"Old" connected services: are they going to be dismantled?

[Overland]

If I'm not mistaken, since 2014, Lexus has started providing a free service which (at least in Italy) is called "Lexus Connected Services".

I think I first used it on the IS250, then on two IS300H I had (the last one MY2017), and it is still working on the CT200H MY2017

It wasn't a type of advanced service as I believe is now provided on new cars, but certainly very useful: indication of petrol pumps with prices, available parking spaces in a certain area, even with the price per hour.
Weather information and the photographic view of the arrival point of a route were entered in the navigation system, through "Google Street View".

Very importantly, once a route was entered, if connected to the Internet, the navigation system changed the way roads and highways were displayed, adding a colored frame to the route and providing updated information via the Internet, rather than only that of the navigation system. 

Now, these functions are also present in my 2019 RC300H F-Sport, with some small additions, which I believe are related to the third-generation Navigation system, which has changed in the meantime (although I preferred the previous one, in terms of graphic clarity, I had on my IS300H MY2017).
For example, the new functions also provide the "reporting of speed cameras on the route" just clicking on an icon (displayed at the bottom of the map) by adding them to a sort of database, so that other users could, in turn, see them on the route.

As said, this feature appeared with a speed camera symbol in the lower right corner of the MMS display.

From the first week of August, I began to notice that the system was struggling to connect to the server, in fact, I was getting a :500 message on the display (from what I know :500 error is related to the server)

Furthermore, after these messages have occurred and the car has started to connect to the server again, the speed camera icon at the bottom right has disappeared, and a "SERVICE GONE" message appears on the display a few minutes after being switched on.

I assume this is to communicate that this service has been deactivated.

Has anyone else experienced the same situation?

Do the "old generation" connected services still work well in your area?

Or maybe Lexus is turning off the connection to "older" cars?

Of course, I contacted Lexus by phone: They told me there was some problem with the new system, but they seemed to not have known that before this actual system, there were the "old" connected services, and they did not provide any info.

Thanks for your attention

[DavidCM]

In the UK, Lexus included 3 years map/navigation updates from new.My 2020 RC "lost" these updates earlier this year an I decided to use Google and Waze maps as the were free and constantly up to date .The Lexus systems were never up to speed.

Perhaps the difficulties you are finding are related to the Lexus system needing an update..at Lexus prices.

[PDM]

4 hours ago, Overland said:

If I'm not mistaken, since 2014, Lexus has started providing a free service which (at least in Italy) is called "Lexus Connected Services".

I think I first used it on the IS250, then on two IS300H I had (the last one MY2017), and it is still working on the CT200H MY2017

It wasn't a type of advanced service as I believe is now provided on new cars, but certainly very useful: indication of petrol pumps with prices, available parking spaces in a certain area, even with the price per hour.
Weather information and the photographic view of the arrival point of a route were entered in the navigation system, through "Google Street View".

Very importantly, once a route was entered, if connected to the Internet, the navigation system changed the way roads and highways were displayed, adding a colored frame to the route and providing updated information via the Internet, rather than only that of the navigation system. 

Now, these functions are also present in my 2019 RC300H F-Sport, with some small additions, which I believe are related to the third-generation Navigation system, which has changed in the meantime (although I preferred the previous one, in terms of graphic clarity, I had on my IS300H MY2017).
For example, the new functions also provide the "reporting of speed cameras on the route" just clicking on an icon (displayed at the bottom of the map) by adding them to a sort of database, so that other users could, in turn, see them on the route.

As said, this feature appeared with a speed camera symbol in the lower right corner of the MMS display.

From the first week of August, I began to notice that the system was struggling to connect to the server, in fact, I was getting a :500 message on the display (from what I know :500 error is related to the server)

Furthermore, after these messages have occurred and the car has started to connect to the server again, the speed camera icon at the bottom right has disappeared, and a "SERVICE GONE" message appears on the display a few minutes after being switched on.

I assume this is to communicate that this service has been deactivated.

Has anyone else experienced the same situation?

Do the "old generation" connected services still work well in your area?

Or maybe Lexus is turning off the connection to "older" cars?

Of course, I contacted Lexus by phone: They told me there was some problem with the new system, but they seemed to not have known that before this actual system, there were the "old" connected services, and they did not provide any info.

Thanks for your attention

I reported the lack of the speed camera icon in my MY21 RX and associated loss of the OTA speed camera notifications (e.g. average and temporary speed cameras) to customer relations.

I am assuming at this point it is the usual lack of testing and general lack of capability with software that is the issue, perhaps combined with the roll out of the new app for newer vehicles that has broken something, rather than them actually turning the service off. 

Of course I could be wrong but that would mean people who bought 2022 MY cars (other than NX gen 2) would be looking at only having around 1 year with a fully working system.

Paul

[Overland]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

In my actual system (at the moment) I saw the icons of the speed camera on the screen, and the advice about 800 meters early is still coming… let’s hope they does not disappear.

About using Waze or other map service, unfortunately there’s some problems for my actual set up.

 

1. I cannot use MirrorLink as it is not supported by my Iphone

2. few months ago, I asked the official dealer if there was any possibility to update the RC300H to apple car.

They wanted to try even if Lexus EU does not allow RC series to be update (that’s crazy) and obviously the process fail.

So as I don’t like to use a mobile phone as navigation system I should use the last version 2021v2 that actually is installed.

Of course, the navigation system in my Lexus is not at the highnesses of any online map 😔 and it’s very frustrating.

[PDM]

26 minutes ago, Overland said:

Thanks everyone for your comments.

In my actual system (at the moment) I saw the icons of the speed camera on the screen, and the advice about 800 meters early is still coming… let’s hope they does not disappear.

About using Waze or other map service, unfortunately there’s some problems for my actual set up.

 

1. I cannot use MirrorLink as it is not supported by my iPhone

2. few months ago, I asked the official dealer if there was any possibility to update the RC300H to Apple car.

They wanted to try even if Lexus EU does not allow RC series to be update (that’s crazy) and obviously the process fail.

So as I don’t like to use a mobile phone as navigation system I should use the last version 2021v2 that actually is installed.

Of course, the navigation system in my Lexus is not at the highnesses of any online map 😔 and it’s very frustrating.

The speed cameras from the map database stil work, bit temporary ones and average speed checks (in UK at least) are provided over the internet connection.  

Paul