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I picked up a 2003 SC430 last year and wanted to share my experience with the members of the form. It might help out someone looking to purchase one of these cars. The car was advertised on Facebook. It was fairly standard except for the full stainless-steel exhaust and Rays Forged 19” wheels from a 370Z. It had just over 70k miles on it. I did come across a few issues during inspection but nothing serious. There was a bit of paint bubbling up on the roof, tyres, brakes, and rear ABS rings needed replacing. Otherwise, it seemed like a nice straight car. There was no rust underneath that I could see. So, I made an offer which the seller accepted, and I drove it back home on a temporary insurance cover (didn’t want to start driving the car until the above issues were fixed). Issues: Most of the issues I encountered are well known, or to be expected on a car of this age. ABS rings: This is a relatively easy job with the correct tools. The upper control arms require a decent ball joint splitter to separate from the hub assembly, and unless you are removing the drive shaft from the differential end, you need a spanner extension because a socket and wrench won’t fit in the space. The new rings are less than £10 each and the dust caps were about £15. Tyres: I have decided to go with Yokohama Advan mainly because I got a really good deal on them. They were around £600. Speakers: This is something I did not check during inspection, but all the speakers in the car were blown. I was able to rescue most of them using the Simply speakers repair kit, except for the front right which was completely dead. Replacements from Lexus are over £300 so I decided to make some 6”x9” to 6 ½” adapters and stick a couple of 6 ½” 8 Ohm speakers from some floor standing HiFi units. This entire repair was only £40 since I was able to sell the working front left speaker on ebay to recover some of the cost. Headlights: The headlight aim was too high. The car has two ride height sensors units. Found the front one to be faulty while troubleshooting. A replacement unit from Lexus is over £300. I decided to take a punt and order a £20 replacement potentiometer unit which was meant for IS300. Swapped the faulty unit and it worked just fine. Brakes: To me the floating calipers look horrible. So, instead of swapping the discs and pads with standard units, I decided to splash out a bit on the brakes. There was a set of GS450h F-Sport calipers on sale in Lithuania, on ebay. I ordered this set, new pads, plus 350phi brackets, and Centric discs from the US. A bit of paint and some powder coat on the calipers and the results are as follows: Total cost ~£600 after selling the old calipers. Paint: It is a bit tricky to paint the roof without taking the rear glass and all the rubber seals out. I have done the best I could by peeling back the trim as far as I could to get the paint underneath. The cost was around £100 Infotainment: The standard navigation unit looks very dated on these cars. Replacing the headunit can get quite costly on this car because of the adapter alone that you have to purchase over £300. I have installed a Garmin 76 and a wireless reverse camera instead. Aux out from the Garmin is hardwired to the factory headunit. My phone connects to the Garmin via bluetooth and I can play anything I want from my phone on the car stereo using this setup. This setup cost me £290. Service items: A full service kit from Lexus, plus transmissions oil, brake fluid, differential oil, sparkplugs, timing belt, water pump, the pulleys, tensioner, v belt, power steering fluid came to £480. I have not done the spark plugs, W pump and the timing belt yet, because the belt is not due until next year. Power steering Rack: This was unexpected. While doing the transmission fluid change I noticed a torn inner tie rod end boot and some fluid coming out of it. The end of the rack was leaking. Upon phoning a few specialists I discovered that this is a £500-£600 job. I decided to take the rack out and send it to a specialist. They charged me £225. The power steering reservoir had lots of black baked on oil. I wanted to clean it, but found that the plastic mesh inside had big holes in it. There was no way I was going to clean it and put it back. Ordered a new one from Japan for £95 delivered (Local dealer wanted £150 and the delivery time was the same). Threw in some new inner and outer track rod ends, power steering rack bushings, lower ball joints, geometry setup. Total cost was just over £500. Windscreen: A mysterious crack appeared on the windscreen. It was replaced through insurance. Paid £100 glass access. Autoglass wanted £1200 for a private repair. Miscellaneous: New matts, Key case, Some new tools etc were around £100 Suspensions: This ride of this car in my opinion is quite bad. The steering feels like it is attached to the tyres with a rubber band. Over potholes the entire suspension feels broken. There is too much nose dive during braking, and yet the car feels hard and unsettled over small road imperfections. I have ordered some new control arms and a complete bushing kit. Along with the ISF rear sway bar, and an aftermarket front 32mm sway bar for a GS300. Hopefully I will get this done in the next few months (unless I decide to sell the car).This work is going to set me back just under £700 after I have had the geometry etc redone. Possible upcoming issues: The car was purchased towards the end of Feb last year. It has taken me nearly 12 months to get the above work done. With a full time job and two kids I only really get a bit of spare time on Saturdays. The VSC light has come back on. First time since the ABS rings were changed. Noticed an O2 sensor heater circuit fault and there was a zero point calibration error logged in the computer. Driving experience: I have only done ~400 miles in the car. Mostly town driving and short motorway trips. The exhaust on the car is quite loud, to the point that it is audible at cruising speeds. Around town it is definitely fun to listen to, especially with the top down. Kids definitely love it with the roof down. Compared to an IS250 which I own, the engine feels very strong, but the gearbox is a bit sluggish. Otherwise, as I already mentioned, the ride is terrible. Would I buy one again or recommend it to a friend? A car this old is probably not for everyone, if you can find a later model with low mileage then maybe, but otherwise no.

As the result of a bruised ankle I spent the last week with my wife at the wheel of our RC and myself as the passenger. Of course this was not the first time our normal roles were reversed, but the drives had always been much shorter. Apart from a few frights due to my unjustified belief that she was driving too close to the kerb or was going to hit a cyclist, I must admit that I rather enjoyed being chauffeured around. This was because I felt free to fiddle at will with the infotainment system via the touchpad (albeit to my wife's irritation), to adjust the seat position according to my whims and needs at any given moment, and generally to admire the nice design and construction of the cabin and controls without the distraction of constantly having to focus on the road. Although I was happy to get back behind the wheel I think I'll probably surrender it more often in future.

As a Uk company car driver I've been driving BMW phev's for the last six years and 150000 miles. Fleet have told me now is the time to choose a new car again. I'm not sure about full electric yet though I do have an I4 test drive booked. I live in a rural area of England, with lots of narrow and muddy lanes, 4x4 is very useful. I go skiing most years, usually driving from the Uk to Switzerland. My company car scheme is limited to only a few makes. Had a look at Mercedes Benz, tbut he models I sat in seamed massively over styled and not a patch on the old ones I used to own. Had a look at BMW, my natural choice, but the 330e has such a small range it falls into the higher company car tax bracket. The new Active tourer would fit the bill, but none to look at, and a couple of drives in the current 330e suggests that I'd find using the big into screen for almost all functions annoying. Then my fleet manager suggested that I look at the NX 450h. Never driven a Lexus before, never even sat in one. Quick look online suggests that the tax situation would be good, the size is good, and low and behold real buttons for driver modes and temperature controls Contact was made with Toyota fleet and the next week a white F Sport 450h arrived on the drive. First impressions were a bit sketchy, the driver was more interested in where the local bus went from, and the car had no manual or even quick user guide. Everything switch was in a different place to what I'm used to. All the buttons and fonts were different. Great fun was had sitting in the drivers seat and having the steering wheel come towards me. The years evaporated away, and I could imagine myself dropping down into Thunderbird 2 and the wheel moving into position. Anyway, quick drive round the block to get comfy, get my phone paired, and play with the options. I found it easy to get a position, but I struggled to find a truly comfortable seating position, this could be an issue, as I do high mileage, and have a bad back. Anyway work commitments meant that I had to leave the car until my first drive, which was with friends on a night out at the theater in Oxford. My first drive was in the dark, and found the lights very clever but not as good as the led's in my BMW. Then navigating Oxford's torcherous roads and carparks with an unfamiliar car was fun, luckily the 20 inch wheels survived. Had further fun that night, when the passengers couldn't work out the electric door handles and some kind person had turned the interior lights into permanent off mode. Not the premium Lexus feel I wanted. School run next morning, the kids loved the space inside, and the look of the car. Had more time to play with the modes, wasn't expecting two auto ev modes, one prioritising electric, and one prioritising petrol. This is one more than the bmw, but a really good idea, as I often find the bmw will waste all its battery on a 60mph road at the beginning of the trip. leaving nothing for later on, when you need it. In the BMW you have a hold mode, but its more accurately described as a charge mode and kills the economy.. I also felt the initial take up on the Lexus far better than the BMW which seems at times to be confused which power train it should select. In general the performance of the Lexus was excellent with real get up and go in the normal mode. Spent some time trying to get the rev counter to automatically display when the engine was running, and the electric power display on ev, with notable lack of success. That evening time for a road trip down to Wales to give the car a run out. Apple Car play was selected to provide the navigation and music away we went. I'd thought ahead this time and downloaded some manuals from Lexus so I had some details on what to expect. Still playing with changes to the driving position, as suffering a sore back. Trip down was effortless, in HV mode, so using the battery when coasting and stopped. Getting well over 50mph, which was excellent. Suffering a surprising amount of wheel spin from a 4x4, found out later it uses an electric motor on the rear axle for 4x4, not a propshaft connected system . Found the auto steer terrifying on the typical uk A roads, where an inside white line is more of a wish than a reality. A quick swing over the Severn Road Bridge, and up the M5 with a food stop at the always excellent Farm Services for some dinner. Getting more used to the car now, finding the right controls as I need them, and enjoying myself. The adaptive cruise control worked well with the heavy motorway traffic. and then back home via Evesham, the A44 and Fish Hill. Which the NX absolutely demolished I was amazed in the way it went up for a big 4non sporting x4. Everybody likes the car, but I'm still not finding love with the seats. Good school run the next morning, except all of the camera's are covered in road muck, and are telling me they need cleaning. Why do Lexus not put the camera behind the rear wiper, or cover it when not in use. Anyway, big mirrors made reversing not a problem. School pickup showed a potential issue. Child was late out of school, and the temperature was around zero degrees. In all the BMW's there is an option to use the traction motor to heat the car without running the engine. This is wonderful at kids football, and you can set the climate to come on a schedule or turn it on via the phone app, which again is wonderful in the morning. Last night with the car was a solo run for me just to try and get my head around my thoughts. I reset the seat completely and started again, and this time got a position which my back felt comfortable with. Pick up next morning was fine, the driver seemed to have a genuine interest in cars, and was great to chat to. Amazingly no 20 inch wheels were damaged in this test drive. Interesting to jump back into my BMW, which felt tinny, the doors clanked, and the central locking motors were amazingly noisy. The Alcantara seats were nice though...... Anyway I enjoyed the car Plus points were the looks, build quality, tech, drive train, economy. and it still has real buttons! Negative points to me were, seats, black hole interior, traction, no Ski flap in the rear seats. Improvements I would like, allow a better split of traction sources in each of the hw auto and ev auto modes, Camera cleaners, Panoramic Roof option for the 450h, non leather or non man made leather interior. Oh and if anybody can let me know how to get the rev counter to show when using petrol and not when using electric, please let me know! I assume you can use the app to climate control the interior to defrost the car. Anyway update to follow, but unless the i4 is amazing, I'll order the NX..... who would have thought......

A fair point Herbie but I'm a tired old Hector and I'd rather leave that complicated stuff to someone else. Having read horror stories of cars catching fire after Halfords fitted dashcams, I felt more comfortable letting Lexus fit the cameras even if it cost more. Had anything gone wrong...

I's easy to fall into the trap of thinking of a one size fits all solution. Sure electric cars that are used for short journeys and can be charged at home, fine- reduces local pollution , reasonable cost to charge , no issue with finding a charge point. But heavy vehicles or those that require long range , electricity not the best solution and hydrogen will probably be the answer. In short electricity replaces petrol and hydrogen replaces diesel. We also need to factor in how we are going to heat our homes. Banning of gas boilers when a third of the country's homes are poorly insulated and not easy to insulate is going to render the heat pumps idea of limited value. But boilers can be converted to run on hydrogen and we have a ready made distribution system in place. Everything I read is pointing away from electricity as the global solution and pointing to Hydrogen as a sensible alternative. I can only assume the naysayers have some vested interest which makes them back electricity.

Yes, however hard I try to relax with somebody else at the wheel, I never really succeed. I have learned under threat of being made to get out and walk to remain silent when the driver is my wife but my instinctive tendency to simulate braking in the footwell and cling white-knuckled to the armrests inevitably transmits my nervousness anyway. To be perfectly honest I don’t know what I can do about it.

Well that was an excellent thread starter piece. Some of those maintenance and repairs on an old SC430 are to be expected as you said but I think you were a little unlucky with a few on the list. Good idea to use some 8ohm speakers from home hifi spares to match the LM set up. Once the suspension, steering and pedal lag is addressed, I think you will see what a good thing the SC430 can be. The later suspension was a significant improvement, a decent set of coilovers can help transform it to something that behaves quite well for convertible.

Dude looks like a scam to me. Why is it called postage uk. Com when its showing royal mail interface. Also if i put in my postcode it says they have my parcel. But i didn't order anything. Also they didn't even ask for my house number so how did they figure I ordered something from my postcode? Im not sure about the site you ordered from but you certainly havent missed delivery that whole postage. Com message is a scam.

This is a post from Las Palmas, might answer your question. In the CT I use DVD with m4a files 512kbps. More than 20 hours of music on one DVD. Music and picture of disc on the DVD but not on USB. Have a 32Gb USB with same type music and have no idea how long-time music would play, but probably enough to drive from southern Spain to Norway without hearing same tune twice. Mostly cannot hear any difference between 512kbps and lossless. Only when parked in a very quiet place. ML audio is better than any standard audio in even 3 times more expensive cars.

Wow, thats a lot of work. When I bought mine 18 months ago it had only 7400 miles on it. It had just been in to Lexus for new timing belt, tyres battery and radiator. Consequently I did pay probably double that of a high mileage example but still less than it’s worth. In the time I have had it it has been mechanically excellent. The only fault with it was a blown speaker in the drivers door which I repaired. You obviously can buy a cheap one as a bit of a project or pay a lot more for one that is fully sorted. Great cars either way.

Please can we calm this a bit chaps.

Don't go for the F sport as the standard seats are superb! Definitely specify Hazel interior to avoid the black hole effect.😁

Sorry for the spam, but Maxton kit is on Thinking if I need rear defuser, most of them look terrible

Thanks so much @Mincey ! I have read the first page of the thread and I'm now pretty sure I'm gonna book myself in with the local lexus dealership to have it fitted. Shall remember to mention a forum discount.

It may be somewhat unfair to compare the ES with a Camry (no longer available in UK) since it will undoubtedly be better built and insulated. The more fair comparison is with the old GS and I can tell you the interior on the ES is not a patch on the GS. Corners have been cut everywhere which are both visible and apparent in touch. This is why the interior also cannot get close to a 5 series since both the 5 and the old GS were superior cars for build. The ES is still a great car in many other respects, fine ride, smooth and improved cvt, quiet, economical (all better than GS in my experience), just not the interior build, that is all.

Thanks for the feedbacK I considered also an X3 30e as an alternative for my 450H+ as a company car in France. It was quickly ruled out based on lack of trunk space, gas mileage and being bigger on the outside than the NX. On top of that I managed to get a very sweet deal with the leasing company... Seats : will suggest a non f sport model, regular ones are for my point of vue (so to speak) way more confortable and they are way superior than my former (and pricey option) Ergoconfort stuff. Black hole interior : just go for Hazel or Cream interior...and activate the ambiant lightning 🙂 Traction : as you stated, there is no mechanical AWD system and the electric rear motor has limited power. The car is basically FWD "minded". Electric AWD is however useful in tricky situations Rear camera cleaner : there is one, just use your rear wiper a couple of times and the dedicated washer will pop up and clean the camera for you. Non leather is avalaible (NULUX) on certain trim levels Panoroof is stil a no but il is sayed that you can order the Mark & Levinson upgraded audio system

Interesting intial thoughts from a BMW driver. You gain in some areas and lose in others. Somewhat surprised that you had problems getting the seat correct for you. Lexus seats are some of the most comfortable on the market, though I have no experience of the new NX. Very surprised and disappointed that the BMW uses all its electric first - not a good system. If you do decide to choose the NX, give it 3 months of ownership and report back please. You need to actually own a Lexus for a few months before you fully appreciate the quality and engineering. I would be surprised if you were disappointed. One key feature you will not be bothered about is the reliability, as it is a company car.

All cars can go wrong but more compicated vehicles with electronics make it a PITA if the fault can't be diagnosed. If I had the same experience, I would be running away George! The bottom line is that you take the risk if buying private or through a dodgy independent warranty - which from reading others experiences, are not worth the paper they are written on. Buying from a Lexus dealer with a full warranty is the safest but most expensive option. Very sorry to read this tale as the car seemed a good one. You did as much due diligence as you could but it turned out to be a lemon. Very pleased you got a full refund. Fully appreciate your feelings. Dare I ask what other car you are now contemplating or have purchased?

I suspect owners of battery powered cars will be left high and dry.

That's not true. The Rough storage facility, Britain's largest doesn't store natural gas as super-cooled, LNG and was recently considered for storing hydrogen.

The story ends… Full refund from the local car dealer following complaints about the embarrassingly unresponsive and uncooperative service manager at Lexus Poole logging barely a few small labour hours in about 3 months of having the car. I sensed a total lack of willingness to sort a 14 yr old car (despite its provenance 100% linked to this particular main dealer). They dragged it out to the point I had to ask for a refund from the car seller who himself is £1500+ out of pocket with the car still unfixed and sat dirtying in the car park of Lexus Poole. Legal battle between them looms and I’m grateful for being totally out the car having barely driven it a couple hundred miles at a cost of 4 months tax and insurance. I might have tried another and sought out a specialised to look after it but once bitten twice shy. Best of luck to other 4th Gen LS owners, bravest petrol heads around

Oh dear, you seem pretty paranoid. i wonder if there are any owners of the UX electric that can tell us their experiences of driving on a daily basis. Anyone?

It is nice isn't it? you can fiddle with music and look at the landscape, etc.... But the problem is I'm too biased to trust others driving and I would always keep an eye on what/how they're doing 😅 I think what I would enjoy the most is not having to watch out for potholes 100% of the time

Here you go Charlie, that setting is actually my display of choice. As advised above, press 'DISP' on the steering wheel to alter. All this info is in your manual around p120 ...

I recomnend to visit your dealer to replace charging pad to 2023 version.

good to read things are now looking up as they say presumably you did lots of research on this specific car before purchase .... interviewed the owner ? checked all the service records and MOTs ( on line even ) and then decided to purchase this 20 year old beauty Having done your homework and a year of fettling ....... and some more ..... , you now will hopefully have many years of wonderful trouble fee, enjoyable motoring . which the kids will love too😅 Best wishes Malc

A fellow member was selling a 4is bumper conversion kit with lights

Only the dipped beam is Xenon, D4S I beleivef from memory. Main beam is HB3 as you listed above John.

I beleive the battery fitted to the IS220d is a 90/95ah unit and is approximately 30mm longer than the 068 size. The Bosch S4026 will obviously fit but at 70ah is well under spec. As regards Yuasa batteries, I can only report as I find and having used them as my battery of choice for several years I have never had an issue. It may not be widely known that for a good number of yers now Panasonic branded car batteries are owned and manufactured by Yuasa.

Thats actually the workshop repair manual. In case you're interested in DIY i recommend bookmarking it. Someone had posted it on this forum ages ago. What lexus are saying does make sense to me. You should be able to spray it in the vents. There are several videos on youtube.

Just a thought. Is Paul Frost still going? As a Lexus breaker and repairer, I'm guessing he's only about 50 miles from Merseyside. Surely it's a job he would undertake.

As long as they are not ripped I am sure they could be cleaned... although I would not pay much for the seats so neglected and dirty £100 each would be my best offer!

Hang on…best to have a definitive determination on the cause and damage. Garages like easy work and fast turnover. Maybe they’d like to buy the car and fix it. A home mechanic could do the work but it’s a labour of love and may take time and money. Less money if good at buying. I don’t see any answers to our questions posed.

George. I have been using trolley jacks for many years and this is the first time something has gone wrong. With the engine undertray hanging down and the car low to the ground it was difficult to see the exact position of the trolley jack pad, so I have to take responsibility. I have a set of hydraulic ramps from CJ Autos and I would not be without them. In this instance I needed to move the wheels whilst I was underneath, hence the use of jack and axle stands.

I never said it was morally good, I just said that his car is not gonna necessarily fail MOT and be scrap just because his DPF is gutted.

This is a job for a well experienced pro and not an amatuer project unless you do not care about the end of the road outcome.Personally If it as serious internal damage I would cut my losses and break it for the parts they are very sought after in good condition and getting rare although there are still good examples around so parts will be needed in the future. I can see from your post that you are very attached, so why not buy a like model and swap some of the touchy feely things like seats and steering wheel from yours to an acquisition that way you get to experience your old car in a new one.

Risks are more likely with an electric car because batteries can spontaneously combust at any given moment. Firefighters hate them and all that nasty chemicals isn't good.

Hi Anthony, Ditto, I collect my 2003 SC430 tomorrow and wish to do exactly the same as you, I would be very interested to see the replies to your group message - as perhaps we could use the same installer - price depending!

Just an thought, is there some way this thread could be pinned to the start/top of the ‘SC430’ page? Anyone who hasn’t visited the site for a while may miss the event….

Thanks everybody for your input. I followed collective wisdom here and, using the Nextbase 322GW wiring kit, I wired direct to a live fuse in the passenger footwell (the yellow 5 amp fuse to the A/C if anyone is interested). This means the front of the car is monitored when parked up. The kit incorporates a battery saver should the draw become too much, although I do tend to keep the car on an Accumate battery charger/conditioner whilst parked up in the garage anyway.

I have front and rear dash cams fitted and a tracker. I only drive the car occasionally so what I do is connect my Ctek battery charger for 24 hours every 2-3 week that way I never have a flat battery.

If you buy a camera with a dedicated hardwire kit (or there are even generic hardwire kits out there that will work with any camera) then there's usually a voltage sensor/selector included. My Viofo A129 Duo uses the HK3 (Hardwire Kit 3) and allows me to set a voltage limit beyond which it will not drop. From memory I think 11.8V, 12.0V, 12.2V and 12.4V are selectable and if I select 12.2V for example, once the battery gets to that value the camera supply is switched off, so as to not leave you with a flat battery.

Hi Dan- It's a 1UR-FSE. The 1UR-FE was only for the middle east

seeing the other post about counterfeit ones I think your best bet would be to just order them from Lexus / Toyota Main Dealer parts dept You'd get the correct ones for sure Malc

My Nextbase 222 dash cam has a parking mode powered by a small onboard battery which triggers a few seconds operation if the car is disturbed i.e hit. Your dash cam is one up in the range and I would expect it to have the same facility. Check your camera specs. Mine is powered from the 12v socket in the glove box, didn't bother with trying to access the car wiring.

Motorway driving just kills the hybrid economy as it rarely runs on battery unless driven at lower speeds than 60mph (like all the Tesla drivers hypermiling😂) I usually get best mpg on mixed speeds on A and B roads but even though it’s been so mild recently mpg is continuing to fall - it’s due it’s first service in March so will see if they have an answer

Section 74, page 76 I think of the download owners manual.

That switch turns off the anti intrusion sensors of the inside of the car. If you press it to turn them off, a message will appear on the left side of the driver's display (the multifunction portion of the display). Just try it, turn it off then turn it on again.

Good Luck! 👍 By the way this is my 500th post so please like and give me your thumbs up, thank you 😊

I have the current IS300h F-Sport, now with 19" wheels. It was my choice for rear wheel drive and adaptive suspension, the best options for good handling. The front wheel drive ES is a big limo in contrast, though has marginally better economy, more room in the back, and a spare wheel (I think).. My IS ride is armchair smooth and quiet on a good surface, a bit noisy on coarse chip (like all tyres), never harsh even with the big wheels. So your choice is between handling, and roominess..