wharfhouse

Executive level trim in pre-facelift (so pre 2017) cars is genuine leather. In post face-lift cars Executive trim is Tahara simulated leather.

Looks like there could be a bit of a dealer shake up in some parts of the country according to this article: https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/exclusive-constellation-forced-to-put-toyota-and-lexus-marshall-dealerships-up-for-sale/277398

Yes, the bonnet of the IS Gen 3 is aluminium - got quite a few chips on my IS 300h bonnet and none have ever started rusting. Had a chip on a door which did start to rust though and I had to clean and paint. As such, other than for cosmetic reasons, I wouldn't worry about the stone chips on the bonnet.

Had a similar problem with a windscreen washer bottle on a Honda Accord - left the car in warm weather for a week in Croatia and came back to a foul smell when I sprayed the windscreen. Tried refilling with new fluid but the smell was still there. In the end I filled with the windscreen washer bottle with Milton Sterilising Solution (used for cleaning baby bottles), operated the jets to get it through all the parts and let it stand for a while, then flushed it out (making sure it didn't get on the paintwork just in case it caused damage) and refilled with normal screen wash and the foul smell was gone for good.

I think that can be one of the biggest influencers to change - it certainly was in my case. Until one can try the car in a number of different everyday scenarios it's really difficult to appreciate the qualities. A 10 minute test drive with a sales person is certainly no where near enough.

It's a mistake - someone has wrongly cut and paste that from the Toyota document. Toyota used to have 5 year warranty whilst Lexus had 3. When Relax came in Toyota then moved to 3 year warranty which is what the document refers to with the dates. How the mistake would stand up in a court of law is another matter of course though most of these docs claim E&OE.

In 2016 I was looking for a new car after a string of BMWs (some company cars and more latterly private purchases). I had got bored of BMW so wanted something more left field. Came across the IS 300h and thought that had many of the qualities I wanted but more left field than the German marques. Also the hybrid tech was something that was making more sense to me at the time and Toyota / Lexus were clearly well ahead of anyone else. After plenty of research I had a days test drive in an IS 300h and liked it so much I didn't want to wait for a new one to be delivered so bought a two year old one (for cash) with a view to ordering a new one within a few years. Unfortunately Lexus didn't bring the next rev model into the UK which I would have bought. I like what I have so much though I can't think of anything I want instead... So for the forseeable future I plan to keep what I have and so the long term reliability has now become more important than what I envisaged when I bought it!

Unfortunately not just Lexus - other mainstream manufacturers are also being targeted with CANbus hacking. In fact, other marques are probably more targeted (desirable) than Lexus with a variety of sophisticated criminal means. Once manufacturers solve one hack there is always another just around the corner... Probably the safest option is to get an older car that no-one is interested in stealing!

I personally wouldn't have a problem if the same workshop was used by both but would hope that there will remain dedicated Lexus technicians for Lexus specific aspects of the cars.

At Lexus Reading, both Lexus and Toyota are next to each other (both owned by Jemca) but each has it's own service facility.

That is cheap - my local Costco didn't have any Prestone screen wash in just before Christmas when I needed some and so had to pay over double that for the Prestone -18C concentrate at ECP...!

Yes, the model cycle being long is very much IMO part of the issue - many people thinking of buying a brand new car (me included) often plan to purchase after the launch of a new model revision or at least not within a couple of years of a model run out - that was my plan with my IS 300h purchase - buy used (basically current model), keep it for two/three years and then buy the next model release within a year of launch. However, when the model cycle stretches out too long and buyers have a shorter period in mind they are left are "hanging on" waiting on that new release and thereby killing sales of the run out model even though it is still on the market for perhaps another two years. For the IS you can see that decline from around 2009 to 2013 then the spike as the new Phase 3 was released followed by the decline in that around the 4/5 year mark - the point buyers start "waiting" for the next model. Interesting that ES sales are still so low - they have hardly caught up with the run-out years of the IS - makes you wonder whether if the IS has been continued in the UK and the ES hadn't been launched in the UK whether the IS sales would actually have been higher than the current ES sales - lots of ifs and buts..."

I doubt the reason that it was pulled was that it couldn't pass the crash tests in Europe given it continued to sell in the rest of the world - the decision IMHO was made by Lexus (Toyota?) management for other commercial (IMHO flawed - but who am I to argue) reasons...

We also had a Honda Accord Tourer for quite a few years and that was a very good load lugger - took us all over the UK and Europe for my daughter's sailing loaded to the gills and towing a boat! I was also sad about the Honda decision. I used to pop in and out of the HondaKarma forum for advice now and again. Lexus stopped bringing the IS into a key segment that put Lexus on the map vs the German marques. The IS was at the time even becoming more accepted by the motoring journalists for the distinctive blend of what it offered! Sales were still (in Lexus numbers) reasonably strong with many existing IS owners waiting on the new model to make a change. The "excuse" that the ES was outselling the IS was IMHO just BS - of course, the existing IS was by then getting a bit long in the tooth and people would naturally have been putting off buying a new one whilst waiting on the new model launch - Lexus never gave the new model a chance to see if the numbers would bounce back from that pent-up demand. The ES is in no way a replacement for the IS (as Lexus have tried to claim) - as a car in it's own right I have no issues with it, but it's not an IS replacement for many reasons and not one that appeals to me as a replacement. One can one still buy an RCF, LS or LC in the UK - how do the sales numbers for those work...? Like one of the comments above it does seem like Lexus has lost it's way for a number of reasons - I hope they find it again so I can stay with the marque when I review my choices again (probably in a few years time).

Exactly my feelings - I've made a decision to keep my IS 300h for the foreseeable future - at least until unreliablity rears it's head - much as I like buying new cars, the IS 300h still does everything I want (and more) from a car at the moment (my needs may change in the next few years) and so for me there wouldn't be a huge benefit in changing it right now other than some new toys.

Well I bought into the IS 300h (came from BMW) and bought a used car to get one immediately (as didn't want to wait for a new one) with the plan to upgrade to a new one when the next model rev came along - and then Lexus decided not to bring the new IS model into the UK and also drop the GS. After trying a number of other Lexus models and not being particularly taken by them when I tried the new NX 350h I thought I had possibly found my next car - only to find that the delivery had gone out the window and then couldn't even place an order... So twice Lexus UK could have had a new car order from me but made it impossible. I would like to stay with Lexus for my next car but personally feel that the Lexus UK (maybe European) management of the brand (and not the cars) is failing customers in some of the decisions it is making and by reports on here the management of the quality and service at some of its dealer network has become questionable (I know some things are outside their control such as component shortages but there is plenty they can be working on).

I don't have any major issues with uneven tyre wear and mines a 2014 reg with 126k miles (17" wheels). I bought the car at 2 years old and 40k miles - not sure if any adjustment had been made in that 2 years (though I doubt it) and I haven't done anything in all the time I've had it. I always get 20k miles out of the rear tyres and 40k miles out of the fronts. The inner edges do wear a little quicker than the rest of the tyre but I replace them when there is about 3mm left front and rear across most of the tyre. Stock setup does appear to wear the inner edges a little bit faster but should not be excessive before the rest of the tyre is close to replacement anyway. A couple of years ago I did ask Lexus to do an alignment and was happy to pay for it (as it hadn't to my knowledge been done since the car was new) and to my surprise they said why? The tyre wear all looks fine. So I left it at that...

Brand new tyres - if the OP means literally driving from having them fitted - can have reduced grip until they are scrubbed in a bit regardless of brand. And probably even more prone to this in cold / wet conditions. Everytime I get new tyres fitted at my Lexus dealer they remind me of this.

That's how I was taught to drive - if you look at oncoming headlights you also have a tendency to steer towards them...!

That's a typo on the Lexus website. Toyota's used to have a 5 year warranty but this changed to 3 years when Relax came in for Lexus and Toyota. Someone messed up on the website (probably cut and paste from the Toyota info).

If serviced by Lexus the Hybrid Health Check is free as part of the service cost - if you opt to have it done separately then there is a £59 cost - see: https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/servicing-mot-hybrid-health-check

I also received no paperwork this year for the Lexus Roadside Assistance with the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty (last year I received the booklet and card). I emailed LRA and asked them to confirm it was in place and they replied it was but that they don't send any documentation or card anymore - something to do with saving the planet... Personally for peace of mind I think an email confirmation wouldn't be too much as the documentation with the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty does not contain any reference to the LRA. If we all contact them to confirm it's in place maybe they will decide to start pre-empting it and send something out next time...

Let your feet do the talking and try another Lexus dealer if there is one within a distance you can get to. I remember when I had a new company BMW many years ago I went around many BMW dealers in the south east until I found one with a service I was happy with - I then purchased numerous private cars from them and had them all serviced there. No need to put up with poor service.

That's normal if you don't put the parking brake on - the car can move slightly and it's the parking pawl engaging into position in the cvt.

A lot of the underside of the IS 300h is hidden by plastic undertrays - one at the front, two down each side, and one at the rear, there could be more but those are the ones I'm aware of. To see what is happening with most of the underside these would need to be removed. They appear to be secured with numerous plastic fittings which may well break if taken out and reused. I've been looking into this as one of my undertrays on side is damaged and trying to decide it it's worth replacing it.