IS_Willie

Repeat after me... "the search function is my friend" Remote battery replacement

No, I never felt any problems at all accelerating that I've noticed. I haven't had any engine lights come on or any other problems. I just decided to take it into 30K service as the time was right. I use premium gas every time I fill up and synthetic oil changes every 5K miles, and I don't tend to accelerate or decelerate quickly (I tend to do more highway driving than city driving), so I don't understand why it would happen so quickly. I spoke to my independent mechanic after getting my G35 back from the dealer, and he told me that in his experience, carbon is not an issue on most cars till at least 60k miles. I personally think that you'll be fine not having it done.

Hey rookie... I found this during a Google search. It seems like a pretty thorough chain of command, if you are serious about getting an issue resolved: I would raise my complaint(s) in the following order: Sales/Service Rep Sales/Service Manager General Manager Dealership Owner Lexus USA Regional Rep (they usually visit the dealership once a week or so) the dealer should provide this contact to you. Lexus USA Regional Manager Lexus USA HQ (Torrance CA) 800-255-3987 e-mail link:http://lexus2.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/lexus...

IMHO, I don't think that in that short time you have a carbon problem. The injectors and throttle body do need to be cleaned occasionally, but this is also easy money for the dealer. You might try getting a second opinion from an independent, if you know of a reputable one. Do you feel that you have experienced a decrease in performance, or something that would cause you to think that more than the standard 30k service is needed? I had a G35 before I got my IS, and I was having some hesitation when accelerating. When I took the car in for it's next service, at 45k, I told that to the dealer. They wanted to charge me for injector and throttle body cleaning. They originally quoted me $145. I told them that I would have a private mechanic look at it, and they ended up cleaning the throttle body for free. I had no problem after that. You have to realize that the dealer is always going to try to maximize his profits. It's just business. Now, that being said, if you take the car in due to a known problem, and they tell you, "(X) is what is causing the problem, and (X) is what we have to do to fix it", then you would probably want to have that service done.

That's kind of odd. My dealer told me before I even drove the car off the lot, when I made the purchase, that the brake pad swap was available if I didn't like how much dust was being generated. It's funny how cheap some of the dealers try to be... which REALLY hurts them in the long run. Are there other dealers in the area?

I noticed the same thing anywhere on the plastic part of the door panel where my skin comes in contact. The natural oils in the skin must have that effect. I have been using The Wax Shop's LRV, (Leather, Rubber, Vinyl), for all of the plastic surfaces. As paradigm mentioned, I don't use any type of conditioner on the clear plastic, nor do I use any on the faux burl wood.

Very well done rookie... really thorough, with lots of great pix. Thanks very much!

For what it's worth, I was offered, and accepted a plan that added $12/month to my payments, ($576 over 48 months), and covers all of my oil/filter/air filter maintenance for the full 48 month term. As I only drive 6-7k per year, by the time I am ready for a new car, I should have less than 30k on the car, and won't have had to put any further $ out for other maintenance, barring any unforeseen problems. It's a bit more than going to a private mechanic, but if I get two changes per year, it averages out to $72 per service, which I believe is less than an oil change at retail cost at the dealer.

No. Even the OP isn't sure that it's not in his head!

...and here we are, full circle, right back at the comedy!

Poor guy just loves his car and here we are giving him a hearty razzing. B) If he only knew that the car was broken in, (rather than into), by the 1,000 mile mark! I know that my car felt tight and a bit slow for the first 700 miles or so, and I thought I had made a mistake in buying the car. But since the break-in period, it accelerates just fine thanks! No where near a beast tho. My G35 was heavier, but a good deal quicker... but of course it had 100 more ponies too.

No worries rookie... I didn't want to assume that you did, or didn't know the dynamics of the brakes. Looking forward to seeing some pics!

First, wassup rookie! Welcome. Ok, now to your question. It is totally normal for front brakes to wear quicker than rear brakes. It is simple physics. In the act of braking, the weight of the vehicle is pushed forward, causing the front brakes to do the majority of the work. I would guess that most people have their front brakes serviced about twice as much as the rear as a rule. Likewise, since the front does the most work, the pads wear quicker, causing more dust to be created. The front pads are not faulty, our cars simply come stock with a softer compound, allowing for quicker braking. What they were talking about in the other post is that there is, I believe, a TSIB allowing you to go to the dealer, tell them that you don't like the amount of dust being created, and they will, under warranty, free of charge, change your pads on the front to a harder compound that will not result in so much dust being created. If what I read in the post to which you refer is correct, it doesn't include the '08 MY, but ask anyway! The worst they can do is say 'no'. Keep in mind that you will sacrifice a little bit of braking performance if they make the swap to the harder compound. Your rear pads, I would guess, are working just as hard as they were designed to work. If you compare the front and rear rotors on most cars, you will see that the front are usually a bit thicker, and larger in circumfrence because of the increased demand placed on them normally. Hope this puts your mind at ease!

I guess that depends... just how many times has it been broken into?

I think that what was meant was, the order is missing from the system on the computer. In other words, the order never even went in.

If you are dead set on the one you originally ordered, then I think your request for a loaner until your car arrives is not out of line... however, you ordered a base model IS. It's not like you ordered some combination of color/accessories that cannot be found. I would think that the dealer would at least offer to hunt around at other dealerships to find what you want for immediate delivery to your home, for the trouble they have caused. As SW03ES correctly stated, mistakes can be, and frequently are made in life. IMHO, I think that you should swallow the feelings of victimization, and go at the dealer with possible solutions. Let them know that you feel that they need to make it right, but also offer your suggestions for what they can do to accomplish that for you. Also, be sure to make contact with the Customer Satisfaction Rep. at the dealership. They are there to make sure that the customer is happy, and, at least at my dealer here in So Cal, they do a spectacular job. Then, if you still do not get satisfaction, you can always elevate to the corporate level. It is really in the dealerships best interest to do what they can to make sure you are happy. They are BIG on repeat customers, as well as word of mouth referral. Good luck to you!

It sounds to me, based on your time crunch, that your best bet would be to go down, pick out an IS on his lot that is closest to what you ordered, and require a hefty discount for your inconvenience.

I believe it is a scam... but just for s**ts and giggles, I wrote to the person to inquire about the car, and payment method required. This is what I got in return: (within about 5 minutes) "Hi, Thanks for taking a part of your time and visiting my ad 2006 Lexus IS IS350. I sell it at this price ($9,500) because i just finished the divorce with my husband.The reason for which i`m selling my 2006 Lexus IS IS350 is because i want to move further on with my life after my divorce,and let go of all the memories that me and my husband had.This car is in excellent working conditions, no scratches, flaws or any kind of damage, slightly used in 100% working and looking conditions and comes with a clean title.The car has 32000 original miles.This car may be purchased with money back guarantee.In summary you are permitted to buy and drive this car for 5 days or 500 miles. If you donʼt want the car, you can return it to me for a full money refund! From the begining you have to know that for the payment I request only secure pay, I prefer the ebay. It is simple and is great for both parties so that any lack of trust is eliminated. I will wait your answer(if you are interested to buy) very soon. Thanks, Diane Dawson" It doesn't sound right to me, but hey, all you have to loose is $9,500!! ;)

It also looks like they, (Lexus), are gearing up to expand the model line to include a reintroduction of the IS 300, (mid-range power between the 250 and the 350?), and potentially three Coupe models: IS250/300/350 Coupes

Absolutely true. I got one to drive the last time my IS 250 was in for service. It is a pretty quick little SUV. Here's what Edmunds has on the RX350: Performance Acceleration (0-60 mph): 7.3 sec. Base Number of Cylinders: 6 Base Engine Size: 3.5 liters Base Engine Type: V6 Horsepower: 270 hp Max Horsepower: 6200 rpm Torque: 251 ft-lbs. Max Torque: 4700 rpm Maximum Payload: 1399 lbs. Maximum Towing Capacity: 3500 lbs. Drive Type: FWD Turning Circle: 37.4 ft. ... and on the IS250: Performance Acceleration (0-60 mph): 7.9 sec. Base Number of Cylinders: 6 Base Engine Size: 2.5 liters Base Engine Type: V6 Horsepower: 204 hp Max Horsepower: 6400 rpm Torque: 185 ft-lbs. Max Torque: 4800 rpm Drive Type: RWD Turning Circle: 33.5 ft.

Your "pause" button is the on-off.

I think that it's like many other mandated safety devices... the running lights may make your car more 'visible' when there are only a fraction of the vehicles on the road that have them, but once ALL cars have them on, no one car will be more visible than another. Third brake lights are another one of those kind of devices. Most all cars have them, and I'm not convinced that they make brake lights any more noticeable, once everyone is accustomed to them.

I just had that very TSIB fix done on my car, and it makes all the difference!

Gotcha... thanks Knight. None of those are issues for me, and I think that DRL are a good idea, but again, it's all personal taste. It seems that many manufacturers are now setting up their cars with running lights that are always on.

Wow. speaking of offensive... THAT'S offensive!! :o