OldTrout

Thanks rayaans. I bought some Autosmart Tardis and used it this evening. When I hosed off it was too dark to see the residual damage but there are deep scratches. I have a touch-up kit coming so I will see how much better I can make it. The damage runs round quite a lot of the corner which makes me wonder what the perp was doing. We think it happened whilst the car parked on its own well away from other vehicles ay Oxford Crem.

Update: The Warranty Group are "unable to uphold my complaint". The reasons for this would seem to be "data protection" and "unable to locate we have ever received a full assessment of the faults with your vehicle". Amazing! Further "We would require your repairing dealer to contact us to confirm the exact part which failed and the cause of your vehicles failure identified, to assess this retrospectively." We seem to have a communication problem and we have not to have got to the shock absorber problem yet. John

A few days after my post which started this thread, another corner was swiped. It was not as bad as the first one. Now I have just discovered the front nearside had been swiped much worse in the last day or so. Deep scratches this time and lots of whitish dust rubbing off onto my hands. Just one corner left intact now. Avoid Oxford is my advice even if you have all-round dash cams and are prepared to pursue the perps. John

Dog hammock? - See

KentIS300 Does this help https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6207313/2006_GS_Headlight_Adjustment.PDF Don't know where I got it and I have not used it so I don't know if it is valid. Please report! John

I don't want to hijack this thread about seats but I had a problem with the head restraints on a GS300h I drove recently whilst my car was being serviced. I am very long in the back (one extra vertebra) and if my legs were in proportion I would be about 6’4”. The driver's seat in my 2007 GS450h is very comfortable for me. (The best car seat I have ever had.)The head restraint of the 2016 GS300h had only two notches on its stem and neither was anywhere near high enough to put it at the recommended position for me. Worse, it poked forward a long way. The restraint in my 2007 GS tilts a bit but this new GS one appears not to do this. It forced my head forward and was very uncomfortable. (Think 007 in "The world is not enough".) I took the head rest off completely after a few miles and then felt comfortable though very vulnerable. The seat itself seemed fine although I was not in it for more the 30 minutes at a time. When I returned the car the sales staff had gone so I could not ask them. I checked all the cars in the showroom - IS, NX, RX, CT and possibly an RCF. Non of them tilted and all except the NX were poking forwards too much for me. The NX was still too low however. They all had just two notches. Did I miss some adjustment that would have enabled it to fit me? Very strange. The cars are getting bigger but for smaller (Japanese?) drivers.

Received an acknowledgement and summary this afternoon. They say they aim to resolve the matter within 20 working days. Watch this space.....

Update: I sent a claim by email directly to the warranty company on Monday 3rd October, I have yet to receive even an acknowledgement. I said other LOC members have had shock absorbers replaced under warranty and one claim in particular was very similar to mine. (Thanks Paul.) I also argued that as soon as the oil seal starts to leak - misting - the shock absorber has failed. It may take some time (days/weeks) for the oil to leak out completely and render the shock absorber totally useless but it has failed. As others have said where is peace of mind in all this? I will contact Lexus customer Services next week if I have heard nothing. John

It's "programmable by dealer" setting 26 in personalised settings for GS450h. And it's a three second press. The default is to not to open all windows and slide roof back.

My '98 GS300 had an electric aerial which changed its length according to the frequency of the selected station. If you change station does it change length? Replacement of the plastic toothed belt is very very easy. John

I recently had a test drive in a GS300h whilst my 2007 GS was being serviced. I am very long in the back and if my legs were in proportion I would be about 6’4”. I had a problem with the head restraint. It has two notches on its stem and neither was anywhere near high enough to put it at the recommended position. Worse, it poked forward a long way. The restraint in my GS tilts a bit but this new GS one appears not to do this. It forced my head forward and was very uncomfortable. After a few miles I took the head rest off completely and then felt comfortable though very vulnerable. When I got back the showroom the sales person had gone for the day so I was unable to ask him about my head restraint problem. I checked all the cars in the showroom - IS, NX, RX, GS, RC. Non of them tilted and all except the NX were poking forwards too much for me. The NX was still too low however. They all had just two notches. Very strange. The cars are getting bigger for smaller drivers. Or is it just me?

Many thanks Peter and especially Paul whose situation was like mine (except I have four not one). I have emailed Swindon again citing precedent to press the case. Thanks John. Yes, I am keeping all the emails (stored locally and backed up hourly). Nothing has been done by phone. (I am about 80dB down with my hearing so phone is hard and unless recorded would tax my memory too.)

I am preparing a plan B in case my warranty claim fails. I have a quote for all four dampers from both Amayama and www.lexuspartsnow.com/ as mentioned by glawrie in an earlier posting. I think the part numbers are rears 4853080357, and fronts 4851080429 and 48520801765. The Amayama price including shipping but excluding inport duties, VAT etc is an eye-watering £2237. lexuspartsnow quote £710 without the shipping and importing costs. i.e. probablely about 40% of Amayama's price. glawrie did you eventually buy your shocks from lexuspartsnow? Did it all work smoothly and what were in importing costs?

If is to be believed the 450h gets to 100mph in about 12 seconds and 150 in 24. I wonder if the 450h could be back to zero before the BMW hits 260kph?

If you need to buy some ethernet cable don't buy Cat5 which anyway may not now be available. Cat5e has replaced Cat5. It is capable of higher performance. Also check price difference between Cat5e and Cat6 which is higher performance still. If there is little in it and/or it is difficult to get into place go for Cat6 and then you will be future proofed. Well five years perhaps.

Very true and if the Cat5 cable can get to the study you would not need the switch unless there was other stuff. Probably muddied the waters unnecessarily. Sorry. If the phone wire can get to study could a Cat45 get there as well?

You could use a second router but only if if can be configure to extend the first one. i.e it does not connect to the phone line and the router part just acts as a bridge. Can the wireless signal from the first router not reach the study?

Thanks John. That is all the encouragement I need. Back in the old (very old) days I did pretty well everything that needed doing on my vehicles*. After I stopped riding motorcycles and cars became more reliable I got out of practice. I think the last thing I did was check and clean the brakes just before a service and MOT just as I always did before an MOT. The service checked them again so I didn't bother after that. I had a Camry for 6 years and then a '98 GS300 for 10 years and neither required anything I could do. My confidence waned but it is back now. Thanks * including a Vincent in the 1967 Senior TT

tangou, Love the way you had a go yourself and succeeded. What did you do with the dampers you removed? If you still have them can I make a request from all us other 450h owners for them please? If they are leaking we can try and get them refurbished. If they are OK I will swap them with mine and get mine refurbished. What were the suspension units you used called? John

Thanks John. As to all the people who have had replacements under warranty, who are they? Nobody has replied to say they have yet. Anyone had dampers replaced on 450h under warranty?

Thanks John and Shahpor. When the "light misting of oil" was noted on all four dampers in the MOT in February I did raise it with the service manager at Swindon Lexus. He said that this was not a warranty item but it would be if they failed. I replied that they had better fail whilst the warranty was still in place. Now that some at least have failed the Swindon Lexus regional manager for extended warranties says it's wear and tear. Presumably if my MOT date had been just before the service they would have been replaced. Perhaps the moral here is to buy with 12 months MOT not six. I have asked for copies of the report and the reply. In the meantime I have also asked for a quote for replacement of all four dampers and prepared a stiff drink. Britprius has mentioned possibility of refurbishing the dampers. Apart from labour the costs are likely to be trivial. I live in hope.

Swap it for a 450h. What you save in VED will be wiped out by increased insurance but mpg will jump by 30 - 50%. It did for me.

I think I need to follow this thread! How difficult is changing the dampers? I don't have access to a pit or ramp but I do have access to very competent mechanic.