Is300h Fsport MOT (NCT) fail , rear discs

[wharfhouse]

16 minutes ago, Notamech said:

Exactly same situation. My brakes seem to still be within spec but just very old and it does groan when im in stop and go traffic like a second after i stop i hear a grunt from the rear.

The rear brakes make the grunting noise whether new or old. Seems to be worse after not having driven the car for a while (maybe the surface corrosion) and pretty much stops after using them a bit. Mine did it on the 150k original old discs and pads and still does it on brand new (Lexus) ones.

[Notamech]

17 minutes ago, wharfhouse said:

The rear brakes make the grunting noise whether new or old. Seems to be worse after not having driven the car for a while (maybe the surface corrosion) and pretty much stops after using them a bit. Mine did it on the 150k original old discs and pads and still does it on brand new (Lexus) ones.

Damn! I was hoping new brakes would fix it. Now i feel like im doing it for no real benefit. As my brakes are within spec.

[wharfhouse]

8 hours ago, Notamech said:

Damn! I was hoping new brakes would fix it. Now i feel like im doing it for no real benefit. As my brakes are within spec.

Yes, my car has done it all the time I've had it (in my ownership that's 8 years and covering 110k miles). Seems to be normal for the IS 300h. My rear discs were looking in pretty poor shape after 150k miles - very crusty rust (other than where the pads contacted the disc) with some pitting on the contact area, but it was all cosmetic - car feels and behaves exactly the same with the new rear pads and discs. 

[Notamech]

1 hour ago, wharfhouse said:

Yes, my car has done it all the time I've had it (in my ownership that's 8 years and covering 110k miles). Seems to be normal for the IS 300h. My rear discs were looking in pretty poor shape after 150k miles - very crusty rust (other than where the pads contacted the disc) with some pitting on the contact area, but it was all cosmetic - car feels and behaves exactly the same with the new rear pads and discs. 

Thanks so much.Thats very useful to know might just cancel the order as it hasnt shipped yet and just go ahead with stripping and lubing the current brakes. I wanted to paint the dust guards as well so i will need to remove the disc anyway but at least i wont have spent nearly £200 for nothing. Also on the front might just change the brake pads only to resolve the issue with excessive dust. 

[wharfhouse]

10 minutes ago, Notamech said:

Thanks so much.Thats very useful to know might just cancel the order as it hasnt shipped yet and just go ahead with stripping and lubing the current brakes. I wanted to paint the dust guards as well so i will need to remove the disc anyway but at least i wont have spent nearly £200 for nothing. Also on the front might just change the brake pads only to resolve the issue with excessive dust. 

I don't know how many miles you have on the car but I think if I was going to take the discs off then for the effort involved in that it's probably worth changing them (and pads) as the new ones will probably last the life of the car (pending anything like a sticking caliper) so not really a lot of money when amortised over the rest of the time you may own the car, unless you are looking to change it soon. 

[Notamech]

2 minutes ago, wharfhouse said:

I don't know how many miles you have on the car but I think if I was going to take the discs off then for the effort involved in that it's probably worth changing them (and pads) as the new ones will probably last the life of the car (pending anything like a sticking caliper) so not really a lot of money when amortised over the rest of the time you may own the car, unless you are looking to change it soon. 

Yeah that makes total sense and frankly I am not totally sure on how long i want to keep the car. I have around 95k and i keep swinging between "I bought a lexus so i will save money and drive this till the wheels fall off" to " The mirrors dont dip when i reverse it and doesnt have ML so I now need a car that does those" . Originally the idea was to keep it for 5 years of which i have done 2 so far and honestly the car is fantastic with no real issues...but i keep yearning for a different one from time to time and feel like one day im going to see a well priced GS450H or a NX300H and might give in to temptation and buy it. But you are right assuming i do keep it for 5 years it might just make sense to do it.

[wharfhouse]

27 minutes ago, Notamech said:

Yeah that makes total sense and frankly I am not totally sure on how long i want to keep the car. I have around 95k and i keep swinging between "I bought a lexus so i will save money and drive this till the wheels fall off" to " The mirrors dont dip when i reverse it and doesnt have ML so I now need a car that does those" . Originally the idea was to keep it for 5 years of which i have done 2 so far and honestly the car is fantastic with no real issues...but i keep yearning for a different one from time to time and feel like one day im going to see a well priced GS450H or a NX300H and might give in to temptation and buy it. But you are right assuming i do keep it for 5 years it might just make sense to do it.

I have the same thoughts from time to time. When I bought my car I chose a used model as didn't want to wait for a new one - it was 2 years old with 40k miles and I got it for a very good price. My plan was to keep it until the next gen arrived and then change for a new one. Of course, as we know, Lexus didn't bring that one to the UK. I didn't fancy any other Lexus (tried a few) and it was still driving like new and so decided to keep it until the Extended Warranty I was happy paying for couldn't be renewed (at 150K miles in my case as I do more ten the 10K miles per year). That time has just come and so I am again thinking about what to do now. I know I can keep the hybrid Battery in warranty for another 5 years (as it has unlimited mileage) and honestly the car still drives the same as the day I bought it.

I had a LBX Takumi (FWD) as a courtesy car for a day this week while mine was in for a service and it's the first time I've driven one. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it drove on a mix of motorway, A roads, and around town - quiet on the motorway (if not quite as quiet as my IS) and not a bad turn of speed and reasonable handling (given it was FWD) - in fact quite chuckable. It was reasonably well trimmed inside and felt well screwed together. In the front there wasn't much less room than the IS 300h, but in the rear with my normal seating position there was no way anyone could sit behind me...! I had the same issue with the UX too. The boot in the LBX though seemed to have more usable space than the UX (which I've had a few on loan), though I wonder if that is at the expense of rear legroom. I was starting to think if I need the rear legroom anymore. I rarely carry two people in the back now and since my daughter has an SUV style car now so we can use hers when we go out with her and her partner. The LBX of course has a lot more gadgets than my Executive IS 300h, but having used most of them during the day, there were none that felt like "must haves" over what I already have. Some of the self-braking safety does give some extra peace of mind, but that was about it.

After doing around 120 miles in the LBX, I picked my IS back up again and settled in for the drive home and realised that my IS, despite being nearly 10 years old and 150K miles still felt better to drive than the LBX. That may be something to do with familiarity I admit, but I did give the LBX a decent workout. BTW (and maybe one for @Linas.P ...!) the LBX had the ML sound system. My Executive trim IS has the "poverty spec" 6 speakers. I was expecting to be blown away by the ML in the LBX after all I had read, but I certainly wasn't. I "tuned" the ML to my preferences in the LBX (just some slight tweaks) and started wondering what all the fuss over ML was about. When I got back in my IS with the "poverty spec" sound system (which I tuned some time ago to how I like to hear my music) I really couldn't hear any great audible difference. Maybe historically the ML delivered something more, but in the LBX I certainly wouldn't pay more for it - unless the non-ML in the LBX is worse than my "poverty spec" system...

So, what are my options. If I were to change, I would probably choose the LBX over the UX at this time pending a new model UX (which must be due in the next few years). I've had some NXs on loan in the past, including the 350h. I didn't like the NX 300h that much but quite enjoyed the NX 350h, but not really a fan of such an obvious SUV, though it had the space that I would miss with LBX/UX and felt nice to drive long distances in. Other then switching brands, which may be the way forwards though I don't really want to, the obvious answer is to keep the IS 300h going and save my money... It's not worth a huge amount now given the age and especially mileage and buying a new (or nearly new ) car will probably be a bigger hit in depreciation per month than repairs to the IS will cost me. If the IS has a major problem in the future and is in effect written off then I can always get something else a few years old and probably still not be out of pocket... Decisions, decisions...

[Notamech]

2 hours ago, wharfhouse said:

I have the same thoughts from time to time. When I bought my car I chose a used model as didn't want to wait for a new one - it was 2 years old with 40k miles and I got it for a very good price. My plan was to keep it until the next gen arrived and then change for a new one. Of course, as we know, Lexus didn't bring that one to the UK. I didn't fancy any other Lexus (tried a few) and it was still driving like new and so decided to keep it until the Extended Warranty I was happy paying for couldn't be renewed (at 150K miles in my case as I do more ten the 10K miles per year). That time has just come and so I am again thinking about what to do now. I know I can keep the hybrid battery in warranty for another 5 years (as it has unlimited mileage) and honestly the car still drives the same as the day I bought it.

I had a LBX Takumi (FWD) as a courtesy car for a day this week while mine was in for a service and it's the first time I've driven one. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it drove on a mix of motorway, A roads, and around town - quiet on the motorway (if not quite as quiet as my IS) and not a bad turn of speed and reasonable handling (given it was FWD) - in fact quite chuckable. It was reasonably well trimmed inside and felt well screwed together. In the front there wasn't much less room than the IS 300h, but in the rear with my normal seating position there was no way anyone could sit behind me...! I had the same issue with the UX too. The boot in the LBX though seemed to have more usable space than the UX (which I've had a few on loan), though I wonder if that is at the expense of rear legroom. I was starting to think if I need the rear legroom anymore. I rarely carry two people in the back now and since my daughter has an SUV style car now so we can use hers when we go out with her and her partner. The LBX of course has a lot more gadgets than my Executive IS 300h, but having used most of them during the day, there were none that felt like "must haves" over what I already have. Some of the self-braking safety does give some extra peace of mind, but that was about it.

After doing around 120 miles in the LBX, I picked my IS back up again and settled in for the drive home and realised that my IS, despite being nearly 10 years old and 150K miles still felt better to drive than the LBX. That may be something to do with familiarity I admit, but I did give the LBX a decent workout. BTW (and maybe one for @Linas.P ...!) the LBX had the ML sound system. My Executive trim IS has the "poverty spec" 6 speakers. I was expecting to be blown away by the ML in the LBX after all I had read, but I certainly wasn't. I "tuned" the ML to my preferences in the LBX (just some slight tweaks) and started wondering what all the fuss over ML was about. When I got back in my IS with the "poverty spec" sound system (which I tuned some time ago to how I like to hear my music) I really couldn't hear any great audible difference. Maybe historically the ML delivered something more, but in the LBX I certainly wouldn't pay more for it - unless the non-ML in the LBX is worse than my "poverty spec" system...

So, what are my options. If I were to change, I would probably choose the LBX over the UX at this time pending a new model UX (which must be due in the next few years). I've had some NXs on loan in the past, including the 350h. I didn't like the NX 300h that much but quite enjoyed the NX 350h, but not really a fan of such an obvious SUV, though it had the space that I would miss with LBX/UX and felt nice to drive long distances in. Other then switching brands, which may be the way forwards though I don't really want to, the obvious answer is to keep the IS 300h going and save my money... It's not worth a huge amount now given the age and especially mileage and buying a new (or nearly new ) car will probably be a bigger hit in depreciation per month than repairs to the IS will cost me. If the IS has a major problem in the future and is in effect written off then I can always get something else a few years old and probably still not be out of pocket... Decisions, decisions...

All of your experiences sound very useful. To be frank I have never heard an ML system personally but i do like having a good sound system and the poverty spec 6 speaker on my exec was disappointing at first but ive managed to tune it now to where i find it acceptable.  And an ML is definitely not a must have for me. Just that all the reviws glorify it so much. Nor do i need all the modern day ADAS features. The one thing i feel is truly missing is the auto mirror dipping i feel like i use the mirror so much to avoid kerbs and later when i set off i have forgotten to readjust it like 80% of the time and its so frustrating..but its something i live with.

Like you I am frankly not too keen on an SUV but of the 2 cars in the household the IS is the one that goes on long trips and sometimes it does feel like a compromise on space. The NX300h is the only SUV thats reasonably priced (being old) and that provides the kind of space and luxury i would probably need for a long trip with a young family. The GS450H on the other hand is something that wouldn't give me space but the luxury and sportiness to please the car enthusiast in me. But will come at an additional cost i.e insurance tax etc. When i think about it practically and given my ultra low usage of 3-5k miles annually the IS does offer the best balance all things considered. The lack of gizmos means i can keep servicing the car myself once relax runs out and save a ton of money. Plus any new car means a big expense i will have to bear in terms of investing more + depreciation on the current IS. So it just makes sense to stick to with the current car.

I have taken your suggestion and will do the brakes all round and stick with the IS until i get full value from it and use it till the hybrid Battery warranty is over. Then probably see whats out there. Im really hoping the next gen IS imported from japan are available more easily and for a reasonable price then...that might be something to consider. Thanks again for ypur suggestions they have been very useful in providing some perspective on things.

[Colinb623]

Just to update on this . Changed rear discs and pads and sent the car for a retest today . It' passed no problem.  Thanks all for your input and help .

 

[Notamech]

20 hours ago, Colinb623 said:

Just to update on this . Changed rear discs and pads and sent the car for a retest today . It' passed no problem.  Thanks all for your input and help .

 

Awesome. I did the fronts today. One issue I ran into was that the rubber bush at the end of the top slide pin was swollen leading to it being extremely difficult to pull the slide pin out. Then later it was super tight going back in so i just removed it. So far doesnt seem like it has lead to any squeaks or rattles. Does anyone know if it will cause any issues down the line? Im sure its there for a reason but was wondering if anyone faced issues without it.

[TheMcSame]

20 hours ago, Colinb623 said:

Just to update on this . Changed rear discs and pads and sent the car for a retest today . It' passed no problem.  Thanks all for your input and help .

 

Anything worth knowing? Recently took mine for a service, they said the fronts are just barely below minimum, rears approaching the minimum and they'll do it for £800...

Was wanting to swap out to EBC pads anyway, and for the sake of saving myself £250, I may as well get them and DIY it. 

No shims or anything that might need replacing or anything daft?

Obviously, I'm aware of the slide pins. Could use a part no for the grease or a recommendation of something better than OEM, had a page saved, can't find the bloody thing now.

 

[wharfhouse]

57 minutes ago, TheMcSame said:

Anything worth knowing? Recently took mine for a service, they said the fronts are just barely below minimum, rears approaching the minimum and they'll do it for £800...

Was wanting to swap out to EBC pads anyway, and for the sake of saving myself £250, I may as well get them and DIY it. 

No shims or anything that might need replacing or anything daft?

Obviously, I'm aware of the slide pins. Could use a part no for the grease or a recommendation of something better than OEM, had a page saved, can't find the bloody thing now.

 

I'd double check whether the rears in particular need doing on a 2020 car unless you do a lot of mileage or use the brakes particularly heavily. On my 2014 IS 300h the fronts disc pads had done 80k miles and had life left - did them as I needed new front wheel bearings. At 150k miles I had a seized rear caliper so had to have discs / pads changed after the caliper change but if the caliper hadn't seized there was still quite a lot of meat on the pads / discs.

[Notamech]

2 hours ago, TheMcSame said:

Anything worth knowing? Recently took mine for a service, they said the fronts are just barely below minimum, rears approaching the minimum and they'll do it for £800...

Was wanting to swap out to EBC pads anyway, and for the sake of saving myself £250, I may as well get them and DIY it. 

No shims or anything that might need replacing or anything daft?

Obviously, I'm aware of the slide pins. Could use a part no for the grease or a recommendation of something better than OEM, had a page saved, can't find the bloody thing now.

 

I put EBC on the front got them for £157 on fleabay. For the rear i went originals £189. Neither kits came with any of the fitting kit or anti rattle shims so if your previous disc / pads were original then you can re-use those shims/ fitting kit. Some aftermarket pads come with shims but the EBC ultimax2 that i bought didnt. Also i use pro-slip grease from amazon it has 3 tubes of grease one for the slide pins, one for pads and one for the clips etc. I highly recommend the grease its good and is the correct one for toyota as far as I am aware.