kenc

Here’s an update on this long running topic. Sorry for the length of the posting. I went to Africa for eight weeks, arriving back home on 3 March. My 2015 RX450h Premier stood unused on the driveway for those eight weeks. When I got back the car started immediately but the power back door was completely dead. Nothing whatsoever would cause it to open. I read this forum thread from start to finish and noticed two things. First of all, many people had experienced this problem after not using their car for a few weeks. Secondly, there is a fair number of people who say the problem fixed itself after one or two months and a good long drive. So, I sat back and thought I would see how it goes. For the last 30 days I’ve pressed the relevant button on the dashboard every time I’ve got into the car - with no success. Yesterday, I had to call at my Lexus dealer for an unrelated issue. It’s a 1 hour and 15 minutes drive on the motorway at high speed. When I got to the dealer, who shall remain nameless here, I mentioned the dead power back door. I told him that there were dozens of people on the Lexus Owners’ forum with the same issue and that a common thread was that people hadn’t used the car for a few weeks before the power back door issue had appeared. My Lexus dealer said “You shouldn’t believe all this stuff you read on the internet. I’ve never heard of a power back door issue at all”: so, I booked the car in for a few weeks later for them to look at it (at a cost to investigate of £102). However, my vigorous drive at 70+ mph for over two and a half hours return journey seems to have sorted the issue. This morning, I got into the car and pressed the power back door in the usual hope, as I’ve done for the last 30 consecutive days, and voila! it beeped and the rear door opened fully. I closed it, tried it with the remote fob and by using the button on the door and it all seems back to normal. I’m not a car expert but there has to be some sort of battery issue involved here. Mine, and other people’s problems, seem to have been cleared after a few weeks or months and a good long run. What is curious is that Lexus not only claims to have no knowledge of the issue but dismissed it out of hand when I raised it.

Hi Richard. A bit of Deja Vu there, I think. Back in 2007 I bought a GS300 from Lexus Guildford. It was precisely 24 months old but only had 1,500 miles on the clock. It had been owned from new by some old Swedish guy (living locally) who didn't actually drive it anywhere. He didn't even service it but as it had such a low mileage when he sold it at two years, Lexus sold it on to me as one of their approved used cars. It was so good that I kept it for the next ten years! Great car.

Who has the time to read through a handbook of that size?

Speaking of the Power On switch in the glove compartment, I didn't know there was such a switch. So, when the rear power door stopped working last Friday, I telephoned Lexus (I won't reveal which one) to tell them that I can manually open and close the rear door but if I press any of the buttons I just get two short beeps and it won't open. I explained this in detail to the person on the service desk and it was agreed that I would bring the car in for a full investigation. On reading Nick2020's post above, I saw the reference to the switch in the glove box so just went out to have a look. Sure enough, it was in the 'off' position. Its location, right at the front of the glove box, means it can easily be knocked from 'on' to 'off' which seems to have happened to me when putting something into the glove box, last Friday. My mistake. I agree. But, I would have expected the service desk's first question to me when I telephoned them to have been something like "You haven't accidentally switched the button in the glove box, by any chance?" But, no, I wasn't asked despite explaining the issue very clearly. Even now when I rang to cancel my visit to have the "problem" fixed, the chap on the service desk didn't seem to know that there was such a switch to turn on or off the rear power door. Hmmmm!!! Thanks Nick. You've saved me a journey and possible expense.

Steve / Glover Many thanks for the info. On balance, I think I might give the underrun protectors a miss. What you've not had you won't miss and they do look a bit more style than substance. But the bumper protector is essential so I'll make enquiries about getting one of them next week. At the moment, I'm paranoid when things are lifted into or out of the boot, especially by other family members!!. Regards

Hi Guys & Gals. I'm in Uganda for a few weeks. This is a third world East African country where a schoolteacher or police officer would earn around £65 per month. So, you think you wouldn't expect to see many Lexus vehicles? As it is, there are literally thousands of them on the road. I would guess there are at least 5-10 times as many as in the UK. Apart from a few IS200 vehicles, the vast majority are from the RX range. I haven't seen any RX450h but the RX400h is quite common. But, the RX300 is literally everywhere. They are about as common here as Ford Fiestas in the U.K. There are also a huge number of the RX300's predecessor, the Toyota Harrier, which is effectively an RX300 with a different badge. They're probably nearly 20 years old but still going strong. Traffic in Kampala, the capital, is like nothing you have ever seen before. If the roads are gridlocked - which is the norm, it is commonplace for vehicles to mount the pavement with all four wheels and use that as an extra lane. Pedestrians have to leap aside for their lives. Yesterday, I saw a number of SUVs mount the flower beds in the centre of the roundabout and cut straight across the middle to avoid the congestion ahead. It's utter chaos.

Hi Steve, your RX450h is identical to mine. But, what's that silver strip between the fog lights. What does it do and is it an after-sales add-on like the bumper protector? I realise you might not know as it probably came already fitted to your car. It looks nice.

Hi Paul, I'm quite surprised by your comments regarding fuel costs. Maybe it's an F-Sport issue. With my new 2015 Premier, I get about 40mpg around town or near 34/35mpg on long motorway journeys. I was getting about 24mpg on my 2005 GS300 and only 18mpg on my previous 2001 GS300, so it's quite an improvement. I see the F-Sport has a standard (8 speed?) gearbox. The Premier has a CVT transmission. Could that account for the difference?

Hi Normski. I was very surprised by your comment about interior lighting in the rx450. I came from a GS300 where you needed a supplemental torch to get in and out or see your passenger - even with the interior lights on. On collecting my rx450 last week, one of the first things I noticed was how bright and good the interior lighting was. And, I don't think that was just because I'd been used to the GS300. My interior lighting is rather good.

Great review, Paul and very well timed. I picked up my first RX450h SE-L Premier this afternoon, having traded in my old 2005 GS300. As you can imagine, I'm still getting to grips with everything and ploughing through the various manuals. But, I was heartened by your review! pic attached.

I would previously have said go for the TomTom as I'd read many good reports of them. However, last week, I had to drive a hire car from Dublin to Northern Ireland and they gave me a Garmin Nuvi WideScreen at the car hire desk. So, I had about 30 seconds to unpack it, set it up and get going. I was absolutely bowled over by the Garmin. It was so easy to set up without looking at any instructions. And, in use it was impressive. The only downside was that many of the Republic's newer roads weren't on the Garmin so it looked as though we going 'off piste' quite a bit. BUt that can probably be updated. Most impressed with the ease of use of the Garmin Nuvi WideScreen and its clear guidance. Would buy one on the strength of using it last week if I was in the market for one.

Hi In my GS300 Mk II (2001 model), I got 19-20mpg round town and about 30mpg on the motorway (360 mile round trip) which seems identical to other postings above. On buying the new 2006 model GS300 I have been impressed with what it returns. I now average 26mpg around town and 37mpg on the motorway (same 360 mile round trip). Given the engine is 10% more powerful than the Mk II (240+ bhp instead of 219 bhp) that's not bad going. And, I don't go slowly either.

This happened to me last week and I called the RAC out to swap the tyres. When he saw that the spare was non-directional and the other tyres were, after he had put on the spare he made me sign a written warning to the effect that I must proceed immediately to the nearest tyre dealer and must not enter the motorway and must not exceed 30mph. In his view, having a non-directional and a directional on the same axle was dangerous. I'd guess the same goes for having one of your directional tyres facing the wrong direction.

It's a pity it's not standard on the GS300. It was on my Ford Scorpio.