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Lexus IS 250 Basic Maintenance Questions

20 messages,  Last post on Nov 28, 2007 at 10:15 AM

You are in the Lexus IS Forum.

What is this discussion about? Lexus IS 250, Lexus IS 300, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 2

#11 of 20 Re: Lexus IS250 AWD [kcleuk] by ajmtbm

Jul 14, 2007 (8:18 am)

Replying to: kcleuk (Jul 13, 2007 4:13 am)
i had to replace one of the potentzas and it cost me $300.
 
ive seen some for various prices, depends on what you get. porbably can get a set for $600 or so i would think.

#14 of 20 A note to answer your maintenance cost questions by dontbuylexus

Jul 26, 2007 (6:22 pm)

kclecuk,
  
You stated in that you were looking for costs of the maintanace to know what to expect.
  
These prices are very high. I have been surpised as an IS250 owner consistently over the past 18 months with several unexpected issues. Lexus has always found a way out of their responsability. Lexus treats me like an HMO trying to get out of a claim.
  
When I presented to them the poorly designed brake issue, they blamed me and my driving. I have been driving several cars ofer the past 20 years and all of them got over 60k out of the rotors. My IS only gets 15k and new brakes are $600. That is excessive to me, but even more offensive was that they blamed my driving. Later after searching on the paid subsription service of TIS (techinfo.toyota.com) where mechanics get specs from Toyota, I found a memo which states that the design of the IS brakes is considered "high friction" and "would show a greater amount more wear than a conventional system."
  
Whether it is BMW, Volvo, Acura or any reputable company, I would not only research the car, but the corporation itself. This was my mistake with my purchase. Lexus seemed to me to be a reputable company but they kept too many secrets about their new lines. Now I am seeing why.
  
Please learn from my mistakes and make the corporate attitude one of the major facors in your purchase. But still the choice is yours.
  
Daniel

#15 of 20 maintenance elsewhere ? by peterusa

Jul 27, 2007 (10:58 pm)

Currently a Honda Accord owner, and thinking getting the IS250. Has a question about maintenance. I can get all maintenance for my Accord in any repair shop around the street corner, is that true for IS250 ? (of course, I understand that there are bad repair shops, but also there are some better than the dealer, but one thing normally true is that they are cheaper)

#16 of 20 Re: maintenance elsewhere ? [peterusa] by dontbuylexus

Jan 12, 2012 (5:32 pm)

Replying to: peterusa (Jul 27, 2007 10:58 pm)
You can service it anywhere, but I have had Lexus get funny about it threatinging that if I have a problem, that will be why and therefore not covered under warranty. They fight me on everything.
 
Are you aware of the true costs of the maint. of the IS? I looked into Honda and they told me that a normal service is $38. The IS is from $215-$1125 (every 5k). And you will be changing the OEM brakes every 15-20k (normal driving) at $600 a pop. They are starting to make aftermarket rotors (Centric and EBC) now for the IS but I have not fully tested them (I think it will be ok) but again Lexus will not warranty my brake system now. (service break down here:
 
My friend had the Acura TL and she was in love with it except the navi software.
 
True I totally love the styling of the IS, but if I could buy over I would buy something with less maint costs and a nicer more honest corp. like the BMW, Volvo or Honda.
 
Read the buying exper posts on how Lexus was fighting me on everything and my maint costs.

#17 of 20 Re: maintenance elsewhere ? [dontbuylexus] by jzalkin

Jul 28, 2007 (9:58 pm)

Replying to: dontbuylexus (Jan 12, 2012 5:32 pm)
" The IS is from $215-$1125 (every 5k). "
 
Not sure where you are, but you are getting ripped off for service. I have over 23,000 on my IS250 and have payed no more than $117 for a service and much less if I ask just for an oil change at the non major 5,000 points.
 
"And you will be changing the OEM brakes every 15-20k (normal driving) at $600 a pop"
 
Over 23,000 and breaks are going strong.
 
Sorry you have had a bad experience, but one case does not make a standard. Lexus has bent over backwards on everyhting I have requested so I can recommend them without hesitation.

#18 of 20 Re: maintenance elsewhere ? [jzalkin] by dontbuylexus

Jan 12, 2012 (5:34 pm)

Replying to: jzalkin (Jul 28, 2007 9:58 pm)
I'm not sure where you are either but this price sheet is standard for all Southern California Lexus Dealers. I'm not getting ripped off on my service since I get it elsewhere for $65. I only got ripped off on my purchase. If you read the other posts you would see that Lexus sees it fit to adjust its scale to the income of the area. $215-$1125 in Orange County Ca, $277 in North Texas and $85 in Iowa.
 
See for yourself: (why is this so hard for people to understand when it is printed in black and white by Lexus themselves?)
 
And your brakes probably are at the end of their life by now at 23k (max) and you surely have 2mm of dishing on your rotors.
 
See the Lexus secret maintenance document on the brake life:
 
I also included a shot of my rotor dishing for you. This is how your brakes probably look like now. Go out and look at them.
 
BTW, after 20 years of driving in every climate from New York, to Seattle, to California, to Phoenix, to Bangkok, and driving BMW 330i, MB C240, Mustang GT, Honda CRX, Lexus ES (95), two Toyota Trucks, Maxima, Prelude, Suburban and a Porche. I have never had the brake rotors go before 60k, so its not me. Its the IS. Lexus admitted that they are designed to wear prematurly. That IS a fact.
 
The point is that, yes you hit the nail on the head. I did get ripped off. It was when I purchased my IS250. That is the point that im trying to make. So you get $117, and under, for your oil change. I get the entire service for $65 just not at Lexus because they do charge $215-$1125. They are price gouging. So for eveyone who keeps saying that they have never had problems, I say you are fortunate that you have not had to deal with Lexus Corporate. You dodged that bullet. I prefer to let the buyers in this forum know what all of us in So Cal are dealing with and it might be coming to a city near you because most companies use So Cal as a test market. The buyers can accept the kudos you have and the documentation I have and make their own decision if they are going to buy or not. That, dispite popular belief, is what these forums are really for, to gleen information before a purchase. This forum is not for creating a happy place for all the Lexus zealots to feel good about themselves and their car and attack the dissidents.
 
If they are looking for the latter, they can log onto the owners circle and discuss how happy they are about their car, I'm sure Lexus will be thrilled to hear about it. But this is not fantasyland and I deal with reality. Just because a person has a great time with their car, does not make it right for them to attack those who did not because they want only happy thoughts here. It just shows immaturity.

#19 of 20 Thanks to dontbuylexus by cc2718

Sep 08, 2007 (6:52 pm)

Thanks for the honest and detail information about the brake. I was about to leave the house to buy an is250 and decided to google "lexus is250 changing oil" because I always like to change oil myself to save time (I spend less time to change it than the time to drive some where to get it changed). You message was the first hit and it changed my mind completely and I decided not to buy it.

#20 of 20 heat by ajmtbm

Nov 28, 2007 (10:15 am)

Anyone else struggling with the heater settings.
 
i live in the northeast and i usually leave the temperature at 72 degrees year round. here are the issues i seem to be having:
 
*even when the system automatically (or i manually) set the airflow to the floor, quite a bit comes out of the top stacks, and while my feet are cold, my face gets way too hot. if i turn the temperature to 70 my feet freeze, especially the left one.
*when on dual mode, i set driver to 72 and passenger to 78. my left foot is now ice cold.
*by hand (im trying to figure out a way to measure) it seems that the right side yields much cooler air than the left when set at 72.
*closing the top vents help, but when it is a little warm in the day i have to always open and close. kind of annoying
*summer / hot temperatures are no problem at all. just when it gets cold.
 
i have had other vehicles where when the heat is on, it is bottom only, like it should be. also, with auto temp the upper air is usually a bit cooler, never hot, but here on the IS i get hot air from the top which is particularly annoying (especially when my foot is cold).
 
i asked the dealer about it last winter and then said since i kept it at 70F thats why my foot was cold, system was OK. going to 72 helped my feet, but now i get a face full of steam.
 
the only thing i can see as a potential root cause is the difference in temperatures between the two sides. these should be the same if both sides set the same, no?
 
thanks for the help, obviously i would like to get as much info as possible because i know the dealer will look at me like i have 6 heads and tell me the system is fine.

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