Odysseus

I’m convinced the seat on my 2008 does not cool or heat as convincingly as it should, and some googling suggested there might be a filter under the seat which has become clogged. Does anyone know if my era GS has a seat filter and has anyone changed or cleaned their seat filters? If so, how did they do it and was it easy? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another option (depending on your pocket depth and/or level of interest) is a Grom VLine. This gives you a higher level of in-car tech integration and supports Apple CarPlay as well as running Android Auto (I think?). You would have access to mapping tools, messages could be read, apps installed, etc. Bluetooth streaming along with steering wheel control and album art and whatnot is a given. Not cheap at around £500 but pretty cool and is something I’m considering for my (similar era to yours) GS450h. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Regrettably I had to have a bit of a rant at Lexus Cambridge along the lines of I reported problems a month ago and you’ve seen the car twice since then and not done anything blah blah. I’ll be talking to the service manager today which will probably mean my car will go back in and I’ll be trundling round in another CT200 looking a bit disgruntled. With regards to my thump it’s like it happens on the ‘rebound’ of the suspension, so not when you immediately hit a bump, more than you hit a bump, the suspension compresses, then settles, accompanied by a thump. Clearly all this takes place in fractions of a second. As ever, will keep this thread updated with what happens. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The conversation yesterday was along the lines of “we checked the suspension and it was fine”, but personally I’m sure that was just some mechanic dude using a pry bar on various bits when it was on the ramp. It’s going to be booked back in for more(!) warranty work in the next few weeks so I won’t hesitate to ask them to investigate further. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm finding it interesting that there's such a theme of negativity running through a lot of these comments, as if some people find it a personal affront that cars exist that are powered solely by electricity, and that some Lexus enthusiasts quite like them. My view is a Tesla Model S is probably exactly the sort of car I'd want to replace my GS450H with if only I could stomach the upfront cost. While I can't speak from experience I'm sure any internal quality issues will be sorted in time. Similarly, if I was in the market for a small/mid saloon with a budget of £40K I'd definitely be looking at a Tesla Model 3. While the range/charging requirements would mean it won't be suitable for some, I'd imagine for most people it's totally fine. On one level if this was a Caterham or Westfield forum I'd get the aversion to a large, heavy, complex car like a Tesla, but Tesla and Lexus pretty much live in the same kind of market segment, so I do find the hostility odd and a bit disappointing.

My car is with Lexus Cambridge at the moment and I’ll let you know the outcome. I did wonder if it’s a loose exhaust section thumping the bottom of the car but this wouldn’t really explain why it’s more obvious when the car is loaded, so my thinking is it’s still suspension related. In the meantime I’ll just wait for the phone call and “enjoy” the CT200h they’ve loaded me. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I agree this would be a nice modification and really should have been part of the standard specification. Another thing that would be good if the mirrors automatically unfolded once you exceed 10 mph or thereabouts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m following this thread with interest as my GS450 has developed what I’d call a knock/clunk from the suspension in the last few months. It’s definitely more evident when the car is fully loaded or if you encounter a bump on the road while taking a corner while the suspension is loaded. The car is booked into Lexus in a few weeks for a MOT and I’ve asked them to look at it then. My car is 10 years old this year and has covered 70,000 miles. What are the symptoms of worn out shocks? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://sniffpetrol.com/category/askatotalprick/ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Often my car journeys involve crossing the (obviously barrier controlled) East Coast main railway line. Waiting for trains can sometimes take over 10 minutes and it is INFURIATING to spend that time being blinded by the brake lights of the car in front of you, especially in the dark and/or the rain. So please, in the name of all that is holy, please don’t be one of these people. Use park, use neutral, use the handbrake, use whatever you like, but don’t sit there with your ****ing foot on the ****ing brake pedal!!!! Phew. Thanks, that was therapeutic. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All very true, but wasn’t the case when this thread was created 14 years ago!!!! [emoji846] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quite right John. The extended warranty is something purchased from Lexus through the dealers, rather than being a dealer specific thing. I bought my (used) GS from Lexus Edgware Road but will be buying the extended warranty from Lexus Cambridge. The extended warranty requirements are a car with a full Lexus Service History, under 10 years old, and under 140,000 miles. It sounds like Lexus Bolton is being somewhat disingenuous (and using poor grammar) in suggesting only they can offer the extended warranty. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The blue one for sale at BMW is overpriced given the lack of an extended warranty and does not have ACC/PCS. I would not buy. The silver one for sale at Lexus is very overpriced but does have the correct specification. On the basis of cost I would not buy. I've said before that I waited 6 months for the "perfect" (for me) GS450h to be offered for sale. I'm sure the Lexus dealer will be far more agreeable to a deal once that overpriced GS has been sat on their forecourt without selling for two months. Given the relative scarcity of GS450's, you/your Dad may unfortunately need to be patient, or accept that you'll need to compromise on age/spec/condition (with implications on extended warranties) if you want a car immediately.

Clean looking car, but I’m curious as to why being despite being a 58 plate it’s not a facelift. Mine is an 08 and is a facelift. Facelift cars have indicators in the wing mirrors and a few other updates. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congratulations on your skills and you’ve done a great job on the boot lid. Like you say, the looks will split opinion and I must admit that in my view each subsequent mod you’ve made has made a once classy car look worse. Putting it back on the right wheels with the correct ride height would improve matters no end. [emoji846] But hey, it’s your car and it’s a good job we’re all different. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are you actually reading this thread Rob? :) This post from yesterday answers your question.

It took me nigh on 6 months to find the GS450h I ended up buying. I wanted a face-lift example, in the right colour, SE-L spec, with ACC. I ended up buying a 2008 model from a Lexus dealer last July, which meant the car was 'expensive' relative to the other stuff on AutoTrader, but came prepared to a very high standard with a 12 month Lexus warranty. I'm currently in conversations with my local dealer (Lexus Cambridge) about purchasing a two year warranty so there's no break in cover when my Lexus Used Warranty expires. Given the relative rarity of the GS450h and the even greater rarity of very high specification ones, I think it's reasonable that your Dad may need to wait for the 'perfect' car. Personally, I think it's worth waiting.

Hey forum chums, I’m hoping to get some friendly advice so I’m more prepared for when I talk to the professionals. I have an uncle of 65 who lives in rural Dorset, so quite some distance from me in Cambridgeshire. He’s never married, has no significant other, and no dependents. I am his only living relative in the UK. He’s a simple soul and lives a simple life almost exclusively in the village he was born in and is generally baffled by the modern world. A psychologist could go to town on the reasons behind all this, but that’s not the point of this post. By dint of family hard work, dear uncle has inherited and owns outright three homes, one of which he lives in, the two others are rented out, and a few acres of land, rented to a local farmer. His estate is probably worth £1.25M+ at current prices. His outgoings are minimal and he lives comfortably but in no way extravagantly from his minimum wage job in a shop and the (low) rental income from his properties. He’s totally ok with this and has never wanted anything different. He’s always been eccentric and fit as a fiddle which is fine, but as he gets older I’m getting increasingly concerned about how he’s unprepared for a) the sophistication of the modern scam artist, and b) the heavy hand of the state when it comes to inheritance tax or paying for ongoing medical treatment. I’m wondering if there is a mechanism where his assets can be put in a trust, or transferred to a limited company for which he is the director, or something similar, which would put them beyond the reach of the day to day scammer while preserving his ability to draw an income or lump sum if he needed to. He’ll be utterly terrified of seeking professional advice but I’ve said I’ll help him and accompany him to the meetings and do all the driving, as he doesn’t drive (and these experts will not be in the village where he lives). The elephant in the room is that obviously I stand to benefit from his estate when he passes, but this is not my motivation. I would like to see his assets (which are the product of generations of family hard work) benefit another generation and if this isn’t me that’s honestly fine. The worst scenario is that his gentle ignorance of how the world works would see his assets removed from under him by the state or a conniving third party in a way that will leave him confused and humiliated. Any ideas on how his assets could be structured to provide the protection needed? Thanks in advance for all help and suggestions. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Watches are cool. Good thread. I have a 20 year old Omega Seamaster which I’ve worn almost exclusively during those 7,000+ days. It’s been on four continents, been under the sea with me, was on my wrist when I met my wife and when my kids were born, and is one of my most prized possessions. A decade or so ago I spent some time in Hong Kong and acquired some ‘reproduction’ watches of variable quality, but we won’t talk about that sort of thing here. [emoji846] The Omega lives on my left wrist. On my right lives my FitBit, quietly logging the full extent of my athleticism (cough, cough) and also telling the time. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Off the back of this thread I’ve asked Lexus to lubricate my slider pins at my next service for which they’ll charge an hours labour. Hopefully money well spent! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I did a lot of research before buying my first Lexus - a GS450H - last summer. Do some GS450s suffer issues with shocks? Yes. Exhaust corrosion? Yes, some problems reported. Hybrid battery? Barely any. Other cars I was looking at in the same price segment (MB CLS350, BMW 530) have known issues too, which on balance looked either more prevalent and/or most costly to fix than potential GS450 problems. The GS450 was a £50K car when new and was a competitor to the V8 E Class and 5 Series, and latterly the high output diesels. The GS300, while I’m sure a very fine car, is not playing in this league ( On balance the Lexuses seemed more reliable than the competition. One thing I was positive about and still am is the desire to have a Lexus warranty on the car. This will probably take care of the shock absorber issue should I have it and an exhaust centre section, while not covered by the warranty, is something I can cope with. It also covers everything else, including the hybrid battery. If you’re buying any once expensive car ‘cheap’ then comparatively large bills when unfortunately things go wrong are an unavoidable part of the equation. This applies to the GS300 as much as the GS450. Best of luck with your decision and I certainly don’t regret my purchase. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes the dealers do it. I kerbed an alloy on my own GS450H last autumn and got quotes from my local bodyshop, ChipsAway, and Lexus Cambridge. Lexus were the cheapest, and did a very good job, the wheel looked brand new afterwards and is still the same now, 6 months on. They also picked the car up from my office and brought it back all clean. Sure they’re outsourcing the work but so what? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m not sure wives can be switched off in the manner you suggest, but if you do find a way to do this please let me know! [emoji846][emoji106] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My GS450 is shortly to have its first service (70,000 miles) under my ownership and in addition to the normal service I’m compiling a list of other things I want Lexus Cambridge to do, such as lubricate the calliper slide pins, and a few other items. With this sort of task in mind I’m wondering if it’s worth asking them to upgrade the car’s software /firmware to the latest version. By this I don’t mean the navigation discs, I’m talking about the underlying stuff governing the hybrid system, gearbox, media system behaviour etc. Has anyone done this? More to the point, how would I check what version(s) I’m already running? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The sort of journeys I do in my GS450H don’t appear to be especially economical as I’m consistently achieving mid to high 20s from my 2008 SE-L. Most of my trips are my commute which is zooming along country roads between villages, blasting down a dual carriageway and then crawling through Cambridge traffic. If I was on a motorway at a consistent 60mph it would be different I’m sure. I find the trip computer slightly optimistic so treat those numbers with a little pinch of salt. [emoji846] Below are screen shots from the Fuelly app. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk