Hello All,

The road to my first Lexus was a fairly short but painful one. I had a 2012 Kia SX Turbo that I loved. Friend worked for Kia so I got a friend and family discount. I found out about a year later that my wife was pregnant and we were expecting our first child. I decided to sell the Kia and buy something for cash to get rid of the payment since I was working from home 4 days a week and was not driving much. I got enough cash back on the Kia and bought a 2005 Infiniti I35 with 124k miles. That turned out to be a mistake. The previous owner did not take good care of it I found out. Here is all I did to my "no payment" car over 16 month period:

- Replaced the battery and tires (I knew the tire issue going in).
- Replaced an engine mount.
- Replaced a wheel bearing.
- Replaced all 4 struts.
- Had to do spark plug replacement as it was never done at 100k.
- Had to replace the alternator when the car died on me while going 70mph on the freeway.
- Found various used interior pieces to fix a botched audio install job by an installer (after I bought the car).
- Car started peeling badly after I bought it. I had it repainted so It didnt **** me off every time I saw it.
- Car starting burning oil. Replaced valve covers and seals. That stopped one leak. Car still slightly burnt oil.
- Transmission started to shift a little hard. Changed out transmission oil every other oil change.

I am sure there is more I am forgetting. I did most the work myself. Basically car became a bit of a nightmare. Fast forward to 4 days ago. I have just moved from Austin to Seattle and I pick up the car for the shippers. When I turn on the engine, I get a relay clicking (like the sound you get when you turn on the blinker) even though no blinker is on. It goes off after 45 seconds and then the doors auto locked. Wierd. I drive around shopping to find a rain jacket for this new weather I am getting used to. As I am turning left across traffic out of a parking lot, I lose all acceleration. All kinds of lights on the dash come on. Thankfully I was turning at a light so I had a protected left. If I hadn't, I may have been side swiped pretty hard. I limp to another lot and turn the car off. I read the codes on my scanner. I get a throttle position sensor voltage error. I restart the car, drive around the lot for 5 minutes, and take all surface roads home.

At this point, I have lost all faith in this car and I am worried about putting my 7 month old in it. Plus I no longer have the facilities or time to do a lot of mechanical work myself. I decide its time to give up the "no payment" and get a safe and reliable car. It has to be certified and have a good warranty. I want a car that is a similar size of my I35, so I test drive a 2008 Infiniti M35, a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid (not a bad car actually), and a 2009 Lexus ES 350. I am looking for something that will be safe, reliable, and comfortable for a crappy Seattle commute. I also fractured my back in 2 places in high school so good seats are a must. Anywho, I fell in love (and so did the wife) with the ES 350. Car has 54,000 miles and has a 6 year 100k CPO warranty. I swear the car looks new. I love!

The only things I plan to do to it are add a bluetooth aux device for wireless streaming and add a backup camera mirror at some point. Anyways, I just wanted to pop in and say hi. I just read the last 15 pages of this forum so I may have some more questions later

 

Actually, I have one question before going to bed. What is the best way to take care of these leather seats, especially the drivers side? In my Kia, I would use Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner on them about once a month. Any other tips?

 

The leather on almost all cars is coated with polyurethane. This protects the leather. So a vinyl cleaner will clean it the best. Leather cleaners tend to be weak and take much more effort to be effective. Then a wipe with a water dampened cloth to remove excess vinyl cleaner. Then an application of 303 aerospace protectant. Amazon carries it and has lots of great reviews. Put down a couple of towels as protection from baby seat marks and spills. Clean your seats every 4-8 weeks ideally.

 

Leatherique.

 

That is a great tip about the car seat. When I removed the base from the Infiniti it had left an indent.

Any recommendations on cleaner? I was thinking about using

 

Lots of positive reviews. Worth a try!