Gary H

I've got no service book (I never had one with the UX to be fair) or a manual. I was basically given my one and only key with a second 'key blade'. I don’t really have much of a clue what half the features are on it and I’m not going to sit with my bulky laptop in the car searching through a PDF from the Lexus website. Incredibly disappointing from my own perspective.

Well done on your collection! I also collected mine on 1st September. I’ve not wrote about the collection experience as of yet (I will do when I have more time) but like yourself, it wasn’t the best. Mine wasn’t even in the handover room... That’s just to give you a taster... Other than that - the same as you. No second key - just the blade. No locking wheel nuts, no jack and no manual. I was also told Lexus are taking liability on the issue with the alloy wheels but typical of my dealer - I’ve had no e-mail to confirm this. Just verbally. I wasn't even told about any smart wallet key. I was aware of it thanks to this forum, but it never came up on the day - as if such a thing never even existed. I have no idea how I'll be informed about when the second key or locking wheel nuts arrive - and I certainly have no faith in the dealer telling me. I noticed mine did stick at the top of the fuel gauge for quite some time too! I think it was around the 90-ish mile mark before it came off that top segment - very impressive. It was then about another 50 miles after that before it dropped the second one onto three quarters. I've not tried sport mode in mine yet. I'm someone who is quite 'old school' and will gently run-in an engine for the first few thousand miles.

I had something bizarre on my app for the first couple of days - which fortunately seems to have cleared itself since. Apparently, my car was due it's 'service and maintenance' with only six miles on the clock - warning me with the red triangle and exclamation mark. That remained the case for the first 100/120 miles or so. Also, for the first few days it was claiming random doors were unlocked - such as the boot lid and nearside front passenger door for example...whilst the whole car was locked. 🤔 Fortunately, this also managed to clear itself up. I generally didn't use the original Lexus Link when I had my UX (it took me almost three years for it to hook up to the car as I just couldn't figure it out...) and the newer Lexus Link+ isn't something which I'll be using with my NX. Each to their own of course and it does show some decent stats, but it seems a bit 'gimmicky' to me.

It's the colour I wanted my UX in to start off with and I'm delighted I've finally been able to get it in the NX. A truly stunning colour in the sunlight and it's already had an admiring glance (plus comment) from a passer-by a few days ago. I know what your wife means by a 'green car being unlucky' thing! I had two people at work mentioning just that when they found out I'd gone for it. It's not something which bothers me personally. My brother also once owned a green mk4 Fiesta (Jewel Green) and had that for about three years without any problems.

It looks like the locking wheel nut issue continues unfortunately, as there was none supplied on mine either. I was going to make a semi light hearted joke with the salesman about this and say something along the lines of "I’m assuming it’ll be another 16 month wait for those to come, like the car?". However, at the point I was just about to come out with this, he basically shrugged his shoulders when confirming mine had none and said "it could be up to a year". Well, that would have backfired on me. At my particular dealer it looks like what I thought would have been an over the top joke looks close to being the actual reality. 😕

I could have written practically the same thing myself, Colin. I recently collected my NX350h Takumi after sixteen months of waiting and indeed, just one single key, no locking bolts and no paper-copy manual. I have no interest in using my own time and money in physically printing one off the internet. I think the lack of a manual is particularly stingy when you’ve spent considerably over £50,000 on a car. Especially with one which has so many features. There’s all sorts of weird and wonderful things on my screen which I've just had to leave alone for now. I'm literally just getting into the car and driving it, ignoring everything else other than the heating controls. Indeed, no plans on supplying them at a later date either, which on collection day come as yet another kick in the teeth to the many I already received during the course of my sixteen month wait. Second key or locking bolts arrival? No solid answers given - just "may be twelve months". Given the complete lack of correspondence from the dealer for the vast majority of my wait, this came as no surprise to me. I have no confidence they’ll ever arrive. I was told that Lexus are currently accepting liability for any alloys that are being stolen, though. How true that is...I don't know. Basically, the impression I got was that I should be grateful I was able to get the (incomplete) car from them...after sixteen months of waiting. I had four Audi’s back-to-back before I moved to Lexus in 2020. My NX350h Takumi is my second Lexus and will likely be the last.

No problem @gdamorini! I've replaced it with an NX350h Takumi, which I collected earlier today. I've not long updated my profile and picture to suit.

I had the same issue with my UX. After three and a half years, despite careful ownership, it had picked up a few light scratches on the plastic above the interior door handles. I was surprised that they wouldn’t come out either. I was able to 'lessen' their appearance with some Aerospace 303 but it's not really something I like to use unless absolutely necessary. I also noticed a light scratch on the glovebox lid which appeared about six months into ownership and I never did find out where that originated from. It's certainly something I’m going to be more wary of in the NX.

Some good news, folks. Just to confirm that my sixteen month wait was finally brought to a close today. Just for those who are curious, here it is: Normally on 'new car day' I'm very happy, 'full of beans' and on top of the moon. I can truthfully say that this is the first time in many years of new car collections, I’ve never felt so 'care free' about it all. I'm annoyed if anything. It really has beaten me, this one... Again, if there's any genuine emotion coming through - it really is just 'relief'. As explained in the '2023 Delivery Date' thread, I don't know when it was built, I don't know what ship it was on and I don't know when it arrived in the UK. It was just built 'at some point' randomly in June (even that’s debateable) and then just 'materialised' at the dealers nine/ten days ago. That's all I know about it. It's a complete unknown otherwise. I'm unsure whether a review at this stage is necessary as I respect 'everyone and their dog' have had their NX's (from first half of 2022 orders - even sometimes more recent) for many months already - so I'm unlikely to go to that length as people's interest will have waned. You all know what the script is with them already and I certainly don't want to waste my own time or yours. It's just a case for me to play ‘catch up’ with a MY24 car which technically I didn't order. I know many have said "you’ll enjoy it when it arrives" and phrases to that extent. Well...only time will tell. I've literally just driven it back from the dealer within the last few hours, parked up, took a few quick pictures and walked away. 'Enjoying' it really isn't a sentiment I can share at this moment in time. Time is a good healer though. Let's just wait and see. True, it's a car that may be worth waiting six months for, possibly twelve... But 16? Plus, with little sympathy for the extended wait or the trouble this has caused. After all, it's no better than any other NX out there, is it? As many other NX owners have already experienced upon collection - there's no locking wheel nuts, no second key (just a spare 'key blade' for now - which I've been told to literally protect with my life) and no instruction manual. No estimated dates given for either the locking wheel nuts or second key, either. A mere shrug of the shoulders and told it could take "up to a year". 🤷‍♂️ <Takes a deep breath> “Pppppppffffffffffffff................” 😣

Well, *in theory* it’s the big day tomorrow. Put the balloons and fireworks on standby! Now that Lexus has made sure almost everyone else from first half of 2022 orders (quite a bit later too...) have already long enjoyed ‘the cake’ of having an NX, it’s finally my own collection day after a grand total of 16 months of waiting. It’s a day which I honestly thought as approached the ‘first anniversary’ mark back in May would never likely happen - at a time when I felt at about my absolute lowest point with this order and the supplying dealer. It was getting to the point I thought the company was hoping I’d die before they’d finally dust off my old order form stuck at the bottom of the pile, scramble together some left-over parts from other completed orders and actually build it. I’ve not physically seen the car. Just two low quality pictures. One of the front end of the car and that interior shot through the window, as I shown on here. I’ve never had any tracking details for it when it left the factory or heck, even when it was built. No e-mail from them to confirm anything other than my initial order either - and even that I had to wait for. It just eventually (and no doubt reluctantly) ‘turned up’ at the dealer. In my humble opinion, my order has never mattered to the company. It does genuinely seem that the longer you have to wait for an NX, the less you’re thought of. There’s been so much silence, unknowns and negativity throughout the majority of this time that tomorrow certainly isn’t going to be the usual ‘happy day’ of collecting a new car. I’m not particularly looking forward going to the dealer that has spent the bulk of the last sixteen months effectively avoiding any sort of contact with me wherever possible, only resorting to brief scraps of information when I’ve had to complain to Customer Relations. It’s simply going to be a day of relief for me and hopefully draw a line under the whole fiasco. With any luck, this should be one of the last times I’ll be posting to this thread - just popping back to perhaps to tie up any loose ends if necessary. (*Why did I say ‘in theory’ - I’m aware of a possible situation which may arise when I turn up tomorrow 🙄🤦‍♂️. No, I can’t say I’m surprised in the slightest but more on that after I’ve actually collected the car) That’s good! I only got to find out the car arrived in the UK when it turned up at the dealer...! Glad to hear your long wait, like mine, is now pretty much over! 👍 After such a long wait, the dealer should be very accommodating towards registration requests of that nature. As I've said before, there's absolutely no way I would accept a car within a few months of a plate change. I'd expect something pretty special from the dealer to tempt me otherwise. Well done on getting the free service. You've probably read the dealer are going to honour the finance agreement from 16 months ago for my own extensive wait (which at the time was only a 'rough guide' and not guaranteed like the price of the car), which of course would be considerably different today. If it wasn't for that, getting more money again for my trade-in UX or a free service was going to be my next step. I've not opted for any of the paint protection e.t.c. to mine. I'm incredibly fussy over car detailing anyway and what they offer is something I can effectively do on my own car over the coming few months anyway. I also have my own dashcam - although I'm planning on upgrading soon anyway. Thanks for the heads-up on the key situation. No doubt I'll tell you and everyone else how it came to me in this respect as I do plan on creating my own thread for it. I really hope it all goes well for your collection tomorrow - as I do hope all goes well with mine. It's certainly planned for tomorrow but as I just said above, I've been made aware of a 'situation' only today which may possibly potentially delay that. I would be unlucky though - but given our own extensive waits above and beyond most other orders by a considerable margin, that really would be typical of my luck!

Well folks, today is the final full day of owning my 2020 UX250h F Sport. I promised a few months ago that I’d give it an overall review before it was traded in, so here it is! The upsides? I still think it looks ‘fresh’ in terms of design. I think Lexus done a decent job with it personally and certainly one of my own favourite designs they’ve come up with for a good number of years. I’m also glad I have an earlier F-Sport without the colour-coded wheelarch mouldings - which make it more distinctive than the colour-coded jobbies you get now - but that’s just down to personal taste. My particular example also has the red leather, which I think really suits the car and does a lot to brighten up the inside (as it doesn’t have a sunroof). In a way I’ll miss this as it’s always looked welcoming and made me smile. As soon as I saw it in the showroom, I knew the red leather was going to have to be a non-negotiable part when it come to ‘wants’! Whilst the ride isn’t perfect thanks to run-flat tyres, it’s actually been softer and more compliant in terms of suspension than the car it replaced (an Audi Q5) which come as a pleasant surprise. If it wasn’t for the ‘skittishness’ of the tyres over bumps, I would have happily given it ‘five stars’ given the size of the car. It’s still very, very good though. Speaking of comfort, I’ve never had any notable issues with the seats. Another impressive feature about the UX is it’s refinement given it’s size, thanks to it’s hybrid system. The only real noise that comes from the car are from the run-flat tyres as the engine is either not running or very quiet! At launch, the press criticised it for it sounding ‘harsh’ up the rev range. All I can assume is that they were using two thirds throttle or more everywhere they went... Basically, driving it like a race-car rather than treating it as a road vehicle on public roads. I’ve always been happy with the quality of the radio and speakers. It’s been one of the better cars I’ve had in this respect. Certainly in the top three. The salesperson at the time certainly wasn’t wrong in saying the standard system is decent. It really is. Whilst I know the touchpad infotainment system comes under criticism for being a bit fiddly and confusing to use, I was alright with it after a couple of weeks of using it. It’s just what you get used to. Sure, it’s not perfect and there are indeed some bits on it I have to think about where ‘such and such’ a feature is, but overall for the bits I need to use of it, it’s found easily enough. The downsides? Not that much, I’m pleased to say. Whilst I still very much love the look of the UX inside and out - the interior door panels could do with being a little less ‘plastic’. Especially given it’s premium price. The boot is too small and it’s by far it’s biggest Achillies heel. Right from day one it’s something I’ve not liked (I thought I might just about get away with it - sadly not) and it’s the main reason I’m changing it. It’s fine for just me and going back and forth to work. Unfortunately, whilst that’s what the car is ultimately used for, including the odd day-trip out, there are times where it’s been left wanting if there's been more than two passengers and/or needed for a night/two night trip away. The rear seat has had to be utilised as additional boot space. The rear cabin is a little short on ‘window space’ so I’m told it can feel a bit claustrophobic on longer trips. Personally, I don’t have an issue with it but then again, I don’t think I’ve travelled in the back of it (with my father driving it rather than me) for more than about ten miles! Would I recommend one to a family? No. I wouldn’t. That boot space really does limit it’s market and I only hope this is significantly improved (certainly in terms of depth, rather than length) for the second generation. If the boot space was about 20% bigger, I would have seriously considered simply replacing my outgoing UX with another one. This one is just a minor point, but I was disappointed to find it didn’t have any hydraulic bonnet strut(s) and has to be held up with an old-fashioned stick. I’ve not had to do that on any car I’ve owned for about ten years prior to the UX... Finally, whilst it certainly looks like a characterful car, it’s always felt rather ‘soulless’ to drive. There’s nothing wrong with the way it drives - it just lacks unique qualities and sounds I’ve had from other cars in the past. It does feel very much like a Japanese machine. Run flat tyres also make it rather skittish over bumps if you’re not pointing the wheels ‘dead ahead’ too - something that did take me a while to get used to. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, that pretty much wraps up what I’ve felt about the car over the last three and a half years of ownership of my first Lexus. The sun is now setting on it’s time with me. It’s been an ultra-faithful companion and whilst it’s not been my best or favourite overall car I’ve ever had, I do sincerely hope it’ll go to a good second owner who’ll take care of it. It’s given me happy memories. Whoever takes it on will get themselves a thoroughly decent, reliable and well equipped car. I hope it's an insightful look for anyone who is looking to buy one.

That’s not good news at all. So, the component shortages continue... The Japanese seem to be really struggling to recover from Covid/lockdowns. It’s clear at the moment the JIT model (Just In Time) is coming back to bite them time and time again. The company have already tarnished their reputation with the way they've treated and ignored long-outstanding orders as it is. This will just make matters worse. I wonder if any Lexus dealers will be contacting waiting customers over the coming days/weeks...? I've no doubt the 'better' dealers out there will make a effort, but if you have a...'less than good'...dealer, prepare yourself for months on end of complete 'radio silence'. If it comes as any scant consolation to those left in ‘the queue’ for an NX (and there really can't be many, now), just remember it's taking me 16 months to get my hands on an NX350h. A few others have waited even longer than that. If you're going to be told a new lead time of a year or under - and I mean this in good spirit - consider yourself lucky.

How incredibly odd @Deb. To get so close to Portbury and then...turn around?! 🤔 There must be something weird and wonderful which we don't know about... I suspect @Ken R offers the best explanation amongst us, here. Welcome to the forum, Kurt! I hope you're well! I suspect if you've been keeping an eye on this forum and particularly this thread, you probably feel as though you already know some of us! Believe me, this place has been literally my number one source of information. If it wasn't for this place with some incredibly helpful members, I would have still been completely in the dark with regards to my May 2022 order until the last couple of months. In the last twenty years of buying new cars (I can extend that to 25 if I also include my father's that I've been involved with), I have never come across not only a wait of this nature but also such a lack of care/information from the brand. It has genuinely astounded me - and that's a hard thing to do. As things stand...and there's still time for something else to go wrong with my order given how the rest of it has been treated...I'm due to collect my NX this coming Friday, which will be 1st September. At least I know the car is sitting there at the dealer now, which is genuinely reliving and came as welcome news. I believe mine is also a MY24 car, but that's purely down to what I've been told on here. Otherwise I'd be none the wiser. Also, even though I know the car is there, I still haven't been told anything about the second key/locking wheel nut issues and if I'm affected or not. I'm assuming others who have theirs were lumped with this disappointing news on collection day. I'll very likely be discussing the business of whether it's been worth the 16 month wait or not over the next couple of weeks or so. It's been an incredibly long time coming, this car. Notably more than most. All I can say is fingers crossed all goes well, or as well as can be, for me on 1st September.

That's similar to me, although I tend to fill up when I’m between a quarter and a half. I can count on one hand it’s been down below a quarter. I always like to have a sensible reserve! I'm generally on the slower end of the driving spectrum so yes, based on my average MPG, a full tank for me has near enough always been into the 400's in terms of miles.

I should have held-off just a day after yesterday's post! 😄 My collection day has now been confirmed as 1st September and I've also been given my '73' plate registration number. At least I now know for sure I've got beige glovebox lid in mine - which I'm still unsure about... I was never offered a trade-in value at the time of ordering. The reason given was because the dealer would only guarantee that price for three months. They said that right from the outset and wouldn’t even give me a rough idea of what they would offer me. I was told they would honour the price of the new NX as it was in May 2022 when I ordered it (which they have) and they worked out how much the finance would be if the car would be there after a few months. However, they said this particular part was to only give me a rough guide and wouldn't be guaranteed. They'd only honour the price of the car. Obviously I can’t speak for the few others who have had a similar ridiculously extended wait as I have, but I think because the dealer have on record two out of the three complaints I've made to Customer Services, they did also eventually agree to honouring the same finance/APR rate as I was quoted last May too. I will admit I was genuinely surprised by that given how much things have changed in that respect in the last near-16 months. I thought they'd try wriggle their way out of that one, but fair play... I think the only piece of positive news to come out of this whole saga with my order is that because I’ve been kept at the 'back of the queue' for so long, I'm paying upwards of £5000 less for the car than what it retails at now. They certainly won't be making all that much out of me on the finance either, after making some sums earlier. Not that I should care - the dealer and Lexus have only got themselves to blame for that. There's no way I'd be able to afford the car now, at current retail price. I was close to my limit as it was almost 16 months ago. I really do wish you well with the trade-in value with your Honda. I got pretty much what I expected for my UX (give or take a few hundred pounds) and if I had to pay the current APR rates, it would have really started to sting for me. I only hope the company can get their act together on future NX orders. It would be nice if we all had similar lead times and were treated with the same priority, rather than having very long-waiting 'outliers' like myself and a few others - which it's long since become clear they don't care about. Great news, Deb! I thought ours would have been on the same boat given we had similar ETAs, but it looks like mine was about a week and a half (ish) ahead. Again, I've no idea what ship it came in on or when it arrived in the UK. I only got to find out it's whereabouts in the world when it actually arrived at the dealer. 🙄 Indeed, fingers crossed you'll get 'the call' soon. I collect mine on 1st September - so just over a week to go. I genuinely can't wait for this to be all over and done with. It's been (or will be by next week) near enough 16 months of demoralising wait.

I can only assume it's still an ongoing issue or if it has been resolved, it must only be quite recently. I remember reading on here several months ago that the Mark Levinson chip issue was one of the main reasons for delays. Given my upcoming NX350h Takumi (with the ML system) has literally just turned up at the dealer after almost 16 months, I'd like to think it's still a problem. If not, more questions need to be asked over the delay for my car compared to the vast majority of other NX’s.

Okay folks, an update as I promised. The reason why I didn’t want to explain more in my last post is that at the time of posting, the car was in the UK but hadn't *quite* made it’s way to the dealer (I basically didn't want to jinx anything). I can now confirm that it has now arrived and the finance on the new NX and trade-in value on my outgoing UX is now sorted. No. I still don't know what ship it was on which is mildly annoying as that's part of what appears to be the 'usual process' of being kept updated, or when it even arrived in the UK, but at the end of the day, it's now sitting at the dealer waiting. I've just had to accept my 'non-priority' customer/car status. I have always said I will give credit where credit is due and in this case, the dealer is beginning at least some attempt to turn that juggernaut of almost 16 months worth of negativity I've had with them around. It's still an incredibly long way back I have to say, but at least they’re beginning to see the points I’ve been making after sorting out the finance and having a good long chat with them face to face. I should have a collection date very shortly. I'm told that there are about 'ten others' ahead of me when it comes to September collections (which I admit was probably an unfortunate 'slip of the tongue' given my excessive wait - and only serves to add fuel to the 'non-priority' theory), but they'll try their best to make it as early as possible. It'll certainly be within the first three or four days. I've said this before but for those who can't remember - I honestly don't mind not collecting it on 1st September. I've "been there and done that" before when it comes to new plate day. I'm actually quite happy to wait a few days after, even a week into 'the new plate' if need be. It's more of a relaxing atmosphere. It'll be what it'll be at the end of the day. I'm actually off work on the 1st, 4th and 5th anyway, so it won't be a problem whatever I'm told. So, fingers crossed folks. In theory, pending any further changes (which given my luck throughout this whole sorry, silent saga wouldn't surprise me) I should have it in slightly under a fortnight's time. Relatable. As I’ve said before, the app and the website has never shown my order and to this day, it seemingly doesn’t exist. This is even though I know for a fact my new NX is now physically sitting at the dealers somewhere... That's similar to me. I'm just about to 'click over' into the 16th month of waiting. I actually had to check my paperwork about a month ago as I genuinely couldn’t remember if I specified a sunroof or panoramic roof. Being a Takumi it's one or the other, but I opted for the latter.

Many thanks for the pictures @stepppy. Again, I will await to see one 'in the flesh' before casting my own final judgement on it - so everything I've said so far and what I'll say here with regards to the LBX is solely based on pictures. To me, I still say it's too small for a Lexus badge and I still stand by my opinion that this is a model which whilst no doubt will prove popular, I feel it'll devalue the brand. The colour combination of that particular interior does suit it and I will say compared to other interior pictures I've seen so far, that's by far and away my favourite. The black ones do nothing for me at all and dare I say this - it looks cheap. I like the fact that the boot has depth to it - which has always been my biggest complaint with the UX. I quite like the alloys on that one too, but the design of the car overall just doesn't appeal to me personally. Again, I need to see one 'in the flesh' to judge properly. If I was in the market for another small(ish) Lexus, I too would be hanging on for the second generation UX. It's a real shame that one was showing signs bodywork imperfections on what's a brand new, upcoming model. I'm surprised Lexus allowed that to be fair but given their decline in customer services (certainly from my experience), maybe they accept this now. Who knows...?! Obviously being used on the road you may expect it to have picked up a minor stone chip or something by now, but dents?

I've had my UX250h for almost three and a half years (it goes in a couple of weeks' time), and yes, it does all depend on what your style of driving is. The fuel tank is indeed rather small in the UX, but given the hybrid nature of the engine, it doesn't really need one. Plus, it's been notably cheaper in terms of filling up than my last car as a result of the smaller tank. In terms of economy - during colder months I can get high 40's going back and forth to work. During warmer months, that usually tops out in the mid-50's. I can squeeze that towards 57/58mpg if you're really light on the throttle. When it comes to distance drives, mid to high 50's is about the average depending on road conditions, climate control usage e.t.c... For me, I need to have a pretty heavy right foot and driving in winter for that to drop to the likes of 50/51/52mpg. I have achieved over 60mpg a handful of times on distance runs, but that's more the exception rather than the rule. Overall given it's engine size and power output, I've been very happy with it when it comes to economy.

I've enjoyed reading through this thread and seeing the pictures. That really does look lovely indeed! Excellent work both inside and out. I'm very sure you’ll enjoy that!

Things do now seem to be moving forwards quite well with regards to my order. There has been quite a fair amount of progress over the course of this week. I'm finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel on this... It's been an incredibly long time coming. 👍 If you can bear with me until mid/end next week until I have all the relevant facts together, I should be able to share what's been going on (and for a change, it’s looking likely to be mostly positive. Not an "Oh no, what's he going to moan about now?!" grump!).

In theory it should work anywhere. I only personally use mine on dual carriageways and motorways which are straighter. I don't recall having ever used it on regular single carriageway roads. Personally, I wouldn't trust lake-keep assist on single carriageway roads as I think the sensors need to also pick up a line/markings on the nearside - which a number of single carriageway roads lack. In those cases where I've tested it, the system generally doesn't work and will display as such on the dashboard. It's also slightly dodgy when it comes to 'seeing' lines on concrete sections of motorway. I did once try it on the M54, said the system was showing as working but clearly wasn't when the nearside wheels straying over onto the rumble strip of the hard shoulder (both my hands were ready at the wheel to manually correct, may I add!). I've never had any issues with it on tarmac. As for the radar cruise - it's an excellent feature. This is the first car I've had it on and I'm struggling to understand some of the criticism it attracts from certain quarters (across any car with it - not just Lexus). Whilst it does make the car brake harder than I would with my own foot, it saves all the faffing that I used to do with putting cruise on for a mile or two, then having to slow it down or turn it off when approaching a vehicle going a few mph less. It's particularly useful on SPECS sections of roads where you often find some motorists cannot keep a steady speed. My only real issue with it are indeed the 5mph increments in adjustment. That's a bit silly in my opinion. I turn the system off, adjust my speed and then turn it back on again. I've got it down to a fine art where I can do this in literally a second!

I do regret not ordering mine with the protection pack, as I do have it on my UX (known as the 'Adventure Pro Pack' back then...). I'll likely be looking online over the coming weeks to see what I can find before I finally collect it. I'm not so fussed about the mudflaps. It's mainly the rubber boot mat and the rubber floor mats. I’ll be resorting to the likes of eBay and Amazon, so I'm open to suggestions.

@Juicedrinker - Indeed! I don't know what it is about the local dealer but they really are very 'funny' about brakes. Ask them to check them out, inspect e.t.c and they'll genuinely look at you with bemusement and have said along the lines of "Why? Are they working okay?". They're just don't want anything to do with them when it comes to maintenance. The next nearest Vauxhall dealer along (owned by the same company) aren't quite as aversive to servicing brakes, but still pretty bad. I'm just assuming it's a company-wide policy...and an incredibly odd/dangerous one to have in my opinion. Again, it's something they've always done for as long as my family have dealt with them. Barring this oddity, they're generally decent people to deal with and going back in time to when I had that handbrake issue with my Astra Sporthatch, the sales side was superb. They were actually embarrassed that I had to elevate my issue to the service manager before they reluctantly agreed there was a fault that needed to be addressed (one particular salesman knew our family on first-name terms - hence we always went to him). It's certainly one of the most surreal situations I've ever come across with one of my own personal cars, at least. It'll take some beating! That issue with your old Cavalier really is utterly bizarre! I can't say I've ever come across anything like that before. I wonder what that was?! It sounds like some sort of odd earthing issue but that really is hazarding a guess. @Linas.P - You're telling me! It was barely working anyway, so to make it useless altogether made no difference! I remember him putting the handbrake on and then pulling away in first. Very little resistance of course. He then changed up into second and tried to tug the handbrake harder and looked a little confused as to why the car was still accelerating - thinking he hadn't applied the handbrake...it was literally hard-on. It was only once he changed up again into third and could see my arms crossed and the slightly cheesed-off look on my face of "I told you the handbrake isn't working..." did he accept I had a point and they will actually have to do some work on brakes. Shock horror! I'm going back to late 2005 so I can't remember exactly what happened, but I remember it was in for a few days and I think they basically replaced the cable, linkage...everything. I remember after picking up the car, he said they'd sent off my old bits back to the factory (which is literally three miles up the road...) for evaluation for a potential recall of a whole batch of cars. I can only assume they found quite a major defect, or defects, in it. I never heard anything back after that. We all know new brake pads and discs require a little bedding in for sure. But a handbrake?! It's something I've never been told before or since.

I’m sorry to hear that @HGUS. I have multiple issues with my local Lexus dealer on the sales side (many of them I’ve discussed on the forum and some I’ve purposefully held back on discussing whilst I have an outstanding order), but the service side from my experience has been very good. They have once forgot to reset my oil service mileometer countdown but other than that, on the service side anyway, I’ve found them hard to fault. On the sales side at least, I’m more or less settled that I’ll never use them again once I collect my new car from them next month. In 20 years of ‘new car purchasing’, this, without doubt, has been the worst experience I’ve ever had...and by quite some considerable margin I’m sorry to say. The lack of communication and understanding has been astounding. I’ll likely continue to use them for servicing due to convenience and my previous experiences, but that’ll be it. Whether I’ll deal with Lexus again as a company beyond my upcoming new car is very much in the balance at the moment. This final month or so of my long wait will ultimately make my mind up. My outgoing UX was purchased from my ‘second nearest’ dealer and whilst the building is certainly an ‘older style’ Lexus dealer, the sales experience was significantly better. If I do decide to stick with the brand going forwards, I’ll likely go back to them instead. @Juicedrinker - You’ve reminded me about my local Vauxhall dealer when it comes to brakes. My family have been dealing with them, on and off, for over 25 years. Over that time I’ve seen some good work done by them and some ‘less than satisfactory’ efforts. Most of which rectified on a second visit, to be fair. However, one thing which have always let them down is that they simply will not touch brakes. If you ask them, they want to know why. On a service, they only ever give them a ‘visual’. You literally have to pay them extra to do something simple as a brake fluid change. I once had a new Astra Sporthatch from them which the handbrake was weak more or less from day one. I was told it would ‘take time’ to ‘bed in’. A month later, it had deteroriated to the point it was of no use. I was told the same thing again so I had to have the service manager out in the car with me so I could demonstrate to him how easily the car would drive forwards or backwards in the car park - with the handbrake fully on. We took it to what used to be a very quiet lane a few hundred yards away. He got in the drivers seat. Put the handbrake on and moved forwards. By the time we got up to almost 30mph with practically zero resistance and into third gear he accepted “Yeah...I think there might be a problem”.