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Evening, I've been signed up for quite awhile now and have wanted to buy an ISF multiple times but it's never worked out. A very nice one popped up at a local classic/ prestige sales place owned by a friend of a friend. He'd invited me over to have a look and no pressure, not many seem to venture up north so he'd suggested I take advantage to at least have a look around one in person at last! Before I knew it I was out for a test drive and then discussing a deal for my current car ( a Golf R Estate) This all happened very quickly, I went from being happy with my golf to owning the ISF in a day! First proper drive out was my favourite 110 mile loop in the North Pennines which I tend to do quite often in my second car, an old BMW. Really impressed, I don't agree with the write ups on them about the suspension being harsh and not well damped, which most seem to say! The roads in the north Pennines are a good test for compliant suspension, my golf wasn't great at speed over continuous bumps but the Lexus ate them up! Great fun! Ill get a couple of snaps up from the drive when I can. Looking forward to reading more of the forum (and trying to ignore the threads with large expensive problems!) Thanks, Scott

Rich - Can you get Dan at lexus to drain the gearbox oil and tell you if it's been contaminated with coolant or not. If it hasn't, there's more confidence that the gearbox will be OK. Perhaps will make your decisions easier.

What a nightmare. My car is a 2009 approaching 90k miles so have contacted Lexus today to inquire about doing the preventative work and having the rad/transmission cooler replaced plus any likely ancillary parts. Had my ATF replaced earlier this year and all was clean and uncontaminated so I'm hopeful the problem had not yet started on mine. Awaiting the quote but I'll be sure to share it on here once I get it so those of us awaiting this time bomb have an idea of what it might cost to prevent it before it happens. Dan.

Autotrader Lexus NX I guess no surprise to current owners, the NX is the 2020 Autotrader ‘best hybrid car.’ 🥳

You should show VSC off when the button is pressed. I would plug in a cheap scan tool to see if throws up any errors, it is possible its been disabled for a reason! Did you buy from a dealer?

Thanks Guys Thanks and yes it was a Mk7 estate. It had the Mountune engine and gearbox software on it and was a really quick car, in a straight line it just gripped no matter the weather, not sure how it managed in all honesty! It was good at everything but just not exciting to me. I enjoy driving out in the hills and it couldnt quite keep up with the undulations when going quickly and became rather crashy, which is where i couldnt believe how good the ISF did! Excellent, you cant be all too far from me, im just south of Durham. I will keep an eye out for a black GSF! Thank you and here you go, the 2002 in the same spots: IMG_20200719_160451 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200716_193352 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Thanks Mark, i hope so! Thank You and its a 58 plate, albeit a very well looked after 58 plate, definitely top of my budget. I couldnt get into a facelift one i dont think! I found the suspension really crashy on my Golf R which is what went to be replaced by the ISF and my old BMW 2002 is like getting dragged around on a shovel 😆 the ISF has Michelin PS4S tyres all round which maybe helps a little, they did on my Golf R and previous R32. Thank You both! Thanks, i hope you're right haha and it's 12 years old now and has a mixture of Lexus and specialist servicing, the last few years have been via Lexus. I'll be keeping an eye on the radiator and look to maybe get that done like you say. Im unsure whether the water pump has been done but there's no tell tale signs just yet, i've found the old owner on social media so will ask him soon if he knows more about preventative work.

In general these days, in my experience, discs and pads wear pretty much together and so often it's a replacement of discs and pads together. On my IS300h I had the front discs/pads replaced at 80K miles for the first time. They probably had another 20K miles left in them but the pads and discs were getting a pronounced lip and when measured the discs were closing in on minimum thickness and as the garage were replaced the wheel bearings (under warranty) I chose to have discs and pads done at the same time (at my expense of course). The rears were still only somewhere around 50% worn. I bought my car at 2 years old with 40K miles on it (it was a 2014 build) and to my knowledge (as it was sold originally and serviced by the dealer I purchased from) the original mileage was mostly motorway miles, and over 50% of my additional 40K miles mileage has also been motorway. It's possible that the pads were replaced before you bought the car for some reason (should be on the service records if done at Lexus though) or the tick sheet wasn't completed correctly (which wouldn't be a surprise - I tend to take them with a pinch of salt) I would suggest that 50% worn at ~30k miles is nothing to worry about anyway and I would see how the wear goes over the next 30K miles. They will report each service so see what the next one says.

As someone who has gone from a 17" shod IS250 to an 18" shod IS300h, I'd stick with your 17" wheels.

I know I used to get mine serviced by Robin Lamb in Gloucester. Steve Winwood and Richard Ashcroft both use him rather than the Main Dealer. Great guy who I knew from when I dealt with M J Warner in Gloucester before Mercedes booted out the decent local dealers around 2002

The ride in my IS300h is significantly worse than the ride in my IS250. The road past my local hospital has been dug up more times than I can remember. My IS250 would waft over the road scars. My IS300h rattles and bangs over all of them. I'd swap the 18's for 17's in a jiffy. Ok, it probably corners better than my IS250 did, but I'm 52 and I'll never be Ayrton Senna.

Especially if they put the V8 in the wagon

Hello, I have just joined the forum and I’ll join the club as well in the coming days. I’d like to thank everyone who has answered a couple of questions for me. I have just bought a silver gs 450h se-l 2007 with 82k mikes on the clock. I love the car but already it is trying to bite me back, typical of most cars I guess. Typically it’s something that I really need in the coming weeks. Not sure if this the right place to ask but I took the nav disc out to clean it and check condition etc., and now it won’t go back in, normal clicking noises which I guess means it not sitting correctly! Anybody got any ideas short of taking the reader out of the glovebox! Is this a common problem experienced by any member? Would appreciate any comments or should I resort to the good old Tom Tom!? Thanks Guy

I leave mine on all year and like Lark,do not have problems. I have had the rotten smelly egg problem in some other cars and got rid of it by turning the heating comtrol on high for the last 10 minutes of several journeys until all of the bacteria had been killed.

Lovely turbo!! Just be aware there is no obvious signs of failure on the radiator as the corrosion and failure can happen internally.

If it comes on when the key is turned then the light is ok, as at that point it's only testing the light. If it comes on then but not when the button is pressed then it may be an issue with the VSC system, switch or wiring.

Later MK4 last run of the LS400 has the coil on plug. So on each spark plug there is an ignition coil. These are straight forward to get at and replace. They seem to be reliable and I don't see many complaints...I believe manufactured by Denso. Guess what...Denso also make coils for Jags...and...yes they fail very regularly so I suppose the quality is completely different looking at years circa 2000 - 2003.

If you guys are referring to the TRC off light? -I've just gone to check it on mine and it comes on briefly during ignition on and goes off even if you don't start the engine - it does come on and stay on if you select TRC off from the switch - hope this helps

I purchased this product a couple of months ago. Works wonders! I believe it kills the bacteria in the vents and that's what gives unpleasant odours in the car. You insert a tube into the vents, then spray until the foam comes out the vent. Simple to use and the odours have not returned 2 months later. Only negative was the slow delivery

Is it possible to tape over the light which on the LS400 is reflected onto the screen from under the Dash panel moulding? Would be a naughty thing to do but imagine someone will have tried it in the past to hide a fault. Or am I talking rubbish?

Sounds like a duff or incorrect sensor or less likely a damaged toothed ring. What made you decide that this particular sensor was faulty? Where did you buy it from? I’m unfamiliar with the type of sensor on an RX300, however the sensors fitted on my RX400h have a resistance of 1725 ohms (coil and magnet type). In my experience of similar sensors on Citroen cars they mainly fail due to going open circuit which causes the ABS self diagnostics to turn off the system. No requirement for resetting ABS normally unless a permanent fault code has been logged which would require a diagnostic (Techstream) connection to clear. You are correct Right=Offside in the UK

Quickest and simplist mod to my car so far, changed the gear shift knob to a ISF carbon fibre one, looks quite smart!

Also - If you're looking for any auto box repairs and don't want to use Lexus, I can recommend Transmission Technology not too far from us in Knowle. https://goo.gl/maps/kk8ahkULbR81DJA27 Not had any Lexus repaired by him, but Ken really knows his stuff.

According to Swedish law you are allowed to have different size tyres than the recommendations if it doesn't change the wheel circulation distance more than 5%. (and some other rules about how it fits in the well etc.). I am certain a change of only the profile with one step would not give me any insurance or legal issues. Mechanical? That depends on if the slightly larger wheels interfere with steering or suspension which is kind of what I want to learn from you guys. Also if the slightly larger wheels would look stupid. Maybe it's just me who thinks the wheels have a lot of space around them compared to similar cars.

Booking in for towbar fitting at Watling Eng end Sept

Don't know about that one but I recently had mine serviced and they used "Kleen Air" by CarPlan which seems to have worked great. It's an antibacterial cleaner spray and left no odour at all.

No, still waiting for the CarPlay update to be released.

Definitely yes to the warranty and service plan. I'd have new tyres. Brakes probably ok for a while. My 2015 Auris hybrid with 29k went in to the dealer as AC had failed and did a health check as well. When I viewed the car I noticed NSF tyre had slight side wall damage and slight cracking. Would not change it and said perfectly sound. Mentioned it on health check Wednesday but did say ok structurally. Mentioned rear or front disks in amber as 1cm pitting starting. Plan to fit all new tyres before they MOT it in January as all original and so old. Current tread depth between 3.5-4mm. James👍

I bought a Pure Highway 400 and it's excellent. Easy to install and cables easily hidden . Neat install. £60 or therabouts.

What model do you have.......only the SE-L and above have it as standard...the rest are options on the list. See sticky under the 450h area....

Hello there, Ive been sent a link to this chat as the kind sender assumed I am the Pete being referred to. Much as I’m very encouraged to learn of James and his new steed, I’m not sure it was formerly mine. You see mine was May ‘07 and 130,007 miles. James talks of ‘06 and low mileage. Perhaps one of you fine chaps, best of all James, could provide some clarity, please? Many thanks. PeteTP

I have seen a good few cars, 450h's included, where the actual internals have DAB all over them but in actual fact they do not have DAB. It is just an easy way of making the radsio a generic model but not necessarily with the actual functionality built in.

The GS is a credit to you Richie.

I should mention that I spoke to Ron yesterday and he's in fine fettle.

Make the most of it 🙂 I never seen any of the flooding at all, must have been more central. Awful that its happened mate but good to see you are getting on with it and making the most of it

Just follow what is in the Handbook Jonatan.

Lovely. Enjoy. Suspension might be the newer version if it's a 2010 plate. Which definitely rides better.

How far do you want to go back ? I had a Mk3 Cortina which had one fault after another, as well as the rust which was usual for most cars of that period. The Volvo 340 wasn't much better. Lots of distributor related problems. I've only had one car break down on me. An Audi 80 where the earth strap corroded through on the Alternator, and the battery went flat. I had a nice Lancia Beta 1300cc. Lovely to drive and very comfortable. It had a big attack of the wire worm and the clutch started slipping, so that had to go. Before the Lexus I had three Hondas, no major problems with any of them.

That's why I like Japex in Kings Langley. Same management, same staff, same reception. They know me and they know our cars and I trust them 100%.

Well done, for as long as you have it, it will be a joy.

Seems odd that the discs are worn without corresponding wear on the pads. I get pad measurements reported during servicing. So for example, if they say the front pads are on 9mm, and you assume a starting size of 12mm and wear limit of 3mm, that would be about one-third wear. I haven't seen corresponding measurements for the discs but presumably they're basing their report on actual measurements rather than a quick glance. You could ask them what the measurement is when new, what the worn measurement on your car is and the limit of wear when the disc should be replaced..

Great cars - and a great choice of road. (A686) Went over the tops a couple of weeks ago for the first time in ages and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and lack of traffic. ISF is very different to the anodyne German hot hatch offerings, in the initial lack of torque, top end power delivery, noise, character, Reliability and almost Zero depreciation (mine was) and bank vault build quality....... enjoy your time with it - and post some of the photos of your 2002!!

Congratulations. How does it compare to your old Golf R? Was it a Mk7?

Well done mate!! 😁😎😁

well done that man...just a little bit green (envious) over here right now.👍

OK Simon, thanks and good luck...Let us all know how you get on please.

On my two visits to Lexus Leeds (although I eventually bought elsewhere) I found Chris Pattison Chris.Pattison@vantagemotorgroup.co.uk really helpful and 'Lexus patient' (I think 'Lexus patient' should be an adjective!)

The P0037 code is an oxygen sensor code, but as the other Mark was saying, it may be a symptom, not a cause of the issue. That said, P0037 is the code for the oxygen sensor heater failure. That can be caused by something as simple as the sensor being unplugged. The other thing can be nibbled wiring by rodents, they do love to chew wires and the oxygen sensor wiring is right there under the car. Once you've eliminated the obvious reasons and also checked and confirmed the heater resistance in the sensor is not correct, then change the sensor . The P0037 will be the only code a simple reader will get out of the car. It really needs a good deep diagnosis with a proper code reader like Techstream to have a chance at finding the VSC issue. A simple OBD reader won't show VSC codes. VSC errors can be tricky to diagnose as there are a raft of sensors that can cause the light to be lit. Mismatched tyres causing differential ABS sensor speeds on the wheels, the gearbox speed sensor, the steering angle sensor, the yaw sensor, all are tied into the VSC. Luckily other systems use these sensors so if the speedo is reading correctly and the ABS light isn't lit, the fault points more to steering or yaw sensor, wiring to one or more sensor or the VSC module itself. But don't take my word as gospel, diagnosis is the only way to be sure. The VSC error could be tied to the vibration/hum, but not necessarily. Only a deep diagnosis will give you an indication if that's the case. Sorry to be vague, but diagnosis over the internet is about as accurate as reading runes, or staring into crystal balls. 🙂

I think there is a massive difference between the shiny dealer palaces and the local village garage. The latter is build on trust only. The owner knows you and you know the owner The garage plays a role in local society and has a reputation build on years, you see each other in the pub. I bought my daughters first car from Peters Garage, without a testdrive as i trust Peter. it was a Suzuki Swift for 1500 euros and it took her through uni. On the other side of the spectrum are the dealers of premium brands. Their entire business is directed from the factory directly. A big handbook of how the building must look like, how many m2, how many cars to shift by model etc. even the clothes of the salespeople are laid down in directives from munich stuttgart etc. The investments are enormous, the overhead frightening and they all struggle to be profitable. They are run like insurance companies and if they dont get the end year bonuses they are in the red. Life is difficult as main dealer we should not forget that but in my experience in lots of cases it can go horribly wrong on the showroom floor. Customer first seems to be a marketingslogan only.....

It's obvious really, but as cars gain all the extras we like and all the components and systems designed to extract a few extra mpg, more performance and to meet evermore stringent emission targets, there is more to go wrong. Also cars these days often include parts from countries where these can be cheaply sourced. Just about every car will develop a fault(s) if kept long enough and even with models that are generally considered reliable there will be a 'rogue' few where their owners may think that their model of car is unreliable. Some models have acquired a reputation for having one or more particular faults. BMW in particular has come in for a lot of criticism and there are well known problems with for example the cooling system (which can be largely preempted by replacing parts as part of a maintenance schedule.) Control arms, drop links and suspension bushes also need earlier replacement than expected and the membrane seals in the doors can fail in a few years causing water ingress. Also, the plastic adjusters in the 'Hella' headlights fail over time causing the lights to dance and become a MOT failure. They have a few other issues but In other respects, I don't think they are any more unreliable than other marques and I have had 4 and still have one now. They are comfortable, handle and brake well and are well finished. The interior of my 2001 E39 doesn't have all the hard area of plastic found in my Premium 2015 RX450h. Incidentally, I had a 2.5L V6 Camry for a few years some time ago and although it was a nice car, it needed head gaskets, radiator, recon drive shafts, suspension bushes, boot hinges and a few other sundry parts. It had a lightweight feel about it like a twang when closing a door compared to my BMW or Mercedes that had safelike doors by comparison. Also, an electrical problem which needed a lot of investigating was sorted when auto electricians eventually found the problem when they opened up a main harness wherein very unusually there was a broken wire. I think this car along with a couple of Fiat cars got my vote for being the most problematical. My least troublesome car was my 1958 Morris Minor 1000 which once needed a touch with some wet and dry to the points in the petrol pump. It was a slug but gave circa 40mpg but began to use too much oil, possibly because I thrashed it from cold each morning to the station and because oils and metallurgy were not so good then. This car was replaced with an MG ZB Varitone which was reliable, only needing a wheel cylinder replaced during several years of ownership and also some work done on the sills. After this was done, I sprayed it mid blue in my garage and kept it until at high miles the teeth wore on the starter ring due to starter throwing in at same position every time car started causing it to jam and need to free with spanner. These were the days of spark plugs, points and condenser, oil and filters and some grease nipples; little to go wrong, hand wound door glass, no switches and relays there and without all the complications of modern car electrics generally. The Italian cars I had all suffered quite severely from rust as well as other problems. I liked the look of the Alfa Stervio but there are questions about build quality already yet alone in the long term. All my other cars needed something doing aside from regular maintenance. Probably the best was a W124 Mercedes coupe which only needed a partial under bonnet cable harness - well known fault I was told with heat destroying the insulation causing misfire on the former eastern block sourced harness. The car felt like it was hewn out of rock but was rather bargelike compared to the BMW's that followed.

Brakes: guess how it's been driven is a factor? Extend the warranty: i would! If it has been used already it could... suggest there is more to be done?