minus_1uk

Hi and thanks to all members & the help that they provided with their time, trouble and advice. This is truly the best car forum I have ever seen, and although I am now no longer a Lexus owner (sadly), it has been great being in here and really feeling part of a good growing community. Well, I am now no longer a Lexus owner, took the decision once I took the car back to the dealer, they offered me most of the purchase price back, so I took the money & ran. With the total list of faults that Lexus came up with toping out at £3500, not including the A/C problem (leaking) and the wheel hitting the suspension (front) at full lock, which they said needed more investigation. I just felt no confidence with the selling garage to trust what they said about the car. So Lexus no more I am afraid. Spoke to BMW and will find out tomorrow if I have bought (paid the deposit so far) for a 98 728i from BMW Used Approved. Lexus is so scarce up here, (Scotland) only 3 franchises left and none of them hold much in the way of stock, Lexus Edinburgh, my nearest one, has a showroom with 1 of each model in it and 20 cars on the lot and nothing below 20 Grand, so not something I can do. Paid 10K for the Beemer, so it should be beter, approved manufacturer and 3 year warranty. Thanks for all of your help, the garage said they replaced the discs & pads that there was nothing wrong with the caliper or the wheels or tyres, they said that they drove the car (supposedly) and said that it was all fine. Never put this to the test myself. THanks again. Cheers Andrew

Hi Tony, I was told last week by Lexus in Edinburgh, that they are no longer stocked and that the only alternative they could provide was to sell me the MK II Sport Alloys & these were £404 inc VAT. Perhaps thats where the confusion is? Bit strange none the less as your Lexus dealer should ahve access to the same parts as the dealers in Scotland. Cheers Andrew

Hi Tony, Saw that earlier and have emailed him to ask if he would sell them, so thanks for that. Was thinking that if the problem goes away mostly then a balance can't not help, so will try that before splashing the cash on alloys & tyres. Cheers Andrew

Hello All, Well my saga continues and having spoken to the selling garage again, and Lexus today, the folowing is happening. Lexus know that the o/s/f caliper is binding on and not freeing itself, the weel is then sticking wiht the brakes/caliper not releasing so it is getting very very hot as is the disc on that side. Lexus also suggested, as has my mechanic, that the best thing to do is to try to free off the caliper and failing that, replace it. I spoke to the selling garage, who after ca call from me and my call to trading standards (who then phoned them) are now saying that they will replace the discs and pads at the front with real Lexus ones, and free off or replace the caliper. THe car goes in on Monday and all I have to pay for this is £140 total. If they can not solve the caliper fault they will replace it. Once this is done, I can then roadtest the car, this may even solve the problem. Any thoughts on this? Is it worth getting the alloys balanced anyway after this has been done to see if it can help? THanks again for any and all ideas, thoughts and help. Cheers Andrew

Hi All, As I have posted elsewhere in the main GS300 forum, I need new alloys (actually x5) for my Mk1 Lexus GS300 Sport. I have only had the car 2 weeks, but have now found that all of the alloys are shagged, all out of true when you try to balance them and both National tyre and Lexus have confirmed this. It's causing a shake in the steering circa 60-80 mph. So, I need to get new alloys. Lexus no longer make or have access to the MK1 Sport alloys and want £404 per alloy for the MK2 Sport alloys, which are nice, but that price is whithout tyres and thats just too much. Has anyone else fitted new alloys to their sport (they are 18") and if so, what looks good and what was the price or where did they go to get them. Look forward to any and all replys. Cheers Andrew

Hi Tony, Thanks for the quick reply. yes, you are right and I did ask Lexus about the MOT thing and they said that different MOT stations apply the rules diferently, so one may fail for some things and one may pass, its down to the original examiner. The car had an MOT from September 2003. THis was not done by the garage who sold it, as they pointed out already. The car does have a months warranty, but only a basic one and most of the work required is not under cover (of course). Trading standards at least said that they would look at the report that Lexus will provide (and charge me for), but I am not hopeful at all that they will do anything. Lexus last serviced the car in Feb 2001 at circa 40,000 miles, but that was over 2 years ago. Thanks for this, any and all posts appreciated. Cheers Andrew

Hello All, Well have now had Lexus have a look at my car (just had her 2 weeks and she is a 95/96 GS300 Sport with 52K miles, FLSH) and have a list of the faults so far. Should hopefully be nothing else, and collect again tomorrow, before trying to have an argument with the garage I bought the car from. They are as follows: All 5 alloys are buckled and need to be replaced. Lexus no longer stock the original Mk1 Sport 18" alloys, can sell me the Mark II Sport 18" alloys at £404 each x5. £1600 (no furhter damage to the suspension that they could find) 2 of the tyres are beyond repair and need to be replaced. They are 245 40 ZR 18's. Again they quote £170 each. £340. There is play in the o/s front ball joint, £132 to fix and replace. THe n/s front brake caliper is sticking on and has to be replaced, £342. There is a leak from the A/C compressor. THe rear discs are corroded. (they said that they could probably be skimmed) The rear brake pipes all need replaced. The o/s front tyre is hitting the front suspension when the car is on full lock. Thats what they ahve found and will charge me £140 for this without fixing anything, although at least I now know. THey have not as yet given a price to fix the later problems listed, but I will get that tomorrow. So, at least nothing major is wrong, apart from the new alloys and tyres. I am having my own mechanic get a price for the work thats needed, and I know that that will be cheaper than Lexus. I know that alloys & tyres will cost me circa £1000 depending on what i find or choose, but again will be in 18" with the right tyres. The other things all don't seem like major problems, so does anyone think that the best thing to do is put up, shut up and pay the money (to Lexus or my mechanic) and get the work done, get the wheels and enjoy the car. I don't really blame the car or Lexus for this but the selling local garage (which wasn't Lexus), and they do not want to pay or contribute. Already tried the police (as against road traffic act to sell non road worthy car) and they said not intrested, Trading Standards, not good service from garage, but can't and couldn't enfore them to do anything, leaving the courts as the only other option and that would cost me again for a lawyer and take time as well. I wouldn't say so far that this has put me of Lexus, so is the car (when right) good to drive (my first Lexus you see) and is she otherwise worth keeping. Sorry this is so long, but really want the opinions of you seasoned Lexus owners and drivers. Thanks for your help in advance. Cheers Andrew

Hi Again, Is there a gold discount with Lexus in Edinburgh or with the following company. http://www.raceandroad.com/about_us.asp For what I am about to pay out, it would make a difference and I can join up for going Gold. They have quoted circa £1100 with Goodyear F1 tyres x4 and Martix Energy 18" alloys. This includes, valves, balancing, delivery to Scotland, and locking wheel nuts. Does this seem good & does anyone have any favourites that they know look good with the GS300 Sport Mk1. Cheers Andrew

Hi Again, Well just a quick question. Does anyone have any recomendation on tyres or suppliers? What about Hankook tyres in the sport size 18" 245 40 ZR 18. Are they any good, already had a quote to replace my alloys with BK 9 spoke alloys, seems as close to the car as possible and at a great price, just under £800 all round, delivered, VAT & balanced. Are these alloys a good make and what about the tyres. Cheers for any thoughts or advice. The same place also has AVON & Goodyear F1 tyres. AVON is £130 each & Goodyear is just under £150 each. Andrew

Hi they are the standard Lexus issue GS300 Sport alloys & yes, the outside looks great, not in any way ruined, all clean lines, no chips, cracks, defects that I could see, so was very careful of looking at them, but without taking them off and checking there was no way to see what is behind the alloy. I am taking the car to Lexus themselves to see what they say or to see if they can come up with a solution, so we shall see what happens then. Cheers Andrew

Hi It was National Tyre & Exhaust & they are Uk wide. No, they are not a garage that do anything for or with alloys, so they had no axe to grind at all. Even I could see that the weels were not spinning true when on the balancing machine & that the wobble was there on the alloy on the inside of each. Some are worse than others, but still there all the same. Car is going to Lexus in Edinburgh on Monday or Tuesday, so will get it taken care of then hopefully. CHeers Andrew

Well hello to all, I have found the problem/solution to my new lexus owning woes. The GS300 Sport I bought had a vibration in the steering which i noticed and posted about before has been caused by damaged alloys. I took the car in today to get all 4 tyres balanced and when they came off the car and went to do it, they noticed and pointed out that all of the alloys (including the spare) were all out of true and were all kinked on the inside of the alloy. Every single one, can you beleive it. I couldn't & phoned the garage (not Lexus) that i bought it from and they basically said tough, or worse words to that effect. So need to get new alloys and tyres. What is best at this time? Go for after market good alloys and tyres instead of something that is as close to the real thing or get reproduction wheels, fit the Lexus center cap and let no one be the wiser? Good to hear your views. Have spoken to one company I had a recomendation to and they quoted £900 - £1000 all fitted, alloys, tyres (at the right size) and balanced and fitted. Does this seem good, rememeber I am in Scotland. Thanks for any help or advice anyone can give. Cheers Andrew

Hi Giys, Well found out that is cosing the problem. Took the car to National Tyre to get the weels balanced (even Lexus do not balance on the car ehre and said that it is not different) and all 5 of my alloys are goosed. Every alloy is kinked on the inside, there wasn't even any point in balancing. Solution is new tyres for the Sport & new 18" alloys all round to cure the judder. Lexus are 300 pounds per wheel and 200 per tyre. Can anyone suggest a solution please? Is there a good source for new alloys as I like the look of the original sport alloys. Never had to do this before, so is there some advice anyone can give. Cheers Andrew

Hi Colin, Thanks for this. yes, I thought that too, but both my own mechanic (who has not wanted to look at it as he said that the garge I bought it from should do any work necessary) and Lexus both said that with after market discs and pads, they may not have fitted properly and mated correctly, so both Lexus and my mechanic said best thing to do is fit proper Lexus parts & go from there. The garage I bought the car from, said that they had this problem on a car they service and fitting proper Lexus parts fixed it. I am hoping that this is the case and not anything more serious. Any and all thoughts are appreciated on this. THanks again

Hello All, I posted my first post last wekk to say that I had just bought my first Lexus and how pleased I was. Well this has lasted a week until I was really able to really take the car for a drive. THe sysmptoms I am getting are like others on here, but wanteed to post to ask the questions so hope that's ok. The car seems fine until you get to about 50 mph, it then develops a shaking in the steering column which is bad enough to vibrate my watch and hads and arms. THe gets worse as you increase speed through to about 80 mph when it seems to lessen. However it is not there all the time, it is worse when you start driving the car and seems to last for about the first 10-15 miles. After that it seems to mostly go away. On driving the car on Sunday night back from Glasgow, I had to break from about 60 mph to go through a chicane section of cones and change lanes, this caused an extremly violent shaking of the whole sterring wheel and column and I had to literally fight with the car to keep in a straight line. Now before I bought the car, she had had a non Lexus set of front discs and brakes fitted by the last garage who had her when the previous owner complained about the same thing. They fitted after market versions, not official Lexus parts due to cost. I have had the car to my own mechanic and he was dismayed by the feeling of driving and the shake. He thinks the car may be a complete lemon, is this the case does anyone think? As there have been a few posts re this problem is it a common one? My car is a Lexus GS300 Sport Mark 1 Nov 95, with 52K miles and previous full Lexus history. Now I spoke to the selling (non Lexus) garage, who had said that there was a vibration, when I bought the car and did say that they new that it had non lexus discs & brakes fitted, alhtough they had not done the work, they know of the problem. THey certianly did not describe it as being a violent as it actually is and in my test drive it did not really come up at all. After arguing with them, they have agreed to go to Lexus, pick up new brake discs x2, full Lexus set of pads and the pins (was told that these are needed & may not even have been fitted via after market) required and will fit them. They have quoted £280 for this and have agreed that I only pay half. Will this fix the problem and does this seem fair? Or is there anything else lurking and hidden? Sorry to go on so long, but it is a concern and the car did seem so nice, I want to want her again and not be concerned. Is there anything else I should get done? Thanks again Andrew