I Recently (2 weeks ago) purchased a second hand 2014 Lexus is300h in good condition with only around 110,000 kms (70,000 miles). Drove smoothly and pre-purchase inspection came up all clear. Was just driving today and my car started displaying a Check Hybrid System warning telling me to stop my car in a safe place. It also came up with the orange triangle as well as the orange engine light. I briefly stopped my car, restarted it and cautiously drove home. Is it safe to drive the car to a mechanic/dealership tomorrow? or should I get it towed? What are some issues that could have caused this problem and are they very expensive to repair?

Cheers!

 

Welcome to the forum!

Depending on the specific issue you may or may not make it all the way to the dealership.
After the restart if the warnings were gone, I would take it to the dealer as soon as possible.
If the warnings were still on, you could try driving it there, but keep the tow truck number handy just in case.

Without knowing what the issue is it's hard to say what cost would be like...it could be anything small or large that needs fixing.

 

Thank you for your help!!!

The warnings are still there after restart and I gave a few nearby lexus dealerships a ring. They all said they were swamped with work and the closest avaliability for repair is 30th of May. However, I will need a car to drive in the meantime. Should I just try a trusted local mechanic or should I always go with dealerships?

 

You could try a local mechanic and see if they can check what trouble codes are in the vehicle at least.
That should give you an idea of what the issue is even if they can't fix it.

 

What was is it in the end same experience 2014 Lexus Is300h took it to Lexus they are replacing the hybrid battery. was under cover as I did a hybrid battery check which can enable warranty till 15 years since registration of car

 

did you find out what was wrong?

 

The 12v battery (small normal one, not the huge one for the motor) will fail somewhere between 5-10 years and this will cause the check hybrid system light to come on. Under $500 easy to check.

 

I checked the voltage on the 12V battery it was ok and not sure why that would cause the issue I know removing the 12V battery for a minute and plugging it back resets the warning

 

The 12v battery is required for the car to operate in EV mode (for reasons I don’t fully understand), so if the 12v fails it will trigger a check hybrid system warning. There are threads on this in ToyotaNation forum also Reddit.

This happened on my 2014 hybrid last year on the original 12v battery and replacing it fixed the problem. It’s an AGM battery so not cheap but under $500. Since it’s not used to start the ICE it lasts longer than a normal car battery.

Possibly take the battery out and have it load tested at an Auto Zone or similar, they’ll do it for free.

Theres also the Dr Prius app which will read Toyota hybrid codes, you’ll need a special cable.

 

Please tell me more about this! I have an old hybrid and a new one would love to extend the battery warranty.

 

But lexus says its hybrid battery and they replaced under warranty im collecting my car tomorrow thanks for that info though