Hopeful 'soon to be' new Lexus owner

[JDM-Fiend]

Hi all,

 

I've been browsing the site for a little while and I'm currently looking at purchasing a 2010 Lexus IS250 F-Sport.

 

I've had mostly Honda's and have always liked Lexus but haven't been able to afford one.

 

I've had a good read of this thread - http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/108747-what-to-look-out-for-lexus-is250-2007-model-year/

 

Were any of these issues fixed in a later 2010 model that I'm looking at possibly? Or was it an exhaustive list for this model, regardless of the year?

 

The only other thing I'm factoring in is the alloy wheel refurbishment which seems inevitable and also the exhaust which would be replaced by a Tanabe exhaust I think as the standard replacement is so expensive.

 

Any other advice apart from what I've read in that thread?

 

The car I'm looking at buying has full Lexus History and has under 50k mileage. I would look to carry on the Lexus servicing as it appears as though they have fixed price servicing.

 

Thanks,

[normski2]

Noobie has put a (very good it is too) list encompassing the whole range of years really.

There will be little differences from year to year when facelifts occurred. For example from 09 to 10 the facelift had a USB in the armrest and sat nav changed from disc to HDD.

Some items are continuous though.

The good old calipers need to be checked regularly. Lexus don't include these on their servicing schedules...they just expect you to fork out for new ones every so often. My advice would be do it yourself or get a reliable indy to do it for you. Yep the alloys are naff for longevity...had mine redone a while back (18 months or so) and now they are perfect. Well , apart from my nick on the front wheel in a underground car park in France....Grrrrrr.

I doubt you'll see any exhaust problems on a car that young in miles, but, hey ho you never know.

The 250 section is full of helpful folk who enjoy their cars. Fine cars they are too. Like mine very much indeed.

Best of luck with your search. Take your time and get the one you want.

[Shahpor]

Hi Chan,

I think the thread you mentioned pretty much sums up all the issues you might possibly face.

I too have had my alloys refurb'd as they were in a dire state.  I have also managed to curb one of my fronts since then. 

As far as i am aware, none of the issues mentioned in that thread have been resolved for the facelift models.  The calipers certainly haven't.

Since you plan on having it serviced at Lexus, have you considered putting an extended warranty on it?  The IS250 is a well built car, and with that age and mileage I wouldn't expect many problems, but you never know.  At £895 for 2 years it is pretty good value for money, especially when you factor in the fact that it includes top level AA cover as well.

[JDM-Fiend]

48 minutes ago, normski2 said:

Noobie has put a (very good it is too) list encompassing the whole range of years really.

There will be little differences from year to year when facelifts occurred. For example from 09 to 10 the facelift had a USB in the armrest and sat nav changed from disc to HDD.

Some items are continuous though.

The good old calipers need to be checked regularly. Lexus don't include these on their servicing schedules...they just expect you to fork out for new ones every so often. My advice would be do it yourself or get a reliable indy to do it for you. Yep the alloys are naff for longevity...had mine redone a while back (18 months or so) and now they are perfect. Well , apart from my nick on the front wheel in a underground car park in France....Grrrrrr.

I doubt you'll see any exhaust problems on a car that young in miles, but, hey ho you never know.

The 250 section is full of helpful folk who enjoy their cars. Fine cars they are too. Like mine very much indeed.

Best of luck with your search. Take your time and get the one you want.

 

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I'm getting a 2010 for the USB as quite a big reason, might sound silly but I listen to most of my music in the car.

I'll factor in the calipers too, I know a decent indy near me. I'd probably get them refurbed from Lepsons who are quite near me and are excellent.

RE the exhaust you never know! I've read so many threads about the aftermarket ones droning etc, so if I did get the Tanabe I hope it's decent.

Definitely taken my time so far, so fingers crossed.

 

35 minutes ago, Shahpor said:

Hi Chan,

I think the thread you mentioned pretty much sums up all the issues you might possibly face.

I too have had my alloys refurb'd as they were in a dire state.  I have also managed to curb one of my fronts since then. 

As far as i am aware, none of the issues mentioned in that thread have been resolved for the facelift models.  The calipers certainly haven't.

Since you plan on having it serviced at Lexus, have you considered putting an extended warranty on it?  The IS250 is a well built car, and with that age and mileage I wouldn't expect many problems, but you never know.  At £895 for 2 years it is pretty good value for money, especially when you factor in the fact that it includes top level AA cover as well.

Great, appreciate that.

In regards to the extended warranty, what's the criteria? £895 isn't bad if it covers a lot of things, I'd like to see the list of inclusions/exclusions.

I remember I had an extended warranty on a Z4 coupe I had, which was about £40 a month. The only condition was that the vehicle had to have been serviced by BMW only at the correct intervals.

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, igotthechronicbythetree said:

 

 

Yes, I'm getting a 2010 for the USB as quite a big reason, might sound silly but I listen to most of my music in the car.

 

Not silly at all - but I had a 2012 and found the USB not very good for displaying and searching tracks. So I used an old Iphone which worked very well via the USB.

On switching to current car and system USB works much better than the Iphone.

Suggest you take your USB and test it before buying - hope it's good for you. If it is the 13 speaker system you won't be disappointed in sound anyway. Simply count the grills you can find as often dealers don't know, mine was listed as 8 speaker but had 13. Even over the phone they told me it was the 8 speaker.

[steveledzep]

Here you go :

https://d3rvezpmgp265q.cloudfront.net/lexusone/lexgbenv11/Lexus-Extended-Warranty-Terms-and-Conditions_tcm-3157-1184113.pdf?_ga=2.192733737.206863879.1513090314-1522756123.1513090314

 

I had it on a couple of IS250s and the claims exceeded the premiums each time, only just though.  I've taken it out on my RX too.  Good luck in your search, they're lovely motors.

[JDM-Fiend]

3 minutes ago, steveledzep said:

Here you go :

https://d3rvezpmgp265q.cloudfront.net/lexusone/lexgbenv11/Lexus-Extended-Warranty-Terms-and-Conditions_tcm-3157-1184113.pdf?_ga=2.192733737.206863879.1513090314-1522756123.1513090314

 

I had it on a couple of IS250s and the claims exceeded the premiums each time, only just though.  I've taken it out on my RX too.  Good luck in your search, they're lovely motors.

Thanks, I'll have a read!

[is200 Newbie]

I put the topic up to cover everything I could think of and what had been reported on the forum - not to deter buyers but helpful to take with you when looking at a possible new car.

I doubt the exhaust and calipers will be on the extended warranty (calipers may be? but exhaust wont be)

Things to also consider.... airbag recall done? / fuel seal done (if applicable?) .... doesn't cost anything other than the "hassle factor" ... also, consider the cost of plug replacement cost at around 60k miles (service schedule for them) at around £600.

I would not consider the mileage of these cars to put them in a bad light providing they have been looked after and it will be pretty obvious on fist sight if they have been.

As for the USB socket, I use the AUX socket in the armrest connected to an MP3 player on a 3.5mm audio jack cable and it works brilliantly, cant get the songs shown on the main screen but who does that when they are driving. Can change the tracks though as the player sits next to the gear stick. If you are looking to buy from a dealer then ask them to update the sat nav to latest spec before buying.

[steveledzep]

I've had two calipers replaced on extended warranty.

[is200 Newbie]

9 minutes ago, steveledzep said:

I've had two calipers replaced on extended warranty.

I wasn't sure as had seen a while ago Lexus stopped replacing them - worth checking for the age of car at least.

Why they have not resolved this is anyones guess as its been an issue since the early 90's

[peachy]

Personally I think the extended warranty is a waste of money as the 250 rarely goes wrong if ever. As honest John said, its' probably the most reliable car you can buy.

Only problem your likely to encounter is the calipers (rears especially) but if pins greased every 6 months or so it eliminates the problem. Easy job to do yourself if your handy with the spanners, or take it to a local trusted independent garage like I do and they charge you around 40 notes.

You won' be disappointed with the 250. Best car by far I've ever owned.

[Guest]

, cant get the songs shown on the main screen but who does that when they are driving.

Me


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[is200 Newbie]

1 minute ago, Comedian said:

 

 

 

Me


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[steveledzep]

17 minutes ago, peachy said:

Personally I think the extended warranty is a waste of money as the 250 rarely goes wrong

The car is virtually bullet proof, I agree.  However, it's the things that catch you by surprise !  I had a front headlamp assembly changed because the original had decided to condensate and corrode the reflector.  £700+ !  Don't forget the peace of mind from the premier AA package included too.  One thing's for sure, a thousand quid buys you bugger all at a Lexus dealership  

[Rebecca]

As far as I'm aware all gen 2 IS models have 13 speakers fitted as standard and 14 if you have the mark levinson. The gen 3 IS has 8 speakers fitted standard.

As for the USB I find it's only good for charging my phone. I use Bluetooth for audio and it's superb. 

I still own my 250 f-sport despite recently purchasing an ISF and I can't bring myself to sell it. It really is a fantastic car to drive and ive not had so much as a light bulb go yet after over a year of ownership. 

 

[Guest]

As far as I'm aware all gen 2 IS models have 13 speakers fitted as standard and 14 if you have the mark levinson.  
 

Probably correct. When I was looking a I saw a few listed with 8 speakers and dealers seemed to back this up. I now realise they don't take much care. My rc was listed with std 10 speaker and ML wasn't mentioned anywhere in the advert.

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[JDM-Fiend]

Thanks for all of your comments.

I have mixed feelings about the possible impending purchase from reading your comment, appreciated nonetheless. The IS250 on the whole seems reliable, but also if something goes it will be pricey.

I'm buying this car as my daily commuter to work and back, so I'll do about 300 miles a week, so a minimum of 12k a year for work plus all the other mileage I'll end up doing.

It doesn't help that I've come from owning Honda's, which aren't as luxurious in my opinion but they are shamelessly reliable in my experience if you have the right model and it's been looked after.

 

So, I'm concerned that perhaps it's not the right car as a commuter car due to the amount of mileage I'll do. Petrol isn't an issue, but things outside of servicing and normal/preventative maintenance can be an issue on my cashflow. I'm wondering if this goes back to a phrase I have of buying the decent car is the easy part, keeping it decent is the hard part.

 

Thoughts anyone?

[johnatg]

There's no reason why an IS250 should cost you any more to run and maintain than a Honda (Accord?). IS250s are at least as reliable as an Accord (which I know is very reliable indeed)

I guess your commute is about 30 miles each way - that should be enough and not too much to keep the car in good nick for a long time. The comments above cover pretty much anything which could potentially go wrong - the brake calipers do need their regular cleaning/greasing, but eg my exhaust is still original (from 2006) with no signs of problems (I probably shouldn't tempt fate like that!)

[johnatg]

BTW - I just noticed the bit about 'carrying on with Lexus servicing'. That will be expensive and totally unnecessary - the only things needing regular attention are oil changes and oil, air (only very occasional) and cabin (pollen) filter changes - after market filters work fine at a fraction of Lexus prices and oil is oil. Buy your own fully synthetic 5W-30 on eBay along with filters etc and get a good indy to do your servicing if you can't do it yourself. All the other servicing 'work' is/are inspections - hell, the MoT covers most of them.

Lexus dealers don't do the essential brake caliper maintenance, and they charge full price for any parts they consider 'needed'. You can buy filters, tyres, brake pads etc much more cheaply from the after market and they work just as well - often they are the same parts in a different box.

Using any dealer for any car after it's out of warranty is throwing money down the drain, IMHO - they are geared up to maintain cars within warranty and change 'units' - they don't consider or attempt any suitable fixes which require a bit of dismantling, repair and reassembly. A good indy will seek the best/lowest cost compromise to deal with problems.

[Linas.P]

Considering it is 2010, I might still go with dealer service, especially if it currently have FLSH I would keep it that way. You can choose "essential care" for car over 5 years old which is not that much more expensive then third party. I tend to do any big ticket items with indies e.g. brake calipers because Lexus dealer price would be quadruple (obviously, unless you can do it yourself). The whole servicing thing is more important for resale value, not as much for keeping the car in good condition (because IS250 rarely goes wrong), so it is really decision based on how long you want to keep the car and what you want to get for it when selling.

[johnatg]

Considering it is 2010, I might still go with dealer service, especially if it currently have FLSH I would keep it that way. You can choose "essential care" for car over 5 years old which is not that much more expensive then third party. I tend to do any big ticket items with indies e.g. brake calipers because Lexus dealer price would be quadruple (obviously, unless you can do it yourself). The whole servicing thing is more important for resale value, not as much for keeping the car in good condition (because IS250 rarely goes wrong), so it is really decision based on how long you want to keep the car and what you want to get for it when selling.

Maybe but don't kid yourself - if you buy any 7-8 year old car and sell at 10-12 years, the difference with or without dealer SH will be negligible IMHO

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[Linas.P]

That is exactly my point. if you buy it at 7 years old and sell it at 12, then there is no point doing dealer services. First of all because any 12 years old car will be worthless regardless, secondly because you will do 5 services at extra price. However, if you go the car with FLSH at 6 years old and will sell it at 8 years old, it might make sense to get essential service plan for those 2 years, it would not cost much more then indies (lets say you spend £150 more), but keeping that FLSH next to the title you can get maybe £500-1000 more when selling or simply sell much faster in comparison with car without FLSH... 

Quote

it is really decision based on how long you want to keep the car and what you want to get for it when selling.

 

[JDM-Fiend]

21 hours ago, johnatg said:

There's no reason why an IS250 should cost you any more to run and maintain than a Honda (Accord?). IS250s are at least as reliable as an Accord (which I know is very reliable indeed)

I guess your commute is about 30 miles each way - that should be enough and not too much to keep the car in good nick for a long time. The comments above cover pretty much anything which could potentially go wrong - the brake calipers do need their regular cleaning/greasing, but eg my exhaust is still original (from 2006) with no signs of problems (I probably shouldn't tempt fate like that!)

Appreciate this, hopefully you and I are both right about that.

I'll make sure my local indy looks at the calipers every 6 months, assuming I definitely purchase the car.

20 hours ago, johnatg said:

BTW - I just noticed the bit about 'carrying on with Lexus servicing'. That will be expensive and totally unnecessary - the only things needing regular attention are oil changes and oil, air (only very occasional) and cabin (pollen) filter changes - after market filters work fine at a fraction of Lexus prices and oil is oil. Buy your own fully synthetic 5W-30 on eBay along with filters etc and get a good indy to do your servicing if you can't do it yourself. All the other servicing 'work' is/are inspections - hell, the MoT covers most of them.

Lexus dealers don't do the essential brake caliper maintenance, and they charge full price for any parts they consider 'needed'. You can buy filters, tyres, brake pads etc much more cheaply from the after market and they work just as well - often they are the same parts in a different box.

Using any dealer for any car after it's out of warranty is throwing money down the drain, IMHO - they are geared up to maintain cars within warranty and change 'units' - they don't consider or attempt any suitable fixes which require a bit of dismantling, repair and reassembly. A good indy will seek the best/lowest cost compromise to deal with problems.

My thoughts on servicing independently and from a franchised dealer are mixed.

On one hand I'm buying a car because it's main dealer serviced and wouldn't touch one that has been independently serviced, because I'm unsure of the standards used by said independent dealers.

On another hand, if I sell my car in 2-4 years I'm guessing it would be worth approximately £4k odd, irrespective of main dealer or independent servicing.

I always assume that dealers carry out other checks to highlight issues (Honda do anyway) which you could then get done at an independent.

The jury is still out for me about which one to do, but the truth is if I could afford it and also get a hire car etc, I'd use the dealer. 

13 hours ago, Linas.P said:

Considering it is 2010, I might still go with dealer service, especially if it currently have FLSH I would keep it that way. You can choose "essential care" for car over 5 years old which is not that much more expensive then third party. I tend to do any big ticket items with indies e.g. brake calipers because Lexus dealer price would be quadruple (obviously, unless you can do it yourself). The whole servicing thing is more important for resale value, not as much for keeping the car in good condition (because IS250 rarely goes wrong), so it is really decision based on how long you want to keep the car and what you want to get for it when selling.

I'll have a look into the essential care. I'd definitely do brakes/tyres etc from elsewhere but servicing I'd considering depending on prices and benefits such as a hire car etc.

[is200 Newbie]

Have  look at this IS - being advertised on eBay

Super low mileage for the year at 27k and its a 2007 SE-L

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-Lexus-IS-250-SE-L-Auto-Black-Black-Leather-AC-Nav-Mark-Levison-27k-mile-FSH/382304826182?hash=item590324b346:g:PMkAAOSwRNhaEX1Z

Consider if you are going to put the miles on it then this mileage will be ideal - the cost is quite high though but this reflects the mileage - a good prospect for haggling to get the price down a bit. Worth a punt if you don't mind the age of the car...

[Linas.P]

That low mileage might not be good sign, especially calipers, Battery, rubbers... Not saying it is any bad, but car which done 2000 miles a year sometimes can have more issue then the one which was run. The worst case is where car is low mileage, but was parked for last 3 years... 

As for this particular car the history is immaculate and consistent (~2000miles a year), though there are expected issues - "both rear tyres are cracked and perished,rec. replace" - clearly result of car being parked most of the time, so if tires has this advisory I would not be surprised for other seals and rubbers to be "dry" for prolonged periods of time and be cracked etc.