Bill Dawes

Hi Malc, from the incident where we were cancelled to a few days ago. Incident was where we were completing an on line medical declaration, just two days before cruise was due to start on 6 October 2022. Yes it was a little worrying, we are not rich so the £5000 plus cost was a big deal for us. However having worked in a stressful job for many decades I am very resilient. Bill D.

Thought I would let you know that following contact with chief exec of P&O it is all sorted, full refund of cruise, excursions and travel insurance. Just shows persistance pays. Bill D.

Hi Roger, I did the same, tracking my Takumi last june, quite interesting following its progress, from memory I don't think mine went up to Derby, it was only a few days after landing at Portbury that I heard from Lexus Bristol, a sones throw from Portbury of course, I had a front dashcam fitted so guess it was done at dealers. Just steeling myself for the downside now as car tax renewal soon due, £560 for no other reason than list price, same engine and emissions as lower spec, a rip off. Getting 54 mpg at moment. Bill D.

I would suggest do what Colin said, a few hard applications of the brakes, at a decent speed, they probably have a glaze on them caused by gentle braking. Bill D.

My Takumi bought new last July has Apple carplay and Android auto. Bill D.

I feel for you Darrell being a clean freak with weather wev'e had recently, the last three times I cleaned mine it rained the day after, made worse by the fact of living in rural Somerset so with all the crap on the roads one half hour trip later the car looks as if I haven't washed it for weeks. Grateful for those extended door skirts though that mean the sills keep clean. Look forward the the Summer, at this rate it will be winter again before we have any nice weather. So glad I picked my car up last July, drove it 30 miles home from Lexus Bristol and it was still sparkly when I arrived home. Still pains me to think of when I 'retired' (still working) 12 years ago, after many years of company cars I treated myself to an Audi A4 Avant, looked beautiful under all the spotlights in the showroom, had to drive it home from Taunton up the M5, it was dark, piddling down with rain and filthy weather all round. That was the one and only time I saw that car in showroom condition. Bill D.

Well Gaydon is in Warwickshire but not a miliion miles away, we do go up to the Midlands a few times a year to see family. Never been to the motor museum but one of my list of 'must do' places. Been to motorcycle museum by the NEC which was brilliant but sad at the same time to think of the demise of this and many other British industries. We do of course have the Haynes museum in Somerset but that is another 'must do' Incidentally when I left school I commenced an engineering apprenticeship at Alldays & Onions in Sydenham Road Small Heath, makers at the time of foundry equipment and industrial fans, an experience that set me on a 65 year career in the industrial fan industry. The point of this aside is that Alldays (founded 1650!) in common with many engineering companies also went into car production in the early 1900s, motorcycles and and vans as well. When was in the machine shop I worked with a fella who had a load of dusty envelopes on top of his locker, plucking up courage I asked him what was in them and it was a load of photographs of Alldays cars, vans, push and motor bikes, even ice cream and hot pie trikes, wish I had that extra bit of courage to ask if I could have some. I think there might be an Alldays motor bike in the National Motorcycle museum. And I come across varios items of smithy equipment at various small museums, there is an Alldays pneumatic hammer in the Blists Hill museum. Bill D.

As a born and bred Brummie now living in Somerset I do of course remember the old Longbridge works, I had an Aunt who lived in Longbridge, it was up a hill and you could see the factory from her garden with trains and trucks going back and forth. This was in the 50s so when it was 'proper' Austin not a badge engineering exercise. Havn't been along that part of the A38 for years now but I understand whatever still exists does not actually make cars anymore, some sort of facilty for MG?which are made in China. (Morris/MG never was a Brummie company of course, although we did have Morris Commercial) My Dad worked at Rover Tyseley, next door was Girling brakes. I was born just up the road from the BSA motorcycle works, round the corner was James motorcycles and round the corner from them were Watsonian sidecars. My what a changed world we live in now, not convinced its's totally a better world to be honest but maybe that's the rose tinted specs of old age.

My very first car was a 1946 Austin 8, bought it off a mate at work for £50, payable £1.00 per week. This would have been about 1959 ish. Remember a braking scare whilst on a fishing trip with mates, having to stop suddenly behind a coach I had my foot hard on the brakes and hand brake pulled on hard it drifted to a standstill. Investigation found the rear drums full of oil from the Diff, brakes were rod type with plenty of clearance in all the links. Then had a 1950s era Morris Cowley (not a bullnose!!) the Cowley was a budget version of the Oxford I think, 1200 cc engine rather than the Oxford 1.5 litre, column gear stick and big front bench seat, massive boot and the engine was lost in the huge under bonnet space, used to climb in and sit on the wheel arch for servicing. Then a 65 Sprite in which I felt a real jack the lad, also had a Metrowhich served us well for several years, even had the much maligned Allegro which I found to be a nice car, Reynard metallic I think, 1500cc Maxi engine which ran like a sewing machine, plush comfy seats. Had other makes but the one thing I liked with the BMC cars was the SU carbs, simple and reliable. Didn't know they made Rovers at Longbridge, Rover had their own factories around Brum, my dad and most of my uncles worked at various Rover car / Landrover plants, perhaps it was the Leyland days when Rovers were made there? Bill D.

Had assumed they came as standard as my UX has them, it is a 2022 Takumi, is it the trim or the year that determines if they are fitted. Bill D.

I have never got on with these CD things, the needle keeps slipping off. Bill D.

Hi Ian, like all the features listed above that I have on my 2022 UX Takumi but sadly they don't do the boot 'kick' feature any more. Bill D.

Certainly looks like I was lucky with my Takumi, ordered Jan 2022, delivered in July which seemed an age at that time. Bill D.

I have a puzzle going on at the moment, the other day I jumped into the car on my drive, it was raining, put it into reverse and the rear wiper operated, same this morning but no wiper. Several cars I have had over the last few years had this useful feature so does the UX (Takumi) have it or not, not had time to wade through the menus for anything yet. Bill D.

Also had to change mine which puzzled me as I could swear I had already set this when the clocks went back. Pondering on it I think I must have have had to unset it last time to get the time right. only had car in July, fingers crossed it will be auto next time. Bill D.

I have to say Malc that this fiasco has made us very wary of booking any holidays at the moment, the rot set in with Covid when we had a holiday on the Norfolk Broads booked with Hoseasons, they point blank refused any refunds and it was impossible to contact them by phone or email, eventually the government intervened and the travel industry were forced to change, Covid and lockdowns not their fault I appreciate bit it's a sad reflection on modern business tactics that they have to be forced to refund money to a customer that lost out through no fault of theirs either, companies have considerable access to funding from many sources that the individual does not. Is it me just getting old but why is the simple pleasure of spending your hard earned money so much hassle these days. Still starting to make some headway with P&O albeit after many months and much worry. Keep you posted Bill D.

Gary, as well as my annoying little squeak at the end of the wiper stroke, you have reminded me that I have the same problem with smearing even though I clean my car and use my washers frequently. I have wondered if it is the treatment I had done (Supaguard I think) to the car when I purchased it last July. Bill D.

Making a small amount of progress with P&O after complaining to parent company Carnival Corp. who instructed P&O to re-open case. Latest from P&O was saying they would offer a future cruise credit (FCC) later confirming this would also include any excursions booked. Have replied saying we are not happy with an FCC as we do not have any plans for another cruise in the near future also saying we want compensation for over £700 in travel insurance, cruise cancelled by P&O and no fault of insurance company. Total refund is what we have demanded right from the start. (For those that gasped at insurance cost, if you are a certain age with existing medical conditions and on a cruise, insurance is eye watering.) Waiting for response to this. Contacted ABTA, initial response disappointing, they said they could not interfere with members T&Cs, we responded by saying this did not sound like the independent body they claim to be and could they look at circumstances we had outlined again. More positive response this time and they have contacted P&O we believe. Our next step wil be credit card provider, we use credit card for this type of thing for this very reason. And so it goes on, I think these companies rely on people giving up with battle fatigue. Bill D.

My UX Takumi was also ordered from Bristol but in January 2022, picked it up in July last year, something definitely wrong there Brian, what have Lexus said, presumably you have badgered the life out of them. Bill D.

Paul been having a few PC problems hence late reply reply. Soo I think I have spotted maybe a clue to your question to me having seen your post on new tyre time, I'm a fairly quick driver' !!! It has it's consequences Paul. Bill D.

When I finally decided to go for a Lexus UX last December I ordered the top spec (cant remember what it was but one down from Takumi) Browsing through spec afterward I couldn't find any reference to auto fold mirrors, I was convinced it would have them so checked with dealer, nope not included, there were a few other features which I was amazed were not included that I had taken for granted on previous cars (not Lexus) I had owned, drivers seat memory was one, disgusted I cancelled for a re think. Eventually reinstated order but for a Takumi. I know every manufacturer has a range of trim options and they have to draw the line somewhere but expected features which are fairly common these days on lesser brands to be standard on a premium brand. I posted all this early in 2022. Had car in July and well pleased with it although not looking forward to road fund licence hike just because it was over £40k, where is justification for this, it's exactly same engine and emission figures as lower spec model. I'm not rich by a long way, just spent a bit more money on a nice car (my last one my wife tells me) after 66, years of hard work (started work at 15, I'm 81 now, still work one day a week to supplement my pension) living an ordinary life bringing up a family and paying my taxes. Your tearfully Bill D.

Had my UX Takumi since July last year and over the last few weeks one of the wiper blades has developed an annoying little squeak at the bottom end of its stroke. Called in to Lexus dealers in the hope it may be covered under warranty, as expected answer was no, just fair wear and tear, after 6 months and 5000 miles? my three previous cars, Kia Sportage and Niro, never bought a new wiper blade in three years I owned each one. Lexus quoted me £34 for a new set. Anyone know what brand Lexus use, doing a quick Google a pair of Bosch wiper would be about £20. And on another point I raised in the past I also asked then if minimum speed that auto high beam activates can be changed from it's default 40mph, answer no which is what other owners on this forum said. Still puzzled why it needs to be 40mph, too fast on a dark winding lane. Bill D.,

My average at the moment 53.3 mpg about 5-6 mpg less than summer level. Bill D.

Bit of an update chaps, having now had P&O and Staysure each saying claim off the other we sent an official complaint to P&O stating we fully expect a full refund. P&O acknowledged receipt of complaint, ABTA said they will not consider any claim until P&O have had a full 28 days to respond, allowing some leeway for postal strikes (they have phone number, email and text of course) it has now been some 40 days and no response at all so we will now register formal complaint with ABTA. Bill D.

Thanks for replies guys, I should add that my UX is a Takumi with triple LED adaptive lights, incredible in many ways although as I have complained on a separate post, the auto high beam doesn't activate until 40mph, inexplicable to me why, far too fast on narrow winding country lanes in the pitch dark, just when you need high beams and yes I know you can do it manually which is what I have to do. Bill D.