BigChange

Thanks for the comments. Glad I was cautious, might have had more than a flat battery to deal with. Now the challenge of deciding what charger to buy from what appears to be a huge choice. Garage (Subaru) suggests CTek at £75. Seems bit pricey compared to the range offered by for example Screwfix. Different volts, different amps, different battery types - I'm no electrical engineer so it is bewildering. Back to the garage I think !

I know that the hybrid can be started with a jump lead but can the IS start another car. Problem is flat battery on wife's car. It is not clear (to me) from the handbook if the hybrid battery (in the boot?) can be used to jump start or if the connections in the engine compartment must be used. I don't want to get a big electric shock !

Maybe the buy decision has already been made but as a long term ex-BMW driver the only real complaint (small 'c') I have is that the boot space is small and depth not good. Its a struggle to pack the kitchen sink when we go away. Compensated for by the comfortable, long distance ride and no backache. My granddaughter always remarks on the quiet ride. Out of the mouths of babes....!. And if you need some oomph, flooring the pedal so that it depresses the 'button' below it gives a good overtaking kick.

While we are on squeaks I get a gentle tapping sound above my head . It seems to come from the base of the stalk of the sun visor or perhaps behind the vanity light. Only when it is cold and (annoyingly) only on the driver side. Have tried banging the roof area with my fist but the only thing which seems to help is warm weather or once the car is heated up inside . Of course by the time I get to the garage the car is warm and the tapping stops. Did try recording it but all the other car noises were also picked up. Has anyone else experienced this tapping and if so, what was the cause/solution?

I have the same car and experienced the same problem (during the MOT). It's an expensive item but fortunately it was covered under warranty and was changed for me by Lexus. I would suggest your supplier/garage first, especially as you have just got the car. There is a string on this subject, around March/April if I remember correctly.

Had exactly the same and thought it was tyres slipping on wet leaves but apparently it has to do with the electric steering set up and is quite normal. I have no abnormal tyre wear apart from the inner rear wheels and again, that is regarded as "normal".

Ishay, I notice you are Other/non UK so maybe it is a feature unique to your area. In any event a short call to Lexus should solve the problem. Its a new car so there is always the warranty to fall back on.

For what it's worth have just returned from many miles in France and used E10/95 petrol throughout (on one occasion there was no choice). Mostly motorway but did not notice any difference in performance or mpg. But I did notice the difference in price !

With a hybrid the first sign of problems is usually a failure to boot into ready mode possibly with false codes. Can the hybrid car then be jump started, to get to a (lexus) garage to buy a new battery ?

Is that only 16k miles after 5 years ? Presumably nothing untoward with the hybrid battery ? Is it miles or time or driving style which impacts most on the battery, or just luck?.

This was discussed previously (but sorry, can't remember the tag). As far as I know my car has xenon lights and initially failed its MOT because of headlight alignment. However thanks to my diligent independent, it turned out that a bulb had failed and after replacement all was well. There is apparently an alignment adjuster and if you can find that earlier post there is some helpful information in it. Frustrating when you get explanations which don't stack up. Good luck - maybe you need two new bulbs. ?? Incidentally, thanks to advice in that earlier post, I claimed and was paid the cost (about £75) under warranty. Apparently the bulbs are guaranteed for life !?

Excuse the possibly stupid question but why is Lexus paint made soft ? What is the advantage.? Why don't they use the same as other car manufacturers who I am assume have "hard" paint. Doesn't make sense to me to deliberately use paint which marks at the slightest touch of a passing hedge (or worse).

I must say after many BMW 320 years I did at first feel uncomfortable with the IS300 cornering but now its fine. It did take a little while. Maybe in your case it is the tyres but it might just be having to get used to the car.

I did likewise (to front only) and have found the Dunlop do give a quieter ride. But they don't have the Yokahama protective rim so have to be careful with kerb parking!

This one came up many months, perhaps years, ago. I have the same faint whistle/whine when accelerating but only noticeable with the driver window open on high hedged single track country roads. Sounds turbo-ish but the car doesn't have one !. Consensus at the time was that it is not a problem. If I remember correctly it was attributed to the electric motor.

Have to agree on the 'punchiness' of the IS. It was quite surprising to find how quickly the car accelerates (in Sport) out of Mway service areas to the legal speed limit.

My real mpg is always 10% less than the car's figure. For what it is worth my annual real mpg for the past 2 years has been 47.61 and 47.41 for around 10,000 miles each year. The closeness surprised me as it covers all sorts of roads, conditions and speeds both in UK and in C-Europe including those fabulous French/Swiss autoroutes. No commuting though. Those days are over !

Another (nice) surprise. Wrote to Lexus about the failed light bulb and it is covered by warranty so refund on its way to me. Thanks to all who prompted me to write.

Having just experienced an MOT/lheadlight problem and seen it tested before and after bulb replacement I wonder if the throw length has something to do with the (low) height of an IS300. Certainly seems to light up less road ahead than my previous BMW320. I guess there is a regulation somewhere which specifies how far forward a headlight must illuminate.

Colin, it was for replacement bulb (65 + fitting +vat) but as the headlamp glass is opaque I cannot see what was replaced. And Darren, warranty says bulbs not included but if I can muster the energy I might write to Lexus. My local long standing non-Lexus garage thinks those lights are meant to last the life of the car. But maybe not in Lexus case given the length of time Lexus cars last !!

Car was in warranty Darren but MOT deadline was 29/3 and didn't want to run into difficulties with grandchildren arriving. Lexus had already pointed out that warranty doesn't cover light "bulbs". Maybe I could have argued the case ?

Was not an adjustment. The beam was very dispersed and needed a new light (bulb?). Testers were unable to adjust the beam. And Lexus tell me that they do not check the alignment of the beam during the service.

Put in to my local garage for the car’s first MOT yesterday and shock –horror –disbelief : a failure. Less than 300 miles after the last service and first time in my long motoring life. Culprit was a faulty headlight throwing an incorrect high beam (too high). Shot off to Lexus Reading who made space for me and £95 later I had my MOT. There was no warning that the headlight was faulty and light was still being produced but clearly the ‘wrong’ kind of light. For all I know I have been driving for ages, blinding other motorists and, I suppose, ever open to being stopped by the police. All rather alarming.

And I thought it was only me. Same problem with the driver side seal. When the silicone spray didn't work the garage (Lexus Reading) "repacked" an area around the windows. Don't ask me what was repacked but the noise has gone. Great service. Now trying to puzzle out an intermittent tapping which seems to come from behind the vanity light . A light thump seems to help. I'll get used to it I guess.

Same thing used to happen with my BMW when parked for +-2 weeks with handbrake on. Resistance and then a real thump. Since then, if I can, I avoid using the handbrake when car to be parked for a while.