SW17LS

With the newer flush edged wheels you really can't use hammer in weights because there's no lip on the edge of the wheel.

The issue isn't the wheels holding a balance, it's them balancing them right in the first place. Had the same problem with olde Lexus vehicles that used hammer on weights.

oldgrump

The following is quoted from the Lexus USA website explaining the "benefits" of buying a CPO car:

"There are new vehicles. There are used vehicles. And then there are those in a category all their own: Lexus Certified Pre-Owned. Explore below to see why not just any pre-owned Lexus can earn this title.
HAND SELECTED
Not all pre-owned Lexus vehicles are worthy of the coveted Lexus Certified Pre-Owned designation—only the best. If a model is older than six years or driven for more than 70,000 miles, it's immediately rejected. No exceptions.
HISTORY CHECKED
For extra peace of mind, CARFAX® vehicle history reports are provided for every Lexus Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle, helping you and your Lexus dealer identify potential problems that might otherwise be difficult to detect.
METICULOUSLY INSPECTED
Every Lexus Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle must pass a comprehensive 161-point inspection by a Lexus-trained technician. If any discovered flaws cannot be repaired to Lexus standards, the vehicle will simply not be certified.
THOROUGHLY RECONDITIONED
Lexus Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles must be in like-new condition. That means using only certified Lexus parts for any necessary mechanical repairs, performing paint and surface restorations to meet Lexus standards, and thoroughly cleaning and detailing each vehicle to bring out its true beauty.
CONFIDENTLY BACKED
Because every Lexus Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle is thoroughly reconditioned and meticulously inspected, we can comfortably sell them with a Lexus three-year, 100,000 total vehicle mile limited warranty [1]. This, of course, is fully included in the purchase price.
NEW-VEHICLE FINANCING
Our strict certification standards eliminate the risks typically associated with financing pre-owned vehicles, allowing us to offer the same rates and terms normally reserved for our new vehicles.
LEXUS CUSTOMER-CARE BENEFITS
Those who acquire a Lexus Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle also enjoy the perks of Lexus ownership, including 24-hour Roadside Assistance [2], trip interruption coverage and dealership amenities [3]. Your vehicle's first basic service is free, and a loaner vehicle will be provided for qualified repairs."

Going by the above I would say that the OP has a pretty good case for forcing Lexus USA to ensure that his car is "THOROUGHLY RECONDITIONED"

At present the OP's car is nowhere near "in like-new condition".

Lexus USA also needs wack the dealer's manager across the side of the head with a 2 x 4.

SW17LS

I get that, but that's just marketing hype. It's still a used car, no matter how thoroughly it's been cleaned. They just touch up the paint, detail it, and drive it around the block once. I've looked at plenty of CPO cars that I would not describe as in "like new condition". Buying a CPO car is just like buying any used car, some are well cared for and some are rough. You have to do a lot of due diligence, drive it extensively, tell the salesman to shut up on the test drive or let you drive it alone, take it to a mechanic of your own to have it looked at. You can't just buy a 5 year old CPO off the lot like a new car, and if you are picky yes there may be things you will need to replace at your own cost to make it operate and look the way you want, like tires...

If something has been mistreated, there may be nothing that the dealer can do to it to make it like new. You can say all you like how they should do whatever and replace whatever to make it like new, but the world doesn't work that way.

jcat_350

what CPO really is, is a 'safe bet' for lexus and the dealers. They sell a brand new car, service it themselves, it comes off lease or gets traded, and they get to make more money off of it a second time. These cars, since they've been serviced by Lexus, SHOULD be a safer bet that even though they carry the warranty, things won't go wrong. SHOULD being the operative word. They offer the warranty with the hope and intent that they'll never have to honor it.

garsarno

Used car is a used car. Ditto SW10ES, you must drive it for a good distance, in all traffic. Even taking it up to 80 MPH on the interstate for a brief period. My experience with CPO Lexus cars is that if the dealer got a good deal on your trade in (under bid), then he can afford to certify it by way of that low bid price versus his selling price. He talked my 2007 Ultra trade as for sure a CPO used car when he put in on the lot. Until he had to raise the bid for it $5,000 to close the new car deal. Then it went to the auction.

SW17LS

But theres no guarantee that a CPO Lexus was serviced by Lexus...or was ever serviced, thats why you still have to do your due diligence, look for a car with service history, etc. If you look at oldgrump's post...theres nothing about a complete service history.

I would buy a used Lexus from a no name roadside dealer with complete service history before I would buy one from a Lexus dealer that was CPO without that.

To me that the OP said "brand new" in his thread title is evidence that the expectation bar is set a little too high. Its not brand new, its 5+ years old.

jcat_350

meh, agree to disagree I guess. I agree about the service history, there's no substitute for that. But I've been in 5-10 year old cars that were like brand new and I've been in 1yr old cars that were buckets. It's all relative.

oldgrump

The OP's car has "less than 40K miles", and with CPO cars it's not quite like buying a "regular" used car........one does pay a large premium to have the car "certified", plus one is also paying for the "extended warranty". Jeez......our other car is a seven year old Focus that I bought with about 8K on it and it now has about the same mileage as the OP's Lexus.......and it does still look like a new car and it drives like a new car (serviced by me).
As some have stated above.......I think that the CPO certification is a rip.

SW17LS

Your point made my point, it all depends on how well the car is cared for. If its beat to hell, it'll be a bucket in a year.

I'm not arguing against buying a 5 year old Lexus, I'm just saying one should not assume it will be perfect just because its CPO. Its still 5 years old, and lots of stuff can happen to a car in 5 years.

No, its just like buying a "regular" used car. Its just marketing hype. If you don't do your due diligence to check out the specific CPO car you want to buy, its history, have it inspected, drive it, before you buy it...shame on ya.