ToreOe

It's done in an afternoon :-) -Tore

Hi Deezell, My IS300h is a 2015. The Lexus towbar kit is the same for 300h and 250, but wiring kits are different as is the template used when cutting the bumper. You can download the installation manual from www.lexus-tech.eu. (go to "Owner", "Accessory installation manuals"). I believe the manual will tell you the part number for the towbar kit and wiring kit. -Tore

When I got my first IS300h, the nav/radio was freezing up frequently. Turned out the SD card with the map data was not properly inserted. Ejected and reinserted it and it was fine as long as I had the car. The infotainment in my current IS was also unstable for a while. That was fixed by replacing the WiFi hotspot. -Tore

Bobkel, Here are the pictures I promised. One with the ball detached, and one with it attached. HTH -Tore

Hi BobKel, I have the Lexus towbar on my IS300h. It is indeed a Westfalia unit, an is the same one as used for the 250 sans some minor installation details. The bumper does have to be cut, but it is not in a visible area. As the tow ball itself is detachable, you really cannot see that the car has a towbar installed. It's actually a very nice piece of kit. I cannot provide any pictures now, as I am at work, and the detachable tow ball is... detached. I keep it in my trailer in my garage when not in use. Can try to take a few pictures tonight, though. -Tore

An update on the rusty wheel nuts: Stainless steel capped Toyota wheel nut to the right, original Lexus wheel nut used one winter to the left. One less thing to worry about. -Tore

LEDs are standard here in Norway too, for all but the lowest trim level I believe. I have had one loaner IS300h with HIDs and thought they may give more light, the beam pattern of the LEDs looks more crisp and well defined. Actually I am very happy with the low beam performance of the LEDs, but the high beam could benefit from more light. -Tore

A bad one: the lug nuts. They rust. I have now used all the 40 extra lug nuts we got with the wife's Prius and my 300h replacing rusted ones. In just one winter, they get really ugly from rust. I've heard rumors of stainless ones... -Tore

It might help, but it would look... ugly. The cover hides not only the camera sensor, but several wire looms too. The bag of silicagel seems to be working well, though. -Tore

The car has been to Lexus for this issue already. They have confirmed that nothing is out of spec on my car, but it has the same construction as the Toyota Avensis and Auris and they admit the IS has the same design flaw. Unfortunately, it seems to take long from admitting a design flaw to providing a solution, as we saw on the rear suspension vibration issue... The camera housing is not sealed against the windscreen, so moist air will inevitably enter. For the issue to appear it takes special conditions, though. I only see it when I leave home in relative high temperature and humidity, and drive into an area with significantly lower temperature. As I do on my way to work each day... -Tore

One of the features in the IS300h that I didn't know i couldn't live without until I got it, is the AHB - Auto High Beam. However, some mornings I have noticed that it fails to dip for oncoming traffic - usually when the temperature is around freezing. It does switch between low and high beam based on how dark it is, but fails to recognize other car's lights until they are really close. Additionally, I noticed that the LDA (Lane Departure Alert) did not detect the side and lane lines on the road. So, what could cause this? The sensor for AHB and LDA is a camera. I decided to stop and take a look at it once it was not operating properly, and this is what I found: Inside of windshield is covered in dew/mist in front of the camera. Nothing on the rest of the windshield, and I do my best to keep the car dry inside... I have notified my Lexus dealer of this problem. Apparently, Toyota is having the same problems on the Avensis and Auris and have come up with a fix for it that involves installing a heater element in there with the camera. But no fix for the IS. While I wait for a fix from Lexus, I have simply put a small bag of Silicagel inside the cover for the AHB/LDA sensor. The cover is easy to remove and replace, it literally took me a few minutes. So far it seems to do the job - no more angry gestures from oncoming drivers. -Tore

I know how you feel. This is what I found on the parking lot when leaving work one night 2 or 3 days after getting the IS300h: -Tore

Had a 1988 Volvo 760 GLE for 25 years before buying the IS300h. In the two years I've had a Lexus, I've spent more time at the dealer/shop than the Volvo did in 25. I do enjoy having to fill the tank once a month instead of every week, though. -Tore

It's getting colder outside now and I've noticed that when I'm driving the car into a colder area, like near a river, the tiny triangular part of the windscreen in front of the camera for AHB and LDA fogs up. This causes the high beam to stay on when I meet cars, not good. -Tore

Oddly enough, I have noticed a significant change from the rear camera on the 2014 IS300h to my current 2015 IS300h. The newer one seems to repel water and dirt, and seems to be clear no matter what the weather conditions. -Tore