Bought my 2017 Lexus LC500 used about a year ago now for around $64,000. It had around 100,000 km (about 62,000 miles) on it, and this forum/community honestly helped me a lot in making the decision, so I wanted to give something back and share my experience so far.

I believe this is one of the earlier LC500 models, and I don’t think 2017 version was sold in North America.

Here are a few things I’ve done so far:

1) Carbon fiber steering wheel
I installed a carbon fiber steering wheel that cost me around $460. I was a bit worried that the finish/color would not match the car well, but I ended up being very happy with the result and also with the seller.

I first found the product on eBay for a slightly higher price than AliExpress, but the reviews on eBay looked good. Then I contacted the seller on AliExpress and found out it was actually the same seller, so I went ahead and ordered from him.

Originally, I wanted the top part of the steering wheel to be Alcantara, but I was worried the color might not match properly, so I decided to keep it like you see in the pictures. Installation went smoothly with no issues. I had it installed at a local shop for around $40.

Link:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/910...515e1802jFTuCB





2) AC vent / diverter issue
I had an issue with the AC diverters/flaps, which I think is a common problem on these Lexus models. Part of the cooling was being lost because of it, and it was very annoying.

Unfortunately, the dealer would not fix it under warranty, even though all maintenance was done with them. To be fair, the car is a 2017 model, so I can understand that. The repair at the dealer was going to cost around $2,670.

After a bit of searching, I found a shop that could fix the issue without removing the dashboard trim. They replaced the faulty diverters with genuine dealer parts and repaired everything from the footwell area. The whole job took around 1.5 hours, and so far it has been working perfectly with no issues.

3) Front camera / parking solution
Coming from previous cars that either sat higher or had a front camera, I never really felt comfortable parking this car without one. Judging the distance was always a bit annoying.

I saw some great topics here about possible solutions. One of the easiest options was a camera connected to an app, but I did not really like the idea of having to open an app every time and wait for it.

So I looked at two other products:

The first one replaces the rear-view mirror with a unit that installs directly in place of the original mirror. It looked interesting, but the installation seemed a bit too complicated for me, so I decided not to go with it.

Link: amazon.sa/-/en/dp/B07KGH7DQF?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_4

The second product is a small screen that plugs into the cigarette lighter, with a wireless camera that I wired through the fuse box. I keep the screen inside the glove box, and when I need it, I just open the glove box and check it there since I could not really find a better place for it. One nice thing is that the screen can support more than one camera, so I may later add another camera and use it for more angles.

Link: https://www.amazon.sa/dp/B0DR1MTVRM?...sin_title&th=1So far, the setup has been useful, but I ran into one strange issue: when I turn on the ignition only (accessories mode), the camera works perfectly. But once I fully start the car, the camera turns off, and I have to disconnect and reconnect the camera power wire at the fuse tap to get it working again. I’m planning to ask the seller about this, because I’m not sure whether it’s related to the type of fuse I selected or something else in the setup.









4) PPF experience
The car came with PPF on it, but unfortunately it did not seem to be a very good one. It had been on the car for around 3 years, and with the heat and sun here in the Gulf, it started showing problems. I did not notice that when I first bought the car, but later I was not comfortable with it.

I was hesitant to install another clear PPF. For my use, it felt a bit too extreme, and in a real impact I do not think it would make a huge difference anyway.

Because of that, I tried a colored PPF from Sonic Protection. The material itself was relatively cheap at around $1,000, and installation cost me another $800.

After installation, there was visible color mismatch like in the photos. I got worried and contacted the company, and they told me they would replace it for me. Still, I was not comfortable with the product, so I removed it from the car. Right now, the replacement PPF is sitting at home, and I still have not decided whether I want to install it or not.

What I’m still trying to understand here is: how do you know if a PPF is actually good quality or low quality before installing it?
How can I judge whether the product itself is good or bad? Is it mostly about the adhesive, the brand, the finish, the warranty, or something else?

I also wanted to ask if low-quality PPF can actually damage the paint over time, especially because of the glue/adhesive. I installed it and removed it once already and did not have any issues, but I am still worried about the long term.

Also, after the install/removal, for some reason I started getting wind noise from the right side of the car. At first I thought it was the rubber seals, so I bought new ones, but unfortunately that did not solve it. Now I suspect it might be this specific trim piece, but I am not really sure how to deal with it.








quality issues :




I am thinking the air noise is from this part :




5) Apple CarPlay / Android Auto update
When I bought the car, it did not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. I found some local shops here that offer an update/install for it, but they warned me that it was originally meant for a close model year and that there was a chance of issues.

It was something I really wanted, so I went ahead and did it anyway. In the end, it worked about 95% perfectly.

The only issue that showed up is with phone call audio on Android phones — for some reason, calls have no sound. On iPhone, everything works fine. Just my luck, because I personally prefer Android, and so far I still have not found a solution for that issue.

To make better use of Android Auto, I also bought a wireless dongle, and thankfully that has been working really well.

https://www.amazon.sa/dp/B0CNPHRL1N?...fed_asin_title

6) Things I’m planning next
The car had run-flat tires, and they were really bothering me, so I replaced them with regular Hankook tires in the same sizes. Unfortunately, it seems the issue I was chasing was not caused by the tires.

I found a very helpful topic here where someone had a similar experience, but in that case the fix was the ECU. Coincidentally, I had a computer scan done before and it showed an ECU issue, so I’m thinking I may try replacing it with a new one.
Topic link: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lc-...and-fixes.html

I would prefer to buy a used ECU, but most of the used ones I found are in the US, and I’m a bit worried that if I buy one, pay for shipping, and it does not solve the issue, I will not know whether the problem was the used ECU itself or simply that my car had a different issue.

Another thing on my list is the rear third brake light on the roof, which seems to have the common vibration/rattle issue. I tried replacing it myself, but the screws were rusty and the threads were no longer holding properly. I bought extra screws and I’m currently waiting for them to arrive before I continue with it.

Sorry for the long post I just wanted to put all of my experiences in one place in case it helps someone else, and also to give back a little to this great community since it helped me a lot when I was deciding to buy the car.

 

What color is your LC500?

 

It’s red , I actually really like the color, but since I was planning to install PPF anyway, I thought it might be fun to try a colored one for a while and then remove it later just for a change.