MadJam250

Good evening all. Just taken my CT200h in for its annual service at local main dealership (who are excellent, BTW) and asked to have the tyres rotated to even-up wear a bit. The ones wearing most were moved from the front to the rear. Since then the road noise is more noticeable (almost like a wheel bearing issue and/or not properly balanced, like a thud, thud, thud sound ); gets louder the faster the car goes and extra noticeable in EV mode with windows down. I've allowed the tyres to cool and all were a little over inflated so have adjusted that accordingly to see if it affected the noise, but it's no quieter. All 4 are Yokohamas but there are two models of tyre (same model pair on each axle). Not sure whether to leave as is and just get used to the new sound or go back to the dealership and have them returned to how they were. Is this common to hear this? Any views would be much appreciated to save my sanity. Thanks alot!

Ah, that's interesting. I haven't heard that, til you posted that. Did you receive a letter/email to that effect?

Me too, albeit by email, not a letter. My next service is due by the end of the month so not sure if there's leeway on when that can be done as I don't want my extended warranty to be run void.

Quick update. My heat shield has been affected by some damage, according to the technician, which has made the centre mounting bolt unusable. Due to this the shield is apparently not covered under warranty. As there are still secure bolts (intact) either end of the shield attaching it to the chassis I'll probably just leave it or source a quick/easy fix to secure the centre again. The heat shield itself is fine so I'm reluctant to fork out £187 for a new one, so long as it's not an MOT failure; I'd be amazed if it was.

I've been hearing a few knocking sounds on my CT lately and took it in today for investigation. Everything is fine bar the aforementioned heat shield corrosion problem. The rear can be fixed with larger washers, again as said above, but the centre section is hanging loose in the middle. £188 quoted to rectify. I too have just extended my warranty for 2 years and looking at the documentation it states that the exhaust system is not covered. I would argue that the heat shield is not part of the exhaust system; it's a safety part/feature to shield the heat from the exhaust off the fuel tank. The exhaust system failing has nothing to do with the heat shield, it could be argued (and vice versa). Will see what my dealer (who is excellent) says but will argue the point if it's not covered, especially too as it clearly seems that the heat shield mounting system on the CT is not fit for purpose if there are numerous examples of many corroding so easily.

Probably a silly question, but it's not stuck in Sport mode is it? Sport mode stiffens up the power steering.

Driving a hybrid, with a 'thrashy' ECVT gearbox is quite different to normal/conventional engines plus you don't get the usual oomph that a diesel gives you. However, stick the CT200h in Sport mode and it's nippy and fun, as it is gliding around town in near silent electric mode. It's very effective at motorway cruising and allows for a less stressful drive overall, I feel. A test drive is a must. And, ignore the professional reviews; I was so put off the CT due to such biased negativity and then started listening to the owners who are far more real in their reviews. Let us know how you get on. 😊

Assuming your car is over 5 years old, you could opt for Essential Servicing costs for a major service which would be circa £300. Adding coolant change and plugs on top shouldn't cost you more than £450 all in? Worth asking and haggle the cost down.

My insurance sky rocketed too for no obvious reason that I could see. At my last renewal it had dropped a little, thank goodness. Enjoy your day out and drive home tomorrow 😊

Apologies for hijacking this thread.. My 12m warranty is coming to an end soon and I've been offered an extended Lexus warranty for 24m which is being advertised as 24m for the price of 12m @ £495 with the option to spread the payments interest free over 12m. Seems this deal is advertised online to all and not just a select few. To include breakdown cover etc this isn't too bad a deal but as Lexus are generally very reliable I am also half tempted to gamble not taking this out (I can get breakdown cover cheap anyhow). Obviously it's like any warranty/insurance and always a risk; if it was an Alfa, say, then rejecting a warranty offer would be madness but maybe not so with a Lexus? Mine is 5 years old, btw. What do others think? Thanks.

I think the camera and/or sensors is a nice to have but by no means an essential need, personally. I have a camera (and sensors) on mine (2014MY Advance Sport, incidentally) but still find, through habit, I use mirrors and looking over my shoulder more than relying on the camera. Each to their own really.

The DAB tuning is indeed a puzzling pain and Lexus' Achilles heel. If they could improve on that then it's pretty hard to fault overall I'd say. Rear legroom is a bit cramped and some improved storage, for rear passengers, would be welcomed. I've had mine for almost a year and will be putting up a review of my first year of ownership soon.

Welcome back. I 'defected' to the Germanic dark side myself a couple of times and also realised I was wasting money and getting fed up with spending too much time and money taking my car to and from the repair shop. When I regrettably sold my last Lexus (2006 IS250) a few years ago the sales adviser at the Lexus dealership said I'd be back again one day and would be welcomed. 2.5 years later, he was absolutely right, on both counts. For overall reliability, quality and superb customer service I genuinely can't think of a brand that can beat these high standards. Enjoy the CT. It'll be a different driving experience for sure but a fun and interesting one.

Seems to be a common fault unfortunately.

I have a 2014 model and unable to get the system to allow me to show received SMS too. As many point out, the synching, comms and DAB tuning etc for Lexus is just poor.. to me it's just about the only issue I have with my car. Re SMS again, having had this setup on a non Lexus car previously, I personally felt it was an unnecessary and dangerous distraction so I haven't pursued investigating this further. I can still sync on Bluetooth to make/receive calls and to date this has failed (in operation) just the once in last 12m so I'm personally content with that. Your local dealership may be able to advise if you still want SMS displayed.

Brilliant review by Basil.

I have a 2014 (face-lift) Advance Sport with all of those requirements. The Sport bit only added some black wheels and carbon-fibre interior inlays. So my guess is an Advance model will suit. Basically, go for as much kit as you can afford really. Good luck!

Superb. Great colour combo too.

Not anymore 😊

Listers Cheltenham.

Quick update. Back to dealer again and a quiet, dry environment allowed the technician to hear the noise. Turned out to be a loose resonating piece of plastic housing for the air flow to the air filter box. My guess is when the part was possibly remove for some recent air con condenser work it wasn't secured properly when reassembled. A few new clips and it's back to normal and no more rasping vibration. As always the dealership was as helpful and courteous as ever. Love my CT 😊

Back for further investigation yesterday and nothing obvious can be found that could be leading to this. The bad weather didn't help for demonstrating the sound to the Lexus employee. They've checked the whole exhaust system and heat shields etc. It's likely the sound is just normal.. and we all, as owners, know that hybrids do make noises that 'normal' cars don't. As always, can't fault the dealership. Free lift to and from work, free wash and vac and a warranty claim to update the satnav as the original had occasionally glitched. Recent major (60k) service was reduced also. This is why Lexus keep winning awards.

Well, it's had its major service now. I pointed this out and they sent the usual video walk around saying that all of the exhaust system and hoses and heat shields etc were fine. I can't hear it at higher speeds or with windows up. Performance and fuel economy isn't seemingly affected so I guess it's just the standard sound unless something else is vibrating. Does anyone else hear a rasping sound from their CT200h engine on acceleration (with windows down)?

It could be the brake pads moving slightly?

Where is the click coming from?