Lexus quality a myth?
09-09-18, 08:22 AM
#16
I wouldnt call 2 actuators at once a minor annoyance, those are expensive parts to replace. As far as the previous owner, its a one owner car with a spotless carfax and all service done at the Lexus dealer. That is the reason I chose this car. I didnt have this many problems in the 6 previous years with my Maxima.
You could’ve purchased from a 65 year old lady that did have a perfect Lexus record.
She could have failed to mention she let her two grandchildren play in the car hours on end every week when she babysat them, and they sat in the car for hours playing with the locks and Fing around with everything (I have kids, and they will do some stupid **** OVER and OVER if you don’t stop them).
My 2014 I just picked up, I am worried about too. It will take me a year or so to build up the trust with the vehicle. My last amazing experience of putting 100K on the IS350 (same engine) is why I’m in a GS350.
Last edited by FI4runner; 09-09-18 at 08:35 AM.
09-09-18, 09:01 AM
#18
Rookie
Thread Starter
No the only issue other than scheduled maintenance listed was the replacement of the battery for a no start issue. Its has the brakes and oil replaced on schedule, and the steering suspension check every time. I bough it from a Toyota dealer and it came with a drive-train warranty, unfortunately these issues aren't related to drive-train. Oh well it a rocky start with Lexus, I will chalk it up to bad luck and see how it goes from here.
09-09-18, 10:04 AM
#20
Intermediate
I wouldnt call 2 actuators at once a minor annoyance, those are expensive parts to replace. As far as the previous owner, its a one owner car with a spotless carfax and all service done at the Lexus dealer. That is the reason I chose this car. I didnt have this many problems in the 6 previous years with my Maxima.
I purchased my 2016 GS 200T brand new. Till now two things were fixed in my car:
(1) I reported to my local dealership that moisture was accumulating in one of the tail lights when it rained heavily. They checked and replaced both the tail lights as they found some leaks in the seals.
(2) My driver's door panel was getting wrinkles with very light use. I reported to my local dealership. They weren't very supportive. Then I contacted Lexus corporate. They were very supportive and instructed the dealership to replace the panel with a new one. While the dealership did replace it, the quality of labor was substandard which led to increased wind noise.
Now I can occasionally hear some rattles in my GS.
I have owned two Maximas since 2007 and did not have a single problem, not even rattles. I know a friend with a new Altima whose tail lights were getting moisture in the rain. His local Nissan dealership refused to do anything stating it was normal. After a number of years, his tail lights work fine but they still accumulate moisture.
Here is how I look at these issues:
(1) All these cars are mass produced. So they are bound to have minor problems like I faced. A car with no problem is just very lucky like it has been with my Maximas.
(2) Everybody makes mistakes. But I would prefer to choose a manufacturer that is willing to acknowledge their mistake and take action to fix it without giving the customer a run around. Lexus has done that for me and so I am a fan.
(3) Dealerships play a major role in the car ownership experience. Different dealerships for the same brand can have very different attitude, pricing, expertise, etc. If you are unfortunate to have to work with a not-so-competent dealership (as in my case), your outlook on the brand tends to lower. However, the manufacturer needs the dealerships and only has limited control over any dealership.
Not sure if any of the above helps to brighten your outlook on your wonderful purchase. I would contact Lexus corporate and see what they suggest. They sometimes go out of their way to help a customer, especially since your issues are not major like engine or transmission related.
By the way, look at the multitude of issues the new generation 2018 Accord owners are facing (including the $40k Accord Touring) and Honda does not give a hoot: https://www.driveaccord.net/forums/241-10th-generation/ . Apparently, Honda is one of the most reliable manufacturers and Accord is one of the most reliable cars in the industry.
Last edited by bb700092; 09-09-18 at 11:41 AM.
09-09-18, 10:28 AM
#21
Lexus Fanatic
Either Lexus uses cheap parts or I have the worst luck in the world. I purchased a 2013 GS350 with 56k just over a month ago. In that month both front door locks have stopped working, forcing me to look like an idiot reaching from the back to gain entry into the car. Then the clock stopped working. Then the radio volume button broke. And now the seatbelt retractor has stopped pulling the belt in. This car is in great shape with low miles but the interior is falling apart. Is this due to Lexus using substandard parts? I have read these are all common issues with these cars. Its making me wish I would have bought the Audi that I originally looked at.
Have not heard of clock stopping to work, could possibly just be a battery or connector. Have read of someone whose radio power button got stuck(mine stopped working in my 2nd Gen GS) on their 4th Gen GS, Lexus wanted some ridiculous cost like in the thousands to replace the whole unit. Have not read about seat belt retractor issues. I think it is a case with you of bad luck and some the owner abused the interior and has left it for you to fix/pay for.
09-09-18, 10:42 AM
#22
I bought my GS 350F-Sport brand new in May, 2012. In six and a half years, I have only put 27,000 miles on the odometer (and on the entire car, for that matter.) During the first year, a front shock absorber “blew” and was replaced under warranty. The battery needed replacement at the six year service. Recently, the cruise control stopped working and the switch was replaced ($400+.)
Last edited by eddie420; 09-09-18 at 10:46 AM.
09-09-18, 11:23 AM
#23
Former BMW owner here. Hoping for 120k+ miles on my 2015 gs350. I escaped with 2 turbo problems under certified warranty and a high pressure fuel pump i came out of pocket for on the beamer. 90k miles and I feel like I escaped relatively ok.
I can handle little things breaking, but the big ones is what you have to worry about with cars.
I can handle little things breaking, but the big ones is what you have to worry about with cars.
09-09-18, 01:04 PM
#24
Take your GS to a Lexus dealer and ask them to make the repairs under goodwill. I have owned new and used Lexus’ vehicles and always have purchased the Lexus Platinum warranty. Also, I had the door actuators replaced on both the ES and GS vehicles, but the warranty took care of the issues. I had no issues that didn’t allow me to drive the vehicle. Also, you can purchase an extended warranty at the Lexus dealer.
09-09-18, 03:03 PM
#25
Rookie
Thread Starter
Former BMW owner here. Hoping for 120k+ miles on my 2015 gs350. I escaped with 2 turbo problems under certified warranty and a high pressure fuel pump i came out of pocket for on the beamer. 90k miles and I feel like I escaped relatively ok.
I can handle little things breaking, but the big ones is what you have to worry about with cars.
I can handle little things breaking, but the big ones is what you have to worry about with cars.
09-09-18, 04:56 PM
#26
I have a 2004 ES. Other than routine maintenance and an alternator there have been no issues. I did the TB myself and so that was pretty cheap. The 15 GS has been a dream, replaced front pads and trying to get to November on the tires...
09-10-18, 06:39 AM
#27
Lexus Test Driver
i work at a dealership in the service dept so i get to see these cars at their best... as well as their worst. 2013+ GS has mostly been reliable and ive seen very very few show up with problems, even with super high miles and neglectful owners! these cars are very solid. more solid then the 3rd gen for sure. these are ironclad reliable, however there is always that one turd in the punchbowl that just cant get right. guess that goes for any car really. ive had 10 Ls400s over the years and 2 out of the 10 were nonstop problems. rest were rock solid. luck of the draw i guess. i hate hearing stories of first time Lexus owners with all kinds of problems with their cars. makes me sad cause its not supposed to happen and rarely does. looks like you have that one stinker out of the batch thats problematic. damn...
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09-10-18, 08:34 AM
#28
Advanced
I have a 2013 and have been nothing but happy with it. The only work I have had to do so far is maintenance, nothing has broken. I think you just got unlucky. I hope that you fix those issues and don't run into anything else. Good luck!
09-25-18, 04:58 PM
#30
Rookie
Thread Starter
So I took it to the dealer today. The lady was very nice and took all of my concerns down and had the techs check it out and prepare an estimate. She took my incident # and called Lexus to speak with them about the issues.First the guy (Jose) said we have no record of your report. I showed her a copy of the email I received from them and she read it to him word for word. He still didnt find anything so she put me on the phone. He said I understand you are having several issues with the car but what do you want us to do about it? After an awkward pause I said im not sure, tell me what you can do.Then he repeated what would you like US to do about it, as if to say why are you wasting my time.We went round and round like this a few times and he said you know your warranty expired at 50k and you now have 58k, we dont cover out of warranty repairs. OK. So Lexus told me to take the car in to the dealer and have it checked, then inform them so they could see how they could help. I did as they asked and they just made me feel like an idiot for doing so. Why go through all of this trouble if they were just going to say we wont do anything, sorry about you luck sucka? The service advisor apologize repeatedly for the guys tone and lack of any assistance.
My opinion of Lexus has nose dived at this point, not only have I had multiple problems with this fairly low mileage car, Their supposed great customer service just sent me on a pointless chase wasting hours of my time. I will be damned if I fork over $2100 to the dealership to fix these quality problems. I will seek out a local mechanic and have them done. Im afraid my time with Lexus is going to be brief. I like the GS a lot but this has been one of the worst starts to a car ive ever had, and I once owned a Mitsubishi. Im glad you guys have had better experience but for me, this will be the last.
My opinion of Lexus has nose dived at this point, not only have I had multiple problems with this fairly low mileage car, Their supposed great customer service just sent me on a pointless chase wasting hours of my time. I will be damned if I fork over $2100 to the dealership to fix these quality problems. I will seek out a local mechanic and have them done. Im afraid my time with Lexus is going to be brief. I like the GS a lot but this has been one of the worst starts to a car ive ever had, and I once owned a Mitsubishi. Im glad you guys have had better experience but for me, this will be the last.