Notamech

Also maybe double check the parking brake is off and try again. Its easy to forget especially if coming from a car with electronic parking brake or a hand operated ones. Also you could try going for a test drive of any random IS thats selling close by to see if the noise is normal. I definitely dont get a groaning noise from simply steering the car at low speeds. There is a groaning noise (sounds similar to the noise in your video) that comes from the rear brakes when creeping in slow traffic that is normal but it involves pressing the brake pedal.

Using your warranty is an option. But the issue is a dealership will charge you their hourly rate for diagnosis. A couple of years ago i remember lexus Twickenham wanting £198 to diagnose a noise i had. If its an issue covered under warranty then they dont charge you. But if they deem it to be normal/ a non issue or an issue not covered under warranty (for example some brake components may not be covered) then you have to pay the diagnostic charge.

It sounds like brake noise to me but best to get it checked if you're concerned. Only thing is how will they check it? Will you have to drive down to them in Scotland? Or is there some arrangement where you can take it to a local service centre to have it inspected/fixed? This is generally why i dont think its a good idea to spend thousands before making sure you're completely happy with what you are buying. Anyway it doesn't sound too serious the only things it could be are steering suspension or brakes. But if it were steering or suspension i feel like the noise would be present all the time at all speeds. With brakes different speeds can create different sounds and this one sounds like the sound i sometimes get when turning in the mornings. But mine happens only when the brakes are applied at low speeds.

Is that sound only when you hit the brakes? If so it might be normal. Could be a variety of reasons like the original shims are missing or someone did after market brakes and used cheaper parts like those from euro car parts. Something that can be fixed the next time you get your brakes done.

Seems like thats no longer sold. Something like this should work instead it looks pretty similar. Basically you want to avoid an AHD camera those done work on our system. You need CVBS. You can just use double sided acrylic tape to stick the metal frame of the camera in the space between the numberplate lights. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Backup-Reversing-Waterproof-Rearview-Viewing-rear-view-camera/dp/B07WPYJMSQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=AAKBL203M5EV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QuBmRMITXSOvLe-aye6otI2JY9c_n2DzMO7FapMaqPgPsbQVITFFWPKBIwBmI91MzoNKm9Zeo8cOlymFofueMMWBH2H9ak22f6ptaS7mq0-Cffv_PEH9feOTfefKhQiRkWtm-tsfOzc6wVUmYMupyVRkEoInH5u5GpXoEM4D_zid1A33P74OeU42IYkUIBQuHr8F2qJPvu_u9Y4zm4yeJQ.JhDfOsHAX7J3oMgnshO5cfrG5Mcmlw6C4ogEzwHKJb0&dib_tag=se&keywords=lfs+reversing+camera&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1727029654&sprefix=lfs+reversing+camera+%2Caps%2C241&sr=8-3

Sadly thats been the story of lexus hybrids since forever. They deliberately use small low capacity 12v batteries perhaps to keep costs low or maybe they genuinely think more powerful batteries are not required as their function is limited to security and booting the computer. As a result every sub forum is filled with stories of hybrids with failed 12v batteries. When i bought my is300h it came with not the original AGM battery but with a regular Yuasa lead acid battery and i have never had issues. I have even let it sit for close to a month without any issues.

On the reverse camera you could follow the tread i shared earlier and just install a generic chinese one from amazon. It works...gets the job done.. from what i have seen the original one isnt much better in terms of quality. Basically our ISs have poor resolution screens so a high quality camera is pointless anyway. Plus if you wanted to install the original you would need to cut the sheet metal on the boot lid to make place for it.

Could be...i can't tell for sure from the pics but looks like the one on the door is intact but the one on the wheel arch has come off?

Congratulations! Hope you enjoy your new car. Those touch ups could be something a previous owner did. Im guilty of rough touch ups too as i cant stand stone chips so i dab a little touch up paint to protect it and also take your eye off it. I feel its better than the stone chips for sure. Also that mark looks like the transparent plastic anti stone chip sticker was removed and the glue left a mark. Most ISs have this as the rear wheel arches are a bit flared near the rear door which makes it very susceptible to stone chips so most people buy the "protection foil" sold by lexus as an official accessory. You will need to polish out the stains. You could try some t-cut and elbow grease.

Yes in theory. Also guidelines state that it shouldn't be an MOT fail if the wheels are pointing straight.

I agree with this. As its just a top up that too for around a week 5w40 fully synthetic is fine. I think the manual also states that its fine to use other specified grades temporarily but then to revert to 0w20 as soon as possible. As far as why your engine oil was low. I guess it could be a multitude of reasons including the fact that some amount of oil consumption would be normal and fall within spec. I think ~1l per 1000 miles or so if the car has over 50k miles.

Are you sure the luxury variant comes with adaptive dampers? I feel like you cant flash it because the tuning is in the hardware i.e a different set of springs and dampers on the luxury variant vs f-sport and premier variants.

I tend to agree with you the basic idea of driving means we should be focusing on the road rather than on the fancy tech. But i guess its a balance between what is useful vs what is just fancy gadgetry and it will be different for different people. Also i think its about what we've grown used to. I always thought i needed a reverse camera but now that i have one i find it easier to reverse without the camera. Its still useful to see obstacles that would otherwise be difficult to see but it doesnt help with parking at much. My wife on the other hand who is a relatively newer driver has really figured out how to use the reverse cam to align the car perfectly.

I don't see why not. As long as it has the factory loom in the boot and it has a navigation system

I fit an aftermarket camera to my exec variant without having to drill holes etc. The aftermarket one plugged in to the factory wiring loom so it kicks in when you put the car in reverse and appears on the factory screen. Here is the thread on it if you're interested. https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/145607-rear-camera/

Putting down a deposit to reserve the car is fine. I wouldn't recommend buying it without actually seeing it. Lexus dealer or not sometimes things arent what you expect. At the very least i would recommend organising an independent inspection with AA or similar and ask them to check the underside and also take photos to point out flaws in the interior exterior etc.. Especially since you're buying a car from Scotland those cars get exposed to a lot of road salt and rust really fast. Also i think it would fall under distance selling but best to clarify with the dealership if they're fine if you reject the car in case of anything glaringly unacceptable. Also if there are small issues normally the dealership say come to us and we will fix it which in your case wont be possible because of the distance.

I agree....but given the low price difference today for these close to 10 year old used cars. I think it just makes sense to buy one that has everything. A lot of these features e.g memory seats , auto mirror dipping when reversing, blind spot monitoring etc are extremely practical and useful. So why not have it when barriers to access arent too high. I agree that todays cars have ADAS features that may be an overkill in some cases..

Absolutely agree...this is very evident with car journalists bashing lexus hubrids for having an ecvt just because they are used to downshifts in german cars. But to be fair that noise does sound like you're pushing the engine too much...sometimes i feel sorry for it. I imagine the sound is more pleasant on a v6 hybrid like the GS450H or the RX450h. But in terms of acceleration I've never found it lacking in any way.

My recommendation is wait a bit if you have to save more and get the premier variant that has everything. The price difference is 1-2k but its worth it. I bought an executive to save a couple of grand and there are features that i do miss and feel would be nice to have e.g auto mirror dipping when reversing. Ventilated seats ML sound system etc. Now if i want to buy a premier i will have to shell out ~4k after selling my car. So i should have just spent 2k more 2 years ago. So i would recommend not making that same mistake.

Depends what youre looking for. Nothing wrong with the CVT. Its just that when you put your foot down it takes some time to get up to speed and during that time you just hear a loud groan from the engine that makes you feel like its struggling. But in my experience for normal street driving you cant really feel it that much. The only times i have really felt it in the is300h is when overtaking on motorways. I once even turned on the ASC to mask the engine noise on the motorway. Other than that the eCVTs used in toyota hybrids are ultra reliable and can go without oil changes really long. They're very simple and almost never go wrong. So if you just need a car to commute you will be fine. Infact in sports mode the is300h does pack a punch but its just the noise when you put your foot down thats a bit annoying.

There are toyota lexus workshops that are authorised workshops i.e they are not dealerships that sell cars but only service centres e.g Lexus Hayes , Lexus chalfont & st.giles. they are cheaper than dealerships for repairs but for servicing lexus has a fixed price of ~350 for a minor service and ~550 for a major service and this price is the same across. But for repairs prices vary e.g i got my waterpump fixed at lexus hayes for ~320 ish whereas lexus twickenham which is a dealership wanted ~420.

I think you need to erase the codes after cleaning. They probably only cleaned the fan and filter but didn't erase the codes? Or was it not there when you picked the car up and it re-appeared later?

I use an old bedsheet along with an old rubber floor mat under the seat i do not use anything behind and its been fine so far.

Most warning lights on your dashboard will result in an MOT fail. Even if its a TPMS light let alone a warning indicating steering malfunction. While in theory you are right that its a fail only if the wheels arent pointing straight. I am not sure if this is one of those up to the tester type of situations. In either case sounds like the 450h f sport version is best avoided

Some amount of pulling left is normal i reckon due to the roads being banked that way for drainage. Also how much pull you feel varies from car to car. In my opinion the IS steering has a bit of a wobble / pull under certain circumstances. Perhaps watch this video hopefully it helps you diagnose if its even an issue. Another thing to check is if at somepoint aftermarket parts were used in the suspension. If someone checked it and said its fine they may mean that its not leaking broken etc...but if its not original it can cause problems.