rokinkead

but in the eight days that I have owned it, it I drove it for the first two days only. It has been in the shop for last six days, having the skid control ECU replaced.

I detected a pulsation of the vehicle (not the brake) when the brake is depressed and the vehicle is almost stationary. I left it for them to check it out, and have not gotten back the vehicle as yet. They say the part is on back order from Japan.

Right now, I am in contact with them on a daily basis, and I have told them that I want the car changed. The problem is that there are not many GS430s around from which to get the swap. It appears that I will just have to live with the misery and the fix (The fix is not actually a problem as long as the car still feels good and runs good when I get it back) ( My new car smell is also deteriorating by the day.)

I will keep you all posted with developments.

I am actually upset that my first post is a negative about such a sweet car.


Richard

>>>UPDATE<<<

I was told that the ECU would come from Japan on 4/3/06, and I would get the car on 4/4/06. I called the dealership on 4/3/06, and was told that the car is ready, and I am to come by and get it by 7:30PM. When I got there, it turns out the car was not ready. I called again on 4/4/06, the final promise date, and was told that it was not the ECU. They now think it is the brake actuator. They will get that part in the morning of 4/5/06 and replace it immediately. I was told that if that does not solve the problem, they will start the car replacement process.

I will call them around midday tomorrow to check the status.

Richard

jwa

I can't help with your mechanical problem, but I recommend "New Car Scent" Ozium to keep your car smelling great!

Black Ten

This has to be so frustrating with a brand new car. I truly sympathize with you. While new cars may sometimes have a mechanical issue, this is rare with Lexus. All I can say is be patient, I'm confident they will fix the problem as soon as the part becomes availble. Soon thereafter you will forget it ever happened. I hope you are at least driving in a loaner Lexus. Remain irate and demand some free goodies like tinting or sunshade or other crap from the parts department. Hang in there, you will be able to enjoy your new car soon enough!

Analyzer

I concur with Black Ten.

BTW - I purchased my GS 430 this past Saturday and because the sales experience took so long, I told my Salesperson that I could wait until this week for his spiel on the features of the car. I have a checklist of things to look for during this walk-thru. In retrospect, I wish I had taken the extra time. When I got home I noticed a 6" scratch on the wheel. It was obvious it was there at the dealership and I was a little po'ed that it was not noticed during the dealership's inspection.

I called my Salesperson and, sight unseen, he said to bring it in and they would take care of it. That speaks volumes to me. Perhaps another manufacturer would want to at least look at the scratch and possibly say that I caused the scratch.

Just think of it this way - this will likely be the last time in a long time you car is in the shop. If you bought a BMW or MB, this would be the first of many.

Oh, and congrats from another newbie!!!

encore888

New Car Smell isn't very healthy...so don't miss it!

rokinkead

I appreciate the encouragment from everyone. I spoke to the dealership today, and they said the part is in the US, and they will have it in their hands tomorrow (Friday). However, the replacement will not be completed until Tuesday. I do feel that everything will be ok as Black Ten suggests, and I am also remaining irate and tenacious with them. I think that if I did not get on their case the way I did (my dear wife made some calls to them as well), they would not expedite procurement of the part.

I do have a loaner, but that is nothing compared to the GS430. Besides, I use a company vehicle so I do not really need the loaner.

I already got the tinting at purchase, a nice set of LEXUS lockable dust caps, and I am getting the smart key wallets as well. Because they turned the rotors in a misdiagnosed and initial attempt to get rid of the pulsation, I intend to get the first rotor replacement as redemption for this snafu, and one of the more expensive services at their cost. The car is loaded so there is not much that can be added. However, if anyone knows of other or better goodies, please let me know.

Enigma, you are correct, but we cannot deny that the new car smell adds to the pleasure of driving a car (at least initially).

Regarding the BMW and MB statement, I know that is true. I had a 2001 E320, and for the first five months, I was in the shop once for each month, getting things fixed (replacing sensors, changing window gears, flashing firmware, etc). The first "malfunction" appeared on the way out of the dealership.

Thanks for the commendations!

Richard

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

From what I'm seeing on this board, the new cars seem to be having more problems than usual for the lexus brand. Some are little things like rattling dashes but a problem is a problem. That's okay, don't be in denial...admit it and keep on loving your new cars. What I hate is when people say, the car is great...never has any problems....and the car has been in the shop 5 times. Benz owners are known for this. Let's not emulate them. It's obvious Lexus cut a couple corners with the new models, everyone's doing it...it's the way it is now. The cars will still have fewer problems than most other brands even if they are more than we're accustomed to.

rokinkead

>>>UPDATE<<<

I was told that the ECU would come from Japan on 4/3/06, and I would get the car on 4/4/06. I called the dealership on 4/3/06, and was told that the car is ready, and I am to come by and get it by 7:30PM. When I got there, it turns out the car was not ready. I called again on 4/4/06, the final promise date, and was told that it was not the ECU. They now think it is the brake actuator. They will get that part in the morning of 4/5/06 and replace it immediately. I was told that if that does not solve the problem, they will start the car replacement process.

I will call them around midday tomorrow to check the status.

Richard

>>More update<<

I still did not get the car. They have some super engineer from Japan working on it, and he wants to test it and take some readings before the car is returned to me.

I will not belive that it is fixed until I get it in my hands (supposed to be tomorrow - 4/6/06).


Richard

INHOCJP

Wow Richard, sorry to hear of your problems. You seem like a very patient guy! I hope Lexus remedies the situation quickly. Good luck, and keep us informed.

rokinkead

I finally got back the car. It feels like new, except that it is now free of the pulsation!!!

INHOCJP, the service manager also said that I was a patient person, because I did not raise my voice once throughout the whole ordeal. The truth is, I was close to blowing my top, but that would not have been as effective as what I did, which was to call people (Lexus customer service, the GM... if they existed, I called them) several times a day everyday, and demand to be kept informed of the develpments. (Catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.) That is the way I manage things.

Anyway, Lexus is giving some restitution and the dealer is giving me the first rotor change when it comes around.

I am satisfied, and I still have some new car smell to savor . However, the surveys will be honest, but not be flattering.

Richard

CrazyMPG

iTrader: (4)

glad you got ur car back....very frustrating when a new car has malfunctions....i had to take in my new rx400h because the check engine light went on....i waited for 2-3 hrs and they told me that they just reseted the computer...but they did tell me that the tech said something about a gas valve....2 days later the light went on again so i had to wait 1-2 weeks for them to get the part and give me a loaner...lol....but since i have many cars it didn't really matter... ....just hope no more problems....cuz i had a bmw 5 series b4 and it had a few problems but not too bad....

INHOCJP

Glad to hear you have the GS back! Now hopefully you can spend some time enjoying your GS

D2-AUTOSPORT

LOL reggie you are a trip! "oh no man my car is just fine" (while said car is on fire on the side of the road) LOL

Another good point about Lexus is their customer service and dealer experience, so unless that takes a dive, even with some teething issues, they will be fine.

mcyc

Can you describe your pulsation? When I'm stationary and I step on the brakes, I feel a pulsation from the brake pedal. It happens about once every three times that I step on the brake. I brought this question up before and other people on this forum thought it was normal.

rokinkead

Thanks for all the supportive words. I am enjoying the car now, but not nearly as much as I would like to. I only drive it on the weekends and when I can create some errands in the evenings.


mcyc:

This pulsation was not in the pedal. It was a shaking of the car. It pulsed at about 3-5 cycles per second, and was felt everytime I depressed the brake pedal, right before a complete stop and also just at the start of movement. That is, it happened at the stage when you can barely detect movement of the car. It was easily reproducible.

I have never felt the vibration you described in the pedal of the GS, but I felt that same intermittent and rapid vibration in the pedal of a 1996 4runner and a 2003 4runner that I owned. I think that might be normal since I have felt it in even a Tacoma that I drive.

Richard