wharfhouse

Terrible maintenance of roads - worn out white lines, unwaged signage and defunct cats eyes. Get on a new stretch of road and it's like night and day!

Yep Prestone - I've tried all sorts and that's by far the best. Just picked up another 5 litres today from ECP - "Prestone -18c Concentrated Screenwash" Since using this (for a few years now) don't seem to have any problems with jets freezing.

I agree in that the tech in the e-cvt is of course nothing like a manual box but what I meant is that the e-cvt does not have all of the valves, narrow channels and clutch plates like a traditional auto box and so in that sense is much simpler with planetary gears and so not so much to go wrong or wear out. Agreed that traditional auto boxes can also cover mega miles too, as I have done in the past with 200k+ miles on one.

Hmmm - not sure I would trust what a self-appointed YouTuber thinks over the millions of pounds and resources poured into the e-cvt development by Toyota / Lexus. However, no harm in changing it (IIRC it says to change it if the car is used in harsh conditions, I think) so long as the correct fluid is used, no contamination enters the cvt and it's refilled correctly. The good thing is that the e-cvt is more like a manual box in that regards than a traditional auto and so less likely to have problems than when changing the oil in a traditional auto box.

Yes - as I said if Lexus thought it should be changed at or before 100k or even 150k miles I really don't see why they wouldn't specify it - they have differential oil specified at 20k mile intervals and coolants at 100k (ICE) and 150k (inverter) and every 50k miles after that and I don't see why adding that the cvt fluid should be changed at similar mileages would be regarded as detrimental. Also, I have confidence that they must have tested cvts to destruction to see when they fail and how, and so as you say, I suspect when they did fail it was not the fluid that was the reason but other catastrophic elements, hence no specification to change it. I have no problem if people wish to change it, as I know many change their fluids at less than mfr specified intervals. It's just of genuine interest as to why Lexus / Toyota say lifetime fill when other fluids have (sometimes long) change intervals. I had a BMW 528i in the 1990's that had auto box with lifetime fill and ran that to over 200k miles in 10 years (always dealer serviced) without ever changing it and it never put a foot wrong despite many of the forums of the time saying people should change the oil at (in many cases coming from people based in the US) sometimes ridiculously low mileage intervals.

Here is a link to a thread I started about what is called the "10 Year Plus Extended Warranty". It's not advertised by Lexus through the website but is available to purchase through dealers (though is valid nationwide). However, not all dealer personnel are aware of it and so if they say it doesn't exist you might need to refer them back to Lexus to get the details - make sure you use the full name of the warranty as above and don't just refer to it as extended warranty which was an old product that is no longer available. Quite a few members on here have now taken this out through various different dealers. Note the car does need to be serviced during the warranty period by a Lexus dealer according to the service schedule for the warranty to remain valid and I would have thought that to put the warranty into place may require a service doing first at a dealer to check all is well with the car if it hasn't been serviced by Lexus dealer prior to requesting it. It also includes Lexus Roadside Assisstance in the annual cost. https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/130626-lexus-10-year-plus-extended-warranty/#comment-1206830

Could be worse... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/ask-expert-mercedes-cancelled-order-tried-charge-can-do/

I hear this argument and I understand that where they are trying to say it doesn't need changing during a typical lease period as it looks better from a cost of ownership. The CVT fluid will clearly last that long without a problem. But on the counter point what has Lexus (or the accountants) got to lose by specifying changing it at 100k or 150k miles which is usually beyond most lease periods and often 2nd or 3rd owners who would then be paying for the work like any other maintenance - they specify changing coolant at such intervals and changing the CVT fluid is no more involved.

I've used Lexus Reading for the last 6 years for everything needed on my IS 300h and have no complaints with the work done or advice given (that's been for 8 services plus all MoTs and other bits and pieces). If you want a courtesy car then you may need to book a few weeks in advance. The courtesy cars are free but if you want to waive the insurance excess (£1,000 I think) they charge £15 for that - and of course take it back with about the same amount of fuel.

Having a full service done if you are not sure of the history is certainly a good thing. I think do whatever makes you feel comfortable regards the cvt. Given your relatively low mileage there should be no problem in changing the oil so long it's done correctly and the right Lexus / Toyota fluid is used but of course there is always the small risk that someone messes something up. Whether there is any long term benefit to changing it I don't think anyone really knows. As some said on here (and on other forums) cars seem to run happily to high mileages without a change. The design of the e-cvt is very different to a traditional auto box - very simple by comparison - even more so than a manual box.

Yes, it is checked as part of the service but not changed (unless there is a problem I assume). The fluid is AFAIK readily available through Lexus / Toyota - others here have changed their fluid. Changing it from what I have read is relatively straight forward. Getting Lexus to do it may require some arm twisting, depending on the dealer. If you went to an independent then only use the Lexus / Toyota fluid. Whether you are in the camp of it should be changed or in the camp of leave alone only you know!

Interesting - I'm in your camp on this (and I know many will disagree) but I don't see why Lexus wouldn't stimulate a fluid change at eg 100k or 150k miles as they do with ICE coolant and inverter coolant if they felt it was needed - certainly no more effort on the CVT than coolant. I'm at 125k now and don't plan changing the CVT fluid. Car is serviced by Lexus and will have 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty for at least a couple more years.

Ah OK - will be a shame to see you part with the GS - my wife is starting to struggle getting in and out of my IS 300h as it's very low - I think she would like me to get something like the NX for the same reason. Enjoy your new car.

If they are charging the fixed price major service as per the website then whether they change the plugs or not it should be the same cost - if that's the case then you might as well let them change them, though as the interval is actually 60k miles (rather than 6 years) wonder if they will now wait until due by the mileage...?

Hope the GS isn't going due to any unreliablity

Assuming you have kept to the service shedule each year then plugs should already have been changed (unless you didn't do them due to very low mileage) and so the only extra scheduled item at the Lexus 10 years / 100k miles service is engine coolant. The inverter coolant is only scheduled at 150k miles. CVT fluid is (according to Lexus) lifetime fluid so only a check of level (if you decide to change it that's you choice of course). Differential oil should be every 2 years / 20k miles (though see the thread on here about that - if it hasn't been done for some time worth doing though). Brake fluid should be every two years. Nothing other then engine coolant though on the Lexus schedule beyond normal 2 year / 20k mile normal servicing. Of course plenty of preventative / pre-emptive things that could be done and I'm sure others will make suggestions - personally I'm just sticking to the Lexus service schedule (now 8 years old and 125 miles). Lexus have the simplified major / minor service costs now. I would assume that they should apply the major service cost to your 10 year / 100k mile service though as you've not had it serviced by Lexus for some time not sure how they view that.

I used Jemca body shop too when I had to have my IS 300h repaired after hitting a lorry tyre on the motorway! Their body shop is in Bracknell as David says but Lexus took the car there for me from Lexus Reading (as I didn't know at the time their body shop was in Bracknell). They did a superb job - would never know anything had occurred. The body shop is actually on the Jemca Toyota site in Bracknell - but they handle all the Toyota and Lexus repairs.

The hybrid health check sometimes picks up a 12V battery problem but unless there was an issue during the service I doubt there is anything that they would find. I had a hybrid health check report a few years ago that said the 12V battery was low but the dealer said they see this quite often if a car comes in when it had done recent short runs only just before the check is done. They said it shouldn't be an issue and it wasn't - subsequent years have always been ok. The 12V batteries can fail quite quickly and without much warning, especially since with a hybrid we don't get any indication that it's getting low like extended cranking time on ICE only cars. I carry one of the lithium jump starter packs in the car as I know that one day the 12V battery will fail without warning! That will get me started again and make sure I can get over to Lexus to get the 12V battery changed.

As others have said at that age (unless it was replaced in the last year) the 12V battery will not be covered by Relax as it's a consumable item. If you are going to change the 12V battery then a word of caution - there are some people who have changed the 12V battery themselves only to find that the audio head unit does not work any more when powering the car back up. There are some reports on this forum and in the US. It's not widespread but certainly a concern as replacement of the audio unit is very expensive! No-one has got to the bottom of why this occurs or how to fix the audio unit other than replacing it, at least as far as I am aware. If Lexus change the 12V battery then should this happen it would be their responsibility (they may know how to do it to avoid the issue) but if you decide to change it yourself be aware of the issue though there doesn't seem to be anything to be done to avoid it other than perhaps making sure 12V power is maintained to the car whilst changing the battery.

Same here - original 12V battery - car built 2014 and now done 125K miles and so used regularly through it's life. I have recently left the car for a week unused and it still started ok. In general batteries that are failing early do seem to be low mileage cars with short runs or ones where for some reason the 12V battery has gone flat at some point and then recharged.

Yes the wording is somewhat ambiguous...

Just checked the government website for recalls on my car and it says "Outstanding recall found This vehicle has been recalled since at least 9 December 2022."

Just checked my 2014 IS 300h and I too have the recall listed too. I also check recalls every so often and did so following the previous thread about this but didn't see any. Not sure when this appeared. It says "Please wait until we have contacted you. This will be done, as soon as we are ready to serve you."

Have you got the engine sound generator switched on - small wheel switch down by the rhs of the steering column. As the 300h had no gears this generates a fake engine and simulated gear noise.

I have kept with the OEM Yokohama BluEarth tyres on my IS 300h on 17" wheels. My car is a 2014 and has now done 124k miles. Over that time the rear tyres have been replaced every 20k miles and the front tyres every 40k miles. There are pros and cons to any tyre choice but I am happy with the compromises these give me.