HPS13

Hi You certainly have provided an extensive list of working components for your car. I'm sure that any interested parties will be in touch should they have a desire to view / purchase, especially with the comprehensive information you have provided. Good luck with a sale and update us when you have a buyer. Regards

I found an image on eBay where someone is selling a used LS400 steering rack. The N/S (passenger) tie rod indeed does look a little longer than the O/S.

Service managers are required to upsell in order to try and meet targets. Two of the most common items you have mentioned - tracking and air con re-gassing. Easy money for the dealership and the customer will never know if these items were completed or not. The other common advisory / campaign for additional work - brake discs and pads. The usual speech, " Your brake pads are 50% worn".

I think if the belt snapped whilst in busy motorway traffic it would cause a lot of concern for safety. As Brian above mentions, better to be safe than sorry.

Fuelly has a menu on the home page where you can select 'UK' for the units rather than the US option. UK value is 30.6 mog.

According to the Fuelly website, the average mpg for a 2010 Lexus RX 450h is 30.6 mpg from a sample of 74 vehicles so your 30 mpg may be correct. With regards to tyre pressures, I would recommend following what the owner manual states. Naturally on a motorway drive you will expect to see your mpg increase in normal conditions.

Hi Apart from the usual serviceable items, what else did you change that cost £400? I haven't heard this before. I would be surprised if Lexus provide the warranty based upon an isolated oil change. Do you have a link or source for this information? Thanks

Hi If the car is only 9 months old, your car will still be covered under the manufacturers warranty?

Hi Ian The option I have chosen is to have a space saver / jack in the boot under the main boot floor. I purchased a used Lexus tyre and wheel from eBay for £30 and a jack and handle for £10. I'm still on the original Bridgestone run flats and when I need new tyres, I'll be going for the same size but normal (not run flat) all season tyres. Regards

Hi Why did you decide against the car?

Sadly a lot of these experiences are true where dealerships will attempt to convince customers that new parts are required after a service. It's usually brakes and tyres of as a scare tactic. Garages have weekly / monthly targets to meet so the staff feel under pressure to push so called 'advisories' onto the customer in the hope they will agree to additional work even when it may not be required. If Lexus are charging around £200 per hour labour, this feels extortionate. All this while the technician gets paid around £15 per hour. For comparison, I worked at a Lexus dealership in the mid 2000's and the labour charge per hour to the customer was £50.

Jack You would need to specify which brake pipes require replacement as this will determine the cost. The cost of the pipe and tube nuts is relatively low. Brake fluid is also not expensive. The labour cost will be very variable depending on how many pipes need replaced. Regards

Hi Alan What is the name of your current Lexus dealership? Regards

£3500 sounds extremely expensive for brake work. Do you know which parts are due to be replaced / have been replaced?

There is no duty from any country if the the goods (inc.shipping) is under £135. Steve is correct though in saying that there is still 20% VAT to be added. VAT and customs duty are two different things.

Hi There are plenty of Lexus UX spares (including full cars breaking) on eBay. Personally I would contact some of them and request a price for the trim. You should be able to replace the part yourself with basic tools and knowledge.

I previously had a 2017 IS300H where the driver seat did not heat up. I took it to a Lexus dealer for inspection but they told me it was operating as normal. The heated seats in some Lexus models are really poor and you can hardly feel any heat.

The MOT inspection manual is available online should anyone wish to look. (b) a suspension joint dust cover: (ii) missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, - Major defect. I do agree that although every MOT tester should follow the inspection manual, everyone's assessment ability is different - there will always be differences of opinion as we're not robots. If you ever have doubt if an MOT has been carried out correctly, you can contact DVSA to investigate. Personally I'd be most concerned about the corrosion and also the excessive oil leak.

We had to be careful at primary school when saying the headmaster's name - a Mr.Banks

Hi It was mentioned earlier in the thread to buy a mechanics stethoscope. This is a really good suggestion. When I previously worked as a mechanic, it was a really useful piece of equipment. It could save you a lot of time and make finding the issue easier. Screwfix for example has one (Silverline) for £9.29.

Welcome Mike! Quite a few SC430 owners here who I'm sure will help you. "Washing a car - Washing a car, is very much like making love to a beautiful woman. You've got to caress the bodywork"

Yes the colour and also the shine on the disc.

Yes, if the photo is accurate. Looks like the disc has overheated.

On the lower photo that you posted you can see evidence of excess heat damage due to the caliper binding. With the symptoms you describe - previous uneven pad wear recorded and at present, one caliper is hot and the other is cold, the following would be parts to check / replace. 1. piston(s) in the caliper is partially seized. 2. Sliding pins are seized inside the caliper preventing the caliper from moving. 3. Flexible brake hose is perished internally and causing the caliper to bind on.

This looks like the clip that's attached to brake pads and acts as a wear indicator. When the brake pads wear down if they are not replaced in time, this metal clip contacts the brake disc and makes an unpleasant squeak. The photo of the part has been deformed so apologies if it's not the part I mentioned above.