Lexus Main Dealers

[Phil xxkr]

Just about a month ago I bought a used RX 450h from Lexus Newcastle. As it was 200 miles from my house and with CV-19 restrictions a preview, test drive examination etc wasn't possible so I bought it unseen. Some may think it brave or foolhardy or both (as at that point I had seen pictures of an RX never in the metal) but with the the Lexus Gb assurances and paying by c/card I had little concern. On the day I collected the car two things struck me, boy it's BIG! , and also in fantastic condition. 

Come day 2 and beyond however I became aware of noises from the rear suspension. My nearest lexus dealer, Derby, identified an issue with the trailing arms which unfortunately the warranty people wouldn't cover. But after a few conversations between Derby, Newcastle and myself, Newcastle kindly offered to fix the problem which they did with new arms installed. For me it's hard to imagine that an ordinary car dealer would have done the same, a real testimony to the strength of the the network. And I have a 3 year warranty and service plan for a no-fear future. Lexus Derby who did the work were first rate and to be recommended. 

[IanA2]

Yes, they are good. Had an issue with a GS300 some years back, dodgy starting motor and issue with bonnet closing properly. Lexus Coventry (after some encouragement from H.O.)  Trailered it back (60 miles), fixed everything, and brought it back. No charge. Excellent approach, I just wish they still made a petrol only SUV. Had to go Toyota !!

[PRT68]

If I bought that and it began making noises on the second day, I would have gone absolutely bonkers!

Sounds to me like it was a distance sale, so were content to sell it with a fault. 

No negotiations should have been necessary. It was not fit for purpose, and they should have bent over backwards to sort it out. No wonder the warranty company weren't interested!

Sorry for the rant, but that should never have happened. 

[Phil xxkr]

Think you are missing a couple of points here Paul if I may. Firstly, if you are buying a used anything just what exactly is your level of expectation? I imagine some people expect a new car standard for a used car price - it ain't gonna happen is it?

Secondly, as with any problem in life, how do you get a resolution that meets all parties needs without  rancour or raised blood pressures all round? - By walking softly but carrying a big stick of course. 

Thirdly as I alluded to, various limitations made the usual acquisition process impractical but it didn't matter because I was protected every step of the way be it 2miles or 2000 miles away. But I am very pleased to say the outcomes are, I have a terrific car at a great price with long term support from two dealerships who have been 100% effective in building a long term relationship with me, so one happy customer. 

As to the warranty issue well, as the warranty was only effective from the day I acquired it it was understandable they declined a usual fair wear and tear situation but it was worth a shot😉

 

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, IanA2 said:

Yes, they are good. Had an issue with a GS300 some years back, dodgy starting motor and issue with bonnet closing properly. Lexus Coventry (after some encouragement from H.O.)  Trailered it back (60 miles), fixed everything, and brought it back. No charge. Excellent approach, I just wish they still made a petrol only SUV. Had to go Toyota !!

Mine is a hybrid, good mpg and low tax. Also runs independently of Battery? 

[IanA2]

1 hour ago, Phil xxkr said:

Mine is a hybrid, good mpg and low tax. Also runs independently of battery? 

I looked into the hybrids, our mileage is so low these days, and hybrids not given a regular run about can be problematic. So a nice wee Rav4 it was. Still need to dispose of an elderly GS430 and a geriatric Gelandewagen 🙂

[Phil xxkr]

4 minutes ago, IanA2 said:

I looked into the hybrids, our mileage is so low these days, and hybrids not given a regular run about can be problematic. So a nice wee Rav4 it was. Still need to dispose of an elderly GS430 and a geriatric Gelandewagen 🙂

I agree vis a vis mileage but I wasn't aware about regular runs for hybrids? I shall look into that, thanks. We also had a Rav4 from new some years ago, brilliant car ran up 140k with virtually no problems at all. Traded it in for my Jaguar XKR, now that's another story 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

[PRT68]

If buying a Lexus from a Lexus main dealer, I would expect the vehicle to be in the best possible condition. I would expect to see some minor cosmetic issues, but certainly no obvious mechanical problems. 

If you were aware of noises from the rear on the second day there must have been a problem before you purchased. I doubt if you made things worse on your 200 mile drive home, and excitement may have masked the problem. So was it properly checked over?

If a private sale, buyer beware and all that. 

Nevertheless I wouldn't expect that problem from a main dealer. A back street bomb site, possibly. 

 

[royoftherovers]

14 minutes ago, PRT68 said:

If buying a Lexus from a Lexus main dealer, I would expect the vehicle to be in the best possible condition. I would expect to see some minor cosmetic issues, but certainly no obvious mechanical problems. 

If you were aware of noises from the rear on the second day there must have been a problem before you purchased. I doubt if you made things worse on your 200 mile drive home, and excitement may have masked the problem. So was it properly checked over?

If a private sale, buyer beware and all that. 

Nevertheless I wouldn't expect that problem from a main dealer. A back street bomb site, possibly. 

 

It was clearly the responsibility of the Seller and should have been addressed without quibble or procrastination.

[Phil xxkr]

24 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

It was clearly the responsibility of the Seller and should have been addressed without quibble or procrastination.

You are absolutely spot on Paul on all counts especially re the drive back which down the A1/M1 was super smooth  and squeaks only became obvious on my local rural unruly surfaces. So maybe that was the case at the dealership level,when it was MOT'd the day before, no advisories - nothing. But the whole point is a fault was identified and it got fixed at my local Lexus dealer but costs covered by Newcastle which I think is great service and totally pragmatic solution. 

We go to Greece each year and I am always intrigued by the TripAdvisor  Hotel reviews and the level of expectation from reviewers. Just because, say, the Royal Mare in Crete where we go says it's 5 star does not mean it is equivalent to the 5 star George Cinq or Lanesborough yet some people think it should be. And as a consequence find unhappiness and complain in inverse proportion to their state of happiness yet they paid maybe one twentieth of the price. 

I also paid a fraction of the original price so did not expect a new or even nearly new condition but one that was agreeable to my standards and not some "should be" ones. In the event the car is in fantastic condition so I am content. If not I would be like a reviewer who complained about the lack of choice at breakfast despite even the the bread having a dozen choices!! 

[royoftherovers]

Ah, there speaks the mind of the reasonable man Philip.

As the great poet Mr Keats, said "beauty lies in the eye of the beholder"

Enjoy your trip to Greece and if you drive, then please, do give us all a full report.

[Phil xxkr]

13 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

Ah, there speaks the mind of the reasonable man Philip.

As the great poet Mr Keats, said "beauty lies in the eye of the beholder"

Enjoy your trip to Greece and if you drive, then please, do give us all a full report.

You are kind in your comments John but I am reminded of GBS, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in adapting the world to himself Therfore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." 

And if I even thought of driving to Crete, the climate inquisitors would be knocking at my door before I went to bed, but certainly a wonderful thought. 😎

[IanA2]

1 minute ago, Phil xxkr said:

You are kind in your comments John but I am reminded of GBS, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in adapting the world to himself Therfore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." 

And if I even thought of driving to Crete, the climate inquisitors would be knocking at my door before I went to bed, but certainly a wonderful thought. 😎

In a previous life (over 50 years ago) I was a young broker in Lloyds. The chief broker noticed my commuting reading (Major Barbara) and remarked that it was bad form to be reading communist propaganda. Those were the days..... 🙂

[Phil xxkr]

6 minutes ago, IanA2 said:

In a previous life (over 50 years ago) I was a young broker in Lloyds. The chief broker noticed my commuting reading (Major Barbara) and remarked that it was bad form to be reading communist propaganda. Those were the days..... 🙂

Crikey Ian, wonder what he would make of some of the things going on today 🤯

[IanA2]

10 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

Crikey Ian, wonder what he would make of some of the things going on today 🤯

Apoplexy methinks.

[Phil xxkr]

32 minutes ago, IanA2 said:

Apoplexy methinks.

I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx😅

[First_Lexus]

1 hour ago, Phil xxkr said:

I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx😅

^^ Many years ago, when I was an Undergrad, I studied the Communist Party of Great Britain. If you haven’t ever read anything about them I’d suggest you do - it’s a ripping good yarn, and the incompetence combined with idealism combined with corruption combined with intrigue is fascinating, not to mention hilarious, stuff!

Pretty sure Alexei Sayle used to tell stories about his parents taking holidays on the other side of the Berlin Wall - his Father was a Communist/Union activist from memory. I seem to remember a gag with a punchline along the lines of “...not letting Lenin put a pick axe in your Trotskies...”😆

[dutchie01]

Every man is equal and some are more equal..   But whats wrong with a Lada?

[First_Lexus]

3 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Every man is equal and some are more equal..   But whats wrong with a Lada?

^^ My first car, a beige Lada Riva 1200. Bought for me by my Father who (understandably) didn’t want me learning to drive in his car. I thought it was going to make me a social pariah at school (we weren’t supposed to have cars but we all found local-ish places to keep them, sure the House Masters knew but chose to ignore the fact) but actually it was great as it had a big back seat and a big boot for transporting stuff. When most others had Allegros or Minis the Lada was something of an interesting Eastern Bloc curio...🤪. I loved that car, but on the advice of our Head of House I changed it before going to University. That risk of social stigma was much more important as you got older and mixed with new people. Amazing that I was so easily influenced, but there you go. Different times!

Anyway, back on topic - Lexus Swindon have always been excellent for me, and I’d trust them more than (almost) any other dealer I’ve used over many years. It’s one of the reasons I’ve chosen to keep my NX long term.

 

[Phil xxkr]

18 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Every man is equal and some are more equal..   But whats wrong with a Lada?

Bernard the correct spelling is ladder. It's a device for getting somewhere unaided! You can use it to give people a hand up not hand out, as the saying goes. 

[Phil xxkr]

13 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

^^ My first car, a beige Lada Riva 1200. Bought for me by my Father who (understandably) didn’t want me learning to drive in his car. I thought it was going to make me a social pariah at school (we weren’t supposed to have cars but we all found local-ish places to keep them, sure the House Masters knew but chose to ignore the fact) but actually it was great as it had a big back seat and a big boot for transporting stuff. When most others had Allegros or Minis the Lada was something of an interesting Eastern Bloc curio...🤪. I loved that car, but on the advice of our Head of House I changed it before going to University. That risk of social stigma was much more important as you got older and mixed with new people. Amazing that I was so easily influenced, but there you go. Different times!

Anyway, back on topic - Lexus Swindon have always been excellent for me, and I’d trust them more than (almost) any other dealer I’ve used over many years. It’s one of the reasons I’ve chosen to keep my NX long term.

 

They do say that at Uni if you were not a lefty, socialist leaning, I want to change the world Trotsky there was something wrong with you, but alongside responsibilities in your 30's (wife, kids Lexus etc) suddenly the concept of capitalism seems a jolly good idea 🤑

[First_Lexus]

10 minutes ago, Phil xxkr said:

They do say that at Uni if you were not a lefty, socialist leaning, I want to change the world Trotsky there was something wrong with you, but alongside responsibilities in your 30's (wife, kids Lexus etc) suddenly the concept of capitalism seems a jolly good idea 🤑

My Father always said it was a ‘phase’ that I’d grow out of. Turns out I grew out of it very quickly having spent a few years studying it...😅

Still love Billy Bragg’s music though. And even he’s got an enormous house (allegedly, this stuff always at its finest in the Mash).

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/billy-bragg-has-absolutely-gigantic-house-201101063402

 

[Phil xxkr]

4 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

My Father always said it was a ‘phase’ that I’d grow out of. Turns out I grew out of it very quickly having spent a few years studying it...😅

Still love Billy Bragg’s music though. And even he’s got an enormous house (allegedly, this stuff always at its finest in the Mash).

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/billy-bragg-has-absolutely-gigantic-house-201101063402

 

Needs one that size to have the maximum number of beds under which to keep all his money as he clearly distrusts those nasty banks. 🤑😂🤑😂🤑😂

[Herbie]

16 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

Mine is a hybrid, good mpg and low tax. Also runs independently of battery?

Sadly not.

In order to have a functioning car, three things are needed - the 12V Battery, the hybrid battery/system, and the petrol engine. If any one of those three aren't up to par then the car doesn't work well.

Our hybrids don't have starter motors or alternators and anything that would usually be driven by a belt from the engine - such as the power steering pump or aircon compressor - is electrically driven instead, because the petrol engine isn't running all the time.

The 12V Battery boots up the computers and gets the hybrid system into READY mode, at which point you could drive off on Battery power alone if you wished to do so. Even with all bars illuminated on the traction Battery indicator, you would only get a mile or two at most before the Battery went flat and/or the system wanted to fire up the petrol engine or ICE (Internal Combustion Engine).

When the hybrid system does want to run the ICE it energises MG1 (Motor/Generator 1) and uses that to spin up the engine to 1,000rpm before applying fuel and a spark to fire it.

This may be an appropriate point to say don't let the car run out of petrol. If it does, you'll need at least 10, but preferably 15, litres in the tank before attempting to start it again. If you unsuccessfully try to start it more than three times, the hybrid system could lock up and it would need a dealer to reset it.

Once the car is up and running the hybrid system basically runs everything. In the RX the traction Battery is nominally 288V but a system of converters and inverters manipulate that to provide whatever the car needs. For instance, a DC/DC Converter will drop that to about 14.5V to meet all the 12V demands of the car as well as keeping the 12V Battery charged, just like the alternator would do in a conventional car. The aircon compressor uses a 500V 3-phase variable frequency motor; the power steering (if I remember correctly) uses a 48V motor and both MG1 and MG2 are 650V AC motors.

So as you can see, it's a 'whole package' thing and that's probably why Toyota named it the Hybrid Synergy Drive.

[Phil xxkr]

Thank-you Herbs for that tour-de-force on how my car functions, and I now know more than I did previously but please don't tell me there is an examination at the end🙏

I am learning as I go along and one thing I have noticed is some people think all forms of EV are a: the same and b: an anxiety inducing form of transport. I was merely trying to point out to the other chap that unlike all EV cars ours will /does function independently. Thanks again