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Just dropping someone off at Brighton station when another car pulled up and the driver called out, 'Excuse me, mate, are you thinking about selling your car?' I told him that I'm planning to be buried in it.

Are you planning on waiting until you are dead first?

Yes it is good value Dean,but my view is that 12 months warranty should be provided/paid for by the Dealer irrespective of the price paid,unless that price was reduced speifically to compensate for the absence of a Dealer warranty. Regards John

Thought I would have a look on the Lexus UK site, and found this 2006 GS450h with full Lexus history. Couldn't ignore the advantage of the Lexus warranty. I pick it up next week :) Haven't even driven one yet, hope I like it :) I can get also get a 3 year extended warranty on this for 1095 at the moment, will definately go for this, unless there is a good reason not to.

Having just lost my Soarer, I recently bought a GS430 and its one hell of a car , a wolf in sheep's clothing, fully loaded with stuff I never knew existed like radar cruise control , more power than the Soarer had, 0-60 time just less than 6 secs (Lexus figures)..A full 5 seater saloon with sport coupe performance. The problem is finding them , though I notice there are some available on a few car sales sites £5000 - £7000 depending on the year.

For reliability, space and most kit as standard (that accolade doesn't go to the newer hybrid models), the GS300 takes some beating. It drives really well, is powerful, very refined, and more spacious than any of the hybrid models (much larger boot and more rear cabin space). It's not ultimately as quick as the 450h but by any standards is more than adequate with 0-60 in 7.1 seconds and a top whack of 148mph. I average 28mpg in mine (and there's lots of hills where I live), with the best on a run being 42mpg. That's excellent economy for a 3 litre V6 petrol. The engine's superb, the cabin roomy, and SE gets you electric memory heated and ventilated front seats, a Mark Levinson sound system, satnav, CDP, DVD player, 10 way adjustable seats, adaptive HID xenon headlamps (they swivel when you go round corners), dual climate control etc etc etc. Better specified than the new Lux specification hybrid in fact. Bodywork and panel fit is excellent. Handling is ok. It's no 5 series but does better the S60 Volvo by some margin. £497 annual taxation but lower insurance group than newer more powerful hybrids and no CVT transmission (my GS is a 6 speed auto and smooth as silk). Low miles examples are around. You can pick up a 2007/2008 SE or SE-L with full history and 70K miles for about £7K to £8K, or £10K dealer. I have seen private examples go for as little as £6K with low miles. Less complex and less to go wrong than a hybrid and uses the less problematic coil spring suspension. Besides the aircon (which rarely gives problems), the only things to note reliability-wise are the wheels (lacquer finish on these is a complete joke...budget £350 off for a complete wheel refurb); exhausts can split at the joint from the cat-back pipe to the two muffler pipes on the "Y" section (£780 for just the exhaust) and whilst these are meant to last 15 years, mine went after just 9 years. Suspension does take a hammering too on these as they are a heavy car, so budget a few new shocks at around 70K to 80K miles at around £350 each. Other than that, they do seem to be very reliable and very highly regarded. I will be changing mine soon. Its had all the work needed done on it and could be mistaken for showroom it's that good and is genuine low miles. (when it comes time to sell I will be asking just under £8K with a full lexus dealer service history if you were tempted to one). I'll probably replace mine with an RX a the new GS just doesn't appeal as much to me.

Turn the keyless function off? Put the fob into battery saver mode by pressing unlock twice whilst holding the lock button.

The hybrid healthcheck is £59 per year and gives you 1 year warranty on the hybrid system. The £995 for 2 years is a full warranty which includes everything apart from wear and tear.

That's a hell of a cost! I suspect the prices quoted to me were monthly then and not annual I can't see that its worth it until the car gets to a certain age.

I would generally agree with Linas, but.......if the car is 10 years old at time of purchase,it will be 11 years old when the Lexus Extended Warranty is due to come into play and as matters stand currently it will not be eligible. Or am I missing something ? Regards John

End result.... Wheels repaired and resprayed in "Shadow Chrome" by 'The Wheel Specialist' in Dorset. Very pleased with end result. Photos don't do justice to colour. Wheels change from silver to black depending on which angle you look at them from. Just need to wash it now :-(

think i prefer the originals tbh Malc

Less than the advertised price :)

If it makes you feel better, I had a 5 series BMW that to do any thing other than top up the washer bottle, you had to take the front wheel and the plastic wheel arch lining out, which meant something simple like a new washer bottle motor was a major job, as getting the wheel arch lining back in was horrible.

Not so sure on petrol cars but symptoms on diesels with blocked/jammed EGR valves are loss of power and lots of exhaust smoke. For the cost of DIY labour (zero) and a can of carb cleaner I would do the same as you. Mine will never fail........it doesn't have EGR.

How can he answer that without 1. Wanting to change his car 2. Having the finance to do so 3. Having driven them all ? I wasn't happy with Lexus offerings, just like you aren't now. So I left and like me there is nothing stopping you going to BMW/ Jaguar or a multitude of other dealers and getting a car that satisfies your criteria. I returned when the IS200t came out - I wouldn't have if it hadn't - that's how car ownership works. One thing I didn't do was drive every BMW under the sun and rip them all to pieces on Pistonheads or Bimmerfest. Best of luck, however i get the feeling I'm going to be reading loads more disenchanted posts from you about how crap Lexus are....actually i'm not I've just found the ignore button. (PS I come on here to feel good about my car with like minded people, not see it getting ripped to pieces by someone who's never sat in one - )-cheerio

I have a 2006 GS300 and I absolutely love it. I have had it over a year and it is awesome. One issue worth pointing out is the air-con. When I bought mine, the AC didn't work, I assumed it would need a re-gas, it turned out to be a leak in the pipes and I was told it would cost around £1,000 to repair. Around half of that was labour. When I called up Lexus for a quote on the pipes, I was told they don't actually make one of the 4 pipes anymore. Its not the end of the world as it rarely gets hot enough to need air con but it is still annoying. So my advice is to make sure the AC works. :-) When I was searching for a GS, i did consider the 450h. I ruled it out at the end because of the following: - The small boot. I have some nephews that like me to lug their bikes etc around so the boot needed to be as big as possible. - On my budget, I would have had to get a high mileage example. As I didn't know too much about hybrids, I thought this would increase the likelihood of the battery pack failing. The cost of replacing this, in addition to the extra cost in buying it would probably negate any savings I would make in fuel cost. - Insurance was also a lot higher for me compared to the GS300. I was 25 at the time. However, the GS300 costs £500 annually to tax, the 450h is much less (around £250 i think). The GS300 is no slouch by any means and the V6 engine sounds great but the 450h is a lot quicker and being a hybrid, I assume the power is more immediate. Also, I think the 450h pretty much comes fully loaded as standard. I have no regrets with my GS300, it still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. However, when I do decide to change my car (hopefully in the very distant future) I would probably seriously consider going for the GS450h.

Found it. You can use an unused fuse hole that wakes up with the ignition if you have one, or piggy back the live wire from an ignition live peg on a relay such as the fuel pump. Bod

I have been battling for some time to have my windscreen replaced, which was replaced 18 months ago as it had a large stone chip in it then. After washing it a few months back I noticed there were two leaks on the drivers side of the screen I found the invoice and phoned the number for warranty work only to be told that the people I had rung were AA Windscreens and not AA Windshields who originally replaced the screen. I discussed at length with several people that it wasn't a coincidence that this new company was given by pure chance the telephone number of an old windscreen company also with a name so close to the original name you have to be the same company. I asked them what had happened to the old company and they just denied all knowledge of it. So in between my discussion with them and my insurance company I eventually find out from my insurance company that AA Windscreens bought out AA Windshields. Hey Presto! She said she shouldn't have told me that. So its back to AA Windscreens and this time I will talk to no one other than a supervisor. After a 30 min wait I eventually get one, I explained I am well aware that they bought out AA Windshields and that they just cant lie to historic AA Windshields customer just to get out of their obligations under the warranty. Today two Technicians in two vans turned up and an hour later its all done. He explained that the person who had fitted the screen before had not made sure that the adhesive was in contact properly with the screen and after a while with fluctuating temperatures and obviously the movement while the car is being driven opened up what little seal there was and started too leak. Its a joke, the TV is flooded at the moment with how bad it is for insurance companies with "crash for cash" and fraudulent "Inflated Insurance Claims" and that they have to pass on all this fraud costs to us by way of higher premiums, like if all fraud was stopped today across the world our premiums wouldn't be so high in fact they could go down, Like hell, it would just end up in their pockets with even fatter profits. Strange though how they dont mind fraudulently lying to customers just to get out of their legal obligations, but that's somehow OK. Any way if you have the same problem don't give up just keep on digging and cheers to the young lady that gave me that important snippet of information. End of rant. Mike

.......... maybe I think I would complain to the insurance company and the insurance ombudsman, if there is one, about this attempted fraud on you........ to the papers too and to the AA who give their name to the business. That's if you have the stomach for an uphill struggle, that for which you will get scant reward if ever of any moral satisfaction............... especially as they did eventually re-repair their fault. The world we live in doesn't create the environment for consumer satisfaction on moral grounds. My rant over too, I would be livid and complain to my MP ................. what a joke that would be too. Malc1

Bob, Am really sorry to hear that your car has had a run in with the brainless gang. If there is one thing I hate it is vandals who go around damaging the things that do not belong to them and have not payed for themselves. Unfortunately our red LS430 has suffered a lot from this sort of thing since it was purchased back in the day. Just recently it was left for only about twenty mins in a supermarket and when I came back, there was a vertical scratch down the side I know who did it. Driving home a small old car overtook us at a phenomenal speed whilst the passenger pulled a funny face. I glimpsed the driver, who had been in the supermarket at the same time as me and had given me an odd look. I have no idea what he thought I had done to upset him. I had never even set eyes on him before that. I could never prove anything, unfortunately. I am going to try some coloured polish....... Alex

Very sorry to read that this has happened :( Maybe try the Chips-away type guys, - I am sure I read that they can sort this sort of thing... shop around for quotes from a number of bodyshop places (that's if you're intending on fixing it), - a lot of them offering "smart" repairs which should work out cheaper than full panel resprays. It might not be worth informing insurance, what with excess and future penalisation. Get it fixed - move on - one of those out of control things that happens.

... so sorry to see your sad news ................... find the bugger ( fat chance of that I suppose ) and chop the sod's fingers off ! Malc

OK so essentially, the actual engine and hybrid setup remain the same from 2009-2015. All are 295hp regardless of trim. The facelift was in 2012 where DRL's were added. Now what the link doesn't tell you is that the shocks were changed in 2012 to give the RX a better ride and hence its probably better to go for a facelifted RX, not to mention it looks better IMO. I would say the pick of the range is the Advance from 2014 onwards in terms of value. Something I forgot to mention is that the LED lights are a must have IMO, they're awesome at night, the xenon's don't even come close. Also be aware that the Premier has air suspension. AFAIK, there's not been many failures on 450h but they cost a bomb if they go. The ride is not much more different either so not really worth moving to a Premier for the air suspension alone. The F-Sport is great as it has the heads up display. It has lateral dampers to reduce vibration but the PDF doesn't mention that it also has stiffened suspension. It rolls a lot less compared to the other models and I got it because it looks better and comes with decent handling. I felt the other RX's rolled a bit too much. The PDF also doesn't mention that the Premier has semi-aniline leather i.e. it requires a lot more care and its rather delicate compared to the leather used in other trim levels.

Hi I can confirms that 235/55/19 crossclimate tyres are available for the Lexus. i had a full set fitt d three weeks ago in Doncaster. They were ordered by Kwikfit on Monday and fitted Thursday. total price was £650 for all four. They are very quiet compared to normal Michelin sport3 They drive ok no difference seein in wet or dry will wait until winter comes to see how they go. I have four michelins with 5/6mm for sale cheap

Thank you man! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OK now back in the UK. Looking through the manual it seems that there are 2 fuses for the front and rear seats. Both fuses are located in the under dash fuse box, one is a 30A shown as 30A PWR on the picture below. The other common fuse is located in the engine bay fuse box labelled FR S/HTR 15A bottom row on the lower picture. If you need a copy of the diagram PM your email and I will scan the manual pages for you.

Hi Tom, If you can give me a few days I will take a look in the electrical manual and see if I can suggest a common cause for your problem. BTW welcome to the LOC.

Enjoy your new LS! They are fabulous cars. I'm on the look out for another one too.

I've sorted through the history, it turns out it's been serviced on the dot, the previous previous owner has included a separate booklet with all the services and parts it's had since it left the first company owner in London, it also has every mot from its first to back up the 125k miles. I'm very pleased with it to say the least. I even found the owners handbook in the cubby hole under the passenger seat.

..... looks ok for £600 squid, and the newish MOT................., wot's not to like !!! Malc