ES350Bob

I just had a loaner and it too had wind noise issues approaching 45mph, it is called buffeting by the dealer and it was used to compare my "buffeting" in my vehicle.
I am from now on going to refer to the wind noise as excessive buffeting rather than call it excessive wind noise because somehow it seems the dealer thinks it is ok for a Lexus owner to have a vehicle with buffeting when you as an owner would typically call it excessive wind noise.
I suggest others that have this issue also complain about excessive buffeting and not use the term wind noise.
That's 2 dealers who have used the exact same terminology to explain away what those of us who have it know as excessive wind noise.
So use "excessive buffeting" in describing your wind noise issue if you have this issue, it will make things easier on you and the dealer because no matter who would call it excessive wind noise, it will be labled buffeting.

cocopops

iTrader: (1)

Is the dealer gonna do anything to fix it? I just had a short drive last night and discovered a slight wind noise as well. Iwont classify the noise as excessive as its not very loud. I might just bring it up with my dealer when i bring it in for the 5k service or if I hav time to burn and am in the dealer area.

ES350Bob

Coco,
There is nothing slight about this noise, except maybe the begining of it around 45/55mph or so. Maybe you don't have it, but get up to 65mph if you can and see, it will be unlike other cars you have driven if you have it.
They said they could do a test on it but that it is buffeting so that makes me think their minds are made up it is a buffeting thing for which there is no repair would be the end result.
The first dealer said nothing short of a design change would get rid of it but that was only after I pushed that it is not normal and is unlike any other car I have ever driven at speed after the claim it was buffeting and there was nothing to be done about it, normal operation of the vehicle.

Tammy

Buffets on mine with the sunroof open and the windows closed. Seems to minimize when the rear windows are down slightly.

ckon

This is the type of buffeting that ALL cars do under varying conditions, some more, some less, some a little and some a lot.

This kind of buffeting isn't related in any way that I know of to the noises coming into the cabin with ALL WINDOWS CLOSED TIGHTLY. It's simply a function of the internal volume and shape of the cabin and the pressure created therein when there's only one opening into the cabin and no way for the pressurized air to escape.

I hope this isn't what the dealer thinks constitutes the complaint. If it is, it makes me wonder about the dealer.

ES350Bob

Tammy,
Most cars I have driven have had the same thing you describe with sunroof open or even slightly open and you are right about having rear windows down lessening that.
I think it's normal for it to happen with sunroof opening and for the reasons Chuck posted, all cars with sunroof I have driven have done this.
Mine has "buffeting" with all windows closed and sunroof closed and some of it was minimized by my elderly father's can do attitude where he reseated all the window and door gaskets but it is still present to a degree more intense than any other car I have ever owned.
He had pulled down the window gaskets and then let the window go up and seat the window gaskets that way and it helped somewhat.

wanderer99

Wind buffeting - that's a nice name. Why is the wind 'buffeting' our cars at 60kmh+ when no other cars have this problem? The RX350 I had for two days this week didn't have any 'buffeting' at 120kmh. Exactly what is being buffeted at 60kmh? Maybe the seals that aren't sealing perhaps?

ES350Bob - If you really want to see what your vehicle can sound like for just a few mins without the wind noise coming in at the top and rear of the front windows, then do what I did. Get some painters tape from Home Depot and gently tape up the outside of your entire window. Go for a drive and you'll discover serenity that you never knew your vehicle had. The quietness and peacefulness is addictive actually. Then remove the tape and return to reality. It's also embarassing driving around with tape on your window, but then atleast you'll finally know if its your window not sealing properly that is your real problem.

ES350Bob

Wanderer,
I don't need the tape to know it is the windows and sorry to know you have this issue too.
I have something my elderly father did you may wish to try which managed to minimize the sound though it is still present and worse than other vehicles.
He had me roll down the windows and he took the window gaskets at top of window and pulled them downward out of their channel and then had me slowly roll the windows up to let them set the gaskets back into their channels, he also fussed with the gaskets on top of the door, but the actual window gaskets resetting is what I think helped.
He then said now go drive it and I was skeptical he achieved anything, but he darn sure did, it is less than before and the worst of it where it sounds like a high PSI air gun nozzle is only present intermittantly.
It is a pain in the rear to do this for all the windows but it may minimize yours too but not rid it of it as you deserve in a vehicle.