dunnojack

well, I never asked to get engine noise fixed, and I've accepted it as "normal".


What pisses me off is that Lexus has bent the rules and backed out on their own word as soon as they found out that I may be pursuing a lemon claim.
They're using the dealership to do their dirty work.
Before i screamed lemon, the dealership was willing to work with me and take the time to look at the car.
Now, under the direction of Corporate, they've locked up tight as a clam, reassembled my car quickly, and have told me to take the car home.


I never though the word "lemon" would have such an effect.

garsarno

I rememebr a guy with a 1978 Corvette Indy Pace Car model that had parked his new defective car in front of the local GM office in Bufflalo, NY with sign in windshield "Lemon for Sale" and taped copies of letters to GM outlining the problems with the car. Car was parked out there for a few months and then the car was gone. Do not know what happened. I can imagine me driving through our local mega multi car dealership (local Lexus location) roads with signs in window "Lemon for Sale". If you are on the move, maybe they can't do anything to you.

ES350Bob

As I said, I noticed a total 180 when they knew for certain I was not budging on wanting either "a replacement or my money back." I only used those words never said Lemon.

I think you should go ahead and make an appointment to ride with a tech to duplicate the noise. Just scourt around the dealership and look for driveway inclines you could approach at angle etc., that always sets it off, or maybe a brick street to set it off, or for weather at or above 82 degrees when it is nearly constant in my experiences except for really smooth roads.

Before you do that though, did you ever do the 2nd test I told you about?

If not you REALLY need to do that one too on your own and then again with tech in car.

You need to stay on this because it's current service history will be used AGAINST you in a trade situation, anything they are telling you is normal, anything they claim they cannot duplicate will be used against your vehicle if trade figures are asked for by any other dealer including another Lexus dealer.

djr

If they think that you are pursuing a Lemon Law case, they don't want to feed the fire by giving you any more ammo, i.e. service receipts, than they have to; that's a paper trail. I would try another dealership. Don't tell them the complete history, just tell them the current dealership isn't "addressing you concerns" to your satisfaction. Hopefully you will be able to replicate the problem for the second dealership. Another suggestion would be to bring it to an independent body shop & pay out of pocket to have it fixed. It sounds ridiculous, but if that solves the problem, you may end up saving alot of time, energy and stress in the long run.

sdbrandon

The rattle sounds very bad. Like body flexing?

I never heard a car make that much noise. Especially a luxury car. I am shocked they are giving you grief.

All the rattle issues must be costing a fortune to address.

ES350Bob

I think there are more out there than we know, my first and second had/have this, that's how I was able to coach dunno on how to test for it, the pound test and also the 2nd test I suggested he do, to demonstrate to dealer.

My current sounds just like his, with former slightly worse than his recording especially worse as time went on, as his will worsen more miles and my current will too with more miles.

ES350Bob

I know you meant well with this suggestion but the cost to him for taking it himself to a body shop and out of his pocket would be well over a 1,000 dollars due to what has to be done in prep, the actual welds, and then put back in return condition. Pay for an estimate-professional opinion from a body shop, maybe, and take that to dealer but not the work for that kind of expense on a brand new car.

dunnojack

Bob, what was the 2nd test? I don't remember.




Cost? zero..... since they've refused to fix it until they hear it with their own ears during a test drive with me. They're playing dumb and saying they can't duplicate it.
They want me to jump through this last hurdle. But I'll play along.

I'll keep you guys updated about any other tricks they play. This could be fun.

ES350Bob

First, consider this: since you had been in a loaner for a few days while you "thought" they were addressing this....maybe they did have a body shop rep give them a price and it scared the you know what out of them and so now they cannot duplicate??? Very strange they have had your car for days, or did have, and all of a sudden this cannot duplicate stuff even after Lex tech told them to send it out for body shop work. The price may not have been approved when they called Lexus back for authorization, it would have been, will be over a 1,000 dollars and they may have balked at paying it leaving the dealer to deal with you over the issue remaining unresolved.

2nd test: get car up to 30 mph and then roll back windows down, ONLY the back windows, both of them, then again one at a time, as though you are clearing the air in the car after being behind a diesel bus with fresh air intake on, and listen for loud metal on metal/glass combo noise over the typical deep base sound that happens when you do that otherwise. if present place your recorder in same spot as you did for other recordings and record that too.

You will hear an awful base tone like sound, that is normal, but the metal on metal and/or metal on metal with louder than usual scratchy glass sound is not normal and is what you are trying to listen for over and above the awful base sound.

ES350Bob

I think he meant generally for rattle removal.

If I remember right you let us know you were given a service receipt where it showed the cost would have been 777.00 dollars in one failed attempt to silence rattles over a month ago and that was in house at a Lexus dealer and yet the cost shown was that high over a rattle repair.

This one you have now, have had all along, is far more expensive than that prior cost structure to deal with.

dunnojack

lexus hq field tech service told the dealership to do the spot welds a couple weeks ago.

The same lexus hq field tech service then did a 180 this past weekend, and told the dealership not to do the spot welds........ until the diagnostic technician hears it with his own ears.

Lexus hq field tech service did a 180 degree after learning that I may possibly pursue a lemon buyback.


I'll test this out as soon as I pick up my car.

What is the idea behind this test? Do you have any idea why this technique would make the rattle?

ES350Bob

I just found out it does duplicate it by actually having done that after being behind a transit bus.

In your case, why not just demonstrate the pound test on your car for service manager when you arrive at dealership, they will not be able to ignore it and less work for you than driving around with a tech.

dunnojack

Here's the stupid thing.

They know about the pound test. That's what they've been doing for the past 2 weeks. They've confirmed the pound test. They hear the rattles while pounding. They've seen my videos.

..... But it all doesn't count, according to Corporate.. because the sound is not confirmed while driving. For this reason, they can't authorize the repairs.

Yeah. They added the "while driving" stipulation just these past few days, under direction from corporate, and the dealership is playing along and playing dumb, saying they can't hear it while driving. I doubt they even took the car out for a drive. It's been sitting in their parking lot this whole time.

So now I have to go kidnap one of the techs to listen to my rattles with their own ears. This is the extra work they're making me do.

ES350Bob

Wow, I did not realize they were being that devious about it.

That does suck that they are so pitiful they pretend they cannot find the source of it without a drive as though something like that is normal on any car under any circumstances.

I really think you will find out it has had an estimate provided by a body shop and that cost is over 1,500 and they balked at paying it so they tell you now to come pick up the car or it is because you made them aware you wanted a buyback.

dunnojack

I would disagree. The dealership owns the toyota-certified body shop. the body shop is right here on the car lot.