tnfan

Purchased my ES350 in April 2006. Have had numerous issues with quality of interior and rattles. Also had nav replaced, rear brake issues, and just recently engine oil leak around timing cover.

Had the oil leak corrected about 4 weeks ago. A couple of weeks after that I started having a loud tapping noise. Dealer says it is the camshaft/lifters. They are in the process of replacing the cam. Only 50k miles and having a major engine issue is very disappointing. Not very confident as to the long term reliability of the vehicle. Ironic that reliablity was one of the key factors in my decision to purchase Lexus.

Still have rattle in the dash which has been there now for 3 years. Dealer cannot seem to be able to correct. Gave up on ever getting that issue resolved.

To say the least I am very unhappy with Lexus. This is my first Lexus and probably my last. Previously owned BMW's and Caillac's. They were not perfect but no problems of this magnitude with over 100k miles on these cars.

MD350

Sorry to hear the mess you are dealing with. Those early builds were not the best Lexus can build.

As to the rattle in the dash, the dealer needs to remove the full dash and allign it with felt. There is a TSIB on this issue. I had it done and it did the trick.

I can tell you this, I too have had issues with my 7/06 build ES350, but not has bad as yours. However, I just recently drove an 09 ES350 loaner and the quality is much improved. Maybe your dealer can give you a heck of a deal on a new one?

LexPaul

Sorry to learn about your mounting problems. This car almost sound like a lemon. None of 07 models had these many issues. Engine problems? That is not very Lexus 'like'. You should be able to get the noise problem fixed as mentioned by MD350. As a 09 owner I have had no problems. This car rides and performs like a jewel. Ask your dealer if you can trade up to a 08 since you have experienced so many problems, or write directly to Lexus. Good Luck!!

tnfan

Thanks for the input. They have pulled the nav/radio section of the dash and installed felt/foam. Still have the rattle in that area. Early on they also corrected the noise in the dash/windshield area. BTW, they cracked the windshield during the repair!

Got a feeling they are not going to be very sympathetic to any concessions on a trade in. Maybe an extended warranty. I plan on meeting with the service manager when I pick up the car and seeing what remedy they can offer. Also plan on writing letter to the GM. Not sure how to communicate directly with Lexus. Will try to find an address via Google search.

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

^^^^I'd start off by calling Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-255-3987. If it requires a letter, they will help you. Just don't let them tell you no, up front. Be persistent, and escalate if you need to.

Lou

tnfan

Thank you for the phone number. Will contact them this week.

tnfan

Picked up my car yesterday after 1 1/2 weeks at the dealer. They replaced 2 of the 4 camshafts plus the lifters for each cam. Also they seem to have resolved the dash noise. No concessions from the dealer. Just got off the phone with Customer Satisfaction rep and they have denied any buy back or extended warranty. This is what I expected. Since I still have 20k left on the drivetrain warranty I will most likely keep the car until then and look for trading at that time. Do not think Lexus will be considered for my future purchase.

NJPaul

This is really interesting. yesterday I brought my 2008 ES350 to the shop for a check engine light problem. I just got a call from the service manager advising me that they might have to replace a cam shaft. The car has less than 7000 miles on it and aside from 2 oil changes; this is the only time it has been in the shop. I was going to write to find out if this is an unusual problem when I saw this post. I don't want my engine taken apart but I guess there is no alternative.

Obviously, I am very discouraged by this news. As the original poster said, I bought the car because Lexus had a reputation for building reliable cars.

I'll keep everyone posted on this situation.