actionslax

That's a decent tip. I was looking at these seat protectors. I'm not any closer with purchasing a vehicle. I've been considering the possible repair costs not just for the Lexus but for an XC70 which is also on the cards. I think I will just have to take a leap of faith and hope whichever I go for(and ticks all the boxes research wise) is a good one. @Dougy Giro what're your thoughts on possible repairs/maintenance? There's an SEL in Edinburgh I originally went to see and seemed ok but slightly out of our price bracket. Was worried about the underneath corrosion as it has been based in Aberdeen/by the coast.

This I suppose is possibly why I started the thread. I'm looking to see the real value and cost of ownership and it would be great to compare costs against the dealership. I've created a spreadsheet with the prices I have to date. It would be great to see what people are spending at indys If you can, please fill in any information you have. Cheers.

I've been looking around the forum and have taken some notes of some of the useful things that have been talked about. Sure I've missed a few but hopefully of help to other people. Quoted most prices at the dealer but might be useful to do an alternative comparison. Maintenance: Timing belt and water pump (~ £554.62 for TB + £270.58 for WP) replacement at Lexus dealer - 100k service Brakes last (disc and pads) (~£600 inc labour) for the 4 corners at Lexus dealer Genuine Lexus disks and pads all round about £300 to buy from a Lexus dealer. Apec copies about £200. Local garage may charge about £150 for fitting. Service intervals 60k biggy (~ £600+ at Lexus dealer) Replace engine oil and filter engine air filter engine coolant brake fluid Rotate tires, Road test vehicle, Courtesy car wash and interior vacuum Alignment and balance of wheels is recommended, but not included Synthetic oil extra Inspect the following: Valves (audible inspection), adjust if necessary, Drive belts, Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank vapour, vent system hoses, fuel tank band, Fuel tank cap gasket, Charcoal canister, Exhaust pipes and mountings 100k biggy (~ £600+ at Lexus dealer) See link for full break down. Annual Hybrid Health check (~£60 at Lexus dealer) Requires an intermediate service every 10,000 miles or 1 year whichever comes first - also a Full service every 20,000 miles or 2 years WCF Other replacements to note: Spark plugs 60,000 miles Brake fluid 2 years Engine coolant 100,000 miles Inverter coolant 100,000 miles Air filter 40,000 miles/4 years Pollen filter At full service Tyres: £110+ a corner Lexus offer fixed price repairs on all models over 5 years, they are discounted 15-20% on normal retail prices - not sure this is still applicable Common issues: H.A.S. Hybrid Anxiety Syndrome! (to worry, without rational reason over the failure of proven technology) @Pablo43 love this one - I'm definitely going through this. Subframe corrosion Lower suspension arm rubber bushes 12V Battery £80 Battery can flatten after being left unused for 14+ days Seized rear brake calliper Fuel tank straps Corrosion on alloy wheels and roof bars Water Ingress Not so common issues: Exhaust and replacement - (Seen a figure of £1300 but sure that may be for full end to end replacement) Fault code 'check Hybrid System' Useful info: Refurbish batteries http://www.hybridbatterysolutions.co.uk/ Yearly renewable hybrid warranty is valid on cars up to 10 years old only Honest John review (2005 - 2009) Buying tips: Check recalls have been done If FLSH phone dealer and check what's been done Check MOT history on DVLA Check if the Hybrid health check been done - bonus if it has AA/RAC reports Check the brake disc surfaces, if they are rusty then it indicates the caliper sliding pins are seized Check the front tyre inside edges as they wear first Make sure you have master and valet keys and all work Service record is up to date and can be validated Check to see if car spent any time at coast - worth considering for possible speeding up of subframe corrosion Like this

It was a 3 owner car with the third being partner of owner 2 all serviced at the same Lexus dealership. I've discounted this one for the moment trying to aim for a FL 2007/8.

Thank you all for your comments and taking the time to reply - it has been very helpful and hope others will find this thread. Is good to see both sides of the story. I did forget to mention in my early post that I've been doing most of the due diligence on some of the vehicles that look decent like a few of you have said - checking MOT through DVLA, phoning the Lexus garage to find out what is on file etc. I've pretty much been looking at trade independents as I have a Volvo (which has cost us ~£3k to keep on the road over the past 3 years!) to trade plus the benefit of warranty offered. Only looking at cars that have FLH and checking that all recalls have been done plus checking if a hybrid check has been done too. We(young family of 4) only do ~ 3-4000k miles a year. Quite a bit of stop start so a petrol hybrid seems the perfect combo. We'd plan to keep it for a long time or when we win the lottery and I'd change it for a new one . I don't think I'd use Lexus for maintenance and will try and find a reputable indy specialist if I can. Do agree with @sorcerer on those part replacements - ebay/breakers way forward. I think my main issue is that we're coming from a Volvo that has had quite a few issues. That has been a dud for sure and don't wan't to repeat that experience with a car(Lexus) that is probably going to cost even more. From the sounds of these cars they seem reliable and keeping on top of servicing and dealing with wear and tear bits as soon as they appear is the way forward. I spoke to one dealer last week and the previous owner had spent £2700 on a service and repairs (timing belt, centre exhaust, brakes, service) - 2006 SE-L with 86k. £7,495.

Hello there, I've been reading and looking through all the old posts during past few months to understand what these cars are all about. I'm so close to buying - SE/SEL 2006-2008 ~ £7.5-£9k. There's quite a few around, some sound and others with an unusual history. The big thing I'm worried about due to the age range I'm looking at is potentially dropping regular money into replacing parts as the original parts come to the end of their life. Am I right? Would really like to find out from any 2006-2008 owners what your thoughts are. Give me some confidence that I'll not need to budget ££££'s (which I don't have) but maybe a few £££ every year. Appreciate your comments/advice. Thanks.