New to Lexus

[Andrew250]

Good afternoon all,

I recently purchased a used 2011 IS250 advance and so far, I am very happy with the vehicle. It's higher mileage at 115k, but it has a good service history, part Lexus and the remaining with a specialist garage.  The interior is in great condition but the bodywork needs some minor attention due to stone chips and a bumper scuff that I didn't fully notice when inspecting the car in the pouring rain. I've ordered a touch up kit from Lexus parts direct.

The alloy wheels seem to be in a poorer condition than I first realised, with kurb scuffs all around and some flaking off of the lacquer. I understand this is a common problem with Lexus alloys. I want these refurbished fairly soon as I feel they are a weak point on the car. Has anybody had a recent alloy wheel refurbishment and how did it turn out? I can see the prices are around £400, so cheaper than buying new alloys but wonder if the problem presents itself again in a few years?

I am going to have a full service and spark plug change at the next service, however it was last serviced in (minor) August, so I am debating if I should do this whilst under three month warranty or wait until next year. Thanks to this forum I have leaned a lot about the model and am aware that water pumps could be a weak point. I have checked and see no signs of coolant leaks or usage so it seems fine at present but will have to see how I get on considering the mileage.

One issue I have found is the rubber window trim around the car is in really bad condition, It's discoloured and patchy like its a bit mouldy. I am not sure the best way to correct this, but have researched that spraying plasti dip could be a good option. Has anybody experienced this on their own IS cars?

The car is such a smooth comfotable drive and personally I find it fast enough with the pwr button pressed for my current driving but I did come from an aging Honda civic!

I do not intend on adding huge mileage to the car and want to really look after it for the next few years. Lexus servicing is just too prohibitive for me, but I live near an independent Lexus specialist who use OEM parts so lucky in that regard who have given a quote for the major service with spark plugs. I also got another quote at a cheaper price from Lex-Tex but unfortunately they are based in Sheffield and the 200 mile trip is a bit far! Extremely helpful on the phone though and I understand are well regarded on here.

The forum seems to be a great source of information on Lexus vehicles, and I look forward to a long ownership of my IS250. Although I have been browsing the auto traders ISF pages very frequently lately 😄

[scudney]

Congratulations 👏 on your recent purchase and welcome to the LOC,hoping you find the forum educational and informative 😀 👍 

[Linas.P]

Congrats on your purchase!

The issue only affected early models, not only wheels, but bonnets as well - something to do with aluminium primer Lexus used at that point. IS250 Advance is basically FL and is not known to have an issue with flaking wheels, I actually have a set of "Advance" 17" wheels and they were fine for a very long time. That said they are probably just badly kerbed and once surface is compromised all wheels will start peeling. Just get the properly refurbished i.e. powder coated and they will be fine.

Regarding trims, it could actually be mold or just dirt from trees etc. So simply - dirty! I would recommend staying away from plasti-dip especially for such small thing like trim. If you not going to cover it thick enough (3-5 or even 7 layers) you will have major disaster when you need to peel it off... and major disaster because it won't stay on dirt well. In short you just going to make your issues much worse!

What I would recommend is good APC (like surfecx HD) - spray it neat, leave for couple of minutes and then agitate with brush, wipe it dry with microfibre cloth. At this point it should be "squeeky" clean and microfibre cloth will be only good to throw away. If trim still looks faded then use something meant to permanently restore black rubber/plastic (like gtechniq C4).

As well check Lexus Essential care - I found their prices being fairly competitive if you want to keep annual service history. But that said with right care these cars are known to last - mine got written off at nearly 200k miles, still not major issues.

[Andrew250]

@Scudney - Thanks, I am really happy so far. Love the Lexus brand. 

@Linas - Thank you and for the information and advice. You could be correct, as they are scuffed up its probably compromised the wheels. I will look to get them refurbished soon and was thinking powder coated. Looks like The Wheel Specialist have a local branch so will try them.

I will attach a picture of the trim so you can see. Both rear windows look like this, pretty manky. I will avoid the plasti dip in that case, it did look like a fiddly job. Great advice and I will give that a go this weekend and hope that it restores it back to black!

I did research the essential care and it did look reasonable value for money. That's further enforced by being cheaper than a few Lexus indy specialist quotes I received for a minor service. I had a quote for £570 for a full service and spark plugs from an indy specialist. Do you think this is reasonable? I ask as the parts are available as a kit from Lexus Parts direct for £140 however they did state they would change the gearbox and diff oil and inspect the brakes (Not sure if that includes greasing the pesky sliding caliper bolts). I am happy to pay a fair price but that seems a bit of a high margin for labour costs, but I know nothing about servicing costs on these cars. I am happy to pay a fair price, just don't want to pay over the odds.  I understand the spark plugs take about two hours to change.  Another indy quoted £490 but it's a fair distance away to travel and the savings are lost by the fuels costs. 

That's exactly the mileage I would like to get out of mine, at least depending how long that takes!

[J Henderson]

Welcome to the club, Andrew, and to IS 250 ownership. 

I would say £400 for a wheel refurb is a bit on the steep side, especially if you have 17" wheels. My last refurb (which admittedly, was 5 years ago) cost me £60+VAT per corner and that was for a shadow chrome finish on 18" wheels.

The damage to the window trim looks like it might just be mold/dirt that could be cleaned off using an All-Purpose Cleaner as suggested by Linas. If the finish is still flat/dull after cleaning, the Gtechiq C4 trim restorer is definitely a good shout. I've not used it personally, but it seems to transform dull & greyed-out plastics and rubbers.

Regarding the service costs. Circa £500 doesn't sound too bad if the parts are included (are they?). A couple of weeks ago I got a local indy to service my car including the plug change. They also fitted new front discs & pads and repaired my parking brake. They charged me £240 but I supplied all the parts including the oil.

[Linas.P]

It is hard to say just by looking to picture, but looks like some sort of organic contamination. It is not metal part so it isn't rusted. I would still go with my method of APC, if brush does not removes it then just put on the gloves, MF cloth not folded and rub it with the thumb - I am pretty confident it will come right off. Just check MF from time to time, because you don't want to rub it too much when it get's dirty. In the end of the day APC is very safe to use, probably would work fine even at 1:10, but using neat will get the job done quicker. But use gloves - chemicals are chemicals.

I don't remember what was quote from Lexus for spark-plugs, but I think it was ~£560 including parts. So around £500 sounds to be right. I was planning to do spark plugs myself, but never came to do it before car got written off. What I know it is relatively big job as a lot of parts have to come - whole intake and intake manifold, so for unsuspecting person it may look like half of the engine is split apart

The brake calipers are major headache on this car, they need to be greased twice or at lest once a year and sadly they are not part of standard Lexus maintenance schedule. Otherwise they get rusted and stuck, requiring replacement or at least refurbishment of the calipers. So it is good you have that on the list.

I would advise not to touch gearbox oil (I assume it is Auto, if I remember correctly all Advances are Auto) unless you have issue with it. Around 188k mine started to shift weirdly, hold gears for too long and that was sign AT fluid needs changing. It mean to be "lifetime" fill, so again unless there is an issue, don't do it. If it is shifting fine just let it be 🙂 

[Andrew250]

Thanks John - I hope it's the first Lexus car of many to come. But I expect my IS250 will last a good numbers of years yet. They are the stock 17 inch alloys so I will continue to get some quotes in that case. I do like the look of the shadow chrome and I have started reading the thread on your car - Brilliant read and lovely looking IS you have. I will be using that as inspiration in time for sure! That's my job for this weekend and if I can source the materials I will provide an update. I am sure it's not unique to my car, well I would hope so anyway!

Yes the quote (£570) did include all OEM parts so I thought it was ok, Certainly better than the initial quote I had from Lexus Motorline of £705 as I think they added the sparks to the 100k service so quite pricey indeed. I am just not sure what is and isn't a fair price at the moment. Like I said, I don't want to scrimp and cut corners and happy to pay a specialist indy to do the work just checking on the prices with other owners is good.

That does seem like a good price for the labour John and I am minded to source the parts myself when the time comes. I would like to learn how to eventually work on it myself for basic servicing but have limited space. 

Thanks Linas - Very helpful advice and I will give it a go and report back.

I have watched a video on Youtube of the spark plugs being removed, the first three were pretty straightforward but the opposite three looked quite complicated. As you state, parts had to be removed to gain access to them so it does look like a time consuming job. 

I will be ensuring the calipers get inspected and greased at each service just to be sure. 

It is an auto, I am not sure if it's been done yet but perhaps I will leave be if it's lifetime. It shifts so smoothly at the moment, just love driving it. I am hoping for better days ahead when restrictions are lifted and I can take it for a good long blast on some nice country roads. 

Car needs a good clean and some detailing and will post some pictures up. It's not the most polished and pristine example that I've been on here, but it's still a fine looking beast. 

 

[Mr Vlad]

I was quoted £25 per plug to change the spark plugs on my is250 from Lexus Stockport. I'm on a service plan over 3 years including MOT at a cost of £38 per month for 20 months. As for wheels refurbishment I got mine powder coated at £60 a wheel 17" rims (got them done coz I stupidly kerbed one badly). The is250 is such a superb car. The brake caliper sliders is an easy job to service. Enjoy your new car.

[Linas.P]

Not sure if you have these as there were 2 types of "Advance" wheels, but it may give you idea of how "shadow chrome" looks:

Asked the place to try to reproduce the colour of mk3 "f-sport wheels", but I think they turned out to be little darker.

Later just ended-up getting mk3 wheels anyway:

 

[Andrew250]

Hi Vlad - Thanks for the info on pricing. Is that inclusive of parts as well or just labour? Either way seems very reasonable to me, wonder if I can get Lexus Cardiff or Bristol to agree to that. I am definitely now contemplating a service plan. The car has been looked after, but well used and mileage is above average for it's age. No bad thing, but servicing will be important at this stage. My only concern is, if there is a problem like a Water pump or suspension then the Lexus hourly labour rate would be very high but I can find out I guess. I was tempted to get an extended warranty, but reading how reliable the car is and quite a few exclusions for wear and tear I think I might chance it without it. 

That's a good price, was that recently Mr Vlad? How long does it normally take for them to be done?

Thanks for all the helpful replies so far. 

[Andrew250]

Cheers Linas - My battered alloy is below. I believe they are the same as your OG alloys. I do really like the Shadow Chrome, my colour is 1GO - Cadoxton slate so think it would look quite good but wow the 2nd picture. Those are amazing, are they 18's they look a lot bigger?  Did you buy them used or new? 

[Linas.P]

Indeed, I think they service plans are reasonable, but ad-hoc job hourly rate is on the "dealer level".

Not sure if that works for you, but the way I treated the whole maintenance topic was something like that - £500 budget for a year (spoiler alert - never spent even close to that), thus I got Lexus essential care plan, which dealers usually discounts as well when you buy for 2 years. But any ad-hoc jobs I was doing with independent... not that it needed much, but once I had A/C pump replaced and all calipers, brakes and pads replaced. The dealer was used just as final check-up, oil and filters each year to make sure independent garages haven't messed something up and to keep the service book stamped. Not sure it add value when car goes past 10 years and under £10k, but it made me feel better 🙂 

Other thing, I was doing dealer service ~every 12k miles, but I was changing engine oil and filter in between - this is because ~120k miles and up hydraulic lifters tends to start sticking-up, so I would recommend ~5-6k miles oil changes rather than 10k. This does not apply to all cars, but it is know thing with 4GR-FSE engine. Oil flush helps as well - maybe +2k miles if you do compared if you don't.

Yes you wheel are the same, mine looked like that at some point as well. And yes mk3 "f-sport" are 18", I got them used and I believe paid ~£600, but they needed refurbishment and tyres were all crap.

I did sum-up my ownership as well, so may give you idea of the budget required:

 

[Andrew250]

That seems to be quite a prudent way of doing the servicing actually Something I hadn't thought about but keep the consumables or bigger jobs to a different garage and keep lexus for the servicing. The Lexus book stamp I am not overly concerned with, it hasn't had a Lexus service since 17, and I've bought it at a low price and intend on keeping it until it dies. More concerned with having it properly looked after. 

I imagine I will need 4 x tyres and pads soon. Discs seem to have been changed at around 40k but appear in good nick to my eyes but may need doing also so I better start saving!

Did you use a specialist Toyota / Lexus independent or a normal garage? 

Thanks for the tip on the oil changes - I shouldn't be doing big yearly mileage and will have it changed at least once a year. 

Really interesting read on your full cost and parts history. Actually remarkable how little went wrong with it up to 200k. Water pump didn't fail either then? I was thinking of replacing mine, as I read that they can go, but it seems daft if its functioning fine at present. What do you think Linas?

 

 

 

[Linas.P]

I was under impression water pump was part of on of Major services, but I was probably wrong. I think it was replaced with 80k service by previous owner and I haven't touched it myself. I was planning for it, but just inspected it and as it was fine didn't do anything.

One big benefit is that I had invoices for all services from the very first, so I knew exactly what was done to car. Pumps are known to go around 80k, so I guess in your case it should be done and you shouldn't have any issue until like 150-160k.

I just used an independent garage close to me, but I must be worst customer in existence - I would literally come in with parts and just say "take this and put it here" 😄 and I was watching over, another worst customer trait. So that said I was not very afraid or careful when they worked on the car. To be fair I would not be to fond to leave the car with said garage without me being around, but the guys working there were friendly, we chatted about cars and it was all good experience.

At the end of ownership there were some outstanding things, which I have planned to do - O2 sensor, AT fluid, spark-plugs, brake disks and pads, and exhaust. As the car was already cat-n write-off, I could not justify putting it back to perfect order, but it wouldn't have changed much in long run. With say £1000 spent it would be good for another 30-40k without any expenses.

[2Ravens]

I personally think the auto fluid change is not the worst idea. They are good boxes like most Aisin products but they're not invincible and failures have occurred at mostly decent mileages, as would be expected at this stage of the IS250s life as a product. So at 110k I think it's a sensible time to be preemptive with regards to the powertrain.

This goes more to the fact friction is a thing and lubrication is important than any massive concern but there is definitely a fair amount of anecdotal evidence regarding fluid coming out looking particularly..well..unpretty. I can only see it as a potential benefit. I would recommend sticking with OEM fluid with autoboxes, always. Go with Lexus or a very trusted independent so this job is done right, not that it's massively hard.

But I suppose it depends on ones tolerance of risk, it's not mandatory of course and I'm sure plenty of vehicles have gone the distance without changes but for a relatively minor fee and the chance of extending a parts life that has the capability to write off a car I think it's prudent.

 

Would also agree 400 is not absolutely ridiculous for a top notch job but a little excessive for the alloys. I would haggle that down a bit or look elsewhere, there are so many places that can do the job to a high standard. Rarely is the cheapest choice a good one but why pay top end for the same outcome.

[Linas.P]

Yes in terms of alloys I did pay £70+VAT, so £336 altogether. But this is because I had special 3 stage colour, otherwise it would have been £60+VAT. and that is London, so there is premium for that.

@2Ravens - if there is such an issue which could destroy gearbox, then it would not be solved by fluid "top-up". I mean if there are metal shavings or pieces of cogs, then AT fluid change won't help. Issues related with AT fluid manifests themselves with solenoids errors - they suppose to operate the gears by closing/opening in correct times. If it does not happen as expected you will get error. That is about it... you top-up AT fluid with fresh one and let out the same amount of old fluid, so the fluid get's overall "refreshed". Drive around for a bit, if issue persists, then you can do it again until issue is fixed.

Such thing as AT fluid change does not exists, there are no mention of it in service manual either. There are only steps to address specific error codes (which as I mentioned are solenoid related).

Further, Lexus dealers "officially" do not offer such service of simply "topping-up" AT fluid. I say "officially", because I have seen in my own car's service history this being carried out. My assumption - either car was giving error code or previous owner was complaining about harsh or late gear changes. Topping up AT-fluid again is solution advised in service manual, that is why they did, but they do not officially have this as possible job you can simply ask to be done.

Basically, what I am saying - if you want fluid topped-up or changed then you will have to use independent garage, preferably the one which specialises in AT transmissions, rather than specifically Lexus cars.

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Andrew. The service plan includes parts and labour. When I bought my car, and every car for the last 30 years, I put a bottle of ZX1 in the oil. Look up ZX1 its the beez neez and I've trusted it completely since I first saw its amazing qualities. Very soon after buying my car I booked it in with Lexus Stockport for a service. I also asked them to do a oil change on the gearbox. I was charged £140 all in but all they did was the simple drain and top up. 1.6 litres of new oil went in. Apparently this is the Lexus way as I was told.

Below is the colour of my coated wheels. Can't remember the colour but its a BMW colour. 

[Andrew250]

@ Linas.P - I don’t believe the water pump is part of being a replaceable part on a service and I do have all the old invoices from Lexus and the specialist and it hasn’t been done from what I can see. Unless, obviously, they didn’t put that invoice in with the others but seems unlikely. I plan on getting somebody to give it a thorough examination but will probably get it done soon for peace of mind.

Haha – I think I am going to try and keep a close eye on the servicing if they let me. I really want to have a proper look underneath the car for any rust on the exhaust but nothing has come on any servicing and every single MOT has not had an advisory so it seems good for now. 

@2Ravens Thanks for the input appreciated, I think I will be keen to get all fluids changed at the major service.  I will keep searching for a place for the alloys however I have found a decent looking place in Shropshire and a local place in Cardiff so awaiting quotes for power coating. 

@Linas.P - Thanks, helpful again I will see if Osaka in Newport can do this, I am sure they can. It's strange with pricing as I've been calling / emailing a few Lexus indy specialists within around 200 miles to get quotes for my full service + sparks plugs and London has been cheaper than South West! Just not quite worth the long trip to get there plus obviously it would be better to keep the servicing close by. Not what I expected with the pricing though, I thought Wales would be cheaper 😄

@Mr Vlad - Thanks for the tip on the oil additive. I just had an oil change and it's in stock in Halfords so will go and grab a bottle. 

Lovely colour on the wheels and I'd like something similar as I think it would look good with Cadoxton Slate. I've got a bumper scrape that needs attention, not something I feel I can tackle myself so that needs looking at by a proper paint detailing place. Something I should have paid more attention to when I was purchasing! 

I am confined to local lockdown but I feel the need take the Lexus out for a spin around the city limits. Love driving this car it's just such a nice place to be. Cheers all for the valuable advice so far, really helpful for a new owner.

[royoftherovers]

Thank you for this Andrew.

1. The Water Pump is not a replaceable part of the Service regime, but is a Replaceable Part as defined in the Extended Warranty Document

2. Please tell us all about the (Lexus?)Indy Specialists within 200 miles of you.

[Andrew250]

Thanks for the information Roy very helpful. That's good to know about the water pump for those with the Warranty. I do not yet have one, however have contemplated this as it seems quite good value for peace of mind should something go wrong. 

I have not yet used any Lexus Indy, I have been contacting some to get some quotes. I believe I found a document you had kindly put together on a list on a thread here. I also used google to find some. I have contacted; Osaka in Newport, Lex Tex autos in Sheffield, Toyotec Ltd in Surrey and First Choice Toyota in Bristol. All have been helpful and professional and have given quotes + breakdowns for the work I asked for. All seem well reviewed online and undecided on whom to use, also am deliberating the Lexus Essentials plan as this is sometimes cheaper than the quotes I received. 

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, Andrew250 said:

Thanks for the information Roy very helpful. That's good to know about the water pump for those with the Warranty. I do not yet have one, however have contemplated this as it seems quite good value for peace of mind should something go wrong. 

I have not yet used any Lexus Indy, I have been contacting some to get some quotes. I believe I found a document you had kindly put together on a list on a thread here. I also used google to find some. I have contacted; Osaka in Newport, Lex Tex autos in Sheffield, Toyotec Ltd in Surrey and First Choice Toyota in Bristol. All have been helpful and professional and have given quotes + breakdowns for the work I asked for. All seem well reviewed online and undecided on whom to use, also am deliberating the Lexus Essentials plan as this is sometimes cheaper than the quotes I received. 

Thanks Andrew.

The Lexus Extended Warranty is not simply good value. It is simply outstanding value and is quite the best by some margin, this side of  the Constellation of Orion !

Please do let us all know of good Indies that you come across.Many thanks.

[is200 Newbie]

A few things to consider

1. Recommendations are made to replace plugs every 60k. As your car is about to reach 120k then they will be due. If it has followed the service spec then they will have been changed at 60k HOWEVER, for everyone i know that has had them changed at 60k as per the schedule, they have all stated that (backed up by mechanics) that they would have lasted easily to 100k but if you are following the schedule then they will soon be due.

2. Exhaust life is usually for normal use between 70k and 100k where it will start to fail, some people get longer out of them, guess that's due to the varied use but this mileage is around ripe time to start to keep an eye out for the exhaust starting to fail. Attention should be made to two points in the exhaust system, around the middle box and behind the two back boxes, both areas on the pipes themselves. The severe failure would be behind the back boxes when driving as if it goes then you will experience them getting caught up on the road (in direction of travel) and pulling off the rear bumper, or at least making a bad mess of it. Not so much the centre if it goes as its supported by the rubber hangers.

3. Water pump, usual signs are a white crust around the pump and a loss of fluid in the expansion chamber (bottle) Mileage for the failure of this seems to be around 70k but again it is approx.

4. Upstream O2 sensors, both banks, seem to last up to, again 70k approx, not a big job to replace but they will give you a warning that they are on their way out by intermittent dashboard christmas tree flashes, on and off until they stay on. Usually a week of flashing through normal use before they come on solid. 

5. Calliper slide pins, make sure the correct grease is being used, a lot of people / mechanics use a high temp grease which is fine to prevent the pins from seizing but it attacks the rubber calliper boots. The Toyota Red Rubber Grease is the recommended grease to use as it both lubricates the pins and does not attack the rubber boots. Other greases may attack the rubbers and leave then dry and misshaped letting water / dirt into the pin recesses and then resulting in seized pins.

6. In 8 years of ownership of a 250 the only issue i have had is the exhaust. Oil changes are easy and done annually with an engine flush (not everyone likes doing this) Pins are greased twice a year (before the summer and before the winter) 

7. I use a K&N oiled air filter, quite expensive at around £40 i think, have had ours for years and its now paying for itself as only a clean and re-oil every few years is required

8. Wheels are attrocious on these cars, they will always at some point corrode/oxidise and will at some point need a refurb. Saying that i have had mine for approx 5 years now (on both the old and the new car) and they have not bubbled yet. I always clean and wax them when i have them off to grease the pins so that maybe the reason why?

 

Car in the image was my old one before it was written off, same colour as yours (cardaxion) with 18" Lexus Spider wheels on it. They do come up at reasonable prices on eBay, keep an eye out for them as i think they look really good. The second image is car now with them on.

[J Henderson]

I must admit, the G-Spyder aka Baransu wheels on my previous car were also immaculate before it was written-off.
I believe they're made by Enkei
, so maybe just better overall quality than the normal Lexus wheels.

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

[Andrew250]

Thanks Newbie really helpful post for new IS owners - I have factored in the plugs being changed at the next service, I have 50k on them at present and will not be doing big mileage but probably get them done sooner. I did my research on the car before I bought it and the exhaust does worry me, due to the expensive cost to replace and Lexus not releasing the designs. Seems difficult to source parts for it.  Nothing on any service or MOT advisory about the exhaust and I've poked my head under the car. I can see some rust, doesn't look overly corroded but hard to see unless the car is raised. I will try and wiggle under it again today and look at the areas you mention. What problems did you have with the exhaust - I assume it was a costly fix?

I am sure the water pump is original as nothing in the service book, receipts I have or Lexus portal that it has been changed. I've had a proper look and seems ok for now, but going to keep a close eye on it. Don't want it failing and damaging the engine. I did check the expansion chamber and the fluid was on low (car cold). When I bought the car I was told all fluids topped up so was concerned. I took it for a drive and the fluid had risen to over halfway, but it's something I am keeping a close eye on as I am under warranty at the moment. 

Until now I've not really been massively into cars, just a tool before. What is the benefit of an oil aired filter, does it enhance performance? Good tip with the wheels, after I get them refurbed I will add regular waxing to the cleaning schedule. 

I think the alloy wheels look fantastic and really suit the colour well. Is there any issue putting an 18' wheel on over the stock 17?

Much to think about with my IS, I would love to spend a small fortune on restoring it up right now with alloys, paint correction etc but Covid has put a spanner in the works for now. However, I will do it as soon as I can and can't wait to get this car looking back to best. 

[royoftherovers]

11 hours ago, is200 Newbie said:

A few things to consider

1. Recommendations are made to replace plugs every 60k. As your car is about to reach 120k then they will be due. If it has followed the service spec then they will have been changed at 60k HOWEVER, for everyone i know that has had them changed at 60k as per the schedule, they have all stated that (backed up by mechanics) that they would have lasted easily to 100k but if you are following the schedule then they will soon be due.

2. Exhaust life is usually for normal use between 70k and 100k where it will start to fail, some people get longer out of them, guess that's due to the varied use but this mileage is around ripe time to start to keep an eye out for the exhaust starting to fail. Attention should be made to two points in the exhaust system, around the middle box and behind the two back boxes, both areas on the pipes themselves. The severe failure would be behind the back boxes when driving as if it goes then you will experience them getting caught up on the road (in direction of travel) and pulling off the rear bumper, or at least making a bad mess of it. Not so much the centre if it goes as its supported by the rubber hangers.

3. Water pump, usual signs are a white crust around the pump and a loss of fluid in the expansion chamber (bottle) Mileage for the failure of this seems to be around 70k but again it is approx.

4. Upstream O2 sensors, both banks, seem to last up to, again 70k approx, not a big job to replace but they will give you a warning that they are on their way out by intermittent dashboard christmas tree flashes, on and off until they stay on. Usually a week of flashing through normal use before they come on solid. 

5. Calliper slide pins, make sure the correct grease is being used, a lot of people / mechanics use a high temp grease which is fine to prevent the pins from seizing but it attacks the rubber calliper boots. The Toyota Red Rubber Grease is the recommended grease to use as it both lubricates the pins and does not attack the rubber boots. Other greases may attack the rubbers and leave then dry and misshaped letting water / dirt into the pin recesses and then resulting in seized pins.

6. In 8 years of ownership of a 250 the only issue i have had is the exhaust. Oil changes are easy and done annually with an engine flush (not everyone likes doing this) Pins are greased twice a year (before the summer and before the winter) 

7. I use a K&N oiled air filter, quite expensive at around £40 i think, have had ours for years and its now paying for itself as only a clean and re-oil every few years is required

8. Wheels are attrocious on these cars, they will always at some point corrode/oxidise and will at some point need a refurb. Saying that i have had mine for approx 5 years now (on both the old and the new car) and they have not bubbled yet. I always clean and wax them when i have them off to grease the pins so that maybe the reason why?

 

Car in the image was my old one before it was written off, same colour as yours (cardaxion) with 18" Lexus Spider wheels on it. They do come up at reasonable prices on eBay, keep an eye out for them as i think they look really good. The second image is car now with them on.

A Great and really helpful Post Noobie.