RayIS

hi guys,

im currently in an IS 250, but I'm upgrading soon to something with a bigger engine in the Lexus lineup. I love the IS F but am a little hesitant to buy yet due to financial worries. I wanted to get some feeedback from owners about regular maintenance costs and whatnot. How often are you replacing brakes? Is there any common problems with them? How often do you go through tires? I know the reliability is superior compared to its German comps, but I'm currently a student and don't have endless money to blow on car repairs. Also I'm from NJ so a RWD car scares me a little bit. If any of you own one and have experimented with winter tires I'd like to know what you think of it's performance against winter.

jcunc05

Got my 08 ISF in July 2015. It had new brakes and rotors. My last oil change, which runs about $50-60 a pop in Nebraska, Lexus said I need new front pads and rotors my next oil change. So my front pads and rotors will have lasted over two years with spirited driving more often than not. The rears are still fine.It'll be over a grand if you have Lexus do the install. Also just got a new battery at lexus which was $192 installed. Weird it was only two years old. My wife's 04 GX470 battery lasted 12 years.....

bnizzle87

Brake rotors and pads, along with oil changes and tire replacement, should be the usual suspects when it comes to maintenance on these cars. Brembo rotor replacements are quite affordable now that the vehicle is discontinued, which is a bit odd to me, but I wouldn't be one to complain about lower prices available for our car parts. Pads are subjective to your tolerance of brake dust, noise level, and performance. I am running Textar, which has been noted as an OEM brake pad for street and track purpose, and I can live with the brake dust, but I NEED the initial bite. That's always been most important to me. Cost wise- very affordable and comparable to the IS250's maintenance schedule and costs. The kicker....oil changes. This beast takes 9.8 quarts. Not entirely a problem, but it is about double what you'll be used to in filling the engine oil for your IS. Some of us have done oil analyses to see how long our oil change intervals can be prolonged, with a few hitting north of 12k miles in between oil changes. I'm currently at a 10k interval, and that's with some track days and spirited driving each interval. I personally go through tires maybe every 18 months-2 years for street driving. It's not a huge deal, since it's a high performing vehicle, but tires for 19'' wheels can get expensive, especially if you're going with something like a Michelin Pilot Super Sport or soon to be Pilot Sport 4S as your tire of choice.

Common problems on the IS F- if you're purchasing an older model (08-09), there were some items that may need to be looked at, such as the water pump, radiator fan, engine harness, and currently the airbag recall. Otherwise, there really isn't much wrong with the car on a mechanical level. This is a big thing to note, since the competition always seems to have issues, whether within or beyond a warranty. Since you're thinking about purchasing an IS F, I for one will say you're less likely to incur something major that will break the bank versus had you gone a German route.

There have been a few college students (and even some HS students) who've been looking at the IS F. All I can say is that if is financially responsible in your personal life to own one, I say go for it. I'm not talking just the cost of the car and maintenance solely. Insurance, keeping a sizable emergency fund in case you need to replace a part, modding (if need be), and gas....these are all factors that will dictate whether you're ready right now or maybe you'll be ready in the near future. Forget the Lexus name. Forget that the IS F will probably be even more limited when you are ready to purchase one, whether now or later on. Forget that your friends may have cool cars now. Focus solely on what works for you. I know some owners who weren't ready to handle the associated costs of owning an IS F and moved onto the non-performance variants of the Lexus lineup, and yes traded an IS F for say an IS350 F sport or IS200t. I also know owners who have ISx50's and want an IS F and are constantly asking me on help on which one is right. There should be no hate or prejudice either way. But wanting a car is a lot different than being financially stable to own one without negatively impacting your life.

This isn't a "YOLO" moment where it's now or never. The car should still be in the used car market for some time, though it appears less gems out there, as always the case. Focus on the budgeting first, and the decide if this is the car that's right for you. And once you can answer yes to being able to afford a V8 engine that gets 16-20 MPG mixed and eats up tires and drinks a lot of oil, then my next piece of advise is to go with a color combo that you want. Often owners regret their car purchase because it was the wrong interior and/or exterior color. Needless to say, research it ad nauseum and purchase the one that's right for you.

Best of luck to you!

PatrickISF

If you do a search you'll see plenty of these topics related to maintenance and common issues. Biggest issue in the 2008 model was the water pump going bad. Valley plate leaks seem to be across the board and seems to happen around the 60-90k mark in most cars. That fix can easily run you $1200-$1600 depending on the dealer.

General maintenance is oil every 5k miles which runs you about $60-$100 which, again is dependent on the dealer. Brakes are $1200 for the fronts if you go the dealership route. Most people will change them out themselves since you can pick up front rotors for around $200-$250 and pads between $200-$300. You need to factor in gas. I usually get 220-260 miles on a tank depending on highway/city driving. So you'll be going to the gas station more often than your IS250. You also need to factor insurance. While insurance isn't really high for this car, you need to factor in your age as well.

I will give you sound advice. If you are worried about the costs of maintenance and repairs then this isn't the car for you. This is a performance car and even though the ISF across the board compared to M3's and other german rivals is more reliable - you still gotta pay to play.

semnosNSX

As others have said, if you do a quick search, there are a TON of threads on this exact topic. The way I see it is, if you have to ask how much it cost to maintain one, you are *probably* not in a position to be buying one. Don't just pull the trigger on one because you want more power. Make sure you are financially stable first. Just my .02.

Vitveet

Doesn't look like the timing is quite right for you to get this car. Last thing you'd want is for something to happen and you can't afford to fix it and make your payments. I say save up a bit.
But all the answers to your questions have been answered tons of times! Do a quick search and you'll find your answers!

V.

jdmSW20

iTrader: (12)

yeah I have to co sign this one. the car almost takes car of itself like most in the lexus lineup, but it might not be time yet to jump on one if repair cost has you hesitant. you don't typically hear about catastrophic failures with these but when repairs are needed it can hit the wallet sometimes

jeffery305

If you have doubts or concerns then it's not the best time. Having concerns because your a penny pincher and like to save money and the idea of a car payment is one thing but when it comes to being worried how you would of survive a month that you have to do some repairs or maintenance means your not financially in the right spot yet. Having to wait longer does suck but being broke or stressed about money is a whole lot worse.

Vitveet

Excellent response! All the truth👍

V.