Is300H Run Down (Thinking Of Buying)

briano74 · April 4, 2015

Hi All

I am strongly thinking of buying an IS300H

I do >50000miles per year.

Just some of the main questions I have that I would really appreciate your views on:

1. Is the reliability good (any problems with engine etc)

2. General MPG for motorway (75mph) driving

3. Warranty period (yrs/miles)

4. Battery warranty (time period)

5. Honest opinion of the car

Many thanks in advance.

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

At 75 mph I would expect 45 to 50 depending on which model you go for. Hybrids aren't great at high speed and once the IS gets above 70 mph the economy suffers.

No problems with the engine or batteries - although a bit early to tell if there are any long term issues.

Warranty is 3 years or 60k miles, you would soon go out of standard warranty so would have to purchase the extended warranty which would give you 5 years warranty/unlimited mileage for an additional £795.

briano74 · April 4, 2015

5 yr unlimited warranty sounds like what I need. Is this only on from new or will Lexus provide on a 2014?

DJP · April 4, 2015

1. Excellent

5. Superb

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

5 yr unlimited warranty sounds like what I need. Is this only on from new or will Lexus provide on a 2014?

It seems you can add it at any time within the main warranty period. This is from the Lexus website:

"For drivers who will exceed 60,000 miles within the 3 year manufacturer's warranty period, purchasing an extended warranty within this period will provide cover for the full three years plus the additional 12 or 24 months"

briano74 · April 4, 2015

I wonder if there are any warranty limitations. I have a Type S 180 Accord which is giving engine problems and Honda wont cover if they find bad fuel etc. Also some engine parts are not covered. Hence the reason for change to the Lexus.

Planning on making the change this summer to the IS300H if the feedback and reviews prove good.

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

A warranty is there to fix manufacturing defects. Putting in faulty/incorrect fuel isn't really any fault of the vehicle manufacturer, your claim would be against the garage that sold you the fuel.

There are some T&Cs which are on the website but on the whole the Lexus warranty is one of the best out there.

briano74 · April 4, 2015

A warranty is there to fix manufacturing defects. Putting in faulty/incorrect fuel isn't really any fault of the vehicle manufacturer, your claim would be against the garage that sold you the fuel.

There are some T&Cs which are on the website but on the whole the Lexus warranty is one of the best out there.

Agree totally. With Honda though they consistently try to blame fuel for all of the problems the car has had. An injector failed and they left me without the car for two weeks as they were sampling the fuel. Then when it was all clear they told me the injector was replaced. Only for same error to reoccurr a few weeks later. Again fuel was sampled. Car was towed last Thursday for injector fault last thur so at this point I just want to get as far away from Honda as possible. Lexus have a great reputation for customer support hence the thread. Just want to be sure it's the right car as I do quite a bit of driving.

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

I've never experienced Lexus trying to get out of warranty claims, ,especially for mechanical issues, and haven't really heard of this from other members here either.

briano74 · April 4, 2015

That's what I would have guessed. Just need a dependable service and a good reliable car which is compfortable and has decent fuel economy

DJP · April 4, 2015

That's what I would have guessed. Just need a dependable service and a good reliable car which is compfortable and has decent fuel economy

I think you'll find the 300 will tick those boxes. Only thing I'd point out is the service intervals are quite short, at least compared to some I believe.

Mines 10k or 12 months whichever arrives first.

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

briano74 · April 4, 2015

The Honda is 20k kilometres For first while then 15k kilometres. I guess though there is less in a petrol to go wrong. No DPF, no injectors etc. All high dollar items to fix. I love the extended warranty. Well worth the cash.

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

For private owners the service internal is 10k miles, for business users (or high mileage) then it is 12k miles.

One negative is expensive servicing. £225 for intermediate and £445 for full

http://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/#/ServicingYourLexus

briano74 · April 4, 2015

Pricey servicing. I am guessing 60+ = 60K miles

Is that a mandatory service then intermediates after?

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

What's the diff from intermediate to full.

It is just minor / major servicing. Minor at 10k, 30k, 50k etc and major at 20k, 40k, 80k etc. 60k and 100k have additional checks compared to a regular major service.

briano74 · April 4, 2015

Pretty pricey. Is the 60K and 100K mandatory content. What cost are they

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

Yes, 60k is £645 and 100k is £595.

sc489 · April 4, 2015

I'm looking at buying an IS 300H to replace an ageing 2006 Honda Accord. In defence of Honda to an earlier post, I've only had one fault on my Accord after 8 years (new brake master cylinder) which was replaced under the extended warranty with no fuss. This Honda warranty has been costing £250 per annum including full AA breakdown and recovery. Honda servicing is also much cheaper than the rather excessive Lexus charges. I note some Lexus and Toyota dealers share sites probably using the same servicing facilities but charging far higher rates for Lexus servicing.

Lexus seem good judging by feedback on this forum but they do seem rather expensive for servicing and extended warranties.

Why do we only get a 3 year Lexus warranty in the UK when the similar Toyota technology is covered for 5 years (8 years hybrid drivetrain) and in the US the Lexus warranty is 4 years (6 years hybrid drivetrain) - and the purchase price is much cheaper?

briano74 · April 4, 2015

I wish I could say the same about the accord. I had an 09 type s and the fuel pump went while under warranty. After a battle Honda replaced pump. Then changed to current 2012 type s 180. I love the car from a driving perspective. Cut out last Sept aftee purchasing in June. Since then it has has multiple problems which all seem centered around injectors and fuel pump. After the struggle with the 09 i purchased a diesel test kit and I ckeck the diesel which I only buy from 2 garages now before I fill up. I alas keep the receipts as proof of purchase. So now there are no excuses. However the car was taken for a week. Got it back and cut out again while on the road. Towed again and now in a garage car. For 30K it's been in the garage more than on the road.

ColinBarber · April 4, 2015

I'm looking at buying an IS 300H to replace an ageing 2006 Honda Accord. In defence of Honda to an earlier post, I've only had one fault on my Accord after 8 years (new brake master cylinder) which was replaced under the extended warranty with no fuss. This Honda warranty has been costing £250 per annum including full AA breakdown and recovery. Honda servicing is also much cheaper than the rather excessive Lexus charges. I note some Lexus and Toyota dealers share sites probably using the same servicing facilities but charging far higher rates for Lexus servicing.

Lexus seem good judging by feedback on this forum but they do seem rather expensive for servicing and extended warranties.

Why do we only get a 3 year Lexus warranty in the UK when the similar Toyota technology is covered for 5 years (8 years hybrid drivetrain) and in the US the Lexus warranty is 4 years (6 years hybrid drivetrain) - and the purchase price is much cheaper?

Toyota is competing with Honda, warranties and labour rates reflect that and in that competitive marketplace Toyota feel they need to offer a 5 year warranty. Lexus is marketed as a high premium brand, the vehicles are more expensive with servicing and part costs reflecting a percentage of the vehicle cost and what customers are willing to pay rather than directly related to the manufacturing costs.

There are also additional overheads. Whilst combined Toyota/Lexus franchises share workshops and some mechanics would be trained on both Toyota and Lexus vehicles, there is specific training required for Lexus vehicles but the main difference is the cost of the dealership showroom, the courtesy cars etc.

As with most things, get above a standard level of quality and costs exponentially rise for just a small improvement.

sc489 · April 5, 2015

"Lexus is marketed as a high premium brand, the vehicles are more expensive with servicing and part costs reflecting a percentage of the vehicle cost and what customers are willing to pay rather than directly related to the manufacturing costs."

I accept the need to pay a premium price for a Lexus but the servicing costs should reflect the actual cost of the service parts and labour used. Lexus cars share many service parts with Toyota so the prices should be similar. Lexus use the same technicians in many joint Toyota/Lexus service centres but charge a higher labour rate for Lexus servicing compared to Toyota. There is a weak argument for the high Lexus service costs other than the willingness of customers to pay the high charges.

The Lexus UK warranty cover is also poor compared to Toyota UK (using the same hybrid technology) and compared to the Lexus warranty in other countries (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia).

ColinBarber · April 5, 2015

Lexus labour rates are up to £120 per hour, but this isn't just about the amount paid to a mechanic it is also the additional overheads of the dealership that need to be covered.

Parts bare no resemblance to the manufacturing costs, be that Toyota, Lexus or any other manufacturer, however additional markup is placed on Lexus parts compared to Toyota.

Warranty is directly related to the market. Toyota GB could easily put on a 5 year warranty onto their Lexus vehicles but they choose not to because the competition they compete against in this country doesn't and they would probably have to raise vehicle list prices to cover the additional costs anyway.

In other countries, again Lexus compete against their local competition and what the public in that location is willing to accept. There is also economies of scale at work here - the US sells more Lexus in 2 weeks compared to 12 months of sales in the UK.

You can be upset/disappointed/annoyed/angry about it but that is the reality. Factor it into the overall ownership costs of the vehicle to make a decision of whether it is right for you or not.

briano74 · April 5, 2015

I think I will benchmark the Lexus and accord type s 180. The pros to a petrol is a much simpler engine. Whether Honda service cost is less for me isn't as important as how much it will cost me after June when the warranty runs out knowing there is possibly a problem going to arise which they have attempted to fix three to four times now. Loosing Count.