eightk

Exactly that. Even after every Lexus has been fitted with whatever solution they’re supposed to be dreaming up you still need to take precautions with keyless entry, car jacking, key theft etc. Fit an immobiliser, with stickers to advertise it, and add a decent steering wheel lock and I’d be amazed if the car went missing.

He’s partly to blame for my purchase! Savagegeese owned a coupe a few years ago and has done loads of videos on the LC. It’s amazing watching YouTube videos on the LC because it’s literally universally loved by every single reviewer, apart from the usual comments about the touchpad tech. Shame that positivity hasn’t translated into more sales… although the rarity was also an attraction for me.

My LC is on a modern classics policy with Classicline. Mandatory Tracker, it was a hefty 900 last year, renewal was 960-odd, and I’ve now got it below 800 by reducing the market value from 87k to 80k (it’s probably 70-80k based on autotrader ‘21 convertibles) and agreed mileage from 5k to 3K. Regardless, Lexus need to get their solution sorted out sharpish, and then publicise the hell out of it so thieves know their chances of hacking a car’s systems are reducing day by day.

Booo! Big question is what’s the replacement?!

I’m with Classicline on a modern classics policy (no NCB build up and must have a daily driver). Tracker required, last year was £900 with 500 excess, the renewal was £964 but I’ve just reduced mileage from 5k to 3k and value down from 87k to 80k and got it down below £800. As previous, IT’S WORTH IT! But I really need to get more miles in!

If you know where it is, not long. But it could be in the boot cutting the fuel pump, under the dash cutting the brake light switch, under the bonnet cutting the starter or an ECU, or even in the centre console cutting the gear selector. I know where mine is - it’s a black box next to about a dozen other black boxes - if you don’t know where to look or exactly what to look for it’d take ages to get round it, unlike canbus software which once it’s jailbroken is utterly useless

PS5 - better ride than runflats or PS4S, longer life than PS4S, excellent wet weather performance and some realllly nice sidewalls. My Kia set replaced Conti sport contact 6 and were better at everything but to be fair the Contis were part worn and a couple of years old. It’s not just ditchfinders or PS4S - there is a middle ground. Maybe for an LC a full on touring tyre could work, but a middling sort of sport tyre is probably best given the bhp and rwd eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFv1hcj165I&feature=youtu.be

What I mean is, without asking, without initiating communications, has anybody been contacted out of the blue by their dealer or Lexus themselves to inform the owner of the problem and to offer the plates as a solution?

That was my understanding - recalls are for safety stuff only. Lexus could choose to give a crap and use their databases to prevent thefts by informing owners. But so far Lexus is choosing not to. How that’ll translate into potential owners also choosing not to will probably become more apparent in the next few months. Has anybody with an RX actually been contacted and offered the plates, or is it only through this website that people are learning about both the problem and Lexuses solution?

As far as I’m aware there is no recall. It’s down to individual owners to find the info and hassle their dealer for the plates. If anyone knows different…?

The LC is a GT. A big heavy GT. If you’re thinking of sticking PS4S on it you bought the wrong car - a McLaren or some sort of Porsche would make more sense. Same goes for the RCF and ISF up to a point - they’re not out and out sports cars but you’d get more benefit out of an ultra high perf tyre on those I suppose.

At 7 years old tyres could be going hard anyway but I agree the runflats aren’t great. Mine are the same Bridgestones. New LCs seem to have Michelins - I’d be going for those even if they’re non runflats, or Conti SportContact/Goodyears, again with a tyre gunk kit. I have Michelin PS5 on my Kia - they seem really good but it’s whether they’re available in the right sizes to suit the LC. Tyrereviews website is well worth a look. Finally, make sure your insurers are ok with non runflats - I believe some might class them as a modification.

Better audio from CDs - no compression!

Honestly a simple single or twin relay immobiliser that requires a fob or a touch key to get the car running is all we need. That’s effectively what is fitted on mine as part of the tracker install. No fob, no start. Tin plates that I would imagine just need crowbarring off or hunting down another canbus access point, clever software systems that will suddenly become hackable months later - I think Lexus are missing a trick by not simply bunging a cheap immobiliser onto every at risk car. No point just some of us doing it, every single car in the country has to be protected to stop thieves wrecking peoples bumpers on the off chance a car is still stealable. They could have fitted thousands of cars with immobilisers by now.

Yeah if the chrome and black are reversed it’s because it’s a post-2022 car.

That is very interesting and very useful - thanks for posting. If the flattened out baked bean tin…. sorry, Lexus RX security solution can be reshaped with rudimentary tools so it can be nailed to non-RX lexuseses that’s a big plus. I’ll ask my dealer if this is possible for the LC.

Hassle your dealers and Lexus themselves. Regularly. April has come and gone. The only cars with any solution so far are the RX and even then you have to know there’s a problem, know there’s a solution available and know to ask your dealer - there’s no evidence anyone is actively promoting this to owners. I’d also argue riveting bits of tinplate over stuff in the wheelarch in the vain hope it’ll stop an entire global network/industry in its tracks isn’t exactly going to be a permanent solution once thieves find another access point to the canbus system eg tailgate, tail lights, under the car etc.

Not sure I’d trust a real no name Chinese special - I had some real junk off Amazon for my old Landcruiser - something nongenuine but branded eg KYB, Bilstein, Sachs should be ok as they supply OEM anyway.

You’ll be behind me in the queue - as an LC owner who’s already bought an immobiliser because Lexus are useless - I can guarantee it. Trust me, I’ll be carrying more than a pitchfork! Any stipulation for Lexus’s own insurance being needed to qualify for an Immobiliser would be incredibly shortsighted of them. Mentioned above too - the RX is the only car with an actual solution so far and it takes 3 weeks to order the plates in? Eh?! Every dealer should be carrying stock, every dealer should be fitting plates to every eligible car that passes through their doors, and every dealer should be running their databases and contacting every owner of an RX to get their cars in for fitment. Meh. Did they say which April exactly?

Bit late in replying but glad it was a simple fix! Most of the leads off Amazon etc are junk - I’ve replaced quite a few after they’ve failed to charge. I’ve got some braided ones in both cars now which seem to be lasting better.

I was chatting to a new Merc SL owner a couple of days ago. 5 days. Leave it for more than 5 days without running or charging it and you can’t even get into the boot. I’ve used an Optimate conditioner for cars before - very good. If I leave the Lexus for a loooong time I’ll be plugging one in. But it won’t really need it cos it’s a Lexus 😎

Great pics. LC doing what an LC does best! Just back from Portugal yesterday but I took the Kia - bigger boot, more dog friendly. I'm thinking of LC plans for the summer though, definitely.

That fluff in the phone socket does kick the phone out of carplay and the car then reverts to it's native screen - it's done it on my Kia and the Lexus - well worth checking - I even tried a new cable and a wireless carplay adapter (which was rubbish) before I realised what caused it. Siri must already be enabled for me as it works on mine for making calls via my contacts list. If you also lose google maps and/or apple maps as well as your music app it's got to be either the electrical connection between the car and phone or a car software setting surely... but as far as the car goes I haven't seen anything settings-wise in the menus that'd help.

I use Spotify and Waze on an iPhone 13 and I do drive in countryside areas with little or no signal but have never had this or my Kia drop out and revert to the factory fitted nav or music. It’s an odd one - I wonder whether there’s a setting in the phone or car that needs changing. Mines 2021 and yours is 2022 so I’d think tech wise they’re identical. It’s not the cable connection is it? I’ve had problems before with a dodgy connection - I used a paper clip, shut my phone off and dug out a ball of fluff from the inside of the FireWire socket on my phone!

Completely agree. A proper manual is a thing of beauty… even if as a man I refuse to read it. OHs Honda has an online manual accessible on the cars screen, or at least it did until Honda reset the software… Bearing in mind the money these cars cost a manual should be part of the ownership experience.