LenT

As an owner of just such a Lexus, my thinking is that the value and demand for my eight year-old vehicle makes it less attractive to a thief aiming to sell it on as a legitimate used car. They may also presume it to be of a high mileage, which rules out breaking for parts. I was concerned about catalytic converter theft - of which it has three. But on checking with my local Lexus Dealer about fitting appropriate shields, I was advised that ‘they were unaware of cat thefts from IS250s.’ This they attributed to the main cat being inaccessible in the engine bay and the other two being so small that they contained comparatively so little of the rare earth elements that theft is not worth the risk.

Thanks for your comments, Linus, but I’m not sure that it really contradicts my admittedly somewhat ‘tongue in cheek’ observation. The majority of car theft is now targeted vehicles stolen to order - either to be sold on or broken for parts. So it’s driven by demand. As you rightly say: Now what contributes to the fact that Lexus cars ‘are genuinely sought after’ is their much lauded reliability - as promoted by the likes of ‘Which’! It’s certainly the case that some stolen vehicles are bought by unsuspecting buyers, but I doubt the majority can be unaware of the history of their new, remarkably cheap motor - especially if, as I suppose, such attractive features as the famed Lexus Warranty appear difficult to enforce! It thus follows that if a Warranty claim is difficult to enforce, then its reliability becomes an important factor in the relationship between car thief and car buyer. I suspect that this type of buyer is not generally one who seeks redress through the Courts, but will be more inclined to take direct and personal action. 👊 The CANBUS vulnerability also strikes me as a ‘two-edged sword’. Unless the vehicle is being broken for parts, then the thieves have to repair the damage before anyone is going to buy the car - whether it stays in the UK or is shipped abroad. Clearly, it can be just as easily stolen again by another set of thieves using the same method - only this time the ‘owner’ may be less inclined to report it! Worse still, they may come looking for a replacement from their original supplier - and not in the best of moods. So my advice to car thieves attempting to sell on a stolen Lexus is that it is in their own interests to fit an effective shield to foil further CANBUS attacks in the future. 😊

An interesting thought, Malcolm. I bought some shares when they went public - and they plummeted almost immediately! I did think that being a shareholder might bring some benefits but if there are, they’ve passed me by! Mind you, MrsT’s Suzuki 4x4 has always had good quotes from Saga and is currently on a three-year fixed price deal. And I notice that they seem to have enough funds to finance very large cruise ships. Pity we avoid large cruise ships like the plague! On the very few occasions I’ve had to contact Saga, it’s been a very simple process and the individuals involved have been very pleasant to deal with. Apparently that type of customer service costs a little extra these days!

Car thieves obviously get ‘Which Car Reports’. I note that in the Feb 24 edition the Lexus brand yet again tops the Reliability Table of 29 brands in all three car age groups. In two car age groups (0-4, 10-15) it gets four stars, and in the 5-9 it gets five. In fact Lexus is the only brand awarded five stars for its reliability in any category. I suspect it’s partly due to Which that car thieves are now increasingly attracted to Lexus. After all, if you’ve sold a stolen car to someone, you don’t want them to come looking for you when it keeps breaking down!

Not quite sure why you wouldn’t want to do that, Jon. Presumably you’re familiar with the use of Dinitrol and it’s the right product for treating the rust? Do it while you have access, I would have thought. Perhaps it might also be useful to see if you can detect how the water causing the rusting is getting there? Meanwhile, all the best with the dashcam - one of the best extras you can fit to a car, in my opinion!

I think that argument might be truer of, to cite a current example, the Post Office’s Horizon computer system! Surely every car owner is aware that potentially it can be stolen. But not every car owner is aware of how it can be done - or the many and various methods of preventing it. So I see this as one instance in which approaching owners to offer a free theft deterrent would be excellent customer relations. Why Dealers are not doing it is a puzzle. My business used to be running advertising agencies and this is the kind of marketing advice we would offer clients.

Exactly so, Bob. As contributors to the LOC, we are not typical Lexus owners. Most car owners regard their cars as transport, not a hobby. They may not even be aware where their Lexus stands in the thieving league table. So I think that you are correct in suggesting that Lexus should regard the development of a security plate to help counter CanBUS attacks as an item worthy of a recall. Surely Lexus has a duty to inform owners of an upgrade that will improve the security of their products? Being proactive in this regard can only help to enhance a Dealer’s reputation, after all!

Just for the record, SAGA came up with a revised offer of £652 but I had already accepted the AA's £640. But as we are all surely well aware, it does demonstrate the value of not accepting the initial computer-generated value!

Last time I bought a new set of tyres (Goodyears) I was surprised to find that Lexus MK would price match my regular tyre retailer. I didn’t in the end buy from them but only because I was also having a set of Alloygator rim protectors fitted. I later fitted a set of mud flaps myself and can confirm that that is well worth doing. Don’t really understand why they are not original equipment - the argument that they marginally increase fuel consumption doesn’t impress me.

Having just now renegotiated my car insurance with the AA, I’m inclined to agree with you, Andy. The proposed increase took it from £490 to £780 and the justification was the generally increased cost of repairs and risk of theft. Negotiation reduced that to £640 which, in view of the general increases, I have accepted. The cheapest online quote I had was for £466 from Admiral - not a company with whom I wished to do business. Curiously, Saga - who insure my wife’s car and every year pop up offering to take on the Lexus and undercut the AA by about £20 - this year thought I would find their quote of £900 irresistible! And me a shareholder too!! One curious feature of the Insurance is that MrsT has always been a named driver on the Lexus, despite never wanting to drive it. But - in common with other insurers - removing her would actually increase the premium. On behalf of the rest of you, I did enquire if a reduction was obtained by adding one wife to the Policy, would a second wife produce another reduction? Apparently, it wouldn’t. 🙁

An important point to consider. In fact, I would go as far as to suggest that the cheapest policy is rarely the best! And that’s something you discover if you ever have to make a claim against it. My Lexus renewal has just come up and I shall be having a meaningful discussion with the AA about the increase! I already know I can get it cheaper but with companies I’m not keen to do business with. The only time I really had to test the efficiency of the AA was when my last car was written off by an HGV changing lanes on a motorway. The claim was resolved swiftly and entirely to my satisfaction - and virtually paid for the Lexus. To me, that’s worth a extra few pounds.

A suggestion I’ve made a couple of times - which I believe achieves this - is to fit a ‘Kill Switch’. When I had a Lotus Elan it was a simple switch that broke the low tension lead to the distributor. I don’t know if this can be done with modern ignition systems. But what I have seen is a ‘Kill Switch’ to the fuel pump. This achieves the same effect, in that the engine will churn over but fail to fire up. I can’t imagine that attacking the Canbus will reveal this cause - but I may be wrong! Short of running through a spark/fuel diagnostic analysis - or calling out the AA - I can’t imagine the average chummy hanging around to sort out the problem! This one video installation- others are available…. .

Drat! Too late! 🥵

Well, when I got my IS250 I occasionally- when driving at night - would flick from dip to main just to check that they were actually on! I thought the standard lighting was far inferior to my previous Honda Accord. Even more of a surprise was that when I checked with the Lexus dealer if it was possible to upgrade to an HID bulb, I was told my model already had them! So I did fit the Osram Nightbreaker laser Xenarc and they were an excellent upgrade - especially the dipped beam, which gives a brighter, better controlled light along the verges of our country lanes. They are also road-legal in the UK. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/d4s-osram-night-breaker-laser-xenarc-220-bulbs-next-generation-pair.html

Excellent news, Shahpor. Well done for such prompt action - and a great shot of the offending pothole. A tyre shredder if ever there was one. Judging from other’s accounts, perseverance is the key to success. As I recall, the Detailer who did my car had at least two occasions when a wheel on his Porsche suffered severe pot holing around our country lanes and - eventually - had each claim settled. Pity that Halfords couldn’t get the job right first time. But is getting a new wheel compensation enough? Possibly! 😊

Shahpor, have you considered making a claim against your Local Authority for compensation? If you know the exact location of the offending pothole, then photograph it and check if it has previously been reported. If it has, then the LA is legally liable for the fact that it hasn’t been repaired and you can claim for compensation. You should also check for any damage to the wheel as well. Plenty of online information about how to do this!

o I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with the camera, Ian. And very relieved if you have cause to call on it as evidence. However, while you would expect it to start recording when the car starts, it’s equally important that it can record when the car’s parked. As I mentioned earlier, your car is just as likely to be damaged or stolen - possibly even more so - when it’s parked. It should either have a battery backup so that it can operate when in parking mode, or something like BlackVue’s Power Magic Pro which provides a live feed from the battery when the ignition’s off, but regulates the current drawn so that it cannot drain the battery. https://blackvue.co.uk/products/power-magic-pro/

Ironically, just to the right of this post was a puff for the ‘World Premier of the all-new Lexus LBX’ dated June 5, 2023. The opening paragraph claims: Lexus has a proud history of pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo. Since its founding in 1989, it has repeatedly pioneered new thinking and new products that have changed people’s perceptions and reshaped the luxury car market. It has constantly evolved the concept of what luxury means, not just by creating desirable and exciting products, but also by redefining the complete ownership experience. Well, it would appear that Lexus is certainly continuing to redefine the complete ownership experience - but possibly not in the interests of their customers. And suggesting that a customer should resort to aftermarket products to protect their investment is certainly a new concept of what luxury means!

LOCers who have been discussing the merits of Diskloks and Ghost immobilisers might care to study this photo! 🙁

And some posters claim that Lexus pays no attention to the complaints on this website! 👍 (Now see what you’ve done! 🙁)

I take it that that will be this fella: https://bollardsecurity.co.uk/product/d4-telescopic-bollard/#specs How have you been getting on with it? It looks excellent. Short of ramming it, cutting it or trying to pull it out with chains - none of which would be an easy or quiet process - I expect it will persuade most thieves to go for a neighbour’s car instead! Unfortunately, our drive is so exposed that installation would be a load of bollards. 😊 Can’t quite agree here, Chris. One only has to watch a few crime-related programmes to see that home CCTV can often provide the clues to identifying the perpetrators. Yes, they may wear masks or helmets, but they often tend to be the same masks and helmets - and the same jackets and the same designer trainers that pick up identifiable gravel! And sometimes they remove a glove and touch part of a car enough to leave even a partial print. Even the way someone walks has been enough to identify them. And of course CCTV isn’t limited to just car theft. I had a case where two incompetent installers damaged the kitchen floor while removing a dishwasher. Despite denying liability, their conversation and actions outside the house were recorded and their company ended up paying for a whole new kitchen floor. That one case alone paid for the entire CCTV installation. So I’m rather a fan of them!

I guess this is the type of driveway bollard you have in mind, Chris. If the drive is suitable I would think this could be very effective - especially the retracting type that has no surface locks to attack. I would add that a CCTV security system is also a good investment. And there’s no doubt that professional thieves target specific models and clearly consider them most vulnerable when parked at home overnight. But of course they’re less effective when your Lexus is parked in a supermarket or restaurant car park. https://bollardsecurity.co.uk/product/r5-telescopic-bollard/#fulldesc The question of whether to announce the installation of a Ghost (or similar) immobiliser with, say, window stickers, is an interesting one. I think it would deter the opportunist - especially if combined with a Disklok. It could be argued that knowing what they might be facing, the thieves will be prepared. However, the likes of Ghost do maintain that it is resistant to CANbus attacks. There was a joker some time ago who claimed to be demonstrating how such immobilisers could be bypassed by, for example, a bit of bent wire. I believe he was outed as an incompetent installer who’d lost the franchise and was trying to discredit it by deliberately rigging systems for his videos. I imagine that cars - much like horses - have been targeted by thieves ever since they were used as transport. Clearly, customers have a right to expect manufacturers to constantly improve their car’s security, but for both buyer and maker there’s a cost/benefit equation to consider - and sometimes the better answer may come from the aftermarket.

It’s gone off camping on its own? 🙁 Bit headstrong I’d say. In this weather I think you were wise to stay at home.

I share your pain, Stephen - almost literally! I find that the problem is how dirty do I let the Lexus get before subjecting us both to the two bucket, snow foam, Karcher extravaganza? Recently I found a mobile Detailer who came to the car and did an excellent job for a very reasonable price. But I feel a lot of muck has to be shifted to justify that!

Ideally, David, I go for a compromise. I pay someone else to do the hard work. And then I enjoy watching them do it. 😊