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Well, the 250 passed its first MOT in my possession today with no advisories, so I'm a happy bunny! Got the garage to change the filter and oil [supplied by me] while she was up in the air, I'm getting too old to be lying in the road under cars now....

Just spotted another scam connected to EBay this time. Yes I have reported it! Autotrader genuine seller looking for £13995 and the same car appeared on EBay for £6900. Same photos and reg number. I enquired about the bogus advert and surprise surprise the guy said I wouldn’t be able to view it as he was ‘all over the country on business’. Said he’s accept £4000 if I sent him the money and he’s organise a courier to get it to me….. He’d even give me a full refund if I wasn’t happy with it. What a guy!!!! Ended the dialogue by telling him another gentleman had kindly offered me the same transaction but for £3500 so I’ve bought from him instead. Strangely satisfying knowing that someone somewhere feels that a fellow scammer has just deprived them of £4k.

Please don't, I've changed the title.

And me.....in 1987, my dads.

Over the years I'm always intrigued why certain posts offend/displease/upset or generally get right up someone's nose and not just my own posts or threads. Forums are a place for people who love cars and anything to do with them. I take no offence to posts that question what I do as most members see it for what it is. Accessorising a car unnecessarily can sometimes be an affront to good taste but if my pedal swap makes you sad then I guess you will feel even sadder when you look at this photo, the pedals in my first LS460 I owned. I'll guess I am significantly older (70) than the average member but welcome all opinions. My working life was entirely related to motor vehicles so maybe that influences my contributions to Forums. Our country and the world is going to hell in a hand cart so silly things like a pedal swap is just a bit of nonsense. I respect all purists who have no time for frivolous changes for changes sake. Good luck to you all in everything that is important to you.

I only got into LS’s as we bought one for the engine and box. That was a 94 and this is what it went into. So not all 1UZ’s go into drift cars. A low mileage, non interference 94 engine/box must be worth 2K, but to get the car back to a respectable condition that won’t cost money every year will be a lot more than that. Personally, I’d sell it and go for something else.

Princess will be doing the big road trip! Only live once. No point stashing it in the garage....that can wait until we get back and all my miles are used up.

Nuance and perspective on the internet. Have I entered a different dimension?

Speaking as someone who got rid of my previous car due to growing corrosion and other issues, all I can say is that whilst things may be repairable it's likely to be an ongoing money pit. If the underside and door sills were rust free, I'd probably fix the oil leaks and keep the car running. However, by the time you've spent money on fixing the rust, the leaks and what looks like needing 4 new tyres, then you're getting close to what it would cost to replace the car with something newer and relatively rust free. I understand your attachment to the car, and that it's not an investment, but neither should it be a liability. Emotions can be expensive, and not always as rewarding as they appear. If it were me I'd take some photos for memory's sake, replace the car and start a new chapter with the wife. Whatever you decide I'd do it quickly, as it will only get more costly with time.

Where do i start with a response to this? First place is, there is a reason their prices are going up. Indeed ,more than one reason. Labour costs have risen as they usually do when core inflation is rising. Theft and and the unexpected costs of EV insurance claims have risen. Now as to profit. Insurance is and has been for a long time a very competitive business sector. As such it's been virtually impossible for any company to both compete and make profits not in line with the sector. Last time I checked the ROCE employed for listed UK insurance comapnies was not that impressive so guess profiteering was not working out for them. I realise writing what appears to be a defence of Insurance companies is not going to buy me much love given the inflationary cycle we are in, but I still find it hard to let unbalanced viewpoints go unchallenged.

Make sure you polish your shoes too before you mount your steed …….. no grubby souls / soles in there for sure 😂 Malc

Thought I would gather together my owning experience in one place. GY08UWW Windsor Blue with cream interior and walnut. Bought just before Christmas 2023, as an actual present for me. 107,000 miles, last owner for 12 years who had it regularly serviced but neglected to get the book stamped. There is enough surviving paperwork to make me believe it was looked after. The owner ran a successful business, but he did use the car to commute to work down narrow Kent country roads. Him and his wife were in their mid 70's and there is the odd scuff as testament. Owner agreed to have a Lexus Canterbury service before I bought it for some peace of mind, and a near 12 month MOT. He still did not stamp the book! ( I have the paperwork) However, I decided slightly scuffed 2008 trumped a shiny on top 2003 model. Pics from Facebook advert. He wanted £10,000 which I thought was reasonable for a late model. Managed to whittle him down to £8750 knowing there was stuff to do to improve the car over time. No rush as those things are all cosmetic.

No sadly I don't have covers from under the car.

I don't know if anyone remembers the Schwarzenegger film The Running Man? On the original version was a short scene (removed later) at the start pretending to be an advert as part of the TV program of the film's subject. The ad was for a car security system which converted the driving seat of your car to an electric chair if you tried to drive away without the correct key. Just priceless.

I tried go compare last week and got quotes from £755 to £2995 for 2015 rx450. Have taken what I think is the most reliable company in the list from £755 and upwards. Hastings direct for £810.

It is wrapped in rubber sheet. Can stick a bit of bubble wrap in.

I tried on “Moneysupermarket” and got one ridiculous quote of £760 + had to have Black Box to monitor my driving! Hopefully the major insurance companies will update their databases over the coming week. If you are desperate I suggest you call your current insurer and have a conversation quoting the make/model etc. and that Thatcham rating is Group 24. It might just inspire them to sort you out more quickly. Incidentally the Toyota Yaris Cross - on which the LBX is based - is in Group 11 or 12 depending on model.

The car looks great. I'd keep it and look into tuning it further 😉

Steve - I see now that you're simply a shiny-pedals person, and won't necessarily be adding go faster stripes or a leather steering wheel cover - though I do wonder what you've got hanging from your mirror. Please do be aware though that I am only teasing. And there's no point in boasting that you're 70, because that's probably the median age of contributors to this forum, myself being no exception. I did go through a phase of making minor modifications to motor cars. Just little things like replacing drum brakes on an anglia with discs from an old ford capri. And popping a cortina engine in instead. A weber carburettor. A four into two into one exhaust manifold. Oh, and then a high lift camshaft. Some wider tyres of course, to look the part. The axle tramp was terrible. And there were more cars after that. Shiny pedals - pah! But it's all fifty years in the past, and we don't talk about it in the family any more. : o )

Room for another bag. Lower back seat squab removed.

Spare wheel moved in anticipation.

Is that a Scimitar that Princess Anne used to drive ? Malc

I think they’re quite boooootiful 🤩 Malc

Yes you might have regretted not doing it …..proper adventure 👍🏻

I think we would all agree that prices have to rise, but at a fair rate and reflecting the TRUE situation. The insurance companies are bumping up prices way too far so that they can crow about their profits and dividends to their shareholders at year end. Meanwhile us mugs can go and moan about it. Sledgehammer to crack a nut anyone. The only recourse that we have is to place our business elsewhere, and I think that's what most folk are now doing anyway.

We all have I'm afraid 😉 Let's not forget the funding costs these impoverished Insurance Company owners are having to face these days too .... they have to get some bucks in from somewhere ......... the businesses bought by these Investors for many billions of whatever just cannot " balance the books " anymore Not just (part business) insurers like Saga and their overall business model . bought for £1.5bn some years back and no hope of making it work financially methinks There's the others too like Morrisons Investors at £10 bn + .... wonder why they aren't into insurance yet 🤣 We're just their pawns to be chewed over and spat out at a whim when the fancy takes them .............. Malc

New LBX is in Groups 23 - 25 depending on spec. Premium Plus is 24. For comparison Toyota Cross is Group 12.

When I bought my 2009 car I too was concerned about muck traps and possible hidden corrosion, so what I did was clean the underside with a lawn sprinkler (nothing but minor surface rust) and apply some rust protection (Dynax and ACF-50). I also removed the wheel arch liners to see what the state of things was under there. I doubt they'd ever been removed before, as there was a lot of built up mud/muck, especially on the rear. I cleaned all this off with one of those plastic/rubber brush drill attachments and was pleasantly surprised to find the paintwork underneath to be like new. I then liberally spayed these areas with Dynax before refitting the liners. Once a year (just before winter) I spray the underside with ACF 50 and apply some corrosion block grease to the inside lip of the wheel arches. So, in my exprerience, the rustproofing seemed pretty good compared to my previous car (Jaguar). Like you say, prevention is easier and cheaper than cure, so I'd get a good look at as much as you can, clean it up and apply some rustproofing. It's also worth having something like clear nail varnish to hand, to apply to any stone chips, to prevent them from rusting until you get round to a repair.

This is my first ever import and wanted to see if there is a market for it in UK. But as you noticed I did choose a car that I can stay with for many years. So whatever happens, no regrets. I must admit that on Japanese auction they mentioned only about iCode exhaust. Fresh RR Racing brakes and E-12 suspension is a bonus. With my driving style these brake discs will last at least 100k miles:) And I must admin than comparing to my ex 2015 RCF I like ISF much much more in many aspects. PS Car sells as whole or nothing. No breaking for parts. If it stays with me I would have to spend few grand on similar exhaust anyway because stock in F's is not an option.

That must be one of the best ISF i’ve ever seen in Uk Why selling ? I’d keep it forever😁

@ColinBarber i changed the pressure switch under the intake manifold and the light stays there flashing so im assuming its level sensor, the car is never gone down a drop of oil I check it weekly, yeah ive had a couple is200 before i know they are slow, I even drove mine and my mates lexus side by side for comparison and its noticeable down on power, yeah it red lines all the way to the top, it takes a while to get to redline but it gets there eventually

Hi Kalpesh - I have a lovely Canterbury Blue GS450H SEL in for repair at present this is the the model with the excellent Radar Cruise & sunroof fitted, it has @90,000m on the clock which is very low with the cream leather interior which is in good condition. The owner wishes to sell it after repair (As soon as the AA give their go ahead!) I last repaired it in August of 2022 at that time the owner only selected a 6 month graded repair - that was 19 months ago!! not bad aye? Early diagnostics reveal at least 2 cell modules are down but the full extent of what is needed will not be known until I have taken the hybrid battery pack out of the car and carried out full discharge testing of each of the 40 modules over time, I can see that the tpms sensors need doing & there is a scuff/scratch on the N/S/R I would estimate @£100 to repair. I think (dont quote me) that the owner is asking in the low £4Ks for it, I think it would be a good buy for someone. If you or anyone else are interested feel free to message me & I will give you his phone number. Best Regards Richard

It's nothing specifically to do with EVs, it is a connected car issue which applies to all modern Lexus models.

In that case the engine bay looks fairly normal. Mine is a 2014 IS 300h Executive too, currently with 144K miles on it - had it since it was 2 years old and 40K miles. Like others have said the bonnet only gets opened when I top up the windscreen washer fluid or by Lexus during a service. My car also looks a bit dusty and dirty with some light corrosion setting in now on various metal bits and pieces like the top of the inverter, strut tops, hose clamps and some nuts and bolts. Nothing serious though. From my experience of my car, very little has gone wrong and it still drives great. The only things that I have had replaced are: - Windscreen washer reservoir sensor, stopped telling me the reservoir was running low, but could have lived without it but done under Extended Warranty. - Both front wheel bearings at 80K miles - took it in for one making a (relatively quiet) noise to investigate, they agreed to change it under Extended Warranty and then checked the other and did that too without me asking and said that was starting to fail too, all done under Extended Warranty. - Had front discs and pads changed at the same time they did the front wheel bearings - they would probably have done another 20K miles but made sense to do them while the other work was being done under Extended Warranty so cost me a bit less than it would have done otherwise. - The bonnet stopped staying latching down (would jump up to the safety catch while driving) - started at about 130K miles very intermittently and by 140K miles was getting very regular and difficult to get it to latch properly at all. As it was in Lexus for it's service asked them to sort it out at the same time. They charged me £150 to fix it, which after looking at the invoice and inspecting the latch, they fitted a new spring (a few pounds if I'd have done it myself) and gave the whole latch a good clean (I had been using WD40 on it as it gets very gummed up there due to road grime). It's been fine since. - One of the rear seat belt socket sometimes sets off the warning of a passenger seated without the belt done up (when the seat is empty). I think this was caused because I plug a harness in for our dog when it's on the back seat and it's pulled against the seat belt socket too much, and if it's left pulled up after the dog has been let out the seat belt alarm sometimes sounds so not sure if it might have damaged a sensor wire slightly, but push it back down and all is fine. That's it - still the original 12V battery. Still original rear discs and pads. Tyres like clockwork last 20K miles at the rear and 40K miles at the front. Economy still close to what it was when I first purchased the car. Hope you get many years / miles from your car.

Re-Lexus Link + Ap. Is the Progress Info controlled by Lexus or via the Dealer these days? Anyone really know ? Pre-Covid it was Lexus. May Delivery needs a March Build. Tel

Amayama surprise!

More and more cars seem to be suffering with this - here and over in the US. The tightening fix only seems to fix it for a while.......

That’s where a home battery comes in. Charge it in the off peak window at 7.5p at the same time as the car is charging. Use the stored energy to power the house all day at the off peak rate. You are using the battery to time shift so you use no (or barely any) peak rate electricity. With solar too, aside from Nov-Feb you can generally charge the battery from that, in a few weeks I will be switching from charging the battery at night on off peak to just filling it with solar.

I think that's just for the Premier grade, there were close to 30 F Sports too so Lexus managed to sneak into three figures. The majority of GS sales at that time were for the 300h.

What Lexus owners need to do is get together, use an RX as bait, and when the thieves appear, all jump out and ... (of course for legal purposes, I was going to say make a citizens arrest)

I’ve got a series of test drives booked for later in March, and I’ve decided to bail out while my RX still has some value. I want to downsize anyway, but this issue has brought my decision forward. My RX is my third Lexus, and I’ve loved the cars and the dealers. However, none of the cars I’m testing is a Lexus - I cancelled the test drive in the LBX because I feel it’s just too expensive compared to the alternatives and, to be totally honest, all of this malarkey has made me think twice. I fully accept that other manufacturers have, have had, and will have similar issues. I also accept that Lexus may come up with a software solution for the Mk4 RX which helps or solves the problem. That said, I’m of the opinion that a smaller and less desirable car, and one without this specific CANBUS vulnerability is the right thing to do in the circumstances before my insurance renewal in May. Personally I think the damage to the Lexus brand among previously loyal owners is, and will continue to be, significant. Shame.

The MOT inspection manual is available online should anyone wish to look. (b) a suspension joint dust cover: (ii) missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, - Major defect. I do agree that although every MOT tester should follow the inspection manual, everyone's assessment ability is different - there will always be differences of opinion as we're not robots. If you ever have doubt if an MOT has been carried out correctly, you can contact DVSA to investigate. Personally I'd be most concerned about the corrosion and also the excessive oil leak.

How can a dust cover be a major defect, looks to me a garage hungry for work if I am honest. There are huge variances in the MOT test from garage to garage I have seen this personally. Body structure corrosion could just be some surface rust that may be transformed with Lanogaurd or wax covering. You need an independent opinion of this I feel.

Wow that is a big list for such a low mileage car. Really sorry and surprised to see that. If that was mine I'm afraid I'd cut my losses and list it as spairs or repair. Good luck to you.

Must admit I don’t find them gimmicky. I’ve had them on all of my cars since 2013 and find that they are a great help turning in to country lanes and a driveway on a dark country lane. I also think that you will find them fitted to most cars these days.

I think you'll find that the clue is, Robert lives in Perthshire!

Hi John. Your 400h, and mine, is of an age when issues will occur and clearly you've been very unlucky - or perhaps I've been lucky! Probably both. Such a pity that you've drawn the short straw as I know you've had many problems with it. I can understand your view but try not to tar the whole brand with that brush because Lexus as a marque is head and shoulders above so many others. Good luck with your next car, whatever you choose.

Mazda CX60 is worth a look I think.

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.

Hi DellBoy, I think if you search for other thread titles containing 'insurance' you'll find lots of others have noticed and we're all in the same boat. All but the very odd exception to the rule means that we can expect hikes of 50% this year and, as in your case, maybe more. Always worth spending time on all the comparisons sites and then wait for Dan from Adrian Flux to pop his head over the parapet touting business - not that he's all that competitive either given what others have posted!