LenT

The quoted price is the one that's current at the time. Unfortunately if you take it up seven months later, then that still applies! The benefit of the Service Plan is that whatever increases happen in the next three years, they don't affect you. As it happens, I have just renewed my Three Year Plan with Lexus MK. So I now get two Intermediate and one Full Service plus three MOTs at a discount of £10 off each, for £1337. I regard that as not just a hedge against inflation but also one less thing to remember and organise as Lexus does it all for me - including Collection & Delivery for an extra £12. Incidentally, it is refundable if you sell the car.

Excellent post, David. And I’m sure greatly appreciated by Hardeep and the Dealership. Taking the time and trouble to express recognition of good service is not nearly as common behaviour as it should be. Establishing a good customer/dealer relationship is a two-way process. All too often good service is taken for granted and customers only spring into action when they have something to complain about! I trust that you, the NX and Lexus Canterbury will all be very happy together! 😊

You don’t say in what capacity you worked for the AA, but I believe they sell a couple of solar panel chargers. As a conventional trickle charger is not practical, is it possible that one of these - or some other brand - might produce enough to keep the small capacity battery charged?

Just had the annual Service & MOT of my IS250 carried out by the excellent Lexus MK . It passed and this year it was supported by a video tour in order to remove any doubt! At the same time, they dealt with the Safety Recall. It seems that rather than wait for the replacement internal part to arrive from Japan, they simply fitted a new, upgraded tank! Obviously this fuel vent potential failure only seems to apply to specific Lexus models, but I though it might be of interest to publish the Recall letter that I would have eventually received that details the problem. XGG71_Customer Letter - re Tank Filler Vent recall.pdf

In case it’s any help - (and it may not be!)- this is the MoT regulation 4.1.2. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/4-lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment#section-4-1-2 But as Steve points out, it should not be possible to fit the bulbs incorrectly. I wondered if you were able to get back to the Testing Station and ask the Tester which bulb was in error. The chances are that if the headlamps passed previously then it is more likely that the new dipped bulbs are the culprits. You mention that these were aftermarket versions. It is the case that there are a lot of counterfeit branded bulbs sold on, for example, EBay. They tend to be poorly manufactured and pretty wayward in beam control. So they could be the cause if the new bulbs are correctly located. Incidentally, it’s a common error but the genuine brand name is Philips.

I agree that the manuals can be a bit daunting! My IS250 came with two totalling over 1100 pages - and could certainly have been better organised. I expect yours is even more extensive! No doubt the answers you want are tucked away somewhere and, hopefully, an NX owner can point you towards them. My guess is that the answers may be found by looking for an ‘Accessories’ section on the Nav Screen, where you can reset many of the car’s operations. The door unlocking problem may be as simple as putting the gear selector into ‘Park’ first! You may also find it useful to go to the lexus.co.uk site and register in ‘My Lexus’. Among many useful features, you can download a digital version of the Manual. All the best with your new Lexus.

Spot on, Norman! Indeed I’m a little surprised that other options are being considered. A CTEK trickle charger guards against overcharging, which is why it can be left connected. I also think Bill’s suggestion to leave the bonnet unlatched is a good idea. Another useful thing to do when leaving vehicles unattended for long periods is not to apply the brakes. It should be safe enough in a garage - but chock the wheels if your garage is on a hill!

If I have sinned by omission, John, I can only put it down to my blind spot caused by the A Pillar. 😊

This video is the Lexus view of how it should work! I have a SpaceSaver which I have had occasion to use - and in circumstances in which a sealant kit would have been useless. Of course there may be situations in which it could be dangerous to change a wheel (eg on a motorway), in which case it could be just as dangerous to get out to use an inflator. In such an eventuality, I would then walk away from the road and call on the motorway emergency services! As for your sealant failing to seal - how old was it? This product has a definite expiry date, after which it may well fail to distribute around the tyre. Or even fail to get past the valve in the first place. I don’t doubt that sealant kits can work for some people in some circumstances. But few owners are aware that the sealant - unlike a SpaceSaver - needs to be renewed even if it hasn’t been used.

All manufacturers reserve the right to amend a product specification - usually without notice. But as Colin states, if it’s a lesser spec than the product you have paid for then, as far as you are concerned, the Lexus dealer has not fulfilled their part of the Contract. Get your deposit back and walk away. But if you still want an F Sport, then you might consider how you can use this circumstance to leverage an Improved deal, either with this Dealer or by approaching a rival, and seek compensation for what we used to call the ‘buggeration’ factor. Of course, if the Dealer doesn’t know then the fault lies with Lexus and maybe a registered letter of complaint to the CEO of Lexus UK may produce a more acceptable response. Hopeful, you’ll be delivered the Lexus you want and all will end well!

Buy one of these to keep in the boot! https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOCO-GB20-UltraSafe-Lithium-Gasoline/dp/B015TKPT1A?ref_=ast_sto_dp I got my NOCO (not this specific model, but one from the range) when I had to call the AA to start up our other car which had discharged to the point that a jump start wouldn’t do the job - and my elderly Halfords booster had rotted away in the garage! The AA guy used a NOCO and starting was almost instantaneous! I’ve used my own NOCO on it on one occasion since then but now avoid a repetition of the problem with a CTEK trickle charger. Yes, it’s an additional expense - although you can also use it to charge up such as mobiles and laptops - and anyone else you come across with a flat battery will be very grateful!

I have also read that the weight saved by ditching the spare produces a significant benefit in improved mileage. I also suspect that the ‘it’s not our problem’ factor that you mention may also play a part. After all, it reflects the same thinking that has so far resulted in less than effective safeguards against cat theft and ‘relay’ car theft.

Somewhat to my embarrassment, I admit that I have! I managed to kerb a front tyre on the Lexus with sufficient force to peel open a flap of sidewall about the size of my thumbnail. 😡 Fortunately there was no air leakage…but it did mean a very gentle drive to the tyre shop to replace it! As for the Lexus branded dust caps…the car was only two years old when I bought it and - strangely - only one of the dust caps was metal. No idea how that happened.

My comments were actually prompted by the opening claims in the video you provided, John. This included the statement that the tyre sealant could repair holes “up to a quarter inch in the sidewall.” While this might be acceptable for a U S off-road quad bike, my point was that a sidewall repair would not be acceptable under UK law on UK roads. The valve damage to which I refer, which would have rendered a sealant impotent, happened while the car was stationary. I was at a BP station checking the tyre pressures and was having trouble removing a dust cap. A helpful young lad - seeing this old bloke struggling - went to his van and returned with the correct sized spanner which he applied to the dust cap. With one quick twist, he sheared the entire valve clear out of the tyre! Fortunately, I had the SpaceSaver which I was happy for him to fit - and which allowed me to limp up the road to a large tyre retailer who replaced the TPMS valve for £65. The moral of this story is to replace metal dust caps with plastic ones - or heavily grease them - because metal ones can corrode onto the valve stem!

While I agree that in certain conditions, a tyre sealant kit may well get you out of trouble - and has the advantage that you don’t have to remove the wheel - it comes with conditions. Firstly, in reality, few tyre repairers will plug a tyre in which sealant has been used. The reasons include the need to remove the sealant from inside the carcass in order to check if any other damage has occurred. Secondly, plugged tyre repairs in the UK can only be carried out on punctures less than 6mm in diameter and within two thirds of the central tread area. So, unlike the US off road video, repairs in the sidewall would be illegal. Thirdly, if the tyre failure is caused by damage to the valve, (as happened to me) then the sealant kit is useless. In my case, it was the use of my SpaceSaver tyre that saved the day. However the circumstances and my own ability to change a tyre were in my favour. Another option, if you have a mobile phone and belong to a motoring organisation, is to call them! With regard to manual diesels, my previous car was a Honda Accord diesel purchased new. That came with a tyre sealant kit and I made it clear that it had to come with a SpaceSaver instead. I had it for some years until it was written off by an Iveco truck. I would have replaced it with another diesel Accord - except Honda had stop selling them in the UK. It was purely by chance that I stumbled across the Lexus and would say that in most respects it is slightly superior to the Accord. I appreciate the extra performance of the V6 engine and the greater refinement of the (newer) Lexus. I also discover that I now prefer an automatic to a manual - which is probably an age-related thing. In fuel economy terms, the diesel Accord gave almost exactly twice the mileage as the Lexus. However, this is now less important to me as I’m not doing the same kind of mileage. Also, of course, diesels have now fallen out of favour! In terms of reliability and quality of service, I think both Honda and Lexus rate highly - although again I think Lexus just shades it. Curiously, if I wanted to replace the Accord or my current IS250, neither can offer a new equivalent. I’ve never driven a CT200h, but if it’s as good as my automatic IS250 than I’m sure it will be a sound purchase.

That’s been my experience of them too. Unfortunately probably not too convenient for the OP.

Just come across this account of your accident, Anthony, and what was a very distressing period for you and your Family. However, your positive attitude and determination is a fine example to us all and clearly contributing to your impressive rate of recovery. I’m sure we all wish you the very best for the New Year.

At least you responded, John. No-one else had noticed for over a year! The real puzzle is what’s happened to ‘Trishal’ in all that time? Just three posts - and then……..? Did he/she have an accident while reversing?

As Trishal’s problem occurred over a year ago, it’ll be interesting to see if it has been resolved. Sounds like a screen adjustment that might have occurred as a result of a mechanic making MoT checks.

This is where I - and others already mentioned - bought our Osram bulbs. I suggest you use their bulb checker to see what upgrades are available. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/ Of course, other retailers are available!

When I acquired my 2015 Lexus I was very disappointed with the main beam - it was very inferior to my previous Honda Accord. I asked about upgrading to HiD bulbs - only to discover they already were! Like Vladimir I discovered the Osram Nightbreaker Laser Xenarc, which were a considerable improvement. Mine were D4S fitting, but I suspect yours will be different. Apart from a superior main beam, I was particularly impressed by the improved dip which proved far better at lighting up the verges of our narrow country lanes. But are they street legal, you ask? As I understand it…no. But my bulb supplier tells me this is a technicality because when the current fitments were designed, no-one envisaged them being used by a technically original form of bulb! As long as the headlamp has a working bulb, correctly adjusted, it should pass the MoT - as indeed mine have. Incidentally, I also replaced the reversing bulb with a superior product as the Lexus offering was almost useless.

Reading this prompted warm, nostalgic memories of the simplicity of rack-and-pinion! 😊

Just a small point…before you try this, ensure that the tyres are not asymmetric and are still rotating in the correct direction and that the tyre pressures are correct!

I share your pain, Bill. 😊 I suspect you may have fallen foul of the dreaded ‘autocorrect’ - a helpful system with scant regard for the niceties of English grammar. Worse still is when it decides that it knows what you really wanted to say. I recall trying to praise a Brasserie on our local website - only to find it constantly being changed to brassiere! Inevitably, one slipped past me - resulting in my apparently encouraging the locals to enjoy the opening of a new brassiere!

Better still, avoid the connection problem in the first place. My CTEK trickle charger came with one lead that has two eyelet connectors that fix permanently to the relevant battery posts and then via a small plug to the charger. So the connection is secure and distant from the battery itself. CTEKs also have systems to prevent overcharging.