2006 CAR PROBLEM LIST AND WARNING

[Douf]

Hi

I purchased my black Lexus IS250 from new and it is my pride and joy. I have looked after it over the years and always had it serviced. I have noticed a few people posting what looks to be common problems with this model.  I thought i would list mine.

Paint bubbling and flaking on alloy wheels.  /  Wiper arm paint flaking off. /  Paint bubbling on the front edge of the bonnet. / Broken boot catch. / Air conditioning blocked and leaking into the rear passenger foot wells. / Very sticky front dash. / Paint work seems to scratch very easy. 

I am hoping to keep the car for as long as i can.  Any other faults that you have experienced that I should be aware off?   With the car being 11 years old, I was advised during my last service that they noticed some rust to the floor pan.

How long should the exhaust system last?

Cheers

[jumbojake]

how long on the original exhaust?!!

Painting cars is one lesson the Janese could learn from the Germans... better tha they were 30 years ago, but still poor   (my 2012 is bubbling already :-( )

[Malc]

paint bubbling ?  I thought the Japanese learnt the lessons well, my Ls400 is just about like new with just two tiny tiny rust spots starting to come through and absolutely zero rust underneath ............  22 years old and 193k miles ...............  and a stainless steel exhaust in fine nick too

I think the issue is that Lexus is now just skimping somewhere in the prep and the finishing .....

btw i saw the other day a 54 plate VW with one front wing rusted to very large holes, probably a MOT failure next time around.

Let's hope they don't get like the Lancias' of old ! rust failure at first MOT and cars being scrapped.

Malc

[VrmmVrmm]

I have a car also from new (2007) 250,000 klms IS220D...I can only list poor alloys and now the car isn't worth a new set or expensive refurb.

All paint etc perfect as are all other issues you list...although I'll add the...EGR once blocked....NEVER again I keep it DIY cleaned every 15000 klms when I service.  Usually change all filters, (oil & pollen)....best quality oil and oil filters.  Interestingly I see your location as a non-UK (British Isles... I'm Ireland) and you also as did a recent poster from Portugal have "Sticky Dash"...

Going... hopefully for NEW 2018 BMW X3 G01 next.  

WHY?...our age and retired we (wife & I) find the lovely reliable Lexus just a tad low for us getting in and out, thankfully our family was reared before IS220D as the room in the back is too small...the back of our car hardly EVER sat in and it didn't really affect us at all, just sharing info. Plus I've never owned AWD and I'd like to give it a go...always owned a car considered to be of better quality and the Lexus in my view was the best...beating Mercedes I've owned...never owned a BMW before another bucket list reason...LOL

 

[Malc]

16 minutes ago, VrmmVrmm said:

Plus I've never owned AWD and I'd like to give it a go..

I've also bought, last August, a 10 year old Honda Legend and that's with AWD .......  not used it yet, well, i don't believe it's hit into that mode yet ............  will be fascinating to really drive in the snow and ice which unlike my Ls400 I just tuck up in bed when the weather's like that coz I KNOW it's absolutely useless driving in those conditions ...........  goes nowhere I want it to ...........

Malc

[Douf]

I am in the Channel islands.  In the past i have owned a couple of Saab's, Volvo's and Jaguars and would also say that the Lexus was a step up. That's why I am so disappointed about the cost cutting in the design and finish of the car.  Funny enough I have twice taken a BMW for a test drive and never purchased one as the salesman both times treated me like i couldn't afford one. Little did he know.  Like you, until two years ago the back seats have never been used. The family have grown up and I would never let the dog in the car. But with the car being worthless due to the age I have now given my dog the back seat to enjoy.  Just come back from two weeks touring around Cornwall and the car was great. Only to find on my return home that the back carpets and mats were full of water due to the A/C being blocked. When i took the car into the garage in 2014 about the problem they didn't believe me. I am sure they thought I was leaving the windows open!!   And they still want £80.00 to look at the car to confirm it is the A/C causing the problem.  No way am i paying that as I know that is the fault. Very frustrating.

Wish you luck with the BMW.  Enjoy. 

[Texas]

Try printing off showing the garage the TSIB mentioned in the reply I posted about the AC drain plug fault.

paul m.

[is200 Newbie]

6 hours ago, Douf said:

Hi

I purchased my black Lexus IS250 from new and it is my pride and joy. I have looked after it over the years and always had it serviced. I have noticed a few people posting what looks to be common problems with this model.  I thought i would list mine.

Paint bubbling and flaking on alloy wheels.  /  Wiper arm paint flaking off. /  Paint bubbling on the front edge of the bonnet. / Broken boot catch. / Air conditioning blocked and leaking into the rear passenger foot wells. / Very sticky front dash. / Paint work seems to scratch very easy. 

I am hoping to keep the car for as long as i can.  Any other faults that you have experienced that I should be aware off?   With the car being 11 years old, I was advised during my last service that they noticed some rust to the floor pan.

How long should the exhaust system last?

Cheers

Paint bubbling (Alloy corrosion) on the alloy wheels is common across the models - at least the older IS models (MK1 & 2's) so you are not alone there but once they go there will be a bit of air loss from them as they will eventually corrode to the point where the tyre loses its seal and acts like a slow puncture. It would be advisable to get them refurbed when they get bad as it will save a lot of hassle when they start to give you issue.

The paint is bubbling on my wiper arms - I have always planned to take them off / clean up and re-paint but not had the chance to yet. Other issues with the paint I have not experienced at all on the car, a few stone chips but that's through road use.

The broken boot catch could be an indication of the gas struts failing if its closing too hard?

I don't think the air con failure is a common issue seen by many owners?

The sticky dash is a recent issue highlighted by a few owners - see recent posts and apparently its being treated by a recall in some countries.

Have never ever seen any indications of rust on the pan on this car but I guess it depends upon where you live (next to coastal area or extreme weather?)

Your exhaust has lasted amazingly well - mine went at around 80k miles. This is down to how its driven (not heating up enough so it fails from the inside out due to build up of condensation not being burned off. New ones, custom made, are easy to find at around 4 - 500£'s but make sure you state to have it made as quiet as possible.

[is 220d owner]

Well i don`t know about you but  I don`t classify cosmetic problems as serious problems with cars. it can be easily fixed. As long as the car never had engine ,gearbox  ,cluch,electrical problems, many suspension  problems in 10 years i think that is what you can call reliable car. 

by the way my exhaust is still original with 135k miles a wee bit rusty in some places but no holes or any serious damage. 

[Linas.P]

@VrmmVrmm - IS220d has completely different list of issues from IS250 it is almost completely different model.

@Douf - in terms of paint you are right, Lexus has what is considered soft paint, not all colours, but especially black one. As well rims are very common problem, not on all styles but popular styles had poor paint. I personally don't consider that a big issue as driving in the city they get kerbed quicker than they would naturally flake. In terms of bonnet and wiper arms - I believe it is to do with the metal - bonnet is aluminum and instead of stone chip rusting it actually oxidates and creates a film, which bubbles and flakes paint. Which brings us to one very specific problem - Lexus used poor alloy primer, as you can see any part which is alloy on Lexus has problems with bubbling and rusting. 

Guestimate for exhaust rusting 8/10 years and that is for almost any car, especially problematic is rear section as it doesn't get hot enough to dry after driving. Mine did 160k+ miles still on original exhaust, not exactly the best shape but will last few more years - one of the rear mufflers had previous broken loose and was welded back

I have not heard of boot catch failing before.. or at least that doesn't seem to be as common.

Sticky dash is non-UK problem, I would say more relevant to Californian cars, middle east maybe sometimes Southern Europe, but again any dash would suffer if left in sun for 10 years. When visiting middle east I have seen almost all drivers covering their dash with something as otherwise, it would melt straight away.

[Shahpor]

1 hour ago, Linas.P said:

@VrmmVrmm - IS220d has completely different list of issues from IS250 it is almost completely different model.

.

Well, to be fair, all the problems listed by the OP would effect the 220d just as much as the 250

I agree it is odd to hear about rust, but like previously mentioned, it must be pretty salty over there.

Overall though, considering the age of the car, I would say you have done rather well.

[J Henderson]

I don't think I've ever seen a rusty 2nd-gen IS. You see rusty E46s and C-Classes of the same vintage every day, but never an IS250. 

The wheel corrosion issue probably applies more to the original 17" wheels as fitted to 05-09 cars. It's definitely pretty rare to see an immaculate set of those. The finish on the wheels fitted on later cars seems more durable though. I had a set of the facelift 17s fitted to my IS200 and they never corroded, even after being kerbed. My OEM F-Sport wheels were very clean after 6 years and the Baransu/G-Spider wheels fitted to my last car were immaculate. And when was the last time you seen an IS-F wheel that was corroded?

I do agree about the wiper arms though. Every time I wash my car, the ultra-matte and faded appearance of the wiper arms is pretty jarring compared to how well the rest of the car is holding up. Painting them is on my to-do list.

 

[VrmmVrmm]

14 hours ago, Linas.P said:

@VrmmVrmm - IS220d has completely different list of issues from IS250 it is almost completely different model.

@Douf - in terms of paint you are right, Lexus has what is considered soft paint, not all colours, but especially black one. As well rims are very common problem, not on all styles but popular styles had poor paint. I personally don't consider that a big issue as driving in the city they get kerbed quicker than they would naturally flake. In terms of bonnet and wiper arms - I believe it is to do with the metal - bonnet is aluminum and instead of stone chip rusting it actually oxidates and creates a film, which bubbles and flakes paint. Which brings us to one very specific problem - Lexus used poor alloy primer, as you can see any part which is alloy on Lexus has problems with bubbling and rusting. 

Guestimate for exhaust rusting 8/10 years and that is for almost any car, especially problematic is rear section as it doesn't get hot enough to dry after driving. Mine did 160k+ miles still on original exhaust, not exactly the best shape but will last few more years - one of the rear mufflers had previous broken loose and was welded back

I have not heard of boot catch failing before.. or at least that doesn't seem to be as common.

Sticky dash is non-UK problem, I would say more relevant to Californian cars, middle east maybe sometimes Southern Europe, but again any dash would suffer if left in sun for 10 years. When visiting middle east I have seen almost all drivers covering their dash with something as otherwise, it would melt straight away.

Yes...I realise there's different ailments / maintenance issues for 250 vs 220 but they too have so much in common...almost everything other than mechanical bit is the same.  Or manufactured to the same standard spec...ie a wiper arm, paint finish, alloys, a/c, seats, dashboard materials, electric windows  and I too have perfect original exhaust after 150k miles plus (250k...klms) there's no doubt if you live in a location where salt isn't deployed for every frost you'll eliminate many corrosion issues, conversely if you live in a temperate climate regards really HOT conditions there's less use of a/c and therefore probably fewer issues with a/c as opposed to baking everyday and a/c going flat out  continuously...to me it's clear that the car (s) 250 or 220 are both excellent vehicles that do the same job in a different way, that said neither claim to be a one size fits all regards what they'll be exposed to as per...say mileage over 10 yrs, driver style, predominantly motorway & A roads vs B roads and rural country roads, climate and as always how well maintained.  We could be engaged in discussions about apples and oranges unless we measure against the influencing factors that give us all different experiences and in some case different gripes/issues.

[Linas.P]

If I understood correctly OP referred to rusted exhaust, not that car itself is actually rusted. In fact, mk2 IS do not rust - I have that bullet hole on side panel completely exposed and after few months it is still shiny metal.. 

@VrmmVrmm , @Shahpor you are right except mechanical part cars are exactly the same, my point was more that IS250 would not have ERG or DPF issues which are so common on IS220d.

I tend to agree with @J Henderson the biggest issues with the rims were with original 17 and 18 inch 05-09, but I must say there were terrible rims in facelift models e.g. my 2012 F-sport had chrome rims like ones below, I only owned the car for few months so no problem, but as soon as scratched entire rim would peel as a film:

In terms of A/C in modern cars as long as A/C is in the car it should be used, using A/C actually lubricates it and prevents from damage, as well 2 years service is recommended to top-up coolant and lubricants. To summarise - if you don't use A/C for extended periods of time you are damaging it.

 

[VrmmVrmm]

Hi Linas...re EGR & DPF....like all maintenance issues they're only a problem if ignored until they block.   I believe Lexus should have pointed to this system needing regular maintenance.  Like I intimated I had suffered from EGR...but only once because I cleaned it regularly after that....very much a nuisance but nonetheless a must do...a/c car from new...only ever used on hot days...why...I have a sun roof and would often use that instead, having said that a/c works perfectly never looked at over 11 years from new.  Don't get me wrong I'm not finding any issue with what you say just sharing experience.  One other thing which I know is/might be a factor is that my car IS220D is always garaged when not in use.  Idrive in and out of a garage...never exposed to prolonged sun or prolonged frost depending on the season...in my case in Ireland prolonged RAIN...LOL

[Linas.P]

That is completely fine, my point was about that ERG and DPF are a solely IS220d problem - I am not saying you cannot maintain it properly and avoid bigger issues, but in IS250 you don't even have them nor need to maintain.

In terms of A/C, that is not experience, but more like what experts suggest - you not prolonging A/C life by not using it, because using = keeping it lubricated.

And garaged car will always look and last much better.. so I am not surprised you one probably has "aged" much better than average.

[jumbojake]

my 2012 (mk2) has rust spots on the wing and roof,   . I don't live anywhere near the coast, so assume just very poor factory paint.  Sadly, as I maintain myself, the corrosion warranty is void.

appart from that, the usual creaky plastic console and dash, every corner, breaking and bumps .. pity as otherwise is it superb.

[Linas.P]

On 6/13/2017 at 11:33 PM, jumbojake said:

my 2012 (mk2) has rust spots on the wing and roof,   . I don't live anywhere near the coast, so assume just very poor factory paint.  Sadly, as I maintain myself, the corrosion warranty is void.

appart from that, the usual creaky plastic console and dash, every corner, breaking and bumps .. pity as otherwise is it superb.

Are you sure your car was not previously "repaired" ... because that doesn't sound right. Not only the paint hold quite well (except being soft and liable for scratches) but even bare metal on mk2 doesn't really rust. 

[jumbojake]

the wing was re-painted by the dealer under warranty, twice, as the first job was poor quality, they claimed no knowlege of the car's history, or at least not prepared to share.  That's now showing a sopt. 

The roof is just a rust spot... nothing major, it has some way to go before it looks like a 1980 Datsun!  the bonnet is littered with stone chips (nature of motorway driving), but so far nothing rusting there.

If they could sort out the paint and the dashboard plastics it would be perfect

[Linas.P]

Bonnet is aluminum so I guess it has eternity before Datsun's look... I would put my bid on poor repair job, because from the factory these cars do not rust. What happens with repair job - they put filler wrong or prepares surface incorrectly, the paint bubbles there humidity accumulates inside, because there is no way for it to dry humidity stays in the place and rusts the metal. If that would be clean scratch to the bare metal the water would dry before rusting the surface - or at least that is my experience with mk2.

[luxury lex]

hi , everyone is talking about exhaust corrosion , all you have to , probably only the rear box , is to drill two holes into the box , at the lowest point , to let the water out , exhausts rust from inside ! 5 mm hole is good , people did this years ago , to extend life !

[Mr Vlad]

That's interesting Hugh. Drilling two holes in the exhaust. What did/does that do to noise? And holes in exhausts, a MOT failure surely!

[Linas.P]

6 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

That's interesting Hugh. Drilling two holes in the exhaust. What did/does that do to noise? And holes in exhausts, a MOT failure surely!

5mm hole would not be fault, but potentially advisory. For the sound likewise - would just sound like exhaust has a hole. I mean it is sound advise, as exhaust indeed rusts more from inside than it does from outside, however the compromise is quite obvious as well. Besides one should do it when they fit exhaust, by now it is kind of late.

[Neilo]

Bought my 2006 nearly six years after the original post - the wheels are flaked in part but not too bad, the wipers were oxidised below the hinges. The rear leather headrests have become harder especially the middle one which is brittle and has cracked on top (where they face direct sunlight). No body rust showing, not sure about the underside of the car or if the exhaust is original, I'll probably find out more when it is next MOT'd.    

[Hear no evil]

On 6/12/2017 at 5:38 PM, VrmmVrmm said:

I have a car also from new (2007) 250,000 klms IS220D...I can only list poor alloys and now the car isn't worth a new set or expensive refurb.

All paint etc perfect as are all other issues you list...although I'll add the...EGR once blocked....NEVER again I keep it DIY cleaned every 15000 klms when I service.  Usually change all filters, (oil & pollen)....best quality oil and oil filters.  Interestingly I see your location as a non-UK (British Isles... I'm Ireland) and you also as did a recent poster from Portugal have "Sticky Dash"...

Going... hopefully for NEW 2018 BMW X3 G01 next.  

WHY?...our age and retired we (wife & I) find the lovely reliable Lexus just a tad low for us getting in and out, thankfully our family was reared before IS220D as the room in the back is too small...the back of our car hardly EVER sat in and it didn't really affect us at all, just sharing info. Plus I've never owned AWD and I'd like to give it a go...always owned a car considered to be of better quality and the Lexus in my view was the best...beating Mercedes I've owned...never owned a BMW before another bucket list reason...LOL

 

So nice to see a positive review for an IS220D. I'm a new owner of one myself and have been thoroughly impressed for the first 5k miles. There seems to be so many horror stories and bashing of the IS220D on this forum, obviously people are more inclined to post stuff if they're constantly dealing with issues and troubleshooting (looking for advice or venting) rather than if they're experiencing stress free miles, which is what one expects with a modern day car.

Re: your comments about EGR and maintenance, I think it's a pre-requisite with diesels that they are meticulously maintained, stretching out service intervals and using aftermarket parts really aren't the best idea. As well as using them for their intended purpose, long journeys. I've always operated as such and never had an issue with any of my diesels, of which I've had many. 

Best of luck with the BMW, they're great cars, well most of them are. I've had a 320D and 330D, both of which were infinitely better to drive than the IS220D, although lacked the refinement of the Lexus. Supremely reliable too. I hope you enjoy the X3 🙏🏼