Kaius88

Im no lemon expert, but Lexus explained to me that in California it has to be "safety related" and they have to have attempted to fix it 3 times and failed. Assuming it is proven that the rattle is potential safety hazard and they fixed it three time and failed, then you are certainly entitled to the buyback. But keep in mind, in california a buyback is treated as a trade-in when you exchange for another model like the GS. This means you have to pay 100% of the sales tax on the new GS as well as title and licensing. So the best case scenario you will be out $4000. If you ask for your money back under lemon law, there is discount taken on the value of the buyback. Ya i think it's unfair, but it clearly says in your lemon law booklet. If you are determined to get out of this vehicle, then losing a few grand$$ is not gonna deter you.

RobF350

I wonder how many of these buy backs were blessings in disguise for people who came to realize they wanted a GS instead?

ES350Bob

dunno,

This is my understanding of Lemon Law and is from having a conversation with my state's Lemon Law info line.

Anything that is either a safety issue OR anything that devalues the vehicle is covered under Lemon Law, 3 trips to dealer is all that is required.

A chronic rattle would fall under the law as it devalues the vehicle in comparison to other vehicles free of that defect. Needing welds or any work for that matter same area, same complaint, third trip in or fourth trip certainly would qualify for putting Lexus on notice by filling out the form you got at purchase and mailing it to them and let them know that you did that when you first contact them.

There should be a phone number for your state's Lemon Law info line provided in materials given you at time of purchase. Call them up on Monday to just get a feel for your situation and I believe you will be very happy after talking with your state's info people.

As for techs viewing your car then finding out over the phone: at least they said take it for body work though you should have been given the correct info about thier involvement.

And the window comments should be taken lightly IMO because the C pillar is part of the rear window frame. The C pillar joins and forms part of the roof as well as the metal flange back glass sits on. They may have just called it window frame but since it includes areas mentioned, they are in the right area more or less.

PDG810810

Exactly right! At the time I ordered my ES UL the GS 350 was not available and indeed I was not even told it was coming. I really liked the GS at the time but the price difference did not warrant the car based on features & HP.
There is a silver lining in every cloud as they say!

dunnojack

I had the tire pressure antenna replaced during the first round.

It is rattling in the same spot. I can feel the vibration when I put my hand on the spot.
Right now, the dealer is cockblocking me, refusing to remove the headliner again to get to that spot. I suspect they did not replace the antenna properly the first time or put in the bolts backwards, because the very next day after repair, it rattled just the same. I can somewhat understand why they'd be reluctant to remove the headliner, because it takes 100 steps; you have to remove everything but the steering wheel. The procedure is ridiculous.

The dealer is treating my car like a lab rat. They have this stupid protocol they follow that doesn't even address the root of the problem. They did a sloppy job twice.

Now the dealer wants to remove the glass and weld the blue line area below, when the metal-on-metal sound is coming from the red spot. They didn't even bother to check.





All this repair is psychologically stressful.

twister

You are looking at one here As PDG mentioned, GS350 was not available in June/July when I got me ES350. Plus it was out of my budget, at that time, so I didn't even test drive it. After two failed ES350 trannies, when I got a chance to drive GS350 demo for 2 days - I felt in love with a car. I found in this car all those elements that were missing to me in ES350 (AWD, 303hp, superior handling, wider tires, sportier, 7" touch screen audio/climate/bluetooth in non NAV/ML, etc.). In NJ, you only pay difference in price and tax on that difference. My dealer even waived registration fee on a new GS350, and I ended up paying a total of $5k to move from ES to GS. ***DISCLAIMER*** I'm writing this reply for a benefit of the original author of this thread and as a reply to RobF350 question, and NOT to show off as some of you mentioned in previous threads

osokuko

Buybacks: I didn't know all that, maybe going for a replacement car would be better, no costs to you and no licensing costs instend of upgrading to a GS?

dunnojack

It's a dilemma. Going for a replacement car could mean getting one with a transmission flare. That would defeat the whole purpose of a buyback.
Lexus still makes buggered es350 transmissions, and you can't tell that you have a botched transmission until months after purchase.

I hate both problems, but if i were forced to choose, I'd pick a rattle over a flare.

ES350Bob

dunno,

I saw the diagram, blue line area, I'm sure that when they have the car taken apart inside they will be able to see and then secure all areas.

NOTE: The body shop guy I dealt with told me to be VERY aware that whoever handles this type of thing better know what they are doing or else you can end up with a botched exterior paint touch-up job. Dealers send these types of repairs to a reputable body-shop and this is one of the reasons in order to try to avoid this as well as skill at addressing damaged uni-body areas, in this case missing weld not caused by an actual accident.

dunnojack

I was told that only a dealer can initiate a buyback, and it doesn't necessarily have to be the dealer you bought it from.

I've already called corporate, and they can't deal with me directly regarding this issue.


for you guys who've gone through this, did the service dept handle it, or the sales dept?

ES350Bob

What???

Corporate is who arranges the field tech to look at your car for non-compliance which is required in order for you to get a buyback, the vehicle case manager who should have called you back initiates all this.

UNLESS, they have changed things because we have had others state the dealer told them to contact corporate because the customer initiates it. I contacted corporate on my former, they directed everything though nothing came of it.

jjbodean

that is correct, we just did a buyback that was originally purchased from another dealer

ES350Bob

jj,

Do you know if something has changed and now the customer does not contact corporate directly about their vehicle concerns any longer or maybe it is no longer that either could have but now just dealer, and which department at dealer, sales or service to do this?

dunnojack

So you're just the messenger. No cost out of your pockets right.



I still filed a complaint through 1800 25-lexus. They can hear and document your complaint.
But what the rep seemed to say was that the paperwork would have to go through a dealership first.
They are by law, not allowed to deal directly with customers about buybacks or something.

ES350Bob

They did with me, if i'm not mistaken with numerous others as well as far as initiating it all and steering it. Now that is not to say a dealer also could not have inititated it from the start too as for Twister it seems. I think it just depends or it used to anyway.

As far as final paperwork, maybe that part makes sense but getting the whole process going used to be able to start it all with a phone call from you to corporate and you get assigned a vehicle case manager who steers the whole process.