Lexus, part of Japan’s famous Toyota company, are now recognised as one of the top high end car brands in the world. Over the last twenty years they’ve managed to rub shoulders with some of the more established European makes of car, such as BMW and Mercedes Benz. The IS from Lexus is a series of luxury compact executive vehicles that’s been available since 1998. These cars are renowned for their good, solid performance and are known to be very reliable on the road, with few common faults. However, as with all vehicles there are a few well known problems with the car, which we’re taking a look at in this article.
Coolant Pipes
Coolant pipes supply the fluid necessary to keep the engine running at a stable temperature. There is a known problem with this system on the Lexus IS. Take a look under the bonnet of the car, at the front left hand corner of the engine. If you can see some pink staining around the pipes in the area, then you’re probably looking at a leak from the coolant system. This is most likely cause of this fault is a fatigued or damaged coolant bypass hose. This can be replaced easily and will solve the issue – if you do notice this problem and fail to address it, then you could well be looking at more advanced failures within the engine itself over time.
Clutch and Flywheel
As with all cars, the clutch and transmission on the Lexus IS is a high wear part that’s especially susceptible to fatigue. If you notice that the engine or the clutch are juddering as the car pulls away under acceleration, then this is an early warning signal that you may well have problems with this unit. The usual culprit it the flywheel, although the entire clutch may need to be changed. This is a difficult job that requires a large amount of engineering and mechanical skill. If you think that you’re having this issue, then we’d recommend you get your car checked out by an authorised dealer, who will also be able to repair the car if necessary.
Shock Absorbers
If you’re hearing a very gentle knocking sound whilst driving your Lexus IS, particularly when negotiating bumps or holes on the road, then you’ve probably got a problem with your shock absorbers. You can test these parts by removing them from the car and checking that there is play in the plunger, which should offer resistance when it’s pushed into the unit, and then it should return to its previous position when left alone. Although these parts are reasonably expensive, you may be able to save yourself some money by fitting a new part yourself.
Rear brake callipers
There is a known problem with the rear brake callipers on the Lexus IS. This can be checked by driving the car at low speed and putting it into neutral – if the car coasts along normally then you know that everything is fine with these parts. However a sudden deceleration accompanied by a squeaking sound from the rear of the car could indicate that these parts have worn prematurely. Again, although these parts may be a little costly to replace, you should find that you can replace them in your home garage.
Summary
If you are experiencing problems with your Lexus IS then one way to always save money when looking for replacement parts is look on the second hand market. You may be able to find good parts for your car at a very reasonable price, thus saving you money on any repair you have to make. Of course, you’ll still need to have a good amount of mechanical knowledge, especially if you’re looking to perform a clutch change on your car, but many of the simpler jobs can be performed with the right tools and a bit of common sense.
For affordable replacement engines, gearboxes and more, check out our new and used Lexus IS parts page.
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