Need Help - Lexus says its fine! Does your car do this?
09-25-17, 02:50 PM
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Need Help - Lexus says its fine! Does your car do this?
Hello,
I have a 2013 gs350 with almost 60k. When I bought the car I was told there was a bent rim and it should stay on the back. Ok. Had no problems.
Now it was time and I bought 4 brand new tires and had a alignment. Ok. No problems. Car was driving straight as a arrow and felt great.
One week after having the new tires I hit a big Chicago pot hole and popped my front right tire and bent that rim. When I put the spare on the car it was pulling crazy to the right.
Went to lexus, got a new tire. They had to do another alignment (which they charged me for even though I just had one 7 days earlier saying it was not covered under a alignment warranty which surprised me).
At this point I still had two bent rims because I was not going to pay lexus $600 a rim when online they are $200.
The car still pulled to the right and the steering wheel always moves. I will post videos.
So I went back and said the alignment can't be correct or something has to be bent. The car is pulling and the steering wheel moves on its own.
They double checked said the alignment is good. I got all the print outs in green and they looked again and nothing is bent. It must be the rims and I should replace the rims.
I bought 2 OEM rims online and just had them put on hoping this would fix the problem. No. It is the same.
And the bent rims don't even look bent to the eye. You can barley tell. So that should not have been creating this issue.
Please look at my videos I will post. Please tell me if you car does the same. Lexus gave me some BS name/excuse for it which I forgot and said its normal. My car never did this before I hit the pot hole from hell.
Please let me know what you think.
I have a 2013 gs350 with almost 60k. When I bought the car I was told there was a bent rim and it should stay on the back. Ok. Had no problems.
Now it was time and I bought 4 brand new tires and had a alignment. Ok. No problems. Car was driving straight as a arrow and felt great.
One week after having the new tires I hit a big Chicago pot hole and popped my front right tire and bent that rim. When I put the spare on the car it was pulling crazy to the right.
Went to lexus, got a new tire. They had to do another alignment (which they charged me for even though I just had one 7 days earlier saying it was not covered under a alignment warranty which surprised me).
At this point I still had two bent rims because I was not going to pay lexus $600 a rim when online they are $200.
The car still pulled to the right and the steering wheel always moves. I will post videos.
So I went back and said the alignment can't be correct or something has to be bent. The car is pulling and the steering wheel moves on its own.
They double checked said the alignment is good. I got all the print outs in green and they looked again and nothing is bent. It must be the rims and I should replace the rims.
I bought 2 OEM rims online and just had them put on hoping this would fix the problem. No. It is the same.
And the bent rims don't even look bent to the eye. You can barley tell. So that should not have been creating this issue.
Please look at my videos I will post. Please tell me if you car does the same. Lexus gave me some BS name/excuse for it which I forgot and said its normal. My car never did this before I hit the pot hole from hell.
Please let me know what you think.
09-25-17, 02:58 PM
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09-25-17, 03:19 PM
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If the problem stays the same (pulls right & steering wheel turns), it tells you there is no problem with the wheel/tire but you have an alignment issue.
09-25-17, 06:15 PM
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thank you everyone for the replies.
Today is when I just had 2 new rims installed. They were balanced of course and the rims and tires are not in the same location.
The alignment is in the green. Nothing is in the red.
Lexus kind of gave me attitude and said how long do u think the car should drive straight before pulling to a side. I get that. The car is not going to drive straight forever.
But have you guys watched those videos i linked?
Does your steering wheel move like that. If I am at a dead spot and give it gas the wheel moves. If the road is just a little not flat the car pulls and the wheel moves.
Please watch the videos.
Thank you everyone for any help.
Lexus thinks its fine.
Today is when I just had 2 new rims installed. They were balanced of course and the rims and tires are not in the same location.
The alignment is in the green. Nothing is in the red.
Lexus kind of gave me attitude and said how long do u think the car should drive straight before pulling to a side. I get that. The car is not going to drive straight forever.
But have you guys watched those videos i linked?
Does your steering wheel move like that. If I am at a dead spot and give it gas the wheel moves. If the road is just a little not flat the car pulls and the wheel moves.
Please watch the videos.
Thank you everyone for any help.
Lexus thinks its fine.
09-25-17, 06:16 PM
#6
Do you have a print out of the alignment sheet? Before and after read outs? If the steering wheel is off, take it back to the shop. They need to correct it properly for free, even though you paid for it the second time. Complain to the service manager. Either the shop didn't correct the alignment or something is still bent from your accident. Can you lift the vehicle and take pictures of underneath the vehicle?
Last edited by Lexusdk; 09-25-17 at 06:20 PM.
09-25-17, 06:50 PM
#7
Its possible that a bushing in the lower control arm area (possibly the passenger side) is creating too much play, or, a spring, shoxk, or top hat is giving you that feedback. Something is throwing off the center of gravity.
Curious, have you tried doing a figure 8 lock to lock maneuver in an empty parking lot? Which side feels strange? Does the steering wheel return on its own?
Curious, have you tried doing a figure 8 lock to lock maneuver in an empty parking lot? Which side feels strange? Does the steering wheel return on its own?
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09-26-17, 12:18 AM
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When I bought the 4 new tires alignment was a little off but not much. They gave me the print out.
After I hit the pot hole the alignment was off and it was corrected. They gave me the print out.
When I went back they checked and said its in spec and gave me another print out. Everything is in the green.
Lexus service is pretty good and I saw 3 techs looking at the car while it was in the air and they said everything is fine.
I took one on a short test drive and showed him how the steering wheel turns to the right and he was like that's because you are supposed to have your hands on the wheel and how long do you think it will drive straight for.
So I was thinking ok its fine I was just crazy. But soon after that Im like no. This is not correct. I called them they said replace the bent rims. I must be feeling the bent rims.
Now the new rims are on and same thing.
So to people who watched the videos. Am I correct in saying your gs350 do NOT do that?
After I hit the pot hole the alignment was off and it was corrected. They gave me the print out.
When I went back they checked and said its in spec and gave me another print out. Everything is in the green.
Lexus service is pretty good and I saw 3 techs looking at the car while it was in the air and they said everything is fine.
I took one on a short test drive and showed him how the steering wheel turns to the right and he was like that's because you are supposed to have your hands on the wheel and how long do you think it will drive straight for.
So I was thinking ok its fine I was just crazy. But soon after that Im like no. This is not correct. I called them they said replace the bent rims. I must be feeling the bent rims.
Now the new rims are on and same thing.
So to people who watched the videos. Am I correct in saying your gs350 do NOT do that?
09-26-17, 12:21 AM
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Its possible that a bushing in the lower control arm area (possibly the passenger side) is creating too much play, or, a spring, shoxk, or top hat is giving you that feedback. Something is throwing off the center of gravity.
Curious, have you tried doing a figure 8 lock to lock maneuver in an empty parking lot? Which side feels strange? Does the steering wheel return on its own?
Curious, have you tried doing a figure 8 lock to lock maneuver in an empty parking lot? Which side feels strange? Does the steering wheel return on its own?
After the wheel turns to the right it does return to the center most of the time. The tech had a name for it and said its working. It just happens all the time. I had the car for alomst 2 years before this happened. I know something is wrong and it never drove like this before.
09-26-17, 12:14 PM
#11
Instructor
Hello,
I hit a big Chicago pot hole and popped my front right tire and bent that rim. When I put the spare on the car it was pulling crazy to the right.
Went to lexus, got a new tire. They had to do another alignment (which they charged me for even though I just had one 7 days earlier saying it was not covered under a alignment warranty which surprised me).
I hit a big Chicago pot hole and popped my front right tire and bent that rim. When I put the spare on the car it was pulling crazy to the right.
Went to lexus, got a new tire. They had to do another alignment (which they charged me for even though I just had one 7 days earlier saying it was not covered under a alignment warranty which surprised me).
That's like saying you get your bumper repainted - scratch the bumper within 7 days from another incident, and expect the body shop to respray it for you.
Back on topic though, tie rods are your most likely suspect to steering/alignment problems after hitting a pot hole, if the pot hole was enough to pop out the tire, that's a pretty hard hit..
09-26-17, 12:38 PM
#12
Lexus Test Driver
One week after having the new tires I hit a big Chicago pot hole and popped my front right tire and bent that rim. When I put the spare on the car it was pulling crazy to the right.
Went to lexus, got a new tire. They had to do another alignment (which they charged me for even though I just had one 7 days earlier saying it was not covered under a alignment warranty which surprised me).
Went to lexus, got a new tire. They had to do another alignment (which they charged me for even though I just had one 7 days earlier saying it was not covered under a alignment warranty which surprised me).
09-26-17, 01:08 PM
#13
Lexus Test Driver
OP - You should have the motor mounts and transmission mounts checked for damage. It sounds like you have something moving (e.g. engine or transmission) when engine torque is applied, which is seen by the steering wheel moving to the right upon driving away from a stop. This movement changes the alignment and something has to 'give', which in your case is the steering. Also, have the electric steering rack checked for damage. My best guess is an engine or transmission mount may be damaged from the pot hole you hit.
You might be able to check for a damaged engine mount yourself by having someone look to see if the engine moves more than it should (lifts up out of its mount) when throttle is given to the engine when in gear and the brakes are firmly applied. In other words, raise the hood and 'jack the engine up' in Drive with the brakes firmly applied...and have someone watch the engine to see if it lifts like it's not attached to the mount.
You might be able to check for a damaged engine mount yourself by having someone look to see if the engine moves more than it should (lifts up out of its mount) when throttle is given to the engine when in gear and the brakes are firmly applied. In other words, raise the hood and 'jack the engine up' in Drive with the brakes firmly applied...and have someone watch the engine to see if it lifts like it's not attached to the mount.
09-26-17, 01:34 PM
#14
I looked at your video when your car start moving, and it looks familiar to my old one, but that happens not everywhere. Some intersections have not even surface because of soft road surface and when car stay on a red light they may sort of imprints. Sometimes those imprints very bad and your steering wheel moves because your wheels get caught into those groves.
So check if car behaves like that everywhere, goto empty parking lot or neighborhood street after 10pm when no one on a street and exercise it. Stay in a middle of road, so your car will not moving following road surface incline. And if it behaves same then I would check toe rods if there is a play, hold it with you hand and try to move if they move replace them, maybe replace low control arm bushing, btw did you check your balljoints?
So check if car behaves like that everywhere, goto empty parking lot or neighborhood street after 10pm when no one on a street and exercise it. Stay in a middle of road, so your car will not moving following road surface incline. And if it behaves same then I would check toe rods if there is a play, hold it with you hand and try to move if they move replace them, maybe replace low control arm bushing, btw did you check your balljoints?
09-26-17, 03:07 PM
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Hello,
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I am not the best with cars so I personally checked nothing. I relied on Lexus for that. Their service is usually the best and this is my 4th lexus. They say everything is fine.
I am taking it to my friend who used to work for Lexus and now is at BMW to see what he can find.
I do understand unlevel roads can make the wheel turn. But this is happening way to much and yes even on flat surfaces. If I come to a stop and hit the gas the wheel does that 100% of the time. And if I am already driving and hit the gas hard the wheel does that.
And about the Alignment warranty. Just tires and alot of tire places give you a one year warranty. For no matter the reason. If it falls out of spec they will do another one for free. Even if its my fault from hitting a pot hole.
I use the same 2 service writers at lexus for all these years. I do everything there. OIl changes, breaks, all the your at this millage **** and I have given them so much money. I even bought the 4 new tires from them when I could have saved about $200 buying them on tire rack. So yes they could have redone the alignment for free. Plus they charge way more for this then a tire shop would which gives u a warranty. I am not really upset about having to pay. I just assumed since other places give u a warranty lexus would also.
I am upset about them saying nothing is wrong with the car and the tech throwing a little attitude my way.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I am not the best with cars so I personally checked nothing. I relied on Lexus for that. Their service is usually the best and this is my 4th lexus. They say everything is fine.
I am taking it to my friend who used to work for Lexus and now is at BMW to see what he can find.
I do understand unlevel roads can make the wheel turn. But this is happening way to much and yes even on flat surfaces. If I come to a stop and hit the gas the wheel does that 100% of the time. And if I am already driving and hit the gas hard the wheel does that.
And about the Alignment warranty. Just tires and alot of tire places give you a one year warranty. For no matter the reason. If it falls out of spec they will do another one for free. Even if its my fault from hitting a pot hole.
I use the same 2 service writers at lexus for all these years. I do everything there. OIl changes, breaks, all the your at this millage **** and I have given them so much money. I even bought the 4 new tires from them when I could have saved about $200 buying them on tire rack. So yes they could have redone the alignment for free. Plus they charge way more for this then a tire shop would which gives u a warranty. I am not really upset about having to pay. I just assumed since other places give u a warranty lexus would also.
I am upset about them saying nothing is wrong with the car and the tech throwing a little attitude my way.