S55inPA

hey guys,

i ran into this thread at autospies.
the GX is a very nice vehicle.
it's a bummer with gvwr's.
does this make anyone here dislike Lexus?
i doubt it....even with some of the quality issures present with this vehicle.
Lexus is imperfect just like Mercedes Benz.
i guess every manufacturer has there own set of problems.
good luck.

gx470

My feelings about Lexus will truly be based on how they handle the vehicle buyback. In addition to the financial impact that we are facing from the change in gvwr many of us are to investing time and energy in working with our accountants and Lexus to work through this problem.

In addition, to the weight issue I've had some problems with the car. The dealership has been working with me to resolve these issues. I probably will never buy a car in the first year of it's production - especially the first run.

This is my first Lexus and and how this is handled will probably also determine if this is my last Lexus. Between my husband and I we hopefully have a lot more cars to buy during our lives.... What may be a financial hit to Lexus now may be a gain for them in the long run if handled correctly.

major1

GX470

I think you are very much on the mark.

We purchased the GX470 in good faith based on reputation & quality history of Lexus.

Unfortunately the initial run has had several mechanical problems which were not evident to the casual driver. ie: vibration, throttle actuator etc.

For the business owner the GVWR situation has caused significant problems & accountant expense to work toward a resolution.

I and a few friends have had to initiate the "buyback" because the affect is too great & so far Lexus have said they will work toward a resolution. I have no complaints so far!

Let's be frank...the buy back looks like 300 vehicles or $15M if it goes upward it could be 500+ vehicles. Bear in mind....they go for auction once they are re-purchased! ....how that will affect resale value I don't know!

I agree with many comments that the service & sales people are not educated or updated about the issues (appearing). My service & sales people are great...the only problem is they are NOT informed. not their fault!

They are not aware of the vibration, gvwr etc...& Lexus for some reason have not mentioned many of these issues and the "buy back"...so how did you hear about it!

I drive about 35,000 miles a year & the problems are noticeable & the forum is a good thing to bring to the attention of the "powers to be" about what the owners are experiencing. It isn't anti Lexus and we should not blindly check the "excellent" box on a survey.

Discussing a problem & issues should not be an excuse to get into a "kill the messenger" syndrome!

I read about the "pillocks" who spend ages trying to defeat systems to play DVD'd while driving and I cringe. Ok you just want it while parked....yeah right!

Consider this, if you have an accident, & someone is injured, & you have a DVD that is capable of playing while driving that you say is only in use while parked, but you defeated all the systems to prevent such a capability!...go to jail...directly to jail etc...

The Lexus Nav & DVD sytem is outstanding. I have seen non better! If you are convinced it's a good thing to circumvent the system then put your name on your post so we can advise the local residents to avoid you!

BTW: A pillock is an old English term for a village idiot! It referred to guys driving a horse & cart while watching their DVD player!

My two cents...go for it!

Kash

thanks for your 2 cents.. hopefully everyone will be so much happyer you said that.. no on the other hand i dont think you'd go to jail unless infact you were playing a dvd ... also the only reason lexus has that is to cover their you shouldnt complain what people do to their vehicle kthnaks

mogulbumm

I wasn't even going to dignify this with a response, especially since I am one of the "pillocks" who will gladly put my name on a modification, in particular that which allows one to bypass a "safety" feature for a use that I don't consider unsafe.

FWIW, I performed the modification for two reasons:

1. So when my daughter is old enough to watch DVD's but NOT old enough to handle a remote control that my wife can control the playback from the front screen. More than likely, she will then change it back to stereo so we aren't enjoying the Baby Einstein productions for the hundreth time.

2. On longer trips my wife or passenger can enjoy a DVD along with the passengers in the rear, especially since my two dogs occupy where the third row used to be and I have limited my rear seating.

You seem to imply is that those of us on this board who are financially sound enough to purchase a new 53K vehicle don't have the sense to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. Talk about glass houses! How many of the people on this board who are outraged by my detailed picture post of the DVD modification have had a cup of coffee to go or even used their cell phone while driving? These have caused FAR more documented accidents than any other distraction. In fact, one of the most documented accident causes (for women) is driving with high-heels! Any village idiot behind the wheel of a vehicle is a danger, regardless of safety measures... The truth is that most of us in this luxury class are far more responsible with our modifications than a teen with a hard-on and a 5L V8.

I in no way endorse the modification to be done maliciously or with the intent of driving and trying to watch a movie. I have enjoyed a Navigation system in my vehicle since inception and was one of the first Alpine after-market installations in New England. I am oblivious to the navigation and find the DVD no more of a distraction than a moving map. I rarely get coffee while driving and my cell phone has a speakerphone feature so on the rare occasions I must use it I enter handsfree mode. I am responsible, own two businesses, and believe that modifications "personallize" a vehicle and are part of my overall enjoyment, regardless of your "yeah right" safety concerns.

The only "pillocks" on this board are those who think that we are all out to endanger the freeways and should be jailed. If safety was such a big concern, you should take your moral high-ground and attack cell phones, coffee, fast food, and even the Xenon driving lights since they have proven to be dangerously blinding to oncoming traffic.

Ain't message-board morality a hoot!

hipcheck

Man, did this thread ever move around. DVDs are now part of it?

My GX470 has had only one problem, a moody outside temp sensor (not fixed). I'm really curious what the weight issue will do to the used market for the GX470. Who would have expected used Gx's on the market this soon (from the buyback).

I'm glad to see some people rip on Lexus customer service. I've used it twice and it's been absolutely terrible. Slow uneducated responses with little follow-up. The handling of the GX recall (weight) has been terrible. Poor training and communication, plus the missing $1000 gift card.

I'm stunned that Lexus gets such good service ratings. My vehicle has been great, but the service/support aspect has been far worse than BMW (this is my first Lexus).

Johnny Mo

Okay guys, let's all relax and go back to having civil discussions or I'll shut this thread down.

mogulbumm

Johnny,

You've got to lighten up a bit on the message board policing. Sometimes you do need these exchanges. As long as nobody is swearing, I don't think that "pillocks" ever corrupted the vocabulary of our youth. Peace.

JoshuaBLEU

Lexus has begun the investigation on the buyback of my GX. By the time my accountant supplies THEIR accountant with the needed information it will have cost me about $900 in billable hours. Then they will decide if the tax implications warrant a buyback. By the way the process has started it will be a long drawn out affair to reach a settlement.

Comments?

hipcheck

This is one of the strangest messes I've seen a car company get themselves into. I would assume you can always pursue legal action in a case like this. My concern throughout is what this will do the the image of the GX470. I don't own my via a business.

major1

Apparently the "Buy Back" vehicles are going to auction, not to Lexus dealers.

I noticed recently several dealers with 5k-7k mileage "used" vehicles advertised for sale.

Dont know what affect this will have on values?

I believe Lexus will be obligated to reimburse all legal & accounting fees incurred. Perhaps "Kash" has some info from his experience?

rbridges

someone mentioned that it affected ~300 vehicles so far. If everyone sold their vehicles back, it's still (IMO) a relatively small #. Although it may lower resale value slightly, I wouldn't think that it would be a huge factor.

Any word on the 04 GVWR?

modelaford

they say the GX is supposed to vibrate because it is a truck, now the changing of the GVW has made it a car, now maybe they will be forced to recognize the vibration for what it is. also if a car the feds may want to get involved because it does not meet CAFE standards for gas milage for a car. What a can of worms.

hipcheck

For CAFE it's still a truck. The weight thing just pertains to tax law.

Johnny Mo

It is not a question of corrupting youth it is a question of respecting each other and each other's opinion. To call someone a pillock directly or indirectly is a violation of the ClubLexus rules that were agreed to when members signed up (it falls under the title of personal attacks). While I agree it is not as flagrant as some other things that have gone on in other threads, I just wanted to remind everyone to keep it civil. Lively debates are encouraged, it helps bring out issues that not everyone has thought of.

Whether or not we agree with some of the "questionable" modifications that get suggested or requested is truly a matter of opinion and if someone is willing to risk lives with a mod, well then so be it name calling and finger pointing will not change that person's attitude towards the mod if they feel they are doing so with clear conscience.