katabrontes

Probably frozen. I had to pull mine very hard to open it a few days ago when it was very cold. Pull it open and see if the power will close it.

It happens from time to time on my 350. It usually turns off again after a few minutes. I suspect you could resolve any MOT problem by turning it off using the button I the glove box (that's where it is on mine). I would check with your usual garage about the MOT. I very much doubt it would be a failure as it doesn't affect the dip/main function and only "steers" the dipped beam lights around corners subject to a few limitations which are described in the handbook (speed above about 20 mph and angle of turn more than a little). The other irritating intermittent "event" (not a fault as everything works when it happens) is that the three warning lights for brakes, VSC and one other come on from time to time or don't switch off after starting. It has been like this for about 10 years and if they stay on they will clear if you switch off the engine and restart it again. I have told my garage about this trick and it has passed its MOT every time

Hi Conor I fitted HID bulbs to my 350 several years ago and they have been excellent. Quite an easy job, you just need to be careful to disconnect the battery as the output from the power unit is pretty high voltage. The bulbs fit the original light socket. I got mine from Autobulbs Direct and they cost about £100 I think they are cheaper now. Apart from a slight delay as they warm up after first switch on they are excellent and floodlight the road well ahead. Mike

"Nothing wrong with the car" - Who says? Sounds very odd.

I would buy a good 350 if you can find one, it's a much better car. OK the tax is a bit more and fuel consumption not quite as good (actually the difference in fuel cost over a year isn't that much). You will pay a lot less than for a high mileage 400 and servicing, at a local non Lexus dealer will be much cheaper. None of the high risk failures like inverter, air suspension, back up battery etc that have been described with the 400 series. I have mine since 2020 and never regretted the choice. A 450 would have cost about £8K more when I bought it.

Oh dear! Makes me quite pleased I am hanging on to my 2006 350. I will need to replace it eventually but these sort of problems with hybrids are worrying. I thought the 450 had solved the auxiliary battery problems which seemed to be quite common with the 400 series.

I have a similar liar problem on my 2006 350. I adjusted seat to drop the front edge a bit which helps and occasionally have slipped a small folded towel under one hip which also helps. I think it's my hip that is the problem not the seat.

Hi Rowley I hope the 400 is a great success and you are happy with it. As to the road tax after noting that e-card are now to be taxed I wonder how long the reduced rates for " low emission" cars will last. I note that the first year premium on " expensive cars" (most e ones) also applies to electric cars. As the road tax take continues to fall it is likely that more concessions will be withdrawn. When I bought my 350 it would have cost about £8K more to buy a 450. So far the saving has easily covered the extra tax and small extra fuel cost. I will keep it a few more years and will then have to change it for a 450 but I think the only benefit will be the redesigned door cills and the convenient camera in the wing mirrors. I will still use my TomTom for navigation.

Look for a good RX350!

I had one fail in 2010 soon after I bought my 2006 350. It was fixed in France although it took two visits to the main agent to diagnose it. Fortunately it was also one of the front bank so easy to fit. No problems since so I wouldn't worry too much. Just bad luck.

That looks very like the letter I had from Lexus which I translated with Google!

Another point worth remembering is that the 300/400 have cam belts but the 350/450 have chains which don't require replacement

Hi Terry My 2006 350 has been superbly reliable and apart from a failed coil on one of the plugs soon after I bought in 2010 it has been trouble free. It's a lovely car and I would prefer it to the older gen 400. I did have a small leak into the space under the boot compartment which was caused by a displaced drain tube from the rear NS drain from the sunroof. I fixed this by replacing the last 10cm or so of the plastic tube with a length of copper pipe and it hasn't recurred. I have dithered over replacing it with a newer (2018-20) 450 but, especially since the silly prices they are fetching at the moment I have decided to keep it for another few years. You could find a good 350 quite cheaply now ( much less than a 400 I suspect) although they are not easy to find. The eco hysteria is driving the prices of hybrids up but you get quite a lot of petrol for the difference. A 450 would have cost about £8K more when I bought my 350 and I doubt it has cost me that much extra to run it since.

Lexus service or independent?

When we lived in Cyprus our garage, and most others I think, advised oil and filter change at 5K. Of course it is pretty hot there in summer but the advice was " Oil's cheap but engines aren't "

Try contacting the Toyota CEO in Japan (akio.toyoda@toyota.co.jp). I had exactly the same problem with a query about my Surf (= Four-runner) a few years ago. The CEO answered quite quickly and was very helpful.

OK thanks. Good luck with the sale mike

I assume this would fit my RX350. Can you arrange delivery to GU299LD? How much do you want? Mike

Send it back and get a refund. It will never be right and the dealer clearly is well below par : 1 These problems would have been optorted out before you had it. 2. The dealer clearly doesn't know why the warning lights keep coming on so how will they fix this. Get a refund and buy one from another dealer.

Absolutely agree. Mine is 2006 and has been trouble free since I bought it in 2011. No inclination to "upgrade" to a 450. You get a lot of petrol for the difference in cost even at today's prices (and a decent 2016 is a lot more expensive than it would have been a couple of years ago) The only significant benefit I can see is the redesigned door fills which don't catch in your trousers as you get out. Not a lot for about £30K!

Buy a TomTom - much cheaper!

It looks as if it has air suspension (see pic 28 switch to right of gear lever) which might not be to everyone's liking. Otherwise looks pretty clean. Mine is a little younger (56) and has still only 70K on it and I plan to keep it for another few years yet. Lovely car to drive and my trial of a 450 a couple of years ago didn't impress me that it was worth a change. The modified sills on the 450 are a small bonus as they stop you catching your trousers on the sill as you get out but not a big gain for the extra cost!

Hi Peter, Ii hope you are pleased with your decision. At this very low mileage you might not live long enough to save the extra cost of an EV. I would have kept the Lexus! Mike

This happens to me quite often. It resets if you restart the engine. I have had it checked several times and no fault codes show up and the brakes work perfectly. No one seems to understand why it happens.

Look at LG on line which was very good last year. I had to move to Saga this year (much more expensive) to get extended cover in Europe.