SH20

I take for granted pressing the fuel flap release button on every car I have owned which had one but when it fails to spring open it's really annoying and then have to release it manually via the access panel in the boot. I heard that RX or was it NX have history with this and assume the mechanism is probably the same for most Lexus cars. Although my LS500 is under warranty it's still a bore to have to arrange a 40 mile round trip to the dealer. Sometimes the flap releases just a smidge and I can get my finger nails in just enough to get it open. Probably the dealer will want the car all day unless they know ahead of a visit what the part/issue is. Why is it that Lexus will readily supply winter mats and mud flaps for a lot of their models but some models like my own car get left behind. My first LS back in 2015 a 2007 model had a lot more accessories on a 3 day order incl mats and mud flaps. I recall when I looked for mud flaps for my previous car a ES300 there were no official parts from Lexus but I obtained some from China on Ebay and they turned out to have been designed as a non OE part for the ES. A number of members obtained them and they were a perfect fit, front and rear, with all fixings lining up exactly with the original button fixings/bolts within the wheel arch liners.

LPD came through again only this time using my correct vehicle chassis number. Full 10% discount applied apart from new locking wheel nuts at 8% discount for some reason. E.G Lexus Hull cost for a touch up stick £15.00 incl vat no discount whatsoever and LPD £7.75 incl vat full 10% discount so going forward looks like LPD will be supplying anything that I need/want. I'm also going back to Stoke for servicing and have a day out at Tatton Park while it's being serviced next year. See no reason why I should support a dealer local to me when they don't seem interested in developing a relationship with me or my car. Their loss I think in terms of service/MOT income. LPD say 3 day turn round for orders which seems fair. LPD are Fish Bros of Swindon a multi franchise operation incl Lexus.

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Did a parts enquiry with LPD and thought giving them my reg number would be sufficient for them to identify it. They did identify a car which was my previous ES and proceeded to quote for the accessories I asked for. Only because the touch up stick said red mica did I twig which car they pulled through on their search criteria, my previous red Lexus ES300h on my private plate. Start over I thought so replied to their e mail and quoted the chassis number of the LS. I'll see what response that gets.

I'm convinced now that this dealer's family run franchise operation is all about making you want to keep coming back. The salesman said he had worked for Audi for a long time as part of a big group and their policy was to give nothing away.

I was told to expect something in the post by the salesman at Lexus Stoke in approximately a weeks time after collecting the car. It arrived today and now I know why he was taking photos of the car in the hand over/viewing room. Just need a place to hang it but thoughtful I think.

Thank you Kieran and Paul, I sent an enquiry off to LPD to see what they might do.

The LS's 6 year old leather wasn't as bad as I first thought and maybe the previous owner kept up to it but you can see the difference between before and after today and the previously spotless micro fibre cloths show how the dirt is lifted off. It’s harder to reflect black leather that needs cleaning but the ES I bought in July with Tan leather is a great example of a deep clean with a good leather cleaner like Swissvax leather cleaner. Some dealers (Cambridge) just don't have a clue on how to clean an interior prior to retailing it. The image of the wet foamy bolster is just to emphasis that you have to agitate the product and not be afraid to rub hard. The perforated leather is not a problem and it doesn't soak through to the underlying layers. Once cleaned and the matt black finish is reinstated the Swissvax milk is applied to feed/moisten the leather and then buffed back to the matt finish all new leather has when brand new. The centre arm rest reflects this. The oil and grease etc can't be helped with regular use of any car but periodic cleaning and feeding will keep it looking great. The rest of the leather surfaces will be done going forward and there is a lot of it. I admit to being anal about such things but if ever a car deserved to look it's best it's this LS. I'm 70 years old next month and still as enthusiastic about detailing vehicles as ever.

Kevin, I bow to your superior knowledge and benefits of the LS500's air suspension. I consider myself an older person and reasonably fit and healthy and from memory don't ever remember using the air suspension in the LS460 SE-L I had back in 2015. I knew it existed but rarely used it but as you say the technical differences are significant in the LS500 in terms of access and seat/steering wheel positioning etc. I have to assume the suspension goes low in Sport and Sport + due to the way the car responds to throttle imputs but actually can't see it from my seat or even get a sense it has gone lower. The only thing I would have liked to have been able to do would have been to lift off the rear screens on the front seats which will get no real use from me. But as they are fixed that's not possible. The wife does love the otterman though especially when the massage function is on and the spot heat is activated.

I believe b4u2 that there are about 100 LS sales a year in this country so yes not surprised that they not so common on the roads in the UK. This car was one of those models that I had always thought was out of reach because in this country we get taken to the cleaners when it comes to list pricing. I understand fully that the USA are Toyota's biggest market and the yanks just won't pay sky high prices but car makers know in the UK they can charge what they like. A $100,000 car in the States will be a £130,000 in this country for the very same vehicle, nothing really to do with transport costs or exchange rates, they just know we have always been a soft touch. Moving on, this car was older than my trade in, a 2022 ES300h with Premium Pack but the LS feels and drives like a much younger car and the specification is off the charts for sure. I would think the difference in model, age and spec in monetary terms was about £10K approx in 2023. This will likely be a keeper, my sixth Lexus and under the Lexus Relax warranty scheme should be very reliable. Although Lexus have now dropped the word Relax from their sales pitch and just say a 10 year warranty based on servicing the car once a year or every 10,000 miles up to 100,000 miles. I did add the LS to the My Lexus App on my phone and noticed in the service history it had a fuel pump in the last six years, just one fuel pump in all that time under warranty. No wonder dealers say they wouldn't mind doing more warranty work if they could get it as it's very profitable I'm told. I bet Jaguar Land Rover would just love the warranty rate numbers Lexus have. Today I am going to clean specifically the driver's seat and although black leather masks dirt well I can assure you after six years it will looked transformed using Swissvax leather cleaner the best leather cleaner there is. I'll post a picture.

Hi Jon, yes they are the dealer who is challenging the discount. I will challenge them in turn and use the EMAC national agreement when new service plans are taken out.

Turned off the access mode for the air suspension, not sure why 40mm difference getting in and out of the car helps, in fact the pump would be working during these up and down movements for little real advantage. There is only 2 parking heights, normal and high and in the high position the car looks silly when parked up. I can see a benefit in snow conditions when you activate it and I assume in Sport mode or Sport mode + the car hunkers down automatically anyway. Makes sense to deactivate if a wheel is removed for any reason.

No listing for mats, boot liner, cargo net so will need to go via a dealer. Don't want to have to travel 150 miles back to the dealer who sold me the plan who will give the discount.

Not sure if my local dealer is being selective regarding discounts that a service plan entitles you to. Bought the car in Stoke and took out a service plan which allows me to have it serviced anywhere in the UK. All new Lexus plans are Administered by EMAC at a National level and my plan clearly states in the covering letter that 10% discount on accessories and mechanical repairs is available. It's been suggested that if I didn't take out the plan by the dealer where I want to purchase some accessories then the discount doesn't apply. Parts I want are winter rubber mats, boot liner, new locking wheel nuts, touch up stick and a cargo net all of which are accessories. Anyone confirm this before I take it further.

Peter rang me today to check the car was all ok after the 150 mile trip back home yesterday. He remembered you Mick when I mentioned a Forum member had commented on my own experience with him and Lexus Stoke of course. Noted that you went back to Stoke for service which says a lot about the confidence you have in them.

In brief I wasn't leaving these on or in the ES I traded for my LS500h yesterday. Message me if you want a deal. S/Saver and fixing bolt, tool tray, boot liner, mud flaps and ES front winter mats. You'll know what they cost.

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 !!

Collected car on the 1st Dec and saw the car on a 4 post ride on lift, all ok underneath, no scuffs or broken/damaged undertrays etc. It looks like a tank underneath and the jacking points are a work of art, solid aluminum castings in each corner unlike other Lexus cars which rely on the sill flange seam to support the car. I guess the weight of the car requires a bit more support/strength when it's raised. The car was riding high as it was driven on the ramp and asking the technician if they de activate the air suspension if they use a two post lift which would allow the 4 wheels to hang down he said no, it just sorts itself out he said so clearly they do not not. Prior to taking the car home it settled down to a normal height and access to turning it off is via the settings which you access via the steering wheel buttons so it can be deactivated and will auto reset to active as soon as the car drives off. When the wheels come for cleaning I will de active the system as per the handbook. Prior to looking into what a modern run flat tyre was I had considered keeping my space saver wheel out of my ES but doesn't seem to be much point. I paid for the tyre insurance policy before I left as a back up. Must find the locking wheel nut as I don't remember seeing it. The only tool in the boot is a tow eye. I have a couple of weeks detailing the car ahead of me and waiting on half a litre of Swissvax leather cleaner to arrive from Switzerland, the best cleaner out there.

Thanks Mark and Kieran, although the online 2017 LS500h manual could only be be viewed on my laptop but wouldn't save to my laptop I could read the height control disable process which appears to be via the steering wheel function controls in settings. So I'm glad I now know you have to switch it off if you want or need to take a wheel off. It would appear it automatically reverts back to normal operation once the car reaches over 19 mph. Should I assume the technicians know all about this as I've arranged to have a look at the underside of the car on a lift which is likely to be a 2 post lift. Let's hope so.

Trading my March 2022 ES300 Prem Pack at 22.5K miles for a 2017 LS500h Premier and took a hit on the ES when I could get no more that £27K for it after paying £32K in July this year. I think we have seen the last of high value used cars.

I'm guessing the dealer will be able to clarify this question when I collect the LS tomorrow but I like to sense check against members knowledge as often they know more than dealers. Does the air suspension fitted to this car require to be put into a jacking mode before lifting any corner of the car or when all 4 wheels are lifted off the ground on a 2 post lift when the wheels hang down unsupported. I ask because one of my previous vehicles had to be put into Jack Mode before it was lifted into the air. If you didn't the ECU's controlling the suspension would fail to recognise the change the air struts were in and when it was lowered on the floor the ride hide went bonkers and the struts would no longer do their job. In fact the suspension went rock hard. I will check the handbook if I get a vague answer from the dealer but maybe someone has an opinion. I also did a little research on the run flat tyres the car has and imagined it was some sort of lubricant that was released when the tyre went flat, a bit like the old Denovo tyres that existed decades ago. I was pleased to see that run flat tyres today rely on a very strong reinforced sidewall which will support the weight of the car when flat or losing pressure. This then allows for a conventional vulcanised puncture repair but the car can run for up to 50 miles at approx 50 mph. I have taken out a 3 year tyre insurance policy with the dealer for £275 which allows for unlimited puncture repairs and 5 new tyres if a tyre can't be repaired but with a £300 limit per tyre. Seems like a reasonably priced option to me.

Given it is almost impossible to prevent the theft of any car which thieves are determined to take it must make a second theft drive an owner to think why bother having a Lexus when Lexus do nothing to make it very hard to steal. It's my understanding that an i pod Air Tag hidden in the car will work to locate a car as it works off blue tooth and it's signal cannot be blocked. It is my guess DrShockr could not find the car by using the My Lexus App because the car's GPS locator was blocked from transmitting it's position. I've heard that thieves use a device which plugs directly into the auxiliary socket. It has a pair of antennas and blocks the car's own GPS locator, any Tracker fitted or Black Box which Insurance Companies offer policyholders to lower premiums, the black box uses vehicle telematics to record driving habits, excess speed, harsh braking, young driver types. Don't ask me how the device in the aux socket does what it does or how it works because I don't know but the Air Tag is immune from having it's signal blocked. Just like you might use an air tag to track anything or anyone from your phone it has to be worth considering. I'm about to trade my ES in for a LS500h and have ordered an Air Tag rather than rely on the so called security devices Lexus think are so vital to their cars. Devices which clearly do not do a good enough job. The air tag won't prevent a car's theft but will locate it.

I'm trying to not think too deeply about the security of the LS and don't know for sure if the Can buss is something the LS is a known target vehicle. All Lexus approved vehicles are overpriced in my opinion and are regularly £3K+ above the retail industry valuation guides such as Black Cap and Glasses Guide. Equally all Lexus dealers want your car for Average or Good Condition prices and never ever do they offer retail even though they sell well above retail after they take your car in if it's age is young enough to warranty putting on their forecourt. I finally received £3K more over the original first offer for my car but it was hard work. They will have amended their asking price rather than have my car go though their books at above retail. The LS has done 32K miles over 6 years and was registered 1.12.17 albeit it was the 2018 model car. It has the standard 20 inch polished wheel rims and need special repair to outside suppliers if they get damaged unlike ordinary painted alloy wheels. I'm taking tyre cover out as the LS has run flat tyres and for £275 for a 3 year policy you get unlimited punctures and 5 new tyres if they can't be repaired. However, with a £300 max limit to a new tyre and the tyre must have over 2mm of tread otherwise it is classed as in need of a new one anyway. I do use a wheel clamp, even on my drive, but that is only a visual thing because if it's targeted they will get it somehow. For the second time though I find myself with a space saver spare wheel and the replacement Lexus tool tray that is needed if you have a space saver. I'm not leaving these in the ES as I would prefer to try and sell them to an ES owner. I did that last time and a member bought them. I have the genuine Lexus boot liner which only came back out as an accessory a few months ago and although it won't be a direct fit in a LS I'm sure it will suffice. Looking forward to owning it but not the weeks work it will take to machine polish the paintwork. The paint is fine on the LS but I will detail the car and correct the paint because that's what I do on any car, new or used.

OOOh !!! Spooky Jonathan, when I was in the very first stage of discussions with Peter I sent an e mail to him and asked a few questions, one of which was if the rear screens could be removed, something that will get no use from me or the wife. As they are not touch screens in this model year and are just too intrusive and in your face. So fixed they are and not a lot I can do about it. I would have preferred the Premium Pack front seat backs with just the strip of wood veneer on show. There is a 2019 LS500h in Lexus Stockport for the same price with the lower Premium Pack which is still very high spec and I did make an enquiry about it but there was just something about that red leather dash board in the car I'm buying that pulled me right in. Like all dealers they often want to steal your car when trading in a vehicle. After a lot of offers and counter offers and rejection outright of their first offer Stoke manipulated the figs to suit their book keeping but I finally got £3000 more for my car but it was hard work getting a figure for mine that was only just acceptable. At one point I said I would need to withdraw and it wasn't a bluff but sensing a lost sale which they thought was in the bag they came back and agreed the figs I thought were much fairer all round. One good thing is the road tax reduction I will benefit from which was a eye watering £560 x 5 years on the ES and now is £212 because it's over 5 years old. The natural progression for me was originally going to be an ES300h Takumi in due course but the actual difference in price against a 6 year old LS wasn't that great albeit the ES would have been a younger car. I'm inclined now to buy the tyre cover at £270 for 3 years just to avoid the high cost of a single tyre should one need replacing plus unlimited puncture repairs. As an insurance premium it's expensive when you think what the whole car costs to insure but tyres are the most venerable part of a car I think.

Small World Jonathan, my impression of Lexus Stoke has been very positive so far much like my experiences with Leeds and Carlisle where I have bought cars. Unlike Cambridge, (just awful) where I bought my last ES300h which Peter is taking in against the LS. Cambridge staff need to spend a week at Stoke to see how it's done. Peter had the LS in the handover room when I arrived which set the standard in my eyes as to how to give a very professional impression. My first Lexus was the LS460 SE-L but as I had not developed any real knowledge of hybrids I was a bit wary of hybrid batteries as I really wanted the LS600h but only with the 4 seat option pack. Alas my courage let me down but still the 460 was glorious. Now of course any Lexus model is more than likely to be bullet proof. Take a look at the sample box I bought on E Bay for the LS 460/600. It contains the wood, leather and paint samples you could choose and Lexus Carlisle told me they used it when sales customers needed a home or business visit by a salesman !!!!!