New Driveshaft - thump gone
07-30-04, 08:41 AM
#31
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I'm still waiting on Lexus to put driveshaft #2 in the car. I don't hold out much hope that it will fix the problem based on the response I see here. When they replaced the driveshaft on the car the first time the dealer performed the TSB on the car for the wheel vibration. Well, that is back too!! The lemon law justification is looking better and better.
Needless to say, I am not a happy Lexus owner. This is, by far, the worst car I have ever owned. I have been in contact with Lexus Cust Srv numerious times about these issues. If Lexus prides themselves on customer satisfaction, they have yet to prove that to me.
Next time, I'll stick with BMWs. I've owned them for years and never experienced problems like this.
If I knew what I do now, I would never have purchased this car.
Anyone shopping for a GX470 should AVOID purchasing!!!
Needless to say, I am not a happy Lexus owner. This is, by far, the worst car I have ever owned. I have been in contact with Lexus Cust Srv numerious times about these issues. If Lexus prides themselves on customer satisfaction, they have yet to prove that to me.
Next time, I'll stick with BMWs. I've owned them for years and never experienced problems like this.
If I knew what I do now, I would never have purchased this car.
Anyone shopping for a GX470 should AVOID purchasing!!!
07-30-04, 12:20 PM
#32
Well, you never know. I had the driveshaft replaced even though the thump was very intermittent and barely noticeable. The new one hasn't thumped yet. My truck has no vibration issues. I saw where BMW is being sued over accidental airbag deployment. The I-Drive on the 745 sucks. A friend's 745 was in the shop for two weeks recently, because of electronics problems and that wasn't the first time. The windows on another friend's 325 keeps popping off the tracks. All four windows had that problem. I just can't understand why various problems occur on the GX. They come off the same assembly line and you would think there's a wealth of consistency on the Lexus production line. Design problems would show
up consistently across the board on every vehicle
Surely, you will enjoy your next Beemer and I hope it will be trouble free
up consistently across the board on every vehicle
Surely, you will enjoy your next Beemer and I hope it will be trouble free
07-30-04, 12:28 PM
#33
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Next time, I'll stick with BMWs. I've owned them for years and never experienced problems like this.
07-30-04, 07:24 PM
#34
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Originally posted by RAINMN60
I'm still waiting on Lexus to put driveshaft #2 in the car. I don't hold out much hope that it will fix the problem based on the response I see here. When they replaced the driveshaft on the car the first time the dealer performed the TSB on the car for the wheel vibration. Well, that is back too!! The lemon law justification is looking better and better.
Needless to say, I am not a happy Lexus owner. This is, by far, the worst car I have ever owned. I have been in contact with Lexus Cust Srv numerious times about these issues. If Lexus prides themselves on customer satisfaction, they have yet to prove that to me.
Next time, I'll stick with BMWs. I've owned them for years and never experienced problems like this.
If I knew what I do now, I would never have purchased this car.
Anyone shopping for a GX470 should AVOID purchasing!!!
I'm still waiting on Lexus to put driveshaft #2 in the car. I don't hold out much hope that it will fix the problem based on the response I see here. When they replaced the driveshaft on the car the first time the dealer performed the TSB on the car for the wheel vibration. Well, that is back too!! The lemon law justification is looking better and better.
Needless to say, I am not a happy Lexus owner. This is, by far, the worst car I have ever owned. I have been in contact with Lexus Cust Srv numerious times about these issues. If Lexus prides themselves on customer satisfaction, they have yet to prove that to me.
Next time, I'll stick with BMWs. I've owned them for years and never experienced problems like this.
If I knew what I do now, I would never have purchased this car.
Anyone shopping for a GX470 should AVOID purchasing!!!
08-21-04, 11:55 AM
#35
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Problems . . . problems . . .
Rainmn60 --
I can't agree with you more. The GX has been a problem from day one and Lexus' supposedly world class "customer service" is nothing more than a myth.
Drivelines that go thump and vibrate in a $58,000 car? Come on! Every time I have complained about anything in this car, from minor problems like an outside temperature gauge that can't tell what temperature it is outside, to the driveline vibration at and above 1,600 RPM, to the unexplained thump making you feel like you were rear-ended, to an overwhelming sulfur smell, I was told it is normal and that I should remember, this thing is just a truck. Then, of course, TSBs come out that "fix" all of these problems (and many, many more problems Lexus undoubtedly identified as "normal").
However, the driveline vibration "fix" just masks the vibration so it is tolerable rather than fixing it, and the thump is back after just a few weeks. On the plus side, I can tell what temperature it is outside and the car doesn't smell like rotten eggs anymore -- way to go Lexus engineers! Passionate pursuit of perfection? Please.
Add to this the fact that I have gone through 3 sets of brake rotors in around 25,000 miles (more normal issues) and have a wheel shimmy at 65 mph that cannot be eliminated, and you have the makings of "SUV of the Year."
I am sure that there are some people out there who love Lexus and, hard as it is for me to believe, there may even be people who think the GX is great (my wife is willing to ignore everything but the thump because the car is comfortable, can seat 7 and entertains the kids with a DVD player). But, in my experience (and that goes from my buying experience (the dealer tried a bait and switch on my lease interest rate after delivering the car 2 months late), to service (they didn't tell me about the vibration and thump TSBs because they didn't want to do my repair first -- they wanted to practice on others before doing my car but, since I am the only person who has complained about these issues to them, they hadn't done any of these repairs), to customer service (every problem is "normal" because the GX is a truck or Lexus has never gotten a similar complaint before and, in any case, there is nothing they can/want to do) to actually having to drive the GX) Lexus is really a minor league car company that puts out over-priced, under performing and not quite ready for prime time products.
I have owned 3 BMWs (two 3s and a 7) and, in my experience BMW is worlds ahead of Lexus both in product and customer service (I cannot imagine BMW ever letting a car with the kind of design-based driveline problems the GX has ever hitting the street). Really, my experiences over the years with Jaguar (despite its reputation, my '95 XJ-6 was MUCH more problem free than the GX), Audi, SAAB and even Volkswagen have been better.
I was one of the first people in my area to purchase a GX and was excited by it. Unfortunately, this car and its manufacturer are complete let-downs and I cannot imagine the circumstance under which I would buy any Lexus in the future. If BMW comes out with an X5-L or an X7, I would choose either over another GX -- I am also am going to take a close look at the Land Rover LR3 and the new Audi Toureg-based SUV.
I can't agree with you more. The GX has been a problem from day one and Lexus' supposedly world class "customer service" is nothing more than a myth.
Drivelines that go thump and vibrate in a $58,000 car? Come on! Every time I have complained about anything in this car, from minor problems like an outside temperature gauge that can't tell what temperature it is outside, to the driveline vibration at and above 1,600 RPM, to the unexplained thump making you feel like you were rear-ended, to an overwhelming sulfur smell, I was told it is normal and that I should remember, this thing is just a truck. Then, of course, TSBs come out that "fix" all of these problems (and many, many more problems Lexus undoubtedly identified as "normal").
However, the driveline vibration "fix" just masks the vibration so it is tolerable rather than fixing it, and the thump is back after just a few weeks. On the plus side, I can tell what temperature it is outside and the car doesn't smell like rotten eggs anymore -- way to go Lexus engineers! Passionate pursuit of perfection? Please.
Add to this the fact that I have gone through 3 sets of brake rotors in around 25,000 miles (more normal issues) and have a wheel shimmy at 65 mph that cannot be eliminated, and you have the makings of "SUV of the Year."
I am sure that there are some people out there who love Lexus and, hard as it is for me to believe, there may even be people who think the GX is great (my wife is willing to ignore everything but the thump because the car is comfortable, can seat 7 and entertains the kids with a DVD player). But, in my experience (and that goes from my buying experience (the dealer tried a bait and switch on my lease interest rate after delivering the car 2 months late), to service (they didn't tell me about the vibration and thump TSBs because they didn't want to do my repair first -- they wanted to practice on others before doing my car but, since I am the only person who has complained about these issues to them, they hadn't done any of these repairs), to customer service (every problem is "normal" because the GX is a truck or Lexus has never gotten a similar complaint before and, in any case, there is nothing they can/want to do) to actually having to drive the GX) Lexus is really a minor league car company that puts out over-priced, under performing and not quite ready for prime time products.
I have owned 3 BMWs (two 3s and a 7) and, in my experience BMW is worlds ahead of Lexus both in product and customer service (I cannot imagine BMW ever letting a car with the kind of design-based driveline problems the GX has ever hitting the street). Really, my experiences over the years with Jaguar (despite its reputation, my '95 XJ-6 was MUCH more problem free than the GX), Audi, SAAB and even Volkswagen have been better.
I was one of the first people in my area to purchase a GX and was excited by it. Unfortunately, this car and its manufacturer are complete let-downs and I cannot imagine the circumstance under which I would buy any Lexus in the future. If BMW comes out with an X5-L or an X7, I would choose either over another GX -- I am also am going to take a close look at the Land Rover LR3 and the new Audi Toureg-based SUV.
08-21-04, 05:35 PM
#36
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Thump
For the possible benefit of others, I have an '04 9700G. I never had a thump in this car, but I have a friend who has a Bronco that sounds a lot like what you guys are experiencing. And I have a '94 Isuzu Trooper LS (For Sale) that has, as it has aged, developed a thump at brake release after a hard braking from high speed.
I believe what is happening in all these cases is the following: have you driven an old pickup or SUV lately? I mean old, pre-1980. They feel like they have the suspension of a kids red wagon. Manufacturers have slowly added grommets and bushings in numerous places to insulate the thrashing and vibrations of the drivetrain from the body or frame. These rubber bushings introduce flex and movement between the drivetrain and frame. Old solid axle cars would have two U-joints, one on either end of the driveshaft, but the geometry of the drivetrain wouldn't change much because of it's simpler design and lack of so many large bushings, so the driveshaft was usually solid, and not telescoping like the GX's and other newer vehicles. The shaft must telescope because of the larger amount of basic suspension travel changes the distance between the tranny and the differential. Braking binds up and twists the rear axle/fifferential assembly in the bushings; if you were turning slightly during the braking, or if you have a difference in braking effectiveness from one side to the other,there is more torque on one side of the axle than the other. At brake release or even just letting up slightly on the brakes from the hard braking to just enough to stay stopped, the torque is released, the bushings spring back to normal and if there was any binding on the shaft, it is now gone and the shaft and differential/tranny distance release to normal, what I believe is your thump. Worn bushings in the Bronco caused excessive movement and binding. A slipperier shaft and new bushings fixed the problem. My Trooper needs new bushings as some of the thump is just the whole axle assembly shifting withi the bushings, not the shaft.
I just got out from underneath my GX, and at rest, the slightest raising and lowering of the car with my knee from underneath causes the telescoping action of the shaft,(both shafts actually, the main shaft and the short shaft from the transfer case both telescope and have grease fittings) and it is smooth and apparently well greased.
That said, it seems the dealers should be able to find and fix this problem especially if there has indeed been a change in shaft design. It was too dark for me to see the part number on my shaft, but if it matters to anyone, I'll look again and you can compare.
This rear suspension is exactly the same as my Trooper, with the large lateral bar and two large trailing links (never knew why they were called "trailing" links as they point forward and do the same thing that our old hot rods "traction bars" did. It is well designed and should be trouble free until the bushings need replacing. If one visit to the dealer didn't fix it, I'd change dealers. Good luck.
I believe what is happening in all these cases is the following: have you driven an old pickup or SUV lately? I mean old, pre-1980. They feel like they have the suspension of a kids red wagon. Manufacturers have slowly added grommets and bushings in numerous places to insulate the thrashing and vibrations of the drivetrain from the body or frame. These rubber bushings introduce flex and movement between the drivetrain and frame. Old solid axle cars would have two U-joints, one on either end of the driveshaft, but the geometry of the drivetrain wouldn't change much because of it's simpler design and lack of so many large bushings, so the driveshaft was usually solid, and not telescoping like the GX's and other newer vehicles. The shaft must telescope because of the larger amount of basic suspension travel changes the distance between the tranny and the differential. Braking binds up and twists the rear axle/fifferential assembly in the bushings; if you were turning slightly during the braking, or if you have a difference in braking effectiveness from one side to the other,there is more torque on one side of the axle than the other. At brake release or even just letting up slightly on the brakes from the hard braking to just enough to stay stopped, the torque is released, the bushings spring back to normal and if there was any binding on the shaft, it is now gone and the shaft and differential/tranny distance release to normal, what I believe is your thump. Worn bushings in the Bronco caused excessive movement and binding. A slipperier shaft and new bushings fixed the problem. My Trooper needs new bushings as some of the thump is just the whole axle assembly shifting withi the bushings, not the shaft.
I just got out from underneath my GX, and at rest, the slightest raising and lowering of the car with my knee from underneath causes the telescoping action of the shaft,(both shafts actually, the main shaft and the short shaft from the transfer case both telescope and have grease fittings) and it is smooth and apparently well greased.
That said, it seems the dealers should be able to find and fix this problem especially if there has indeed been a change in shaft design. It was too dark for me to see the part number on my shaft, but if it matters to anyone, I'll look again and you can compare.
This rear suspension is exactly the same as my Trooper, with the large lateral bar and two large trailing links (never knew why they were called "trailing" links as they point forward and do the same thing that our old hot rods "traction bars" did. It is well designed and should be trouble free until the bushings need replacing. If one visit to the dealer didn't fix it, I'd change dealers. Good luck.
08-22-04, 04:44 PM
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For the possible benefit of others, I have an '04 9700G. I never had a thump in this car, but I have a friend who has a Bronco that sounds a lot like what you guys are experiencing. And I have a '94 Isuzu Trooper LS (For Sale) that has, as it has aged, developed a thump at brake release after a hard braking from high speed.
The reason the Ford Bronko and many pickup trucks do this is the leaf rear springs are wound up when you come to a stop and the clunk or bump you feel is the leaf springs unwinding under a no load condition, not quiet so with the coil or strut system.
The reason the Ford Bronko and many pickup trucks do this is the leaf rear springs are wound up when you come to a stop and the clunk or bump you feel is the leaf springs unwinding under a no load condition, not quiet so with the coil or strut system.
Last edited by modelaford; 08-22-04 at 04:45 PM.
08-22-04, 05:23 PM
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Yeah I think my thump is comingback also. I have had it lubed and the driveshaft replaced. BUT, I am totally confused because I have been reading that the thump will have eventually gone away if we wouldn't have done anything. I'm confused, anyone know what the deal really is???
08-22-04, 07:15 PM
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Originally posted by geewiss
Yeah I think my thump is comingback also. I have had it lubed and the driveshaft replaced. BUT, I am totally confused because I have been reading that the thump will have eventually gone away if we wouldn't have done anything. I'm confused, anyone know what the deal really is???
Yeah I think my thump is comingback also. I have had it lubed and the driveshaft replaced. BUT, I am totally confused because I have been reading that the thump will have eventually gone away if we wouldn't have done anything. I'm confused, anyone know what the deal really is???
08-23-04, 05:41 AM
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Originally posted by Rx900
i duno but that sounds like something i want my gx to happen. I've got another question now, WHAT IS THE 3RD FIX FOR THE THUMP????
i duno but that sounds like something i want my gx to happen. I've got another question now, WHAT IS THE 3RD FIX FOR THE THUMP????
If I know for sure that it is back then my third fix is going to be to GET RID OF IT and never buy LEXUS Again.
08-23-04, 06:20 AM
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Originally posted by geewiss
If I know for sure that it is back then my third fix is going to be to GET RID OF IT and never buy LEXUS Again.
If I know for sure that it is back then my third fix is going to be to GET RID OF IT and never buy LEXUS Again.
08-25-04, 07:46 PM
#43
Originally posted by brent0226
I'm pretty sure it's a newly designed driveshaft. Ours was replaced at Lexus of Austin. They are great by the way
I'm pretty sure it's a newly designed driveshaft. Ours was replaced at Lexus of Austin. They are great by the way
09-04-04, 09:59 PM
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Re: Thump
Originally posted by LexLuder
Our fault?? for not reading correctly, our service manual clearly specifies that the drive shaft must be retorqued at every service interval by the dealers shop.
Our fault?? for not reading correctly, our service manual clearly specifies that the drive shaft must be retorqued at every service interval by the dealers shop.