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I saw this earlier and I thought it kind of summarises much of my life and probably yours if you are of a certain age. They call us ”The Elderly” We were born in the 40-50-60’s. We grew up in the 50-60-70's. We studied in the 60-70-80's. We were dating in the 70-80-90's. We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's. We venture into the 80-90’s. We stabilize in the 2000’s. We got wiser in the 2010’s. And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020. Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades... TWO different centuries... TWO different millennia... We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world. We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and Whats App. From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, colour TV and then to 3D HD TV. We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix. We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones. We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, shell suits & blue jeans. We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19. We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric. Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had! They could describe us as “exennials”; people who were born in that world of the fifties, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood. We've kind of “Seen-It-All”! Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life. It is our generation that has literally adapted to “CHANGE”. A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE. -Author unknown Keep on keeping on!

I Would Like to wish All My Many friends On The L.O.C. A Very Merry Peaceful and Happy Christmas Followed by a Happy and Merry New Year...Happy Lexus Motoring For 2024 And Remember Your Problems are only As BIG as you make Them...God Bless you all..!!!!!!!

Hi guys I was involved in a very serious accident last week. Driving home from Gymnastics with my girls a full fat V8 Mustang driving like an absolute lunatic came barreling towards us head on (in my lane,) it was a head on collision, it's still all a bit of a blur, my car was on fire when I came round, I had my daughters in back, the back doors wouldn't open so I had to drag them both out through the front. it was a mess! All 3 of us were eventually taken to hospital and released a week later. The whole ordeal has been a nightmare, one of the worst thing things I've ever had to experience! Needless to say the Lexus is toast (literally) I'm gutted about losing it and everything in it but more importantly I'm extremely grateful that all 3 of us are still here! The broken bones, emotional trauma we all sustained should heal in time, and we live to fight another day. The Police wont tell me much at the moment but did mention that the Mustang ended up worse off than ours in terms of initial damage and the driver of that car along with his passenger are still hospitalized The Lexus did its job! (in addition to the car seats the girls were sat in) I chose this car because I wanted something reliable, comfortable & safe, it fulfilled all 3 of those requirements effortlessly. Started at every press of the button, got us from A to B in comfort and when it came to it, kept us as safe as it could in a situation many aren't fortunate enough to walk away from. I couldn't have picked a better car for the budget I had, i'm very thankful for that. Just wanted to share this for anyone new here considering buying an IS250 or any Lexus for that matter, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone here sincerely for their help and advice to all the questions I had prior to buying this car and during my ownership period. I wouldn't have chosen it and maintained it correctly if it wasn't for the friendly advice and info I got from you all so again BIG thank you to everyone here from the bottom of my heart!! Not sure what I'm going to replace it with at the moment as well maintained ones are thin on the ground, prices starting to climb and I doubt i'll get much back from my insurer, but I guess i'll cross that bridge when I get to it... Please stay safe everyone, look after yourself and your loved ones, we just never know what's going to happen sometimes!

I don't know why you are complaining! This is actually the latest in Lexus security features. Even if you defeat the CANbus you still can't get in the vehicle!!! Genius indeed. 🙂 Paul

My IS250 is now 13yrs old and the ivory-coloured leather is looking tired. I’d been mulling over different options and settled on doing the work myself with a restoration/recolouring kit. There are a few companies out there that can supply you with the necessary components. Having watched many tutorial videos and accounts of how the job went I settled on getting my gear from Furniture Clinic based in Durham. https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/ This is the kit I got along with some of my own bits I have in the garage. My additional bits were a funnel, selection of paint brushes, foam backed sanding blocks [ I'm lucky I have many from previous], measuring pot say 5-50ml is damned handy [the type from the top of Tomato feed is spot on] and a selection of Pry tools for getting thing apart without damage. Oh and my spray gun got in on the act too I see! It is the medium colourant kit plus I got the repair add on pack so that I could do some filling with their flexible filler. I also sought out a small leather sample piece from inside a headrest for a colour match to be made. The worst scuffing/wear/cracking and discolouration was on the driver’s seat and the centre armrest as you would expect. These three photos show the condition of the areas needing the most work. So, the plan was to fully refurbish both front seats and the armrest. The seat bolster was really pretty grim. This video from Furniture Clinic [FC] is very good and pretty much encapsulates what I did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFXkraC9B7o I found all the products to be very good apart from the airbrush kit. I have a compressor and spray gun of my own thank heavens! No matter what I tried the airbrush would not play ball. I will return to it and get an adapter for my airlines. They can be very useful tools so I will attempt to get it functioning. But that’s for another day. So, I used my own spray kit and just closed it down to low pressure and low feed and it worked a treat. I should point out everything is water based which makes it all rather pleasant!! FC videos seem to show a lot of work being undertaken in the car but that requires a great deal of masking and you can’t get to every surface properly. So for my needs it was out of the car repairs. This next video is useful for showing how some of the armrest components come apart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXgTBn8MHZ0 You can get the armrest out without taking out the entire centre. You just need to prise up the trim at the front of the cubby box, where it meets the wood section [on mine] enough to release the tabs and then the top U-shaped trim will pop off. The rear of the cubby box just pulls off. Then you have to move both seats forwards as far as poss to clear the beck end of the cubby box to pull out the metal tabs and its off. Two screws underneath will allow the handle to be removed. I then masked up all the underneath and mounted it on a piece of wood for spraying ... a stand if you will. There is a useful write up here that Agent-Dess put up a while back, credit to him for this This will guide you through seat removal if you want to remove the seats. Remember to disconnect battery and wait 10mins before unplugging the seats. I found them not too heavy but you need to be careful when removing as you don’t want to damage anything with the seat prongs [they stick out a wee bit – so be mindful!]. I wrapped masking tape around mine! The Driver’s seat is the more awkward of the two as you have the steering wheel to contend with. The three electrical plugs under the seat are a bit fiddly but not too bad. I also removed the lower plastic trim once the seat was out and up on my workmate bench. There are three screws hidden underneath. Two at the front and one at the back. Pry off the raise/ lower knob and back tilt knob and remove the three screws that are now seen. Then unplug the electrical connector and its out of the way. Next was masking up all the areas you want to protect from spraying. Seat back is a contrasting colour on mine so that need looking at with care. I masked the headrest collars and the stalk and the re-inserted the headrest into the seat as it’s easier for me to spray it all in situ. I then did everything as outlined in the FC repair video. But I used my own spray gun for applying the colour and the clear two pack top finish. I have to say the colour is spot on. The Leather Binder I found to be very good indeed, that I used on the more heavily scuffed areas. The Heavy filler and Flexifill are surprisingly good, much better than I anticipated. In truth I could have put more in but that’s something you learn from experience, and I had none with this! It seems odd using a hair drier to speed up curing but it really works well and at every stage even after spraying the finishes on!! Just remember when you start scrubbing it's going to look worse...much worse on the bad areas. But then it all starts to improve. This is the side bolster after scrub and 6 coats of filler applied with the spatula Same bolster after dab sponging on some colourant just to see how it's looking after filler. Colour coat [x3 with 10 mins between coats]. Colour coat is glossy/satin finish and when dry is still almost tacky to the touch. If you sponge apply any colorant onto the pierced leather ... do not wipe it on [ you'll clog those holes!] ... just dab it gently. If you mess up and block a hole just tease it out with something like a bradawl tip. I sprayed 3 coats of the finish top coat with 10 mins between and used the hair dryer to speed it up. If go careful you can see it drying in front of your eyes. If you get a sag or run just dab it with a sponge. Pleased to report I did not get 1 ... but then I was a furniture restorer and sprayer for over 20 years. Passenger seat and armrest done ... driver's seat untouched Everything back in the car I am very pleased with the results and very pleasantly surprised at the flexibility of the fillers and finishes. I have been poking and prodding after 24 hrs and it’s all very impressive. My only gripe would be that FC don't supply enough crosslinker for the amount of top finish supplied at 8:1 mix!! Which to me is daft, but they claim the pack is based on 250ml ... but I have 500 ml? ... and we go round in circles on the phone getting absolutely nowhere! That's just poor in my book. How long did it take? Firstly, I’m retired so I have plenty of free time [ I was spraying the last coat at 7pm on Thursday evening!!]. The kit arrived early on Wednesday morning and I finished putting everything back in the car at lunchtime on Friday. Oh and there is enough left over to do the whole exercise again. The plan now is to leave it for 3 or 4 days to fully cure and then I'll give it a going over with the FC Protection Cream. I've given it a waxy paper de-nib and it all feels really good. There you go then ... Job done ... chuffed! I hope that will be of use to anyone considering doing this. Take your time and follow the instructions they are very comprehensive. My only reservation is that airbrush.

New car day

The front drivers seat on my 2006 IS250 which i've now owned since 2007 is quite worn and i've been considering swapping out for another second hand one. But given the age of the 2IS, the condition of all the second hand ones are far worse than mine (rather keep mine). Got me thinking about retrofitting RCF/GSF front seats as I really like the look of them. But they are extremely rare to find second-hand. And once or twice I came across them they were selling for 3k plus just for front seats. So that was out of the question. I then considered, that a 3IS set of second-hand front seats will probably be in better condition than some of the 2IS ones for sale because of the 3IS being younger car. But I wasn't willing to spend much for second hand seats that didn't make much difference (I would rather get mine re-done). Then, I came across the following pictured RCF breaking and I thought to myself, let me try asking about front seats..... I was quite sure either the'll have blown the airbags or if they are available they would want a fortune for the seats. I was really shocked when I was sent the following photo of the seat in the car and the reply just said £500 (nothing else, just a picture and £500) I thought to myself, is that for 1 or for both. It was actually for both and was collection price. But as I asked if they could do anything better on the price, i was offered free express pallet delivery. So it was an absolute no-brainer for me. I instantly purchased it. Not knowing if I am going to be able to retrofit it or not, I thought it's worth the gamble because even if I didn't want the seats, I could sell them off for much more than I paid. And if I manage to make them work on the 2IS platform then technically it will become a plug & play seat for the 2IS and ISF platform which I could easily sell on later for a profit. So here is the seats delivered: Now, onto the retrofitting... The RCF/GSF seats have the same cooling fan system as the 3IS and 2IS. Except there is ducted air conditioned air that goes to the fan under the seat which then makes the fan blow air-conditioned air through the seat. I've addressed this with the following 3D printed simple solution: Next... Does the rails on the seats fit the 2IS? Answer is Yes. They are the same as the 3IS and 2IS and all line up and therefore no need to make any adjustments to the rails. The main 17-pin connector on the seat itself (Part number 90980-12373) is identical and exactly the same as the 3IS and 2IS and I suspect Lexus and Toyota use this same connector across most of the seats and models. The only thing is that the wiring and pins are different on the connector. After spending hours and hours studying the schematics of both platforms and comparing and tracing wires and testing them. I finally drew up a plan to re-pin the main connector and I had accounted for every pin from the original car. With the exception of the memory seat pin (which uses a single 1pin for MPX1 communication). I'll cover the memory seats later. Here's a picture below of the depinning: The airbag connector is different but this I solved easily by transferring the loom over. As pictured below: The seatbelt buckle is different and the 2IS seatbelt does not buckle into it. So, I transferred the buckle over from the 2IS to the RCF seat. The buckle on the RCF seat sticks up quite a bit as it's quite slim and low on the bottom corners. The RCF buckle has a nice sleeve for the buckle so it doesn't look bad when it sticks out. When I installed the 2IS buckle, I noticed the metal plate was visible and looked ugly. So I decided to transfer the buckle sleeve over too. The buckle work pictured below: I have successfully installed the drivers seat. It's working very well. I have yet to do the passenger seat and will be doing this over the next few days as the wiring is slightly different on that side. I can confirm the following all work: Heated & Cooled working Buckle and seatbelt system working Airbag system working Power seat working The only thing I have yet to finish is the memory profiles for the seat. Unfortunately the RCF/GSF seats use a new type of CAN body communication with dual wire which communicates the memory button presses with two wires from the door card. Whereas, the 2IS uses a single 1 wire MPX communication. There is two ways to solve the memory seat issue. Easiest is to just transfer the position control ecu switch on the seat itself from the 2IS seat over to the RCF seat. or the other option is to create a virtual signal converter. I haven't decided which method I will use for that yet. But as memory seats isn't something I use at all, I decided to install it without that function for now and I will address the memory seat later. Below are a few pics of my drivers seat now installed. They need a good deep clean and conditon. Once i've installed the other side, I will post more pics and videos showing the seats working. So stay tuned. Updates on here might be a bit slow as I tend to prioritise updates and stuff on my instagram, so feel free to follow me on my instagram for more updates (link in my signature)

Hi Guys, Thought I would update you all, I am importing this ultrasonic blue car from Japan and I could not be happier. It is a late 2011 car with 21k Miles on it. I have had a full inspection done and it looks fantastic, I cannot wait to get it over here! If anyone is interested in some part worn Advan Fleva V701s please let me know as it will be going on winters when it gets over here. Please ask any questions you have and if anyone has experience with an import tell me your thoughts.

I think a very small subset of Lexus owners use or read this forum (and why should they - for most people it is a way of getting form A to B - they are not enthusiasts). I don't think it is reasonable to expect an owner of a pretty new vehicle to know that a security enhancement has been made to their vehicle if neither the dealer of manufacturer has alerted them to the fact.

It has been a very emotional day. I have taken the plunge and traded Betsy in. Yes I know - how could I? I was overcome with lust upon seeing this temptress at Leicester: So what has this strumpet got which Betsy hasn't I hear you all ask? Well she's Tiffany the Takumi, so a fair bit. She has 5,000ish on the clock and is about 9 months old. Betsy, I'm so sorry - it has been a wonderful two years and 20,000 miles with you. I will ask if they will let you go to a nice owner. The swap takes place tomorrow at midday. Tissues will be required I'm sure.

Thanks everyone. Right. Yes I'll be looking for a cheapish runaround. Probably back to a Ford Focus mk3 1.0 litre. As for what they'll offer. It'll be market value before the incident. I have told them its got full dealer service history and that I was second owner. Looking in auto trader average price is about 6k As a replacement lexus, when I get one, top of the list is the UX250 (I really like that car). Oh. As for the airbags not deploying. Would they have hampered me exiting the car. I doubt it. Thinking about my Stupid incident I was very lucky that 1 I was uninjured. 2 that no other vehicle involved. Luckily the other drivers noticed the pillock up ahead losing control and they slowed down accordingly. Oh and I will pop onto the forum but instead of a few times a day I'll make it every other day or so. After all this is a fabulous forum.

Hey Lexus Family, I am delighted to announce that I recently picked up my very own Lexus LC. It is a launch edition LC 500h, 1 of 5 in the UK. I will attach some photos of my new car below.

I went to the local East Coast Japanese car club meet at Ipswich yesterday, saw a few things which may be of interest (and possibly known) here...... I left the LS400 at home and took my Datsun, along with a load of spare/duplicate kits (I managed to sell a few). The Lexus can have a trip there next time. Had a pleasant chat with the long-term owner of this Mk4 DHP. The mesh grille was nicely done, similar to what Toyota/Lexus UK did on some of their home-grown Sport/SR models in the late '90s. For @Malc1, at least two Mk3s came along. Should have spent more time looking at this one. As a '93 I suspect it's a Mk2 rather than a Mk1 - despite owning one of the latter I can't readily recall the differences (if they're on non-standard wheels at least). VIP treatment is a natural look for these big saloons. A few examples of Chaser/Mark II and Crown to be seen, including this oddity: Blit is apparently the wagon version of the Mark II, it ran from 2002 to 2007. Nice use of the GS300 Sport type staggered alloys on this Crown Athlete. I've probably missed the boat now, but I do like the Sportcross. A shame Lexus didn't persevere with it, or any sort of estate version of the other saloons. Had a good chat with the owner of this GS-F, who kindly let me and my son sit in it and enjoy the V8 sound. He turned out to also have a Gen 3 RX450h, and he's in equal admiration of his. Hello and thanks if you're on here! A friend had this lovely Celica Liftback there. I had a chat with the organisers about how we could try to get more older Japanese cars to come along. Supra was LHD and looked like it might be US-spec. Great to see this rare Lancer Turbo. I had a couple of 1980s Accords and they were great to drive with a smooth, well-engineered feel. I can only imagine these enjoy the same qualities, I'd happily have one someday. The location of the show at an old RAF site which now houses an aviation museum made for an interesting backdrop. ECJ host the event 4-5 times a year here, well worth a visit with the museum as an added attraction. Thanks for looking!

Had the car nearly two years now and here's the list of issues................... NONE 90,000 miles, no advisories on last MOT, next MOT is due soon. Full service history. Only money spent was new front grille and new back brakes plus an oil and filter service. A slight intermittent issue is that on a very rare occasion the car stalls when its cold, usually when turning out of the works car park. Not going further with this as its so rare. One other minor issue which did cost me a new battery. Moved the car off the drive without letting the engine continue running. The car would not start the next day. Eventually it did. This is an issue that happens with other cars too, so now i don't do that. Plan on keeping the car until something goes seriously expensively wrong, hope that's a long way off, touch wood. Find the car very reliable and to be honest, quite cheap to run. Fast enough for me, a pleasant commute 20 miles a day. No rust apart from the front anti roll bar, that was sorted out. Still feels like a new car to drive. Sometimes see cheap lease deals but then think what's the point

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.

Being new to Lexus ownership I had high hopes for the 10 year warranty, but was slightly sceptical. Had to take my newly acquired RCF to Lexus Edinburgh, having not noticed on purchasing that only cold air was coming out on the passenger side. Additionally, drivers seatbelt wasn't retracting too well. It was a private purchase, but with full DSH. Superb dealer experience really well looked after and no charge for diagnosis. The entire passenger heater box needs to be replaced, along with the seatbelt. Non warranty cost is £3k ! Covered in full, without hesitation, subject to taking a couple of weeks to get the parts. Shows the value in dealer servicing, especially as these cars age.

It’s an utterly brilliant car. Where else can you buy a naturally aspirated rear wheel drive V8 GT that sounds like this, that is so comfortable and well built, with decent dealers? Plus point - nobody else has one. Love mine to bits. Is can bus theft a genuine concern? Yes. One LC has been stolen and recovered, the ex owner stating that’d be his last Lexus. Also have a look at the RX, ES, UX forums which are busier mainly due to there being more cars and more owners. All those forums are full of theft threads. Cars are disappearing almost on a daily basis. There isn’t a week goes by where someone new joins the LOC to state their car has vanished. They knew nothing of this canbus problem until they lost their Lexus. The common link between most of these threads is the ex-owner is planning on staying an ex-owner ie that is their last Lexus. Also look at insurance threads. Lexus owners can’t get sensibly priced insurance in many cases. It’s not at the Land Rover point yet, where insurance is refused point blank, but if Lexus don’t step up and sort this there will be a tipping point for the insurance industry and we simply won’t to be able to get these cars insured. The RX is in the top ten UK most stolen. France has the NX or UX in their top ten. America has the same problem. This is a global failure. Lexus have so far introduced metal plates to protect the canbus access point in the wheel arches for RX ONLY. Fitment is free. They’re not publicising or actively offering it, so unless you have read about it and actually ask your dealer or Lexus customer services you’d never find out about it until your RX is halfway to Dubai. The rest of us are left to fend for ourselves. Lexus’s current position is ‘tough sh t’. I have a tracker for my insurance, but due to the canbus problem I’ve paid extra for an immobiliser, plus added stickers to warn it’s fitted with a tracker. I used trackerteam - recommended. It is most definitely a concern. You could also add a steering lock but based on a car (RX I think) videoed being stolen last week inside three minutes with a steering lock fitted (quiet leafy Surrey!) I don’t see the point. Anyone carrying canbus theft kit won’t be bothered about a steering lock as they’ll have a cordless ULEZ grinder with them as well. These are wonderful cars. I honestly don’t know what I’d replace it with, but if it were stolen it most certainly wouldn’t be another Lexus. That is down to Lexus themselves. The solution : an official recall for every affected car, to fit canbus plates, an immobiliser or revised software. Only when every single car in the country is likely to be protected and therefore unstealable via canbus will the thieves move onto something else. As a potential buyer I’d ask if you could do us all a favour - go to your local dealer and/or phone Lexus themselves, and question them about canbus theft. Tell them you’re thinking of buying their most expensive product, their halo car, their concept car made real, but that you’re really really concerned Lexus don’t care about you as a customer because if they did, they’d issue a recall like JLR have done, and get this vulnerability fixed. Today’s rant over. Stay tuned for more.

I completely agree but we’re kind of stuck with what’s on offer - either use cheap visible deterrents which can be removed with grinders etc, or fit immobilisers and so on which will theoretically stop the car being stolen but don’t show any signs they’ve been fitted. I suppose belt and braces is the best option. The perfect solution : Lexus remove their vehicles from the top ten of the stolen car market. Recall all affected cars, add immobiliser or wholesale change of the canbus system (retro fit of immobiliser is probably cheaper and quicker). Simples. Thieves realise the cars anre unstealable, and move onto something else. Value and image of used Lexus increases, dealers can sell more, owners can get sensibly priced insurance again. Downside : forum traffic goes down by several percentage points! Over to you Lexus.

Posted this, let's see if they leave it or moderate it and/or reply... Reading the press and the Lexus Owners Club Forum it appears that Lexus is experiencing a serious theft problem involving the ES, RX and latterly the LC. Apart from the distress and worry, a knock on effect is that they are becoming much more expensive to insure, with Lexus own insurance refusing cover in some cases – if that’s not an admission of a failure for owners, what is? And how many sales are now being lost and what’s this doing to the confidence in the brand? I own two of these vehicles, an RX and an LC. My question to Lexus is what are you doing about this theft pandemic? Please don’t post a standard answer, speak to your local center (who are strangely unaware of the problem), fit extra security, etc., people reading this are not stupid, they buy Lexus for goodness sake, or are thinking about it! Land Rover have grabbed the bull by the horns and are offering upgrades to their vehicles and recently announced an owners insurance scheme. Come on Lexus, let’s have some real action, not just a steel plate for the RX which isn’t even being publicised (because there aren’t enough to go round?).

After my last collection at Lexus Cambridge this year, which was not pleasant, I was open minded as to what Stoke would be like, my 5th dealership collection to date. A family owned business of long standing seems to be the key to a flawless experience. The salesman, Peter is on top of his game for sure and the multiple sheets of paper and documents he processed were processed very efficiently. Even fitting a new battery to the Key Card. He drove me round to their workshops after I had previously requested to see the car on a ramp so the ex mechanic in me could get a appreciation of the underside of the car and so I could check for any issues or damage. There were none. Not sure most customers would ask for a favour like this but Stoke were happy to oblige after all the deal was done and there was nothing to hide. Once more the immaculate presented car was in the viewing/handover garage and he personally fitted my private plates on the car after arranging the V5 to be sent to me in my name ahead of collection on it's original number plate. On the collection date this allowed him to lift my plate off the ES and move it immediately to the LS, all online. Very slick. And so it continued with a very touching Japanese Tea Ceremony as part of the hand over. He said he would ring me in a couple of days to check all was OK but then said I should expect a courier delivery of a gift from Lexus Stoke as a thank you for my business. He wouldn't say what it was but I'm guessing it will be tied to Japanese Culture or maybe not. So as another Forum member said, who had a test drive in this LS while his RX was in for service, Lexus Stoke are the best at what they do and treat customers like family. James Pinkstone (Family member who owns the business) came across as I was leaving and expressed his thanks thus making the whole Lexus Stoke experience very very pleasant. So much so the Service Plan Peter sorted out on the day thereby allowing me to choose where the LS is serviced will probably result in a trip back to Stoke for it's 7th year service. The extra 2nd year Road Side Assist cover within the plan was a useful bonus too. Peter also made sure the funds I had built up in my ES service plan were carried over to the LS plan as all Lexus Service Plans are now administered by EMAC Ltd. He had thought of everything. No wonder I was allocated a 2 hour slot for the handover and never once felt I was being rushed. An old fashioned Service Book was produced at my request duly retro stamped for all the services Stoke carried out rather than a computer system holding all the car's service history. Plenty of coffee and even minature Japanese green chocolate Kit Kat's to accompany the tea ceremony. Great great day and what a car !!

Of all those things mentioned of course nowhere is there a line about a day in 1966 when the impossible happened and a young lad hid his head under a pillow too frightened to see the dreaded Germans win. Then of course they didn't, and for awhile the world seemed a better place full of boys who wanted to be at least one of the Bobby twosome. So, 'Epitaph' indeed for a Great footballer and equally Great gentleman. RIP Sir Bobby Charlton and thanks for helping to create a seminal moment in this guys memories.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/dreamy-lexus-is-sportwagon-demonstrates-why-estates-shouldn-t-be-a-dying-breed-219631.html That would be one good looking car. Why oh why oh why Lexus didn't/don't you make estate versions of the IS and ES?

I’d highly recommend a Honda Jazz. Reliable, economical and amazingly spacious.

Was it your wallet in your back pocket Taffie 😉

Oh..that would be a bumbar problem then.

I bought a three year old 500h three months ago, and am starting to adapt to it now. Previously I had a 2007 460SEL which I owned since 2008. Driving the 500h is a different experience. I'd not changed my 460 because after 2009 Lexus nerfed all 460s, with things such as adaptive cruise missing, leaving only the 600 with a full box of toys, and I wasn't at all keen on the idea of a hybrid. (Incidentally, if you haven't come across the word 'nerfed', ask your grandchildren about it - it's mine that taught me how to use the word!) The biggest difference is the way the engine and transmission feel. The 460 I found brilliant. It's engine rarely turned over faster than 2000rpm, cruised at about 1400rpm, and was just simply obedient. Just a slight increase on the accelerator caused an effortless and instantaneous response. I drove with the ECT in the power position, which didn't seem to affect the mpg at all. In this position the car always got itself into the best gear. If you wanted power, it would drop into a low gear and give all the acceleration you could want and more - instantly. It was so good that quickly you stop noticing that the engine and gearbox exist. The 500h is as fast as the 460. It pulls away using the traction battery, almost silently, with only tyre noise audible. When the engine starts, though, things aren't simple. The hybrid system always starts up in Eco mode, which sounds good, but when I drive away up a hill the engine sticks in too low a gear, and the accelerator needs a lot of movement before it will drop down into a lower gear and accelerate reasonably rapidly. I have to remember to put the power into sport mode when I start it. Then the gearbox behaves as you'd hope it would. However, there are several different noises as you make progress. The engine when it starts can be audible and sound a bit rough compared to a V8. There are two motors/generators in the car. The main drive motor does whine a bit when you gently regenerate. When there is more serious regeneration the engine (which is connected to the other motor/generator) engages and uses its motor/generator to also regenerate. This makes more noise. Nothing terrible, nothing bad, but it's there. Also the car has ten "gears", so does a lot of shifting, and the shifts can be noticeable. Again nothing bad, but noticeable. The 500h has air suspension which is much like the 460, though the tyres are run flats, and so a bit less absorbent of minor stuff. I think the 460 ride was just a little better than the 500h. The 5.2 metre length of the 500h is a bit of an issue, but the real problem is its manoeuvrability. It has a long wheelbase, and its turning circle isn't great. The 460 was good (but not as good as the 430!) You do have think in advance with the 500h if you're going through a drive through, or even just parking in a car park. Talking of which, the 500h has a better rear camera, which can go ultrawide, and side cameras, and rear side radar that picks up pedestrians, so this is all better. The 460's driving seat was nice and accessible, and well padded and adjustable, but driving across Ireland I'd find myself squirming in my seat, because it wasn't perfect. I think the 500h seats are perfect. Every surface can be adjusted, and though it's taken me weeks to do it I've got all 28 adjustments so refined that I just don't want to get out of the car. The seats are a very good reason to get a 500h! They hold you as tightly as you want to be held in precisely the way you want to be supported, and if you ask them nicely they'll also give you a very decent bit of pummelling. I've intended to record on here the differences between the two cars, as much for my own benefit as anything else, so later on I'll precis the above and add on all my other observations. To directly answer the OP's second question, no. The LS500h isn't the pinnacle of Lexus development. Hopefully that is still to come. However, in the meantime I think the 500h is a good stepping stone. I'm glad that I've made the change, but at the same time I'm looking forwards to what they do in their next all-electric version. : o )

My NX350h Takumi has finally arrived at the dealership this morning after 17 months since order.

Thought I would let you know that following contact with chief exec of P&O it is all sorted, full refund of cruise, excursions and travel insurance. Just shows persistance pays. Bill D.

I haven’t posted on here much recently. It isn’t that I don’t read the forums, it’s just that I don’t have much to contribute. I’m not mechanically (or practically) minded at all, and my RX continues to be a) faultless and b) faultless 😁 Anyway, after eighteen months, what do I think of my choice? Are there any downsides to RX ownership? If there are, then I’m yet to find them. This is far and away the best car I’ve ever owned. Quiet, effortless performance and superb quality. Yes, it’s on the large side but apart from that I simply have nothing negative to say. I should downsize at some stage in the next 2-3 years. I SHOULD…but I’m not sure I could leave this experience behind. No wonder RX owners are such a happy bunch. What a car. I feel privileged to be able to own it.

Hi All - Finally found the perfect RX450h Premier 2014 with 86k miles and collected it yesterday. Service by Lexus last week so got another year worth of Lexus Warranty. Hybrid Warranty check, New brake pads and Discs done in the last month, with fresh MOT and full service history. Very happy with my choice and I’m glad I didn’t go for the for the lemon with all the advisories. See previous post Just wanted to say many thanks for the keen advice I got on here with helping me make the decision to go for this one… Jag

The latter comes with a very high success rate. Indeed, you are in more danger crossing the road these days. I won't lie it is going to hurt like hell afterwards when they reflate your lungs and your sternum is mending, but if you are having this OP because you have symptoms of Angina brought about by hardening of the arteries then be aware you are about to be given a second bite at life IF you want to make the most of it post OP. I was in for a Quintuple bypass (the lot). Had the Op all day Tuesday and I went home Saturday morning clutching my rolled up towel to my chest ( LOL you'll find out what thats for). Initially pretty wiped, but just over a week later I started step ups on the bottom step of the stairs. 3 weeks later I attended Heart whatever they call it for some sessions each week to rebuild my stamina. 6 months later I was doing step ups for 2 hr sessions outside any weather. Actually rains great for cooling you down. That was 13 years ago and literally 3 laps of the world ago. I did see quite a few people who went through the same OP who really just took it all for granted and could not be bothered to take the gift they had been given. Guess they have been back in and out for stents. In summary, whilst any operation comes with risk it is in my view a risk to reward well worth taking just get your head in the game and don't flunk the opportunity. I should say feel free to pm me if there is anything you would like to know about what is coming your way with this. I know it's a bit of a worry. because it is no small thing to undergo.

rayaans- Where did you learn of CanBus thefts and Lexus providing the plates ? Why would a normal owner of a Lexus be aware of a post manufacture fitting of a security measure, other than by a recall. Keyless thefts have been all over the media for years and manufacturers have changed key devices etc as did Lexus. It’s because Keyless became more secure the thieves found and exploited the CanBus vulnerability. Newspapers and other media explained how keyless theft works and how to overcome it. In all the articles I have read about Lexus having the 2nd highest theft rate, none of them mentioned CanBus attacks so normal owners assume it is Keyless. Other than on these type of forums / websites no media has broadcast or informed about CanBus thefts. Lexus aren’t going to, as that just attracts even more thefts. I think it is wrong to suggest that the owner is in any way responsible for a theft because they didn’t have a little known post manufacturing device fitted - that is a small step away from saying insurers shouldn’t pay out if an owner hasn’t taken every single measure to prevent a theft.

Finally picked up our new NX on Friday!!!! 🥳 👏 🙌 🥳 🙌 👏 🥳 🙌 👏 🥳 So happy to finally have our car! It’s gorgeous and everything we wanted 💗 Our dealership ended up throwing in a few freebies too, to compensate us for the order mix up, so that’s made things better too 😊 It brings to an end, what feels like a very long wait, for the car we ordered back in September 2022. Looking forward to enjoying everything our new car has to offer!

My RCF is the least popular colour released….certainly polarises people. I must admit though, when the weather is good and the car is clean, it looks fabulous! Similar to your car however, at this time of year it just looks flat. I get lots of comments about how I look like a t**t in it, predominantly from women who clearly find me attractive and are threatened by it!

So I heard back from lexus customer relations and they say that its still valid for 15 years as long as we get the hybrid health check done.

We have delivery... 🙂

Collected my RC300h today, and it’s just lovely so far. 2020 F-Sport in black. I’ve never had a car with so many toys and gadgets before. So many buttons and menus to experiment with.

It's not a problem with the battery. It's only designed to power on the computer and monitor the access systems. If you sit listening to the radio leave the car in Ready mode and the traction battery will power everything with the engine cutting in when needed to recharge the traction battery. Leaving the car in IGN or ACCES mode will kill the little 12v battery in no time, as my salesman discovered when demonstrating the car to me!

Quick update - we are currently driving the NX350h we originally ordered! My husband went back to the dealership on Saturday and told them we would not accept the UX as a satisfactory solution (even if temporary) until the correct NX arrives. We proposed to them that we take away the NX that we thought was ours and that we’d keep it until the replacement arrives in November. And, they agreed! Its not ideal as can’t stand the manual seats but at least we get to drive the 73 we had waited a year for. Just wish they had got it right in the first place! Fingers crossed, the car on its way is in fact, the correct spec this time

I’ll be a little more blunt……….definitely not wise to share any pics on here. New member & first post is “can I see pictures of the plate fitted?” Sorry Andon, you may well be genuine but surely you can see the potential problem

Not the best pictures…..but I love it!!

Well folks, today is the final full day of owning my 2020 UX250h F Sport. I promised a few months ago that I’d give it an overall review before it was traded in, so here it is! The upsides? I still think it looks ‘fresh’ in terms of design. I think Lexus done a decent job with it personally and certainly one of my own favourite designs they’ve come up with for a good number of years. I’m also glad I have an earlier F-Sport without the colour-coded wheelarch mouldings - which make it more distinctive than the colour-coded jobbies you get now - but that’s just down to personal taste. My particular example also has the red leather, which I think really suits the car and does a lot to brighten up the inside (as it doesn’t have a sunroof). In a way I’ll miss this as it’s always looked welcoming and made me smile. As soon as I saw it in the showroom, I knew the red leather was going to have to be a non-negotiable part when it come to ‘wants’! Whilst the ride isn’t perfect thanks to run-flat tyres, it’s actually been softer and more compliant in terms of suspension than the car it replaced (an Audi Q5) which come as a pleasant surprise. If it wasn’t for the ‘skittishness’ of the tyres over bumps, I would have happily given it ‘five stars’ given the size of the car. It’s still very, very good though. Speaking of comfort, I’ve never had any notable issues with the seats. Another impressive feature about the UX is it’s refinement given it’s size, thanks to it’s hybrid system. The only real noise that comes from the car are from the run-flat tyres as the engine is either not running or very quiet! At launch, the press criticised it for it sounding ‘harsh’ up the rev range. All I can assume is that they were using two thirds throttle or more everywhere they went... Basically, driving it like a race-car rather than treating it as a road vehicle on public roads. I’ve always been happy with the quality of the radio and speakers. It’s been one of the better cars I’ve had in this respect. Certainly in the top three. The salesperson at the time certainly wasn’t wrong in saying the standard system is decent. It really is. Whilst I know the touchpad infotainment system comes under criticism for being a bit fiddly and confusing to use, I was alright with it after a couple of weeks of using it. It’s just what you get used to. Sure, it’s not perfect and there are indeed some bits on it I have to think about where ‘such and such’ a feature is, but overall for the bits I need to use of it, it’s found easily enough. The downsides? Not that much, I’m pleased to say. Whilst I still very much love the look of the UX inside and out - the interior door panels could do with being a little less ‘plastic’. Especially given it’s premium price. The boot is too small and it’s by far it’s biggest Achillies heel. Right from day one it’s something I’ve not liked (I thought I might just about get away with it - sadly not) and it’s the main reason I’m changing it. It’s fine for just me and going back and forth to work. Unfortunately, whilst that’s what the car is ultimately used for, including the odd day-trip out, there are times where it’s been left wanting if there's been more than two passengers and/or needed for a night/two night trip away. The rear seat has had to be utilised as additional boot space. The rear cabin is a little short on ‘window space’ so I’m told it can feel a bit claustrophobic on longer trips. Personally, I don’t have an issue with it but then again, I don’t think I’ve travelled in the back of it (with my father driving it rather than me) for more than about ten miles! Would I recommend one to a family? No. I wouldn’t. That boot space really does limit it’s market and I only hope this is significantly improved (certainly in terms of depth, rather than length) for the second generation. If the boot space was about 20% bigger, I would have seriously considered simply replacing my outgoing UX with another one. This one is just a minor point, but I was disappointed to find it didn’t have any hydraulic bonnet strut(s) and has to be held up with an old-fashioned stick. I’ve not had to do that on any car I’ve owned for about ten years prior to the UX... Finally, whilst it certainly looks like a characterful car, it’s always felt rather ‘soulless’ to drive. There’s nothing wrong with the way it drives - it just lacks unique qualities and sounds I’ve had from other cars in the past. It does feel very much like a Japanese machine. Run flat tyres also make it rather skittish over bumps if you’re not pointing the wheels ‘dead ahead’ too - something that did take me a while to get used to. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, that pretty much wraps up what I’ve felt about the car over the last three and a half years of ownership of my first Lexus. The sun is now setting on it’s time with me. It’s been an ultra-faithful companion and whilst it’s not been my best or favourite overall car I’ve ever had, I do sincerely hope it’ll go to a good second owner who’ll take care of it. It’s given me happy memories. Whoever takes it on will get themselves a thoroughly decent, reliable and well equipped car. I hope it's an insightful look for anyone who is looking to buy one.

I tend towards your view myself. I am no expert on climate change, but I am pretty good with numbers. That is where I take great umbrage with our govt approach to limiting carbon emissions in this country. That is, given we contribute approximately 1% of carbon emissions globally it is an accounting farce to take on a rather disproportionate added cost in order to reduce same. Basically, our actions are hardly likely to have any significant impact at all on climate change given our almost miniscule contribution yet we are sold the need to address it as though it is our highest priority. Frankly, it's going to make some money for some people, but implicitly the rest of us pick up that cost. No politician though is going to stand up and honestly declare they have been sold 'a pup'.

Yes, they do polish up nicely.

As a new Lexus owner, I sit in my NX350h with only 53 miles on the clock, I wonder if my learning experience is worth recording. The main dealer (), and their agent (), have been great, their service to me has been outstanding. I have been a Lexus fan since 1990 when I first saw the LS400, complete luxury but not ostentatious. Always a Toyota driver, I looked forward to the day I could achieve a Lexus. From my first corolla through to my latest CHR. I thought the CHR was, without doubt, an excellent drive. In late 2021 Lexus announced the NX350 as an upgrade to the NX300. On-line reviews convinced me that my favourite manufacturer have produced the car for me. I booked a test drive for 2nd February 2022, a deposit was made and a Takumi ordered. Sadly, the predicted delivery of August/ September grew like Topsy, and I was finally delivered of my car 17 months later, on 17th July 2023. It has only one key and no locking wheel nuts, however the dealer has been excellent in their service throughout this process. However, the the name Takumi translates as artisan appealed to me as a fully apprenticed career Artificer. The description of the driver's experience as Tazuna, loosely translates as they Reins of a horse's, also appeals as a lifetime horse rider. Neither word is a hollow boast. The car really feels as though it has been assembled by craftsmen and the drive is exceedingly comfortable with a relaxed feeling of control. My history of driving Toyotas has always had one thing in common, if you drive a Toyota, all Toyotas are familiar and comfortable to drive. Any differences are normally pleasant and easy to learn. Though I seem to have missed a couple of rungs on my car ownership ladder. Equally pleasant, but with so much more to learn and enjoy. The Lexus NX350h+, Takumi This car is an absolute joy and I can understand when car reviewers claim that the NX350, in all it's iterations, will become the biggest selling Lexus ever. I arrived at the dealer at 1100 and drove out at 1330. Time well spent, being introduced to my new car. As a result of my long wait, the fact that only one key was available and no locking wheel nuts, I was gifted a dashcam. Learning the car and my questions Q1. What is 'S' for on the gear shift, as there is a Sport mode as well as Eco and Normal. Also the paddles, in a fully automatic car? The answer, gleaned from the Lexus Owners Club is a obvious and simple, when explained. The ' Normal, Eco and Sport' switch is for the enjoyment of a fully automatic car. Usually in Normal, you can explore more economical driving with Eco without testing you own fuel frugality driving skills. In the Sport mode, the gentle invigoration of sporty driving, without being too silly. It will cost you fuel economy. The 'S' on the gear shift and the paddles allow you to play with and explore driving the car as though it were a manual, (but without the bother of a clutch pedal). Being a Lexus, of course, if you get too silly, the car will resume automatic mode, both for your benefit and to protect itself. Q2. The kick button to open the tailgate will not open it. This is not a kick button, it objects to a slap in the face. Just wave your foot gently and it complies. Q3. Cruise control was a gentle challenge to someone used to the third steering column switch. Of course, there is already four steering column switches with the paddles. So Lexus have another solution to the problem. Once discovered, the routine of changing from a set maximum speed of 30 mph to adaptive cruise control is relatively straightforward. Though I am relieved that I discovered this on a quiet motorway slip road! Q4. Lexus Climate Concierge has been wanting interesting accessory to explore, and is indicative of the quality of Lexus. Once found and set, there is no need to fiddle, very comforting. Q5. S-Flow, as a car used by only two people normally, a welcome facility to have the air conditioning concentrating on the front seats. Q6. The nanoe X system is intriguing, I'll see if I can find the ozone smell of the forest. There must be something in this as Panasonic include it in their range of refrigerators. After less than two weeks, and 247 miles, I feel as though I have been driving this car forever. It is so comfortable, feeling that it was deliberately styled and built just for me.

It’s absolutely diabolical that a known issue is basically being ignored by Lexus, it takes something for a car to appear in the top ten of stolen cars and I would expect more from a prestige manufacturer than an ostrich with its head in the sand. No doubt if this was the USA Lexus would be taking this seriously and have a modification already in place to avoid a class action suit resulting in RX450h vehicles being returned to the dealers forecourt for a full refund. Being the UK it’s a case of put up and shut up even when that insurance renewal hits the carpet with double the premium!

And finally it has arrived...Can't wait for our Welsh Road trip this week.