New Generation Is - 220d Only

[jdwoodyone]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

All those Lexus faults. Had my 220d for 20 months, 25k on it and no rattles,cracks,chipped paint,no warranty work, no new alloys and 42mpg on mixed driving. It is comfortable and good to drive.

I am happy.

[Andyx11]

Well another year has gone past, the IS220D developed a rattle in the dashboard but I got it fixed and the Battery was replaced, both of these fixed under warranty so no great issue really.

The mileage is now 43,000 since new, the two rear tyres are fast approaching the legal limit again they were last changed at 20,000 service so definately think it's time to switch from the Bridgestone Potenza std fitment tyres onto Michelin HP tyres. I put a pair of Michelin HP's onto the front at 24k and they still have 5mm tread on them so looking good for at least 30,000+ miles maybe 40,000 if I'm lucky.

So two years on and I'm still happy with the IS220D. Ave mpg across the whole 43,000 miles is very stable at 42mpg and thats with progressive driving at 2000RPM in 6th gear and you all know what speed that equates to!

After shopping around now getting the 20k services done at Lexus Glasgow for a much more reasonable £300. Thanx for info on the timing chain being better than the older type 200 belts.

[Milligan]

Hi Guys,

Only about my 3rd or 4th post but i've now placed my votes.

Had my Is220d SE since Mar 10 and have now clocked up 7,000 trouble free miles. Economy wise I easily average mid 40's mixing up M1 and a bit of town traffic. The wife drove back from a wedding in Sheffield a few weeks back and in 6th gear with cruise set at just over 80 on the clock (about 75 on the GPS) she averaged 51.8 mpg!!!

I agree that turbo lag is horrendous and I am getting a couple of creaks and ratttles from the dash but other than that I have had absolutely no issues at all. One thing that really gets my goat is the drip from the drivers door after it has rained!!!

FB

I only collected my Lexus yesterday but compared to a Saab the turbo lag is nothing and build quality is superb.

The gearing is on the tall side, warranted, but the cabin is so much quieter it's silly.

Methinks some of the rattles people complain about are because they've been spoilt by silence...

hearing pin drops can be a curse?!

Later that same night;

Having read the rest of the posts I am convinced there are a few "Jessies" on here.

Seriously, 6th gear is meant for the motorway, not for Tesco parking lots or b roads. You need to be doing 70 to make it work.

There is enough torque to maintain your speed in cruise control on the motorway uphill or downhill.

That "slight rattle" is probably something your misses left in the ash tray to p!ss you off, like a 5p coin or a small makeup accessory. Again, compared to a Saab, this is silence.

[Shepherd]

Hi Guys,

Only about my 3rd or 4th post but i've now placed my votes.

Had my Is220d SE since Mar 10 and have now clocked up 7,000 trouble free miles. Economy wise I easily average mid 40's mixing up M1 and a bit of town traffic. The wife drove back from a wedding in Sheffield a few weeks back and in 6th gear with cruise set at just over 80 on the clock (about 75 on the GPS) she averaged 51.8 mpg!!!

I agree that turbo lag is horrendous and I am getting a couple of creaks and ratttles from the dash but other than that I have had absolutely no issues at all. One thing that really gets my goat is the drip from the drivers door after it has rained!!!

FB

I only collected my Lexus yesterday but compared to a Saab the turbo lag is nothing and build quality is superb.

The gearing is on the tall side, warranted, but the cabin is so much quieter it's silly.

Methinks some of the rattles people complain about are because they've been spoilt by silence...

hearing pin drops can be a curse?!

Later that same night;

Having read the rest of the posts I am convinced there are a few "Jessies" on here.

Seriously, 6th gear is meant for the motorway, not for Tesco parking lots or b roads. You need to be doing 70 to make it work.

There is enough torque to maintain your speed in cruise control on the motorway uphill or downhill.

That "slight rattle" is probably something your misses left in the ash tray to p!ss you off, like a 5p coin or a small makeup accessory. Again, compared to a Saab, this is silence.

agree with Milligan 100%. I think it also matters what you have been driving previously to the 220 so what you are comparing it to. I drove in a bmw320 the other day and the cabin in is220 is so much better and quiter, for my driving style i found the drive very similar, but the lag was not there in the 320

[Andyx11]

My car has now reached 50,000 miles, and the rear tyres actually managed to last to 50k.

I have now replaced the Std issue Potenzas on the rear this time with Michelin Primacy HP's so far the rear tyres I've used has been the original Potenzas to 20k, then dealer fitted replacement Potenzas up to 50k.

The original front Potenzas were replaced at 24,000 miles with Michelin Primacy HP's, which at 50,000 miles still have 3mm on them.

At the 50k service a front wheel bearing was found to be "grumbling" with a small amount of play found on the wheel so the bearing was replaced under warranty.

My fuel consumption remains steady still at 42mpg over the whole 50,000 miles.

Still really enjoying the IS220, spent three hours giving it a good MER polish to prepare it for the winter.

[Tiler Daz]

Having owned my IS220d for over 18 months, I can honestly state that it is the most unreliable car that I have ever owned, and I have owned cars that have cost me less than £500.

I own an '06 220d and I can't wait to get shot of it.

I have had EGR issues, >£1k

I have had the master hydraulic brake cylinder fail, >£550

I have had a full clutch failure, >£750

The figures above do not include the £750 that I have had to spend on rental cars, too.

For some weird reason I am still considering staying with the Lexus brand, but deffo not going to touch another IS220d!

[javadude]

I've now owned my IS220d Sport for 4 years and driven 60,000 of its 65,000 miles. It's had the fifth injector and an exhaust sensor replaced under warranty. There were also recalls for rear brake discs, steering rack, and drivers carpet mat done. The dealers also volunteered a replacement of the alloy wheels under warranty as they noticed them pitting a little around the spokes. Each warranty/recall visit was handled really well, eg car collected, washed, hoovered, even topped up with fuel etc. The car went into limp-home mode with the exhaust sensor problem, which they had not seen before, apart from that it's driven like a dream. The last warranty issue was 18 months ago since which time all it's had are a service and worn brakes replaced. It's had more problems that I'd expect from a Lexus but their customer services have been first class. Careful long distance gets me 45mpg and the amount of torque, combined with sport gearing and handling makes it awesome to drive. I'll be keeping my car until next year and then getting a different Lexus model for a bit of a change - maybe a CT or RX.

[Andyx11]

Ok 60,000 miles, a couple of weeks ago had terrible brake fade took it into Lexus Glasgow, they de-glazed the brakes under warranty and this sorted it out.

With all the snow in Scotland I decided to fit a set of 4 Michelin Alpin Winter tyres, best move I could have made. Kept me mobile even around Aberdeen and Inverness when Scottish roads ground to a halt, the car never faltered and the tyres were great.

The Multimedia screen and buttons totally froze the other day, the display screen went blank and pressing the various buttons changed nothing, only the climate button made the message Aircon disconnected or something similar was displayed. Switched the ignition off and back on again and everything was ok again and it's behaved itself since then. So it's in next week for the 60k service let's see what they turn up this time.

[LexiMarc]

Ok 60,000 miles, a couple of weeks ago had terrible brake fade took it into Lexus Glasgow, they de-glazed the brakes under warranty and this sorted it out.

With all the snow in Scotland I decided to fit a set of 4 Michelin Alpin Winter tyres, best move I could have made. Kept me mobile even around Aberdeen and Inverness when Scottish roads ground to a halt, the car never faltered and the tyres were great.

The Multimedia screen and buttons totally froze the other day, the display screen went blank and pressing the various buttons changed nothing, only the climate button made the message Aircon disconnected or something similar was displayed. Switched the ignition off and back on again and everything was ok again and it's behaved itself since then. So it's in next week for the 60k service let's see what they turn up this time.

Quite interested in where you got the winter tyres from - was it from Lexus itself or another location in Glasgow? I phoned around (Helensburgh/Dumbarton area) and nobody had any 225/40/18 or 255/40/18s in stock.

[gordi]

I have the MM IS 250 Auto and Love it , Drove the 220 recently and I would rather buy a mondeo ?????????:winky:

[normski2]

5 Months in 4000 miles

Mirror Replaced.

Awaiting EGR valve gasket to be replaced.

Loud crack like stone hitting windscreen coming from dash when it heats up.... just going to leave it as I expect it would lead to more rattles if Lexus tried to fix it....

Paint Chips on Boot (will get garage to check it out when in for EGR valve)

Fuel Consumption not as expected

Do like the style, comfort, sound system.... I would buy another but to be honest it would be a Petrol. Although the new A4 might be tempting

The loud crack sound is a known issue. I'm told it is two circuit boards, that have differing temperature characteristics, behind the CD system. Gives a sharp crack sound. It is exactly like a stone fired at the windscreen!! They will do it within the warranty period. Mine however they are stalling on!!

[Andyx11]

LexMarc sorry I've taken so long to reply, I was on holiday, the tyres were bought from a company in Dumfries called Denton Tyres, they had them off the shelf, my IS220 only has the 205/55R16 rims.

[C4MYC]

Hi Guys,

Only about my 3rd or 4th post but i've now placed my votes.

Had my Is220d SE since Mar 10 and have now clocked up 7,000 trouble free miles. Economy wise I easily average mid 40's mixing up M1 and a bit of town traffic. The wife drove back from a wedding in Sheffield a few weeks back and in 6th gear with cruise set at just over 80 on the clock (about 75 on the GPS) she averaged 51.8 mpg!!!

I agree that turbo lag is horrendous and I am getting a couple of creaks and ratttles from the dash but other than that I have had absolutely no issues at all. One thing that really gets my goat is the drip from the drivers door after it has rained!!!

FB

I only collected my Lexus yesterday but compared to a Saab the turbo lag is nothing and build quality is superb.

The gearing is on the tall side, warranted, but the cabin is so much quieter it's silly.

Methinks some of the rattles people complain about are because they've been spoilt by silence...

hearing pin drops can be a curse?!

Later that same night;

Having read the rest of the posts I am convinced there are a few "Jessies" on here.

Seriously, 6th gear is meant for the motorway, not for Tesco parking lots or b roads. You need to be doing 70 to make it work.

There is enough torque to maintain your speed in cruise control on the motorway uphill or downhill.

That "slight rattle" is probably something your misses left in the ash tray to p!ss you off, like a 5p coin or a small makeup accessory. Again, compared to a Saab, this is silence.

Do you think we don`t know that?

Anyway, 70mph isn`t enough for me to use 6th on the M/W. It labours at less than 77-80mph and if you hit traffic and drop to 70, you have todrop down to 5th. ANY 5 speed car will cruise between 55 and 80mph without having to drop a gear but not the 220D.

Unless you`re bombing along at a STEADY 80mph or more, 6th gear is useless.

IMHO of course.

[baggers0161]

5 Months in 4000 miles

Mirror Replaced.

Awaiting EGR valve gasket to be replaced.

Loud crack like stone hitting windscreen coming from dash when it heats up.... just going to leave it as I expect it would lead to more rattles if Lexus tried to fix it....

Paint Chips on Boot (will get garage to check it out when in for EGR valve)

Fuel Consumption not as expected

Do like the style, comfort, sound system.... I would buy another but to be honest it would be a Petrol. Although the new A4 might be tempting

Yeah, what is that loud crack from the windscreen all about? When I first got my Lexus I thought it must be some sort of stone attractor as I thought it was stone chips hitting the windscreen!

Very strange.

[Cue]

The sound from the dash is common. This has been discussed previously. http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=70288

[Desmond]

Hi Guys,

Only about my 3rd or 4th post but i've now placed my votes.

Had my Is220d SE since Mar 10 and have now clocked up 7,000 trouble free miles. Economy wise I easily average mid 40's mixing up M1 and a bit of town traffic. The wife drove back from a wedding in Sheffield a few weeks back and in 6th gear with cruise set at just over 80 on the clock (about 75 on the GPS) she averaged 51.8 mpg!!!

I agree that turbo lag is horrendous and I am getting a couple of creaks and ratttles from the dash but other than that I have had absolutely no issues at all. One thing that really gets my goat is the drip from the drivers door after it has rained!!!

FB

I only collected my Lexus yesterday but compared to a Saab the turbo lag is nothing and build quality is superb.

The gearing is on the tall side, warranted, but the cabin is so much quieter it's silly.

Methinks some of the rattles people complain about are because they've been spoilt by silence...

hearing pin drops can be a curse?!

Later that same night;

Having read the rest of the posts I am convinced there are a few "Jessies" on here.

Seriously, 6th gear is meant for the motorway, not for Tesco parking lots or b roads. You need to be doing 70 to make it work.

There is enough torque to maintain your speed in cruise control on the motorway uphill or downhill.

That "slight rattle" is probably something your misses left in the ash tray to p!ss you off, like a 5p coin or a small makeup accessory. Again, compared to a Saab, this is silence.

Do you think we don`t know that?

Anyway, 70mph isn`t enough for me to use 6th on the M/W. It labours at less than 77-80mph and if you hit traffic and drop to 70, you have todrop down to 5th. ANY 5 speed car will cruise between 55 and 80mph without having to drop a gear but not the 220D.

Unless you`re bombing along at a STEADY 80mph or more, 6th gear is useless.

IMHO of course.

I think you are absolutely right. 6th gear is a fairly pointless exercise most of the time unless you are on a clear motorway because as soon as you drop to 70 mph or below you MUST change down. Really bad design feature. But the whole of the gearbox ratios are odd as well and it's something that you don't pick up easily on a test drive. The engine goes beautifully at 2-3000 revs and if you keep it in this band the performance is fine. But that knackers the fuel consumption. The Avensis with a 2.2 diesel and better ratios will pull and also toddle at low revs so the economy is far better. Another minus point is the vibration from this diesel. I don't know why it should give a vibro-massage but it does especially under load.

First to second gear is a well known nightmare. My best solution to the dreaded clunk so far is to rev up to 3k and keep a few revs on during the change up. Better but not perfect.

It might just be me but even with all the seat adjustment I cannot find a comfortable position for my left leg using the clutch. OK once rolling but the offset means the seat edge digs in unless you put it right down on the adjustment and end up sliding forward under the steering column! The stitching in the leather seats is hard as well. After a longish trip it feels like you've been branded across the backside.

It's a pity because mostly the car itself is fine, handling is good. It dealt with the snow and ice surprisingly OK, it's refined and it looks great. Too many unnecessary design faults though. This being my first Lexus it's disappointing and I'd be very interested to know if the 250 is as much better as people say on the forum.

[Northern is]

Hi chaps.

This is my first post and as good a place as any to start.

I got my 56 plate is220d sport 6 months ago.

So far I love it.

Yes the fuel economy is a biotic a worry, but I don't care much, I didn't purchase it to be frugal ( I have a Citroën c5 hdi for that.)

I purchased mine from an independent dealer, not lexus.

I was looking back through the old receipts for it in the handbook folder, and it had a complete engine rebuild including a new short block and liners at 42k. Luckily the chap who had it before me had to sort that out, glad I didn't have to as the invoice is for over 5k!!!

Apart from that there are a couple of invoices for new tyres and some brake parts.

Hopefully the previous owner had all the trouble with the car, and it will all be plain sailing for me.

[DennisJ]

2 months in and around 1500 miles; I thought I would recount my experience of Lexus ownership so far.

In my introductory post I said I had moved from Mercedes after my C250CDI had two complete failures due to injectors. Luckily under warranty. I wasn't prepared to pay the £1000+ if they failed again so after a derisory attempt to keep my business I moved on. I have owned BMW diesels and Audi too, so feel I can comment on all.

First the bad bits:

The Lexus (IS220d SE I 2009), lit up with the engine warning light and the VSC light and the power drop was significant. I stopped the car, restarted it but the fault remained. The car has covered 25000 miles from new and just 500 with me. After talking to Lexus they sent out the AA. He cleaned out the EGR valve in situ and all was resolved. Lexus were not happy with this, but as the car was due its annual service they would inspect the car then.

The 'crack' sound from the dash surprised me a couple of times, but Lexus have fixed this at the service and no rattles or squeaks since.

Fuel consumption; average 34 on a run 42; this is poor. The much more powerful BMW and Mercedes engines can better this by at least 10 MPG without stop start technology, with stop start then 15 MPG+

The manual gearbox is notchy (maybe it will get better), 1st gear is very low with a huge gap to 2nd, and 6th is purely for illegal driving speeds in the UK (or downhill at 70MPH).

The lack of Bluetooth connectivity on all but the SE l or Multimedia cars is unforgiveable on what is supposed to be a junior exec car, all competitors have this on cars of the same vintage ( as do most family runabouts)

The Good

The car is quiet and refined providing you don't push on over 3500 revs, the car is comfortable, the ride is supple and the interior quality is very good (although the leather does scuff too easily).

The dealer is very good, loan cars are readily available if required and the pick up and delivery service is very welcome too.

I drove the CT200h last week and the car achieved 52MPG around town; very impressive. Well built car but the boot space is much smaller than my IS and the CT is a hatch. The prices are shocking too given that it is an Auris underneath.

Despite the foibles I'm enjoying the car and hope to start a few modifications (the Po40 mirror mod looks useful).

[bluenose1940]

Make sure that you get the correct wiring diagrams if you fit the Po-40. The diagrams that came with the Po-40 were specific to the IS250. I think that I was the first to do a 220d and a little experimentation/guidance was necessary with the manufacturer/electronics guy in Thailand via MSN Messenger I think they call it. Michael in Australia, the supplier, was extremely helpful too, he put me in touch with the guy in Thailand.

Let me know if I can help any further with this particular aspect.

[normski2]

DennisJ

As a former 220d owner I would offer the following

1 learn how to maintain the cleanliness of the EGR. Read the posts in the 220/250 forum titled problems headed off at the pass. It will save you a great of bother to do so.

2 consider using BG244 to clean the top end of the engine. Then also the use of AR6200 or AR6400 fuel additive on a regular basis.these products are available from Power Enhancer, you will find a link on the home page of this forum. These will assist the preventing of sooting up of the EGR and DPF.

3 if you are doing a big mileage it will help. If not make sure you do some good runs and get the engine good and hot....you want to get that 5th injector working, and prevent it getting bunged up!

[DennisJ]

Thanks bluenose1940 and normski2, your previous experiences may prove very helpful.

[Silver Arrow]

Nice review. I concur with everything you've written, except my 2006 model (one of the first) could just about hit 40mpg on a run. The notchy gears won't improve much I'm afraid - it's a common trait, and there was no fix available for the windscreen crack in 2008 when I departed with mine.

The 2006 also had a massive flat spot below 1800rpm....

[snoody]

Ive had a 2009 is 220d Targa red for about 3 months now....Lovely car. Only worrying thing (although seems Im not alone) is the occasional loud crack ( like stone hit windscreen) from stereo area of dash. This can happen even when stationary. I first though it was perhaps the multi-changer, so left discs out, but next time out same again. Looking on this forum it would appear that this is quite a common problem concerning two plastic boards reacting to heat changes differently, cured by the insertion of two washers. It would seem that this has been around for some time, and at least since around 2008.

Unfortunately mine is just out of warranty ( although only 27k on clock) ...so question is.....Is this an expensive fix, can it be done at local garage.

Its a shame as it spoils a really nice car........consumption not as good as lexus would have us believe...but after owning Jaguars and big Volvos anything above 30mpg is ok with me.

[BB1000]

New felt foam round or behind the stereo .... I'm attempting this myself but it's hard to know where to put the new felt material .... I've had one go and its less often and more of a muffled crack sound .... but still there .... so will attempt a 2nd go this weekend

the middle vents n stereo are real easy to remove ..... I was very surprised how easy

[snoody]

Love my 220d se ..its quiet and smooth running. Only issue is this dammed noise from dashboard....description by others is spot on....I was looking for a serious chip in screen first time i heard it......it makes you jump when you're not expecting it.....Is it a simple fix ?, could my local garage do it ? Its only thing that spoils a really nice car. I had a jaguar Xtype estate before and this is a lot quieter and nippier...although took some getting used to as 5th and 6th are quite high geared I find.