Lexus hybrids must be magic, I've had diesels for many years and the engines have been fine and very reliable. Oh and no cam belts needed on my Mercs though the Volvo does have one.

I think a ten year old Lexus having done, and intended to do, only six thousand miles a year, is unlikely to need many expensive repairs or servicing in the next ten years, as long as attention is paid to underbody corrosion. I would expect it to be at least as durable and trouble free as our relatively downmarket twenty year old Ford Focus.

Oddly enough the Lexus hybrid do not seem as reliable as the Toyota, particularly in the GS450h.

On the whole though they are still well built, reliable cars.

Battery packs are generally proving reliable in them and I've seen 15 year old ones going strong. The good news about the Toyota hybrid batteries is you can usually get them repaired rather than having to replace the whole thing.

Just remember though that battery packs degrade rapidly past 7yrs of age and replacement isn’t economically viable on a ten year old car.

With an annual Hybrid Health Check (available separately or free as part of a service) Lexus will warranty the drive battery for > 15 years.

I personally wouldn’t buy one unless you’ve an independent nearby who specialises in Lexus/hybrid/prestige brands. These aren’t big sellers and most independent garages will have never worked on one let alone have any specialist tools or diagnostic equipment.

Surely, if it is one of the more mainstream Lexus hybrids (IS, RX, GS etc) any Toyota dealer would be able to service it?. After all, the self charging hybrid system works in exactly the same way on both brands. In fact, isn't a RAV4 hybrid mechanically identical to a Lexus IS300H? (I know the CT200H is exactly the same under the skin as a Prius or Auris hybrid, but from what I remember of the OP's previous post, he was more interested in a bigger car).

Just remember though that battery packs degrade rapidly past 7yrs of age and replacement isn’t economically viable on a ten year old car. Economy won’t come close to matching advertised figures, often you’ll just be towing a heavy hybrid power train and power pack around for little benefit on a ten year old car.

As for (hybrid system) battery degradation, researching online suggest there is no specific age or mileage this can start to happen, it just depends on how the car has been used (though it certainly can last up to to 200k miles). However, because a self charge hybrid looks after its battery much better than an EV or PHEV, and, as mentioned, Lexus will warrant the battery up to 15 years subject to the annual health check, I don't think there would be too much to worry about on a 10 year old car with full Lexus history.

(should the worst happen)I can't find out what a replacement battery actually costs (assuming it can't be repaired), but seeing as we are talking about a hybrid rather than an EV (therefore the battery isn't actually that big), surely it can't be that expensive relative to the battery on an EV?. Also, a 10 year old Lexus hybrid can go for more than £15k, so with both of those factors in mind, is it really going to be uneconomical to replace the battery?.

As an interesting(?) alternative, there are YouTube video's showing that replacement of a Lexus (IS300H) hybrid battery pack is eminently doable for someone reasonably competent at DIY. Most importantly, there are very clear instructions on how to discharge the high voltage wiring system (then how to check that it actually has!), other than that, just nuts and bolts really, along with some electrical connectors (lifting the battery out from the boot is a 2 man job).

A good friend has a 2009 Toyota Prius and it barely hits mid 40’s to the gallon average which is barely better than my petrol 2010 Toyota Avensis estate.

Unsurprisingly, one of the tell tale signs of battery degradation is poor (or poorer) mpg as obviously the battery isn't contributing as much as it should. This would appear to be the case here, the real mpg section of this website suggests a Prius of that age should do 10mpg+ more than your friend is getting.

Edited by badbusdriver on 25/07/2021 at 10:38