MartyCee

I have an RX400h & an iPhone 3GS which work well together. Voice dialing might require a resort to the handset sometimes, but that's the only gripe I've had. Call quality is superb in this combo. I doubt Apple has changed the Bluetooth hardware/software much to te iPhone 4, but a quick call to Apple's helpful tech support would clarify that.

OK, i'm an RX400h owner, so I have some insight, but please don't take my answers as definitive. Can't answer the burning smell at all, but my guess is that if it were electrical or similar it would have showed up in 120 miles. The suspension is not air, as per the RX300, it's simply coil springs - if the ride hasn't upset you I guess the loss of the complexity is a good thing! The RX400h does make some odd ticking & whirring sounds at start up & shut down - took me a while to get used to it too. In the main it seems to be because all the stuff that's engine driven in an RX300 is electric driven in an RX400h. Things like the power steering pump, the climate control - you'll no doubt have noticed that the engine doesn't star in the same way as your past RX300 too, all part of owning a Hybrid. The pulling to the right could be down to something as simple as tyre pressures or tyre wear, so I'd start there, especially if there has already been a 4 wheel alignment. Unless...... if it is only when you pull away under firm acceleration, because the RX400h is fundamentally front wheel drive & all that engine power causes something called "torque steer" which is down to the front tyres trying to put all that energy onto the road through only the front wheels. Either way a reputable tyre company should be able to advise you if the tyres are at fault or not. Hope that helps Marty.

There are a few, some may affect you some may not! External mirrors can be a giveaway come resale time. Residual values on such far eastern imports are (with very few exceptions) dramatically lower than UK supplied vehicles. Not a problem if you plan to buy & run it 'til it drops, but otherwise beware. The Harrier was never sold here, so any mechanical, electrical & trim/panel differences may have to be resolved via parts & advice from Japan. I dare say there are specialists out there, so check on this before you buy. I'm not sure about the radio, but if its like the USA item I once encountered the FM skips in 0.2 steps so a lot of European (inc UK) stations were missed because of this. Maybe a list of Japanese radio stations would show up the increments apart they use & guide you? Google I think! Air bags, I have no idea, sorry. Above all of that you should check if your car would have to undergo a full SVTA test before being legal (single vehicle type approval) similar to a kit car before it can be UK registered. Pan_european stuff is usually OK, but you're buying from further afield so this might apply. It checks everything you can think of, if the pain is hard, think of it as being a sure fire way to know if there's anything going to make your car dangerous. sadly reliability isn't included! Me? I'd buy in the UK & avoid the potential problems, especially as the values of petrol SUV's is falling now due to pump prices.

The problem you have isn't the key, it's going to be something in the door locking mechanism in the door itself. It may even be as simple as a detached wire in the door. As a fellow 400h owner I agree with your wife..... the 450h isn't as attractive a vehicle (so I'm sticking too). The 450 with the air springs (SEL up) has slightly better handling, but, based owners I've spoken to, no better fuel consumption! Despite the 40mpg claim. Good luck!

OK, simple start. I own a 400h, I see a regular 32mpg with only mild restraint. I have seen (holding back to 60mph) on a 250 mile run an amazing 37mpg! I have repeated that, so it is possible. Better though (once you get into the slightly different mindset of Hybrid driving) is the constant 28mpg around the city I live. I have a 1600 petrol Mini for such work & it can't better that. Fuel will continue to rise in price, if only through artificial tax rises - another 5p per litre is going on early in 2012. So, if mid 20's is OK with you buy a 350, the price difference will buy a lot of fuel. The Hybrid stuff needs virtually zero care & in other parts of the world has substantially better warranties than here in the UK. That tells me two things, 1, even Lexus subscribes to rip off Britain, 2, they know more about the reliability than they will tell us - no manufacturer warrants something to last 100,000 miles unless they are damn sure it will do it! The only downside of a 400h is the "initialisation battery" goes flat if the car is left standing for a couple of weeks - a booster box is needed to start, but not to turn over, the hybrid battery does that! Weird! As you correctly point out though depreciation is the killer & it's why there's such a large price difference on the forecourts atm. That will only get worse over time as Hybrids are being released by most major manufacturers. Ask yourself a simple question. "If petrol goes through £1.50 per litre how many people will buy a large 3.5 petrol SUV?" You see, the Lexus 350 is a great car - however, if you plan/need to sell one it's less great & that will get worse over then the next few years. Sadly, with Hybrids, Electric cars, Range Extenders & soon Hydrogen powered vehicles coming out (even the next line in London Routemaster buses will be Range Extenders (a small petrol engine driving a generator only to charge the main batteries for the electric drive train) from 2012) the writing is on the wall for the large petrol engine. Many moved to Diesel, Toyota offered Hybrid instead - more civilised! However CO2 & Fuel prices have determined that even though these are getting better every month the future will lie elsewhere - hydrogen probably (here's my new car, it goes like a bomb!). I wouldn't be an early adopter though, prices will fall, tech will improve & ownership quality will improve. Ownership of either 350 or 400h will cost you at some point, but I guess if you worried deeply about either choice you wouldn't just "buy smart" you'd buy a Smart - probably Diesel too! :-)

If you mean the kit you have is the one socket for all functions, whereas caravans used to have the double socket set up, this the new EU standard & all new caravans are so equipped. If the trailer etc has the old style pulgs you can either get adaptors or have the plugs changed. The new set up actually considered to be more robust & less prone to to random disconnections etc. Just make sure you keep the socket covered when not in use to prevent corrosion.

To be honest ..... I am a loss as to where to start, but here comes my best shot. 1). You don't mention any braking loss, or strange sensations through the pedal. For such a catastophic failure I would have expect more than an alarm & a light on the dashboard. 2). The local garage would have spotted a blow or leaking steering pipes when they checked out the brakes. 3). (With the utmost respect - you say you're "a dumb blonde"!) I think you might have been seen on your way in .... if you follow my drift, it is a question of who you beleive, & the faith you place with them. 4). Are you a member of the RAC or the AA? If so I'd use their independent technical team to a) check the vehicle over & give you a written report as to the nature & probable cost of repairs. This will cost, but in the face of yoursituation you need an expert on side - if only for peace of mind. I'd call the repairing agent & tell them you wish to drive the car away from their premises asap & that you require a written estimate for the repairs, which should be itemised & the time required broken down into stages so you can understand (or rather you appointed mechanic can understand) exactly what the situation you face is. At the same time as requesting that lot I'd make them aware you intend to have the vehicle independantly expected & an engineer's report prepared for comparision. DO NOT tell the Lexus agent who will be preparing that report, it is not their concnern & you need to protect your interests. 5). Do not give up hope, their are many independants who will probably be able to fix your car for substainly less than the £5K+ quoted. 6). once you have the estimate, the local garage's point of view & (if ordered) an independant engineer's report you'll know instinctively the best course forward. However, if the independant report varies wildly for the Lexus dealer's claim I'd point the whole lot at Trading Standards & claim any bill they charge you & the cost of the report back, plus another good sized lump for the upset & inconvenince caused. Hope this helps open some options, be aware, Lexus main dealers, like all their kind whatever the brand badge on the car's nose, are much mre expensive than other options in the vast majority of cases. MartyCee

It is possible that you have a battery that is on it's way out. So before you do anything else I'd get that checked out. It is a known issue with the RX400h that the battery is rather undersized, resulting in a flat battery if the vehicle is left standing for around 10 days to a fortnight. This is because the battery is only to initialise the car's systems & to provide a supply for the alarm etc when the car isn't running. The main power all comes off the Hybrid cell, or via the enigine driven systems when that is low. So, assuming the battery is OK & you have longish standing periods, such as at an airport, the up side is that you don't need a starter from a 3 litre motor. I Have to leave mine at an airport for trips overseas & having had to use the Lexus callout service twice took to having a jump starter in the boot ready for my return. I have a Hilka unit which works well, although I sure many other would do just a good a job. Be aware of the following points though. Tha battery is under a cover that needs a small screwdriver to press the centre to release the clips. These can snap if you not careful refitting them, so either learn before you leave home or at least carry a couple of spares - they can get lost as well. I would not recommend simply leaving the cover off under any circumstances, or trying without the clips. The leads of a starter box are short, to ensure full current transfer. So you should find one with the longest leads possible. You'll always need to find somewhere under the bonnet to safely rest the unit while you start the car. Once the car is running, all the starter will do is activate everything & allow the beep to show the car is "ready" - but wait until the engine is actually running before you disconnect & return the cover back over the battery - a good tip is to turn the heater up high while you pack everything away. This encourages the engine to keep running & charge the battery, because it's being told that you need heat & that only comes from a hot engine. If the engine switches off while you are packing you kit away don't panic. It will restart off the Hybrid battry once the first initialisation has been carried out. The display will (should) still show "ready" to confirm this. If it doesn't you have a bigger problem than a battery. Once moving 15 minutes or so of constant engine power will recharge the battery - unless the lights etc are on, in which case you might need 25 -30 minutes to be sure.

Completley off the mark! ;-) The mpg for any vehicle is reached by the number of miles traveled campared to the amount of fuel used. For example, your Saab will almost certainly shut off the the fuel flow when you lift off the power for deceleration. It was emissions rules that brought this in for new cars a few years back & was the down fall of the carburettor ... but I digress .... those moments of travel are included, just as battery driven, or battery assisted miles are in a Hybrid. Thhe low 30's is about right, although you have to be mindful of the fact that you've got a large 3300cc petrol V6 in the nose, not a 1900 TD. The secret is to adapt your driving style, foot off the power (not feathered) when you lift off, lighter pedal pressures (remember these RX's can shift, 60 can come up in circa 7 seconds if you need it) so what might seem like next to no input in an RX will equate to a firm prod in the Saab. They are very differnt machines & you really must drive a couple of RX Hybrid's before you buy - the trade off is much greater civility inside & the regal feel you have in car parks as you cruise past people in silence (then run them over because theyaren't looking out for cars - they're listening! :-) ), or in traffic jams, when you use little to no fuel, whilst everyone around you is idling their fuel down the exhaust. As a real world insight, I don't hang about (much!) & get 28mpg around the local city, 32-33 on a sensible (ish) run & with a light foot to Lincolnshire (a full day out) I saw 37mpg a couple of times with a genuine, compared at the pumps fill to fill, 35 for the full trip. Now I don't know what you expect, but for a large SUV with over 3 litres of petrol power I think that's pretty fair - friends have "other brands" with Derv motors & most struglle to get within 10mpg of those figures & the best (BMW) can't better them in the real world.

Hi Ed, I went through a similar set of questions when I bought my 2008 400h. I don't think there is a seperate plug for the electrics, I did get very clear advice that fitting a bar to this model is very much a specialist job though, in part due to this very point. All to do with multiplex wiring & ensuring the power stays up when the engine switches off - & remeber this car doesn't have an alternator, it controls things in a different way. As you will no doubt know, the Lexus bar has a fixed ball, well placed for shins! There is a removable ball option from Witter & this can be sourced through them or Towtal who can do the fit as well. All types require a cutaway in the bottom of the bumper. Be aware though, if your caravan is an older model with a blade type stabaliser you'll find this may be a problem with the removable ball type bar. If that isn't a problem make sure the ball is cleaned of the customary black paint befire using it with a friction (pads in the hitch) type stabiliser or you'll have other problems. Check the nose weight applicable, I think the removable type has a higher rating. In theory you can get away with a single socket for the electircs. However you probably wouldn't be wise to to do do, as the second socket provides power to the fridge & charges the caravan battery (which keeps loads of stuff happy that are a pig to reset if the battery voltage drops. If it's the sight of 2 sockets that's the issues (even if it isn't really!) I'd go for a single Euro multipin socket which covers all bases in one, is becoming the standard (already standard on all new caravans) as this is less likey to drop connections & if your caravan has the old twin plug setup there's adaptors on the shelf if you don't convert that end. Anyway, enough rambling ....... I'd get the plastic cards out, bite the bullet & have a pro job done, at least you'll have someone to blame & pay for any issues later! ;-) Marty

These things seem to be as relaible as a Swiss watch! Only 2 things to be aware of as far as I can tell. 1) Check the mapping discs for Sat-Nav, a good dealer will throw them in as part of the deal. 2) They don't like being left standing for long periods because the battery is quite small & doesn't start the engine, it only initialises the systems that start everything. The baattery can go down in 10 days if you don't go anywhwere & needs about 15 minutes driving to ensure it's charged again. In other posts you'll see I'm looking into options for this latter point & so far I've found a larger battery that might (it is VERY close in dimensions) fit, but need to ascertain if it really does fit & what the implications are as far as routine driving/charging is concnered. Solar charging seems to be the best route, but you'll need an extra direct wired socket under the dash because all the Lexus one's are off when the ignition is off. As to fuel consumption................ ummmmmmmmm....... How heavy is your right foot? If you drive hard all the time, using engine power, rather than the Hybrid system you'll get high 20's as a braod idea. However, as you are buying a Hybrid my guess is you'll be in the mind for a little restraint & behavioural change. You won't lose much in journey times (trust me!), but you will save fuel. Tips: when you slow down get right off the acccelerator, the engine stops & re-gen of the Hybrid cell starts - there's a large motorway hill near me & it is kind of cool to sail down with the electric motors holding you back in re-gen mode & the fuel readout reading 99.9mpg! All at 70mph (honest judge!). Accelerate lightly & you'll fone the electric motors assist the petrol engine, rather than a full bore shove & getting below 10mpg al the way. In all I get around 28mpg around town & 32-34 on most longer runs. I have seen a genuine (verified by top to top refills fo the tank) 37mpg, but that does take real discipline - I have firneds with 1.6 engined hatchbacks that just about manage 40mpg on a run & 22- 24 around town, so, for a 3.3 litre SUV the figures stack up. (I have a collegue who bought a RR Sport Diesel within weeks of my Lexus purchase & he gets around........ do you really want to go there? OK ...... 23 mpg at best! Hope these ramblings help .... good luck..... enjoy!

On the the dashboard there's a swith named AUTO for the system, directly below that is a switch named OFF, press that & the system is off while you drive with windows, sunroof etc open - no point in freezing the world..... If you turn the system off when you leave the car it won't fire up when you start up. Alternatively, for the more demanding, press the CLIMATE button below the map screen & you can configure the system to suit your needs, temp, airflow, fan speed (which I suspect is the real reason for your question as it can be full on under Auto, & even if the aircon is running or not. Problem solved? Maybe not! A solution to make it workable? Probably!

The DVD unit for the sat-nav is in the boot, forward most compartment on the right, it faces towards the front & is hidden under a cover.... probably explains your dealer's retisence, they probably can't find it either! ;-) I note you are having a towbar fitted, do you plan to have the fixed bar (as per Lexus) or the alternative from Witter which has a removable towball (&, I think, a higher noseweight). I be grateful for your experiences on this when it's done.

Forgot to add the third possible option .....!!!! Ooooppss! When (IF!) I find the above works I'll approach Lexus with a clear line of how to fix it..... after all they probably only go for the batteries Toyota stock & even the new Prius has a solar roof option (for entirely differnet reasons .... maybe they missed a trick? Maybe I need to contact the Patents Office in short order!). In the ned they will find it harder to reject claims if someone has proved a solution works ...... "Fit for purpose" as in the Sale of Goods Act comes to mind ....... any car that fails on something as basic as a repeatedly flat battery could weel be failing under that criteria.

In light of this problem I am taking 2 (with a possible third later) route towards a solution. 1. A larger battery must exist somewhere, if not in physical dimensions, surely in terms of a better amp/hr rating. Now before everyone jumps up & down with joy there may be downsides to this. a) Warranty, always a b***er when you resort to non standard kit! For my part I'd argue this through to the High Court if penalised, the voltage remains the same & the extra capacity stays in the battery & doesn't feed extra current into the system. However it might weel extend airport park ups & similar by a measurable amount, because the voltage won't go critical so quickly. 2. If you only do short(ish) trips most of the time you won't achieve anything with the above in the long run because the battery will take long to charge as you drive ...... eventually you could kill the battery through lack of charge. So ................... Solar charging to keep the power up no matter what. I;ve used these things with my motorhome to amazing affect, a 90amp/hr battery dropped to 50% overnight through use can be restored to health through a 90watt panel. Now thats extreme, so a 5watt (ish) panel should do the job one most days. Bear in mind even a street light can give a small amount of power through a solar panel. The principal isn't a constant charge, more a varying charge dependant on light .... so a shaded parking spot might need a bigger panel to gather enough light to be effective. These can be bought for about £30, less than a replacement battery. However it will require a seperate in car socket with a feed to the battery, to modify one of the Lexus dash fitted ones would be unwise (& a warranty issue for those so affected) ..... unless the one on the boot is constantly powered............ IMPORTANT!!!!!! If you decide to follow this route independently make sure you fit or have inclded in the solar panel a blocking diode or a supply controller. If you don't you can lose power back to the panel .... not a good idea. If anyone's interested I'll post my findings as & when I have them. Of course the real answer might be both at the same time .............. as J. Clarkson would put it ......POWEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!