I have a 2008 Lexus IS250. VSC and engine are flashing. Can a good mechanic fix tthe problem or must I go to dealer?

Asked by Roxee Dec 05, 2015 at 11:11 AM about the 2008 Lexus IS

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Lexis dealer installed new battery a year ago.  Recently it died and had to
have a new one installed.  I heard a ticking sound while driving so returned to
dealer who advised I had a cracked belt and tensioner which needed
replacement at cost of $1200.  I took it to my mechanic who checked and
found nothing was wrong and the dealer was only out to sell me unnecceasy
and costly repairs.  Will never return to dealer if I can help it.  in the past, I
have always had dealer repair problems at high cost and now that it is too
late, I am questioning if they're re indeed necessary.

3 Answers

FordNut answered 8 years ago

Your Lexus has timing chain, so the dealer must have been doing the serpentine belt. You got taken to the cleaners big-time. Shame on them. A good shop can fix your car, and a serpentine belt costs maybe $100 (very high estimate) and takes 15 minutes to install. Add new tensioner and time/labor -- maybe another $200 on top of that. Now, there is nothing wrong with your VSC, Vehicle Stability Control. Whenever the OBDII detects anything amiss in the drive train the ECU automatically shuts off the TRAC and VSC so no non-driver input is applied to any wheels, brake or power.... which is what VSC does. But this still does not answer why the CEL, Check Engine Light came on in the first place. A crack (if it ever had one) in the serpentine belt will not throw a code. That needs an OBDII scan

10 people found this helpful.
Mark helpful

FordNut answered 8 years ago

Re-reading your question, I assumed you paid the $1200. I misunderstood. But good for you, didn't fall for that. Your mechanic is right

10 people found this helpful.
Mark helpful
20

Guru9YF6P answered 6 years ago

Just replaced a battery on 2009 Lexus IS250 and it was fine until the next day. It didn't start and noticed smoke. Could it be the Serpentine Belt or Alternator?

2 people found this helpful.
Mark helpful

Your Answer:

Related Questions

IS

Looking for a Used IS in your area?

CarGurus has 5,218 nationwide IS listings starting at $850.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

2008 Lexus IS

Write a car review

Review another car

Shortcuts

Search Lexus IS Questions

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    jdm4life3818
    Reputation
    1,880
  • #2
    Joshua Schultz
    Reputation
    1,430
  • #3
    PrinceCharles1980
    Reputation
    600
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Lexus ES
450 Great Deals out of 8,396 listings starting at $1,995
Used Lexus GS
90 Great Deals out of 1,069 listings starting at $1,650
Used BMW 3 Series
1,135 Great Deals out of 12,792 listings starting at $996
Used Toyota Camry
1,955 Great Deals out of 34,773 listings starting at $500
Used Honda Accord
1,487 Great Deals out of 29,326 listings starting at $500
Used Lexus LS
114 Great Deals out of 1,761 listings starting at $3,000
Used Honda Civic
1,264 Great Deals out of 28,800 listings starting at $800
Used Lexus RX
833 Great Deals out of 14,486 listings starting at $1,400
Used Mercedes-Benz C-Class
942 Great Deals out of 17,432 listings starting at $875
Used Ford Mustang
923 Great Deals out of 22,585 listings starting at $783
Used BMW M3
51 Great Deals out of 1,091 listings starting at $12,000

Used Cars for Sale

2024 Lexus IS For Sale
1,537 listings starting at $40,085
2023 Lexus IS For Sale
10 Great Deals out of 369 listings starting at $35,315
2022 Lexus IS For Sale
11 Great Deals out of 233 listings starting at $28,569
2021 Lexus IS For Sale
21 Great Deals out of 514 listings starting at $23,999
2020 Lexus IS For Sale
9 Great Deals out of 169 listings starting at $21,495

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.