortsighted as they didn't get my business in the end), and they've been my garage of choice for this type of stuff since (apart from annual service which i do at the dealer to keep Lexus Relax going). They charged for the labour of fitting the bushings and the alignment and everyone was happy: 1.5 hours (at 85 quid per hour) and a 100 for alignment plus vat were 273 quid in total. This was in January 2023. I'm leaving you an image of the most recent specs I got from them a few weeks ago (the image shows the before and after) when i went for alignment. I hope it helps.

Best you keep your spellchecker disabled Malc! 😉

No, Don. They sit just above the bonnet line, proudly flaunting what Bosch describes as its ‘new AeroClip adaptor’. 😊 What you cruelly dismiss as ‘daft’ turns out to be an ‘aerodynamically optimised connection between wiper blade and wiper arm’! And never was a lump of plastic more aptly named. I can certainly testify that I can recall no combination of wind, rain and speed that has resulted in even the merest flutter of these blades as they silently go about their business. This is how Bosch themselves describe this masterpiece of engineering design: Karlsruhe, Germany – The Aerotwin with new AeroClip adapter – an aerodynamically optimized connection between wiper blade and wiper arm – increases the contact pressure against the windshield, preventing the wiper from being lifted by the airstream. The result is improved wiping results, even at higher speeds. The Aerotwin with AeroClip adapter also features the Power Protection Plus (PPP) wiper rubber with its patented coating and long-life formula. Since a special additive makes the rubber of the wiper blade more resistant to wear and environmental influences, it lasts even longer.

It could have been a lot worse. A scaffold pole could have taken your head off😱

I agree. Here's my wishlist:- Turn by turn directions shown in the HUD when using Google Maps via Android Auto. Some indication in the HUD when my NX350h is in EV mode (maybe the speed indicator turns green or something like that?). The ability to hide the first row of HVAC controls when using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay (similar to how it works for the native map screen). Would be nice to utilise the full screen real estate for AA. Split screen functionality in the native multimedia system. Having the option to view both map and audio at the same time might tempt me away from AA. I doubt I'll see any of this come to pass during my term of ownership of the car, if ever.

Good event, brilliant customer care and hospitality as expected. There appears to be a number of NX450h models available for immediate delivery in the UK with a further shipment en route. Therefore there are no factory orders being accepted at the moment although thats a temporary measure. Cars still being delivered with only one key fob though. There is no known information presently on any tweaks that may be made to the NX for the new model year. Offer to change was competitive and near to the top end of what I expected however the combination of colour, trim and options that I would wish were not currently available. Dealer worked hard to offer alternatives with various incentives but I haven't signed on the dotted line yet!

Are you sure that this isn't one of the 'safety' systems kicking in? The car warns you if you change lane without indicating. It thinks you have gone to sleep and are drifting off course! The effect is similar to being hit by a strong gust of wind. Personally, I don't like it and would let me carry on with my nap!

I have a few other ideas but I do not want to get arrested!

No... ML was optional extra for all trims, same as sunroof or DCC. Yes often the cars with sat-nav have ML, but not always. Also I thought all RC-Fs pre-face lift had ML (despite theoretically it being optional), because it is hard to find one without it, but I have now seen 1 single example without ML. My point - sometimes even some optional things are always fitted, but it is definitely not the case for ML in IS with sat-nav, I would say only ~60% of cars with sat-nav also have ML.

Yup that is 1 in 90 Lexus cars! (1 in 46 for RXs)! Those are grim statistics.

Sorry to hear that. if it’s got a full service history (stamp every year or 10k miles), 2 keys, is in very good condition with no damage it’s going to be REALISTICALLY £5000-£5750 car depending on colour combination. Funnily enough I’m about to advertise my friend’s 2009 facelift SE-L in white pearl. 80k, FSH, 2 keys, few stone chips but overall very good condition. I will be advertising for £5200. Realistically will take £4900 but we don’t want to be sitting on it for a long time. It’s priced to sell. Yes, you’ll find some cars of similar age & spec on auto trader for £5700ish but those cars are gonna stay there for a while. As much as I’d like their value to stay up, it’s not realistic.

Yes, it is. Not much room to turn, so makes it so much easier!

Have been waiting a while for a nice day to wash the LC and take a photo of it clean! Coincided with getting the first service done too, so it's a happy car.

In my experience I get 3-5 mpg more with premium. That said, not all premium is the same. Esso used to be the best for mpg before they stopped zero ethanol, now Shell seems to be marginally better. Typically on mixed driving I get around 30/32 on premium and 27/29 on regular. That said, driving style makes a lot difference, especially on long motorway runs. I find 60-65mph to be the sweet spot, and on a run over to France got an average of 40 mpg at that kind of speed. Funnily enough it rarely makes any difference to journey time, as the slower speed is mitigated by less slowing down for other drivers and then speeding up again, whih of course burns more fuel when accelerating. At 60-65 I find that sometimes I can maintain a constant speed for most of the journey with hardly ever having to touch the brakes.

That's impressive fuel economy Vlad. I have a 2012 and 30 is doing OK.

Hi Steve. The Only diagnostic tool you want is Techstream. It's 2nd only to what Toyota/Lexus use in their workshops. From memory when I had the F sport RX450H I never got below 35mpg. I only used E5 and always Millers Petrol Ecomax additive. My driving, as always lol, was with pace. Once when I drove like Miss Daisy I got 48mpg on a run from Rochdale to Leeds. I miss that car 😞

I think that is opposite nowadays, automatics are more likely to be cheaper. Whenever you have automatic only license, that is different story - I think it is true that people that have automatic only may have to pay a little bit more for insurance (but tiny amount)... yet automatic cars tends to be cheaper to insure than manuals. The only reason automatic may be more expensive to insure is if the car itself is more expensive... Like in the case of IS250 - manual car is only worth £1500-£2500, whereas automatic is £3500+ so yes, insurance is likely to be more expensive on more valuable car a little bit. Although you probably right in general - IS250 would be expensive car to insure for young driver, because Brits are just weird and consider IS250 "large and powerful" car. When I got mine in UK my first insurance was like £2600 and I was already 25 with nearly 9 years of experience.

The other option is to turn off keyless entry from the car settings in the vehicle. The car will no longer look for a signal from the key. Unfortunately this will also mean that you have to lock/unlock the car by pressing the button on the remote and having the remote touch the start button in order to start the car. This will solve one problem but will cause you inconvenience in the process. You will just have to decide which is more important.

Most are too easy to defeat:

Perhaps on your next dealership visit you could show some ‘genuine” interest in purchasing a new RX 450h ending the conversation with “ Have you sorted out the theft problem with this model yet?”

I don't agree, a bit like buying a car with 3 wheels and it's an extra £1k for a fourth wheel. I get no car can be made 100% theft proof, but this would appear to be a major design defect.