is200 Newbie

I wouldnt even have said its the finish of the wheels that's the issue - like you have experienced, your wheels are spotless. Its the choice of alloy used that's susceptible to corrosion to the elements. Mine have gone on the inside, not susceptible to damage or weather and not a lot of continual contact with water so you could argue its not an issue with he finish of them.

Its a good idea to check all caliper pins - they are prone to seizing and like Normski said, they wont be releasing properly. An easy job and one that should be done on a regular basis - at least once a year

There was an issue that Lexus acknowledged years ago where they were replacing countless wheels due to the alloy corrosion on the cars wheels. I am aware of it from the Gen 1IS's (IS200) but probably before that also. I think the replacement wheels just fizzled out at some point - not enough people complaining? Its a bit of a poor recognition of the failure of a component as its been evident for over 15 years+ (same as the brake calipers really) Its evident on the Gen 2's also but worth giving it a go but I wont hold out hope for any replacement, maybe like Linas says, you may receive a discount but at Lexus prices that wont amount to much over the 4 wheels required unless they send them away for a refurb but unlikely as they wont be able to guarantee the product in the future. All 4 will need to be done to match the colour. The issue you will have and is what I have experienced, is that if left, over time they will corrode on the inside and lead to unbalanced pressures on all 4 tyres (worst case) as the corrosion on the inside will break the seals and lead to "slow puncture" scenarios. I was looking to replace mine with OEM Lexus ones but judging by the lifespan of them and the hassle in rectifying the issue when it appears again (tyre removal and refurb) I am planning to replace with non OEM ones.

I have been quoted 3 hours for mine - I think that's good going to have the work done - was the reason I asked before if the full dash was being removed

I tried the Turtle Wax (Magic wax with a black die in it) on the scratches on the bumper yesterday - my lad was using it on his black car so I thought I would give it a go to see what the result was on the damaged bumper. The wax came with a lipstick type of wax on a stick and a bottle of wax. While it is not a cure as the scratches are quite deep and it does need repair and re-spray, the wax has covered the scratches. They are still there but not immediately noticeable - pictures below are before and after. First time using this so I done the whole car - stone chips are not visible after using this also (they are still there but the die has hidden them) I thought it was really good stuff as a temporary measure - bit messy and needed to wear gloves. BEFORE - original post after the damage was done AFTER - after using the wax yesterday AFTER - after using the wax yesterday

By the looks of it, I may be wrong, they are concentrating on the older cars first for the recall?

Drive shaft guibo worn? (Big rubber disc mounted between transmission and shaft)

Not as good as the gumtree one in my opinion - due to the spec of it being an SE yet the description does say it has the nav system - does it have the Mark Levinson sound system and the rear camera? Both have good mileages - this one has a service history as per the other one but does not state whether its through Lexus. If it was then I would expect that it would be mentioned. The MOT histories on both are what you would expect - no issues other than wear and tear. In that respect - its what you want from the cars - the gumtree one has a sunroof - this one doesn't. The gumtree one doesn't have the nav system - this one does. The gumtree one has a Lexus service history - does this one? Both cars are similar mileage - Both cars have a good MOT history. Gumtree one is a good price and gives you a bit of cash to play with if any issues are noticed Check my post on what to look out for on an IS250 - it will give you a good idea on what to check if looking/comparing both. What to look out for - Lexus IS250 (2007 model year)

A couple of things... The alloys look a bit corroded - may give you an issue in the future but can be cleaned up. There are parking sensors but no screen yet its a Mark Levinson system - someone may chip in to say that because its an early model it does not have a screen (sat nav etc) and parking sensors work independently ? I guess with it not having a rear view camera it works without the screen It has full service history so its guaranteed to have all of the essential work done on it. Two recalls due - Fuel seal and Airbag. Check if fuel seal has been done but the airbag recall is just going through Mileage is ok and I would not be concerned about the relatively high mileage. Check the service details with the dealer. Also, check the exhaust, at this age of car you may find its starting to rot and its a bit of a hassle to replace. £2800 is a fair price to be honest especially if it does have the full lexus service history

Do you have a link to the car?

Everything from the resonator (including the resonator) back was replaced - the y piece pipe was not that hard as I had the old one to use as a template but must admit that was where I had the persistent exhaust leak but eventually found and welded it shut. Picture is of the Rover box used and the finished look on the car.

Done just that - The exhaust on mine failed at around 70k - a few years ago. I could not find a replacement as the pattern part is not released by Lexus to the likes of ATS etc.. so going down the road in asking Lexus to replace it, considering its the only supplier that had the ability to do so with an OEM supplied part, this would have costed close to £3k (£2700)and that was a few years ago !! I could not justify that so I went down the route of a stainless steel exhaust at £350. It was awful (drone between 2 to 2.5k revs). I put up with it for a few years then decided to make my own. Spent a lot of time finding suitable parts and looking into the compatibilities for pipe sizes etc. Went with the mild steel option as its best material between the steel options for absorbing the noise the exhaust creates. Went with slightly bigger pipe between the resonator and the boxes and went with Rover ZT boxes (twin outlets on each) as they were a perfect fit into the under body recess .So I made the centre piece, the resonator all the way back to the boxes and fitted the Rover boxes. The only issue I had was with a bit of welding (one persistent leak) - never welded before but by the time I had finished it was pretty good. In making it myself it cost around £150. I bought a MIG welder in that cost also. I have made the exhaust in a way that the sections can be replaced easily if / or rather when, it rusts through which isn't an issue as I found it an easy job. It was MOT'd this year and passed. Exhaust has been on just over a year and a half (EDITED - Has been on car for almost a year - not a year and a half !). I will quite happily keep it on and would recommend the mild steel option for two reasons: its easy to use, both bend and weld with no professional tooling and its quiet when the cars running.

Next week for me - with it only being the passenger side do they need to take the dash off?

You can always do the valet yourself

Had the fuel seal recall done today - was asked to book my car in for the airbag recall while in the service department but didn't know suitable dates at the time but will be calling them back tomorrow to book it in. According to the chassis number only the passenger side needs to be done (on mine anyway)

Have you tried an MP3 disc or a DVD in it - will the unit play the DVD but produce no sound?

If you have legal protection on your insurance policy shouldn't this be enough to pursue the claim against the other driver. Agree with Phil above, its still driveable so you can take your time to get this resolved. What was the damage to the other car?

You will be surprised at how easy it is to do - would have been easier for me if I had a proper ramp but managed with two car ramps (car 2 foot off ground) If you have an issue with a drone after fitting the stainless pipes, try a bigger diameter pipe, matching the 2.5 inch as it will make the flow of gas through the boxes slower, reducing the noise vibration and creating a low down "growl". Don't make the pipes any smaller than oem as the system is set up to balance the exhaust extraction and fuel burn to be right - if you are adding restrictions such as small pipes then the engine will be struggling to shift the exhaust fumes. Just one thing I picked up when I was looking at doing mine. Good luck

Hi John Just saw your post. When the original exhaust went on mine I had it replaced with a stainless steel one which I lived with for a couple of years until I could not bear the drone it created anymore. I made my own after a lot of considering which parts to use. Took a long time to find the parts but well worth the effort - although the IS250 does not have the same footprint as the GS the principles of making your exhaust will be the same. Mine has been on for a year now and during that time I have only had one issue where one of the clamps broke. Welding took a good deal of figuring out but I got it right in the end and it passed its first MOT with it on this year. The biggest issue I found was finding a back box and centre resonator to fit the recesses well. I used mild steel as it was easier to work with and I did not want to go back to the stainless due to the noise it created. I used Rover ZR back boxes and an IS200 resonator - fit was perfect. I put bigger bore pipes on it from the resonator and it has made a noticeable difference in the drive (but probably placebo as I was used to the stainless one for quite some time) - not freeflow as the resonator is restricted as I didn't want to mess too much with the back pressure created by the engine. I went from a single back box to duel back boxes only because the fit was perfect. One tip for you is to keep the old one and use it to pattern the one you are making. Make it so you can easily replace parts in the future if needed. Picture of mine is below after I finished the work.

For your brakes its worth the wait for genuine parts especially the slide pins as they are problematic anyway if not maintained as they should be - putting non oem ones in will compound the problem for an already poor designed part of the car. You could introduce further issues if using non oem parts especially for these parts as they are engineered to tight tolerances. Make sure you apply the correct rubber grease when installing them as other makes will gradually take the elasticity out of the rubber boots and also the anti rattle rubber shim.

Its a good bargaining point before buying the car to bring it down a few quid .... not a lot of use to you now unfortunately

Am afraid it is dealer only

Just got round to booking the car in for the fuel seal recall - next gear box oil change and decided to get the plugs done as well Just wondering what the price difference is between dealers or is there (should there) be a price cap Cost to change the spark plugs - bearing in mind they are doing it along with the fuel seal recall is £300 - I am guessing plugs are approx £150 and the rest is labour so is this an average price?

Seems to be the season for accidents !!

Have used them and they are fine - changed once a year it makes good financial sense compared to the OEM ones. Just make a note of the flow direction (indicated by an arrow on the side of the replacement filter panel) and replace the same way round - don't think it matters but I have always followed it. Make sure before doing it to follow the advice on putting the system in re-circulation mode as Steve mentioned above - it WILL break if not.