Another year of cheap uneventful motoring.

ganzoom · February 18, 2023

Took our IS300H down for its year MOT. Another pass with zero issues. 8 years old now, still on original factory fitted brakes and 12V Battery.

I must have been feeling generous as its 2 years in a roll I've booked it in for an oil change at the same time...will skip it next year as current millage is under 4000k PA.

Still returning 40mpg real world mileage, £10/year VED. A very very cheap, but also comfortable car to own.

PaulWhitt20 · February 18, 2023

They are great cars, just imagine if it had been a Tesla!

ganzoom · February 18, 2023

Our Model X is still great but I have no regrets about cancelling the Model 3 order years back and keeping the IS instead.

Just purely based on finances the IS is going to give the Civic it replaced a run for its money interms on 'value'. The Civic was only £16k new and we put nearly 90k on it before selling it for £5k at 6 years old, so around £150/month depreciation. We claimed back 90% of the fuel costs at 45p/mile for business travel so it actually came close to turning a 'profit' overall.

We paid £31k for the IS brand new, so at 8 years old that's around £166/month depreciation, add the good mpg, very little servicing costs, £10/year VED that isn't going be effected by the 2025 VED changes and it's quickly turning into one of the cheapest cars we've owned ever. Given its a 'excutive' saloon and fully of gadgets, that's pretty amazing.

Cannot see us selling it for a while to come.

Digifant · February 18, 2023

That £10 annual tax made me stop to considering to upgrade to facelift model)))

Mincey · February 18, 2023

41 minutes ago, Digifant said:

That £10 annual tax made me stop to considering to upgrade to facelift model)))

I remember being distinctly unchuffed when I discovered that my IS300h wasn't in the £10 band!

matt8 · February 18, 2023

I think the chancellor just doubled our VED, from £10 to £20.

A 100% increase 🤯

Sundance · February 18, 2023

10 minutes ago, matt8 said:

I think the chancellor just doubled our VED, from £10 to £20.

A 100% increase 🤯

Serves you right for gloating! 🤣

wharfhouse · February 18, 2023

3 hours ago, matt8 said:

I think the chancellor just doubled our VED, from £10 to £20.

A 100% increase 🤯

The IS 300h (that benefits from the very low VED) is classed as alternative fuel and so at the moment it receives a £10 discount on the normal Band B : 101 to 110g/km - so it's £10 instead of £20 for an ICE only in that band.

agent_dess · February 19, 2023

I paid a whipping... £10 last month for mines 😂😂

While I do miss the IS250, defo don't miss the £360 ved I was paying!

Dominic1985 · February 20, 2023

Welcome everyone.

I have owned IS300H for a year now. It's a 2014 plate, bought from Lexus with 40k miles , full Lexus service history.
I thought I would share my story. I will list my troubles first, then my original expectations from the brand.

The MOT's and health checks are always in the ''green'' , and that's amazing for a 9 y/o car. It makes me feel that the car is solid in terms of drivetrain and suspension.
However, here are other annoying things that I found with it, which have developed in the year of my ownership:

Door mirror broke- 4 weeks wait for parts, sorted by the dealer under relax warranty, but 3 trips to the dealer were required, but they offered me a hire car each time as long as I chose the date that suits them.
Electric window mechanism - developed a squeak as it rubs on the door card and behaves erratically after technician removed the door card to access the mirror assembly. Went back to the dealer to get it corrected. It worked ok for 2 days, and now the issue returned. It's going back as soon as I find time to call in. The problem is not a warranty claim but rather a internal complaint between me and the service manager. There is no ''ticket'' if you know what I mean.
Door Mirror control buttons cluster - another part that does not feel right after the door card removal, it moves and rattles following it's removal from where it sits, needs re-sitting.
Front parking sensor - It's started playing up , sometimes working ok, sometimes sensing phantom obstacle in front middle of the car (that annoying beep) .
I will wait for it to fail completely and claim under warranty... I am worried that the bumper will have to be taken off, meaning more possible issues following incorrect refitting.
Brake caliper - it seized and the took pads and discs with it. Replaced under warranty within 48h, I've just have to pay 133 GBP for 2 discs and get my own transport organized (I live 40 miles roundtrip from the dealer). Inconvenient, but sorted fast and with great support from the dealer.

I have also been unlucky with rattle of the central console panels under cornering. I knocked some money off for that when buying it from Lexus approved used, so I accepted this defect as age related. Not every car I tested had this issue. I'd driven a few 100k mile examples without any rattles, but they were run down inside and out cosmetically.

I have an eye for detail and know every panel of my car well , as I clean and care for it. I have found some scratches on the door card and the center console, most likely from screwdrivers or other tools used during the repairs of my car mirror and window at the dealership . It's a real shame.

The dealership showroom staff have been fantastic, really helpful and supportive. 10/10. It's not their fault that the car is acting up, but they won't be my friends once the warranty expires.
The only weakness they have is lack of courtesy cars on short notice. If you can wait , you will get one. If you have an urgent issue, you are at mercy of friends or public transport.

So, I bought this car based on the fact that there are no mechanics around me that I could trust to work on my high mile German performance car which I owned at the time.
I wanted to enjoy the confidence of owning a Lexus. The dealer 12 month warranty convinced me, and it was a bonus to find out that I could extend it by another year if I serviced the car at the dealer.

This car is showing me more and more issues that are nearly on par with a 18 y/o car I had before, bar the oil leaks. I am really worried and embarrassed to make calls to Lexus to report issues each time. I feel lucky and unlucky at the same time. Had I not had the warranty, I think I would have been 1.5k-2k into repairs already. If we add tires and 2 services a year, you are into 3k before you add fuel and insurance. I do extra oil service on top of what the books suggests.

I am not a Lexus hater. I wrote this post to share my experience, as I expected a stress free motoring as a trade off of not having an exciting but complex car.

I get 44 real life MPG , could do more if I wanted. Tax rate is great and the car feels and looks luxurious. It has all the toys I would ever need.
It handles and feels great , I love the steering and suspension , and I have comparison with BMW 3 that I used to own.
The gearbox is what it is, but with no perceived shifts, smoothness and quietness of the drivetrain I started appreciating it very, very much.

I just wish it had less sensitive plastics and trim (scratches easy, wear on seats is high relative to mileage, but god knows who owned it before).
The paint seems soft too. Easy to chip / scratch, but also easy to polish. I worry about rust in the future.

Maybe I could trade it for a newer model (ES seems the only choice in terms of upgrading) , lose some money in the process but enjoy another 6-7 years of warranty, or just fix and sell the thing, take a small hit on the general market and invest in something simpler, so the local garage can take care of it.

What are your thoughts fellow owners? Have you ever found yourself in such conundrum with cars?

Mr_Groundhog · February 20, 2023

The new system in place from 2017 is very unfair because most cars pay around 155-160 pounds, regardless of how expensive they are, how much they pollute, etc. It's having rich people pay less and have poor people pay more by comparison with the pre-2017 model. Typical.

wharfhouse · February 20, 2023

36 minutes ago, Dominic1985 said:

Welcome everyone.

I have owned IS300H for a year now. It's a 2014 plate, bought from Lexus with 40k miles , full Lexus service history.
I thought I would share my story. I will list my troubles first, then my original expectations from the brand.

The MOT's and health checks are always in the ''green'' , and that's amazing for a 9 y/o car. It makes me feel that the car is solid in terms of drivetrain and suspension.
However, here are other annoying things that I found with it, which have developed in the year of my ownership:

Door mirror broke- 4 weeks wait for parts, sorted by the dealer under relax warranty, but 3 trips to the dealer were required, but they offered me a hire car each time as long as I chose the date that suits them.
Electric window mechanism - developed a squeak as it rubs on the door card and behaves erratically after technician removed the door card to access the mirror assembly. Went back to the dealer to get it corrected. It worked ok for 2 days, and now the issue returned. It's going back as soon as I find time to call in. The problem is not a warranty claim but rather a internal complaint between me and the service manager. There is no ''ticket'' if you know what I mean.
Door Mirror control buttons cluster - another part that does not feel right after the door card removal, it moves and rattles following it's removal from where it sits, needs re-sitting.
Front parking sensor - It's started playing up , sometimes working ok, sometimes sensing phantom obstacle in front middle of the car (that annoying beep) .
I will wait for it to fail completely and claim under warranty... I am worried that the bumper will have to be taken off, meaning more possible issues following incorrect refitting.
Brake caliper - it seized and the took pads and discs with it. Replaced under warranty within 48h, I've just have to pay 133 GBP for 2 discs and get my own transport organized (I live 40 miles roundtrip from the dealer). Inconvenient, but sorted fast and with great support from the dealer.

I have also been unlucky with rattle of the central console panels under cornering. I knocked some money off for that when buying it from Lexus approved used, so I accepted this defect as age related. Not every car I tested had this issue. I'd driven a few 100k mile examples without any rattles, but they were run down inside and out cosmetically.

I have an eye for detail and know every panel of my car well , as I clean and care for it. I have found some scratches on the door card and the center console, most likely from screwdrivers or other tools used during the repairs of my car mirror and window at the dealership . It's a real shame.

The dealership showroom staff have been fantastic, really helpful and supportive. 10/10. It's not their fault that the car is acting up, but they won't be my friends once the warranty expires.
The only weakness they have is lack of courtesy cars on short notice. If you can wait , you will get one. If you have an urgent issue, you are at mercy of friends or public transport.

So, I bought this car based on the fact that there are no mechanics around me that I could trust to work on my high mile German performance car which I owned at the time.
I wanted to enjoy the confidence of owning a Lexus. The dealer 12 month warranty convinced me, and it was a bonus to find out that I could extend it by another year if I serviced the car at the dealer.

This car is showing me more and more issues that are nearly on par with a 18 y/o car I had before, bar the oil leaks. I am really worried and embarrassed to make calls to Lexus to report issues each time. I feel lucky and unlucky at the same time. Had I not had the warranty, I think I would have been 1.5k-2k into repairs already. If we add tires and 2 services a year, you are into 3k before you add fuel and insurance. I do extra oil service on top of what the books suggests.

I am not a Lexus hater. I wrote this post to share my experience, as I expected a stress free motoring as a trade off of not having an exciting but complex car.

I get 44 real life MPG , could do more if I wanted. Tax rate is great and the car feels and looks luxurious. It has all the toys I would ever need.
It handles and feels great , I love the steering and suspension , and I have comparison with BMW 3 that I used to own.
The gearbox is what it is, but with no perceived shifts, smoothness and quietness of the drivetrain I started appreciating it very, very much.

I just wish it had less sensitive plastics and trim (scratches easy, wear on seats is high relative to mileage, but god knows who owned it before).
The paint seems soft too. Easy to chip / scratch, but also easy to polish. I worry about rust in the future.

Maybe I could trade it for a newer model (ES seems the only choice in terms of upgrading) , lose some money in the process but enjoy another 6-7 years of warranty, or just fix and sell the thing, take a small hit on the general market and invest in something simpler, so the local garage can take care of it.

What are your thoughts fellow owners? Have you ever found yourself in such conundrum with cars?

You have a relatively old car (2014) with low 40k mileage. Mine is 2014 IS 300h with 128k miles. And there are others on the forum with double that mileage. In most cases there had been very little go wrong when serviced to schedule. Sounds like you have been unlucky with the door mirror and hope you get the issues that has caused sorted with the dealer which they should be able to do.

I get the odd phantom beep from the front parking sensors in traffic when it's raining hard but I put that down to water running over them. Worth making sure they are clean too. If they fail though I wouldn't hesitate to get them sorted under your warranty.

I've had no issues with calipers - I wonder if your issue was due to too little mileage being covered? I did have both front wheel bearings replaced under the Extended Warranty at 80k miles and opted to have new discs fitted too at the same time (but the original discs would have done a fair amount more mileage).

Other than windscreen washer bottle sensor failing (again replaced under extended warranty) no more problems.

Regards creaks etc then still no big problems. I did pack the drivers dash (where the two halves meet under the air vent near the door) as that made a "ticking noise" sometimes where the plastics rubbed together. Also the door rubbers need some Gummi Pflege applying a few times a year or they make all sorts of odd noises. Oh yes, often find an odd rattle is actually due to something in the glove box, centre console or door pockets and these can transmit to various parts of the car so always worth emptying everything out first if you think there is a rattle!

Not sure if you are aware but after the Relax warranty expires (10 years or 100k miles whichever comes first) you can purchase a 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty for about £500 per year (which includes Lexus Roadside Assistance) and can be renewed until the car is 15 years old or 150k miles (whichever come soonest). You do have to have the car serviced on schedule at a Lexus dealer though. Also the hybrid Battery is covered until 15 years old (unlimited mileage) so long as you have the car serviced at a Lexus dealer on schedule or pay for the hybrid health check separately.

I have kept my car much longer than I originally planned (I bought it in 2016 when it was 2 years old with 40k miles on it) a) because I like it so much b) Lexus dropped the IS and really not happy with any of the Lexus alternatives c) it has been very reliable and I still have it within the Extended Warranty until 150k mikes (which I will reach before the car is 15 years old) and d) VED is only £10 a year!

I have decided to most likely keep my car until it gets to the point of costing me serious money.

IMHO keep your car another year - hopefully the current issues you have will be in the past and you will start and see if the reliability is there for your car.

Las Palmas · February 20, 2023

Not sure if I remember right, but think we paid around 130 - 150€ a year for the Golf, the 0€ for the CT is much better.

Dominic1985 · February 20, 2023

Thank you for your reply and advice Phil.

I am glad you have got so many miles from your IS. This is the type of owner's testimonial that I had seen many of when researching the car.
I am proud to report that I once got 173k out of my old Astra H Diesel, which really worked hard for every penny I paid for it.

My Lexus has just hit 60k miles (I bought it with 40k on the clock)so it's getting used properly ever since getting in my hands.
I thought it was wise to buy a low mile car (value retention when it comes to re-sale). My plan was to put 60k on it in the next 3-4 years, and sell it at reasonable 100k miles.

It was hard to find later cars in the right spec and budget, and most of high mile cars were often not eligible for Lexus warranty, not to mention they were really knackered cosmetically. The white cars had rusty chips in the paint in unexpected places, like boot lid or side of the door.

The caliper may have been a victim of low usage indeed. Anecdotally, I had all 4 caliper fail on my 2005 Mazda 3 (Japanese), but never on a German car (those leaked oil and plastic parts would break).

The car has amazing paint condition for it's age, suggesting short local journeys, driveway, hand washing etc.

I cleaned the sensors the other day in case the recent salt spreading played a role here but the fault comes on and of. The sensors look intact, no chips or scratches. It's hard to tell if it will go or get worse. I just have to be patient. I will try and find a soft brush and give them some more attention (it's the one below the reg number).

I booked myself for a recall (vent pipe) and told the dealer about the window, and they agreed to look into this for me. I really look forward to that 🙂
I won't be able to reverse the scratches, but at least I will have a functional car.

I had to use Gummi Pflege on the seal around the bonnet - since the Lexus does not take any engine oil between services, I never open the bonnet so it would stick to the rubber seal 🙂
All sorted now ! I I've also treated the door seals with it, thinking my window problem was due to the seals drying out, but it was the window mechanism.

Yes, my car is pretty empty inside, expect for a parking pass in the armrest glovebox. The creak I hear is when car body moves in the corners and 2 plastics rub together. I can replicate this by pushing on the area directly behind the controller/mouse in the center console. Maybe I will get this fixed someday, if I find someone who has got experience with that. I don't think the dealership will be interested in this type of job and I don't blame them.

It's a real shame about the IS being dropped. The new edition one has an amazing interior and it may have the 2.0 + Hybrid engine, which sound better and feels faster than the IS's 2.5 IMO, with more low RPM torque. I drove a courtesy UX250H with that engine and it was the best thing about the car. But it was always a joy to get in IS. The UX handles like a boat in comparison 🙂

I was not aware of the extended Lexus warranty. 500GBP sounds very reasonable, considering my recent experiences. I have continued the servicing the car at Lexus to keep the currently warranty, but also due to the fact you can hire a courtesy car if you give them enough notice and their service list seems really comprehensive. No wonder the powertrain lasts that long.

I will see how it goes with all the electric repairs ahead of me. Perhaps the car will start behaving and all will be forgotten !
The clean MOT's and superb health checks really are refreshing vs what I have experienced before, with sleepless nights before the MOT day.
Now, it's just in and out.

I hope your car brings you many more happy miles. It would still serve someone well if you sold it at current mileage, but there aren't many replacements out there as you said.
I still don't know what I would buy next. No idea at all !

GS450H sounds interesting, but they are also older cars now, few on the road and very expensive !

wharfhouse · February 21, 2023

Sounds like you have a good car with a few niggles - I'd keep pushing to get those sorted as the car should be good and reliable for many more miles and it's a shame if those niggles take the shine off it.

If you can pin point a plastic to plastic squeak or rattle then get some anti rattle / squeak tape (easy to find online) and assuming you can get access that will probably sort it. That's what I used on my dash.

Like you, I planned on trading my IS well before 100k miles for one of the new versions (it's why I went for a 2 year old one at the outset) but when they didn't bring it here that went out of the window so Lexus lost that sale. I've had the previous NX as a loaner a few times but didn't gel with that - felt somewhat ponderous compared to the IS. Also had the UX as a loaner numerous times and whilst ok (a bit more sprightly then the previous NX) I couldn't see it replacing my IS out of choice (and the UX boot and rear legroom is really small). I had a new NX 350h loaner about a year ago and liked that - felt better then the previous NX to drive and thought I could maybe live with it. However when I went to Lexus to enquire about buying one and learnt about the 12 months plus waiting list I really didn't want to commit to that as so many things can change in that time - and now you can't even order one in 2023. So Lexus lost that sale too. Also not keen on the ES - nice car but again I just can't gel with it. So all in that's why I finally made the decision to run my IS until it's not financially viable anymore and see what's going on in the car market again then (given all the zero emissions changes).

I don't baby my car (it's as our main car and for my work) and so it needs to earn it's keep. I do some 15k miles a years so I do make sure the servicing is done on time (as I do with all the cars I've had) but that's about it - it's lucky if it gets washed by me - it usually ends up being washed by Lexus at a service before I actually get around to it! However it still runs much the same as when I first got it - nothing rattles or knocks or has come loose other than a sunvisor that I quickly fixed (in fact the last UX I had as a loaner with just a few thousand miles on it had more rattles than my car), fuel consumption is much the same and the paint finish is still very good.

I do seem to have a habit of running some cars to high mileages. Had a BMW E39 528i in which I did 210k miles in 10 years - used for work in UK and Europe (still running happily when I traded it) and a Honda Accord Tourer (used a family load lugger and towing a boat all over the country and Europe) and that was traded in at 160k miles. Plenty of other BMWs and a few other marques too but not so many miles on those.

Anyway, hope you get the niggles sorted and then enjoy many more years or trouble free motoring.

Digifant · February 22, 2023

After I was looking for my car before I bought it, I realized that "Dealers approved car" doesn't mean anything valuable. You can't imagine what kind a rubbish I've been offered to buy under that "approved...". One car had two different paintjobs(very low quality) on top of oem paint, so three in total in 1 meter radius. Then the seller said if it was repainted, the screws would have marks from tools. After I pointed on every single screw had those marks(they were too lazy to touch up paint them), the answer I get - "I don't see anything...". And etc. So After I looked at about 15 cars (all "approved...") I had to increase budget from £12000 to £18500. And only 2 cars was worth to buy, at least for asked price.

ColinBarber · February 22, 2023

On 2/18/2023 at 3:44 PM, wharfhouse said:

The IS 300h (that benefits from the very low VED) is classed as alternative fuel and so at the moment it receives a £10 discount on the normal Band B : 101 to 110g/km - so it's £10 instead of £20 for an ICE only in that band.

That's correct but the point being made was it is set to double in a year to two's time.

wharfhouse · February 22, 2023

1 hour ago, ColinBarber said:

That's correct but the point being made was it is set to double in a year to two's time.

Ah ok - my bad - I hadn't realised that he had announced the hybrid/alternative £10 discount was being abolished. Had a look on line just now and although all rather murky (as it's mainly around EVs being subject to standard VED) it does indeed appear to be included that the £10 discount will go in 2025.

Mr_Groundhog · February 22, 2023

5 hours ago, wharfhouse said:

Ah ok - my bad - I hadn't realised that he had announced the hybrid/alternative £10 discount was being abolished. Had a look on line just now and although all rather murky (as it's mainly around EVs being subject to standard VED) it does indeed appear to be included that the £10 discount will go in 2025.

The discount goes and we'll pay more. I bet you the potholes will stay.

Mr_Groundhog · February 22, 2023

15 hours ago, Digifant said:

After I was looking for my car before I bought it, I realized that "Dealers approved car" doesn't mean anything valuable. You can't imagine what kind a rubbish I've been offered to buy under that "approved...". One car had two different paintjobs(very low quality) on top of oem paint, so three in total in 1 meter radius. Then the seller said if it was repainted, the screws would have marks from tools. After I pointed on every single screw had those marks(they were too lazy to touch up paint them), the answer I get - "I don't see anything...". And etc. So After I looked at about 15 cars (all "approved...") I had to increase budget from £12000 to £18500. And only 2 cars was worth to buy, at least for asked price.

Same here. My initial target price was somewhere around 16k to 18k (I guess I was going for lower/lowest mileage from the start), and i ended up paying 24k for mine, in order for it to be in nearly new condition.... I wish I was less picky sometimes. 😑

Dominic1985 · March 8, 2023

I am a bit worried about disassembling the center dash. I worry I will break some clips or cause more rattles. However, this would be 1-2h job for someone experienced to cure it .

Toyota/ Lexus have so many more cars to offer, just not in the UK.
I would really like the idea of new shape IS350 ! That would tick all the boxes for me.
The current range is not suitable for me. The RX/NX/UX are not the type for me. I haven't driven the ES or GS yet. The LS is just too much, and and the V8 coupes are not practical and too expensive. I like small , fun and practical. The engine sounds is all I would change in my IS.

I wonder what next car your are going to buy, given your assessment of Lexus have to offer these days.

Funny that you mention washing the car - I usually do it once a week, 2 buckets and all that jazz. I always tell the dealer not to wash it (I don't know what chemicals and methods they use), but only managed to bend them to my will twice ! However, it came in handy when the car was covered top to toe in salty dirt, and the temperatures were below 0 (taps were frozen). I could not wash it anywhere until I went for a service 🙂

My uncle had E39 523i SE manual, that was just floating on bad roads. My last car before Lexus was 2004 CLS500.
The engine was strong, but the age was showing on electronics and oil leaks. Traded it in after windshield glue broke, letting the water into the cabin.
The window specialist who fixed it before sale told me he never heard of this happening to a Merc.

Thank you, I wish you the same !

wharfhouse · March 8, 2023

3 hours ago, Dominic1985 said:

I am a bit worried about disassembling the center dash. I worry I will break some clips or cause more rattles. However, this would be 1-2h job for someone experienced to cure it .

If you can isolate a plastic to plastic noise it may just be a matter of pushing in some anti rattle tape between the two - that's all I did on my dashboard as I isolate the noise to where the two halves under the air vent came together - just pushed some into the join point with a knife.

Really not sure what I'll get next - I'll see how long the IS 300h keeps going on for and then see what Lexus has to offer (given all the net zero stuff who knows where will be with cars...) and what my needs are at that time (which may by then have changed) - or if nothing from Lexus may have to go investigating other alternatives marques.