Big Chris

I agree that not all experiences with Lexus dealers are perfect; I took my IS200 SE to a Lexus dealership for a 10,000 mile service. I stressed when booking the car in and when I dropped it off that I would be driving the car to France on holiday the following day. I picked the car up at around 5pm and the service manager said that everything was fine. He wished me the best for my trip to France the next day. I also booked the car in for new alloys on my return. Whilst in France after driving 500 miles I noticed a nail in the back tyre. I changed it for the spare and the holiday continued uninterrupted. On my return from holiday I happened to read through the service documentation and it stated that there was a nail in the back tyre. The dealer knew I was going to France the next day so all I can assume is that he forgot to tell me. Crap! On my return from France I took the car in for the new alloys. The tyres were duly changed, including the tyre with the nail still in it. This time it was either not spotted, or if it was spotted they decided not to tell me. I never bothered complaining as I suppose I should have read through the service documentation. Nevertheless I know I was let down and whilst the service I have received from Lexus GB on other matters has been outstanding, on this safety critical item the dealer let me down.

If as reported the fleet market takes to the IS220d, then the increased numbers of vehicles on the market will affect the resale values of IS250’s which I suspect will be mainly bought by private / car allowance types. The double whammy of a big increase in purchase price allied to the prospect of worse (compared to the current IS) residuals have blown away my dreams of changing my IS200 for an IS250 You can’t blame Lexus, skim off the wealthier private customers with the IS250 and then a couple of months later start making big sales by selling the IS220d to fleets. It just leaves less wealthy private buyers like me who were starting to get used to super reliability and first rate customer care a bit lost as where to go next. I can buy a decent spec 2 litre Mondeo for £14k so why can’t Toyota market a decently styled car with rear wheel drive, more than 4 cylinders, leather and fancy alloys for £22.5k? They used to, it was called an IS200SE. My invite from Cardiff also regrettably went in the bin, but I’m not sure where to look next. There are loads of high spec 4 door saloons on the market for £15 - £18k, including the Type S Accord which is soon to get a face lift. In the £25 -£30k bracket there are all the BMWs, Mercs and Lexus’, but I’m struggling to find something in the middle.

Thanks guys, looks like I should change my name from Big Chris to Big Jessie.... I'll go out an practice my clutch control

Hi all, Recently bought an ‘02 IS200 SE. I’ve read loads of comments on the site regarding clutch judder along with comments regarding the low torque developed at low revs by the Lexus 6 cyl engine. I find it difficult to pull off smoothly; the initial clutch bite is fine, as I continue releasing the clutch the car sort of springs and jumps rather than glides. The clutch doesn’t really judder, as it’s a single jump. It's not massively fierce but my last car was a Passat and you could bang the clutch out and the car would just move off smoothly, drove the girlfriends Focus today and that clutch was also smooth. To get away smoothly in my Lexus I have to rev it to 2k+ with loads of clutch slip, which I’m not keen to do. Does this sound like the usual Lexus clutch / warranty issue, or am I just being a Jessie?

Not sure about the 1G-FE engine but nearly every other Toyota engine that uses a belt you just align the crank/camshafts put a new belt on and drive away - no engine damage. As I'm about to buy my first Lexus, what is the score re: Cam/Timing belts on the IS200? My brother had a belt go on his Cavalier a few years back and the valves didn't touch the pistons, although not learning his lesson the belt went on his 20v Audi and needed 16 new valves and the best part of £500. My dad had a belt snap on a Rover and that had to have a fully reconditioned head. Being from a family of unluck timing belt types I would welcome advice on how often Toyota recommend changing the belt and what the implications are if it fails- banging 24 variably timed valves off pistons does not sound good!

Whitie, Unfortunately it's a Private sale, so it's up to me to sort out. A dealer would ask another £2k for a similar car, it'd have a warranty and the scratch would be sorted, but I don't have the cash. I suppose you get what you pay for. Big Chris

Thanks for the advice. I've HPI'd the car and it seems fine as nothing is recorded on the register. It's got leather/suede, sunroof, alloys, Climate control, electric seats etc so it seems pretty much UK spec. Regards, Big Chris

I'm new here and as yet don't have a Lexus, but I'm trying to put that right and would appreciate some advice. I've seen a few cars on the usual Autotrader, Fish4, FreeAds etc sites and have come across a car just over my budget, but it is low mileage and in pretty good condition. So is £14,750 a fair price for a private sale 2002 Black IS200SE with less than 10k miles on the clock? The car is in A1 conditon apart from a scratch down the side of the car. The scratch is not through to the primer and may not be noticable on a silver car, but as it's black it does catch the eye. I was hoping to T cut it out, but I'm not sure if that will work. Can a scratch be painted over without having to spray the entire side of the car which I imagine would cost a small fortune. also the car was originally purchased new from a Car Superstore with only a 2 year warranty, so if I get problems with the alloys or CD player will Lexus honour the extended warranty they seem to have issued on these items? A lot of questions, but for me £ 14,750 is a lot of money and all assistance would be appreciated.